This chapter ended up having three completely different drafts. The chapter you're about to read was the third draft. This is the only draft that really got what I had always envisioned for this part of the story. I hope you guys enjoy it to a certain extent. It's sad, but things will get better.

Chapter song: Funny The Way It Is by The Dave Matthews Band

I don't own Twilight, but nothing is worse than being Steve Phillips this week - haha ;)

Before Emmett went under the knife to have his bullet removed, he'd gotten me upstairs to Bella's room.

The three officers standing outside, guarding her door, were officers that Hirsch had sent himself. They seemed pretty decent. Not one of them acknowledged the way I sat in the hallway, waiting for any sign that she was awake. I guessed Hirsch felt he had a lot to owe to Charlie at this moment and keeping Bella safe was one way he could make up.

That was another thing…Charlie was still upstairs in surgery. From the whispers and Emmett's grim expression, it didn't seem like the outcome was hopeful.

I felt overwhelmingly guilty about every negative thing I'd said or thought about the man over the last several months—years even. The idea that he could die…it just startled me in a way it shouldn't. It was a part of life, but I just could not imagine life without Charlie, whether he be a friend or an enemy.

Bella loved him too much. There was still so much left unsaid between the two of us. I had a sinking feeling that I would not get to tell him about Bella and I. It made me exceedingly mad. I could only imagine that most would see me as ashamed of my relationship instead of proud and confident.

What kind of man was I?

I was hoping to see Rosalie as I sat in front of Bella's door. Emmett had called her earlier as the nurse checked out my vitals.

Apparently my blood pressure was off-the-charts. A stern look from the maternal woman was enough to make me blush. I had looked away when a young doctor strolled in to pop my shoulder back into place. Emmett smirked while I groaned in pain. By the end of the visit, I had received a lecture on heart health and information pamphlets about the consequences of high blood pressure.

I threw them away.

"Edward?"

I looked up from my post on the floor and found Captain Oliveros standing above me.

"Sir," I said as I stood up.

"Let's take a walk," he suggested.

Conflict was the only word that came to mind as I looked between Bella's door and my superior. I was terrified she would wake up, potentially needing me, and I would absent. A doctor suddenly appeared behind the Captain.

"You can leave, Lieutenant. She won't be ready to see anyone for a while," the old man explained.

I chanced a look at Captain Oliveros, noticing the way he appeared very interested by my investment in Bella's health. I had a suspicion this was what our conversation would be about. I had sort of decided by the time I got to the hospital that I didn't give a damn who knew about Bella and me. I nodded at the doctor in thanks before walking down the hall with Captain Oliveros.

"So, Lieutenant, care to explain why you were on my floor this evening?" he asked in a peculiar way.

It was like he knew the answer, but he wanted me to humor him by admitting I was there for reasons I probably shouldn't have been. We had stepped onto the elevator by this point.

"Victoria Molina wasn't the mole," I answered.

"Aha, I think I assumed as much after this evening. How did you come about this discovery? I presume it didn't happen through some sort of divine inspiration."

I shook my head like a little boy. I sighed before I bit the bullet.

"I'm sure it's not hard to think of a reason why I'm so invested in Bella Swan," I began.

"No. I'm rather certain it is," the Captain began in a harsh tone, "I can't imagine a reason why you might know the Chief-of-Police's daughter when she was pretty much supposed to be anonymous. At least that's if you're the media, a low-level police officer, a corrections officer, or a private citizen. For me, of course, I've come to realize the uncanny resemblance between her and a certain mysterious journalist/informant. I think the thing I'm not understanding is how ready you are to deal with this when everyone else finds out how invested you are in Bella's welfare."

"I don't understand what you mean, sir."

"Edward, be serious, there was a reason you kept your relationship with her a secret. Do you think just because Danny Fiori is dead the trouble has stopped for you? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say her father doesn't know about her relationship with you, too. It doesn't take someone very astute to notice how icy he's been with you since spring started."

"So you're saying I should keep things secret still?"

"No, I'm not. What I'm saying is that you might be a little more careful. I don't really think you see your current method of handing this as problematic. I do. The woman upstairs is seriously hurt and probably very emotionally scarred. Are you ready to have the media knocking on your door or dragging your relationship through the papers? Ms. Swan is unconscious. I think you might want to consider how she'd want this situation handled as well. There was a reason she posed as Isabella Woods."

And just like that, I was knocked to the floor by reality. As the elevator doors chimed and the Captain stepped off, motioning for me to follow, I was truly aware of what being public with Bella after this might mean. There were slews of reporters outside the hospital doors.

Cameras flashed and video camera lights blinded us as they reflected against the doors, even though they were quite a few feet away. Several nurses shook their heads, seemingly disgusted by their behavior.

The Captain leaned over to speak to me once again.

"Maybe it's not the best thing for everyone to know you're with her. You two aren't out-of-the-woods yet."

I nodded, understanding his advice. I wasn't too thrilled by the idea of newspapers reporting my relationship with Bella. It wasn't that I was ashamed, but there would still be this fear that something like this could happen again. If we were there, in big black-and-white, I was afraid what that might mean for us in the future.

I was seriously reconsidering how many people I was okay with knowing that I was the only man allowed to sit in front of her door and wait for her. Captain Oliveros took a sharp turn and we found ourselves in a quiet hallway.

"I get what you mean now. It's just…I'm not sure there is any way of avoiding it," I explained.

He bowed his head in acknowledgment, but didn't agree with me.

"Now…explain to me what Bella Swan has to do with Victoria Molina not being the mole."

I sighed. Jesus, this was a story to explain. I was surprised by the way Captain Oliveros was able to maintain a careful expression throughout the entire story.

"You might end up on the D.A.'s hit list if your and Officer Hernandez's search of Jay's desk puts a wrench in his case. Technically his desk is property of the department's, but if he turns up a lawyer will try to argue that the invitation was his property."

I nodded.

"Well, the charges have been dropped against you. Actually, I'm not even sure Sergeant McCarty ever had them filed. Harper was so angry with you that I highly doubt he checked on them. It was a good move by McCarty though. I have a suspicious feeling you might've done more harm than good tonight."

I didn't respond, as I was still very ready to argue that I would've found Bella. The warehouse was actually the first place I thought of.

I was still pissed about the fact Danny Fiori was dead. I wanted him to die at my hands. If I didn't end up so lucky, I wanted him to, at least, have to serve his time like the criminal he was. I felt like he got off too easy with a quick death. It only made me feel marginally better when Captain Oliveros told me later on that he was found with two gunshot wounds and severe burns from the explosion.

"So, who else knows about me and Bella?" I asked hesitantly.

"I can't say at this point. I imagine the officers outside her room are confused by your presence. Hirsch doesn't know though. I haven't shared my realization about her other identity with anyone yet. She was somewhat unrecognizable when we found her. I doubt any of them have truly realized that Woods and Swan are one in the same."

"She was really that bad off, huh?"

I hung my head. I still hadn't seen her and Emmett refrained from telling me anything about her condition other than vague descriptions. I was sort of scared of what his answer would be. I was terrified I wouldn't have whatever Bella needed from me to help repair the damage from tonight.

I was determined to try, but I was so afraid of failing her. I had done so numerous times. Who was to say I wouldn't repeat history?

"There were several lacerations and contusions. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but her eyes were swollen shut. I can't really figure out a reason why though. It's obvious he beat her up rather badly. Her temperature was at an unhealthy low as well. I'm pretty sure her body went into a state of paralysis from the extreme cold. It tends to happen when the body goes in shock."

My throat tightened as I stared blankly. His lips moved and his eyes took on a sort of sadness, but I couldn't really process much more than that. I wasn't entirely sure I had even heard everything. The room went deaf beside the keening ring that overwhelmed me. I swallowed but my tongue seemed dry, as did the roof of my mouth.

I tried to tell myself that what I did hear really wasn't that bad. It could've been worse. She could have been found chopped into several pieces. Laurent Marceau could have been out on the streets for one more night and who knows what would have come out of that? Emmett could have not found her period and they could have both died in that explosion.

It wasn't that bad.

"I think I should get some air," I suggested to myself mostly.

Captain Oliveros nodded.

"I'll be upstairs checking on Anderson. He'll be out for the next few weeks. He took a bullet to the chest."

I was already walking in the opposite direction. So many people had been hurt tonight and it felt like my fault. If I had just backed off from Fiori, things might be different. I should've stayed away after the incident at the courthouse a while back. It was a threat that should not have been taken lightly. What did I expect after destroying his empire and nearly beating the crap out of him in public?

His little security guards could have shot me down right there and I would have kept going just to see him fall. I started to wonder if my obsession with bringing him down was just as bad as his insatiable greed and need to make me suffer. Maybe I had been too concerned with bringing him to justice when I should have been more concerned with protecting Bella.

And not just Bella, I had to remind myself. Charlie was hurt, too. Not to mention Anderson, Emmett, and all the other officers who'd been injured or killed tonight.

I ended up back in the elevator after a long walk around the hospital. I was completely at a loss as to how to handle things with Bella. I knew for a fact I didn't have the selflessness in me to break-up with her, but I needed to know what she wanted. I knew she loved me but that didn't mean she might be willing to stay with me after this happened to her.

If she resented me for it, it would be totally understandable. There was a possibility she might lose her father from what happened tonight and I was very uncertain about how that would affect our relationship, too. Things were icy between me and Charlie. There was no saying that Bella might not blame me for that as well.

I got to Bella's floor, but decided to hold off on going to her room. I found a pay phone and called collect to my parent's house. It was something I hadn't done since early college. Calling just before five seemed pretty rude, but I wanted to assure my mom that all my body parts were still working and that I was alive.

"Hello?" Carlisle answered groggily after several rings.

I imagined he was finished with getting the prompt to accept a collect call.

"Hey, Carlisle, it's Edward. I'm sorry for calling so early."

"What time? Edward? Is everything okay? Where's your cell phone?"

"Ummm, I had it taken from me when I was arrested. I think it's still with the rest of my belongings."

"Arrested? Edward, are you drunk?"

"No. I was arrested for punching a coworker. Emmett didn't want me to go out on a 'suicide mission' tonight. I assume you and Mom saw the coverage on CNN about the explosion and shoot-out tonight?"

"Yes, we thought you were in the mix of things. I'm guessing you weren't. It's good to hear you were safe from all that chaos. I should tell your mother. Give me a second. She's still sleeping."

"Actually I'm calling for another reason, too."

"Go ahead," he prompted.

"Bella is in the hospital. I may not have been in downtown Seattle tonight, but that doesn't mean she wasn't."

"I don't understand."

"The thing is, Carlisle, she was kidnapped. I was in the office today and somehow a mole for Danny Fiori found out who she was and kidnapped her. Emmett found her in the warehouse that exploded later on."

"Bella was there?" he gasped.

"Yeah," I confessed in a frustrated sigh.

"Oh, well, Jesus…Edward let me wake your mother."

I heard him whisper my mother's name several times. Carlisle explained quickly to my mother that Bella was in the hospital as I waited on the other line.

"Edward?" she asked anxiously over the receiver.

My voice broke a little bit as I heard my mom's familiar voice. It was clouded by anxiety yet all the same soothing. It made me realize just how broken I felt right now. I needed someone.

"Hey, Mom. I'm sorry to wake you. It's just…I really need you guys right now. Bella is in the hospital. She's in ICU."

"Oh my goodness," my mother gasped, "Are you hurt, too?"

"No. I dislocated my shoulder and was sick earlier. I'm fine now. I'm just worried about Bella."

"I'm going to book a ticket as soon as I hang up with you. You father might not be able to come until tonight. I'll call Alice and Jasper in a minute and see if either one of them can accompany me."

"Okay. Thanks. Don't worry too much if Alice and Jasper are busy. I just need someone here to keep me sane, ya know?"

"Absolutely, sweetheart, don't worry. I'll be on my way in a bit. I'll grab a taxi to the hospital so you can stay with Bella."

"Sure. Thanks, Mom. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I understand, sweetie. I love you. Be safe. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye, Mom."

I hung up the phone. It hit the receiver rather loudly, which woke me up a bit. Trying to push the exhaustion away, I ran a hand over my face. I turned around and bumped into a doctor. I bent down the help pick up the files he'd dropped. The name Bella Swan caught my eye. I looked at the doctor and noticed it was the old man from earlier.

"You're Bella's doctor?"

He stood up and I followed.

"Yes, I am."

"Is she…she's going to be okay, right?"

The old man studied me for a moment.

"I'm Dr. Gerandy. You must be Ms. Swan's boyfriend or something, yes?"

I nodded despite Captain Oliveros' warning shouting in the back of my mind.

"I had a feeling. I'll be honest," he paused, waiting for my name.

"Edward."

"Edward," he began again, "she's suffering in there. Her body temperature has gone up, but she's still displaying signs of feeling cold. Her mind is playing with her body. Another thing is her eyes. I've come to the conclusion she suffered through some sort of water torture. It was pretty severe. She may need glasses in the future. Her vision isn't ruined, but it'll be hazier at times than in the past."

I pinched the bridge of my nose before nodding.

"Okay….We'll…we'll get through it. She'll be fine," I assured the doctor and myself.

"I have confidence she will be. I just hope you're prepared to deal with the psychological aftermath of tonight. Ms. Swan is still unconscious, yet her mind is already proving to be severely scarred."

"I will do whatever it takes to help her recover from this," I swore.

"And I hope that you do."

The doctor walked away. I looked after him for a minute.

The young nurse at the nurse's desk was studiously ignoring me. I was afraid she'd overheard our conversation and knew about Bella and I. There was no telling whether or not she might decide to sell her story to a news outlet.

I heard my name being called, so I turned around. Rosalie was wheeling a grinning Emmett in a wheelchair. He held up a bag labeled biohazard. Inside the bag was the bullet they must have removed.

"I feel like I'm a real man now," he smiled.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. I noticed they were puffier than normal. I looked at her sympathetically, understanding how hard it must have been for her to deal with Emmett getting shot.

It put his job in a new arena that none of us had really had to face before. The chance of getting shot was always there, but having it happen sort of created this new reality. I had a feeling she wasn't too okay with Emmett's job anymore. I really couldn't blame her.

"I can't believe you're letting him keep that," I told Rosalie.

"Ix-nay on the bullet-ay when it comes to the lady," Emmett warned through tight teeth.

I had to crack a smile at that. I grabbed the bag from Emmett, studying the metal. It was incredible to think one little thing could cause so much damage.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," I added as I handed the bag back, "Are you guys going home now?"

"We were actually hoping to wait for Bella with you," Rosalie admitted.

I sighed.

"She probably won't be up for a while. I think you guys should get some sleep. I'll call you when she's ready for visitors. I think she'll be a little disoriented, and the cops probably want to ask her what happened while her memory is still relatively fresh."

Rosalie nodded in understanding despite the frown that crept onto her face.

"Thanks for the thought. Do you guys think you can drive my car here later? I think my keys and car are in completely different places right now."

Emmett didn't look at me right away.

"Your car is still at headquarters; although, I think I might have someone check it out before I turn that thing on. I almost got blown up once tonight. I'm sure as hell not trying to do a repeat performance. Who the hell knows what was going on at headquarters tonight while we were all gone? I think your keys are in my desk still."

"Don't fucking lose my keys," I warned.

"Yeah, yeah," Emmett rolled his eyes, "Did you call your Mom?"

"Yes. She's trying to make it here within the next few hours. I don't know who's coming with her. Carlisle probably can't show 'til tonight."

"That's good that you called her. I've gotta call my parents as soon as I get home."

"You do that."

"We should go, Emmett. You need to get some sleep," Rosalie said as she tried to coax him to leave.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly.

"I'll see you two later."

"Bye, Edward."

I waved them off. I needed to get back to Bella's room.

I took my post once again. The three officers from earlier were still there. They didn't look at me once again.

Unfortunately, I started to get sleepy as I simply sat there for a long while. I started to doze off. My head was pressed against the wall behind me as I convinced myself a little nap while waiting wouldn't hurt. I was so tired I didn't even remember my dream when the voices woke me up.

I blinked quickly, trying to sit up. I looked upward and saw Hirsch barreling down the hall with a doctor behind him.

"Masen? What the hell are you doing here? This isn't your assignment. Leave now," he ordered.

"I'm not leaving," I replied defiantly.

"Excuse me? Do I have to write you up for insubordination? I said leave now."

I continued to sit there. When he moved closer, to intimidate me, I stood up. It brought us eye-level and wished for just a quick second that the asshole was shorter than me. Being basically the same height didn't give me that extra advantage that I really wanted at the moment.

"Sir, you have to keep your voice down," the doctor asked politely, "Ms. Swan is still sleeping and this is the ICU."

"She's sleeping?" I asked incredulously.

The doctor blinked at me in surprise.

"Yes. She woke up about 25 minutes ago. The nurse came to check on her."

I couldn't believe I had been sleeping that long. It was mind-blowing. Even more unbelievable was that I had a shot of at least seeing the inside of Bella's room for a second and I had missed it because I was sleeping.

"Is she okay? Did she say anything?"

"No. I imagine its hard finding her voice after being unconscious for so long. She simply grabbed the nurse's hand."

I smiled a watery smile.

"That's great. That's good news. She's getting better," I said hopefully.

The doctor agreed gently.

"Stop discussing this with him like he has the right to know. You said Ms. Swan is up. I need to speak with her," Hirsch snapped.

The doctor shook his head.

"I didn't say she was up. I said she had woken up. She's sleeping again. Besides, this gentleman has been waiting here for a long time from what I've been told," the doctor turned from Hirsch to me, "I understand you know Ms. Swan?" he asked me.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Oh really? And how exactly is it that you know Bella Swan, Masen? I've been friends with Charlie for decades and I'd never seen so much as a picture of her."

"Maybe because he likes me better," I deadpanned.

"You mean liked," he corrected.

"Yeah, maybe that was in the past, but it doesn't matter. It was still true then," I added just as sarcastically.

He laughed bitterly.

"I didn't mean he liked you in the past. I meant the Chief is dead. He doesn't 'like' anyone."

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Should I draw you a map, Lieutenant, or are you really that dumb? As I said earlier, leave now. I've spoken to Mrs. Dwyer. She's given me permission to relay the news to Ms. Swan."

"What? No. He can't be," I stuttered.

"Do you think I'd lie about something so terrible? Why are you still standing here? I told you to leave," he yelled.

"Sir," the doctor said.

A hoarse scream from Bella's room cut all of us off. I instinctively reached for the doorknob. I threw her door open before I could even process Hirsch or the doctor.

"Bella?" I asked anxiously.

I saw her lips form my name but nothing came out of her mouth but a whispered breath. She attempted to clear her throat.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hirsch grabbed my wrist.

I turned around, grabbed him by the collar, and pushed him back outside the door. He was against the wall while two of the three officers attempted to get me off him.

"Get off me now," I commanded to the men behind me.

Hirsch was too frightened to nullify my order. The men reluctantly retreated.

"Listen to me; I don't give a shit what Renee told you. You're not telling her anything about Charlie. When the doctor says she's fucking okay, then I'll be the one to tell her. You got it?"

He swallowed, but nodded. I let him go as he slumped against the wall.

I noticed the doctor was gone and Bella's room door was closed. Dr. Gerandy was rushing towards the room. He gave me a warning look. It was pretty much a given that I wouldn't be able to go back into Bella's room now. I groaned.

Hirsch walked away looking very pissed.

I paced while the door stayed shut. I tried to think about what Bella had looked like, but I was drawing a blank. Everything had happened so quickly and the lights were drawn so low that I barely got a real chance to look at her. All I could remember was a fragile body with dry lips. It was nothing like the memories I had of her.

"Your pacing is making me fucking sick," one of the officers hissed.

I whipped my head towards him.

"Sorry."

"Just stop it and you won't be sorry."

I forced myself to stand against the wall. It felt like forever for those doctors to come out of her room. I couldn't hear what was going on beyond the door. The wallpaper on the opposite wall gave me a headache as I stared. The officer from earlier sighed.

"Please do me a favor and go wait in the waiting room. You're pathetic. I can't watch this anymore. I promise I'll come get you if they say you can see the Chief's daughter."

"No. I can't leave," I disagreed.

"Seriously, Lieutenant, I'm promising to come and find you if you leave. I can tell she's your girl, but I can't watch this anymore. I'm afraid you'll go insane before you even see her."

Another officer nodded before I caught him. He blushed and averted his attention.

I decided to accept the young officer's offer. I took down the hallway.

The waiting room was playing the local news. I sat down, hoping to hear about what had happened with Fiori and his men. I was still so out-of-the-loop.

The channel station I had listened to earlier in the evening was still doing coverage. Apparently there were dozens of men in lock-up now. The wounded total had been estimated to be around ten, which shocked me. I was convinced it was way higher than that. All the quiet chaos I'd seen among the nurses tonight made me feel like it was much more than ten.

The death total was at two. The number would rise as soon as Hirsch announced that Charlie had passed.

That was another thing to gnaw on as I waited for Bella. As much as I hated the man at times, his death affected me. I couldn't deny that in all my fantasies of marrying Bella one day her father was the man to walk her down the aisle. Bella had just lost the one person in her life who could potentially outshine me. She didn't even have the chance to try and fight for him. She would be devastated when she woke up.

I was afraid what that would mean for me. I had a lot to do once Bella woke up. We needed to discuss what happened and how we would move on from this. I had a feeling I would need to bribe a couple dozen people to keep the Woods thing a secret. Not to mention I had no idea how I was going to explain Charlie. I was pretty sure he left everything in her name, but Bella had a collection of decisions to make herself.

My instinct told me that this time, while Bella was asleep and recovering from last night, would be our only breather. Once she woke up, the questions would start. What had happened to her would be number one.

"Lieutenant," the young officer alerted me.

I stood up abruptly.

"She's asking for you," he explained as I tore down the hallway.

Dr. Gerandy stopped me before I entered Bella's room.

"Take it easy, son. You need to be relaxed and composed. Ms. Swan will be able to detect all your emotions. The anxiety and tension will do her no good. Please keep things light for now. I think I'd like to put off the bad news for a bit. She's still rather groggy."

I consented to his request, nodding my head in understanding.

"Absolutely. Can I go in?"

"Yes."

I pushed the knob down, sending the door forward slowly. I could hear the heart monitor beep slowly but normally. The lights were low in Bella's room.

I finally caught sight of her frail body covered in bed sheets. I choked back a cry and sighed, closing the door behind me.

I walked forward slowly.

Her right wrist and left hand were wrapped in gauze and several bruises covered her body. There were cuts in random spots that cut into me more than they seemed to go into her. Her eyes were still swollen. I remembered what the doctor had said about water torture, but I prayed to God that Danny hadn't hit her.

"Bella," I whispered.

She shifted and her lips parted.

"Edward?" she asked tiredly. Her voice was still grainy.

"Yeah, baby, it's me."

I walked closer to her more quickly so I could reach out to hold her hand.

"Edward," she said again and her voice broke into a cry.

"I'm here," I promised as I kissed her weak hand.

Bella tried to part her eyelids, but was unable to do so. They simply separated, revealing two slits.

"I can't see you," Bella cried.

I placed a hand on her cheek, trying to catch the tears that were already falling quietly.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're still a little swollen there, love."

"Come closer," she begged.

I let go of her for a split second as I grabbed a chair to get closer. I took her hands in mine as I placed my head next to her stomach.

"I'm so sorry," I cried to her.

"It's not your fault. I should've left as soon as I realized something was wrong."

I shook my head as tears spilled onto Bella's blanket. One of Bella's hands left mine. She threaded it into my hair and ran her fingers downward.

"I was so scared," she whispered, "I was scared I wouldn't see you again."

"Don't say that. Let's not talk about that right now."

I was afraid her questions would start leading into Charlie territory and the doctor had warned me. I didn't want to ruin my chances of seeing her. I simply held onto her, reminding myself that this was real. I was so terrified earlier tonight that I would never be able to hold her like this again.

It helped to reassure me that she seemed receptive to my affection. Another fear was that she would resent me for what happened.

"I'm so glad you're here. I thought I heard you earlier and then you disappeared. I thought I was hallucinating again."

"I'm here. I've been here for hours. I would never leave you. I should have been there earlier tonight. I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Stop. It wasn't your fault. You know it wasn't."

I was tempted to argue with her but I didn't. I would get caught up in the moment and Bella would agitate her injuries. Both of us were too hot-headed to back down from a fight when we felt we were right.

I ran my fingertips softly against her forearm.

"How do you feel?" I asked softly.

"Not so good," she responded and I was pleased she was being honest about it. "I know I'm bruised. I feel sore in a lot of places. My body feels kind of funny, too. I'm not really sure how bad I am though. The doctors didn't really say."

"You're okay. You'll be fine. It's nothing we can't handle," I told her.

"I know. We can handle it," she murmured.

I could hear the drowsiness from earlier creeping back in. I wondered if she was tired.

"You should get some rest," I suggested.

Bella nodded and surprisingly didn't argue.

"I love you," she whispered as she shifted to get some rest.

"I love you, too."

I leaned up to kiss her nose softly. I didn't move from my post at her bed. My head simply found a spot next to her side. I closed my eyes with her as I decided to concede to the exhaustion I felt.

Bella's hand eventually stilled on my neck as her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. I continued to rub her hands, but she didn't seem to notice. Eventually I fell asleep, too.

This time I remembered my dream though. I was surprised at what a benign dream it seemed to be.

I was fishing with Charlie on a lake I'd never been to. I figured I'd made the mental picture with a lake I'd seen in a movie or something.

He was quiet and so was I.

My mind started to wander as I debated whether or not Charlie knew I was fishing with him. He would throw out his line, sit, wait, and stare out onto the lake quietly. I did the same, too. It confused me, because I knew I wanted to break the silence. Yet I could not speak.

The dream continued on like that until someone woke me. A shaking to my shoulder startled me as I blinked sleepily. I looked up to the person responsible, realizing it was Captain Oliveros.

"Captain?" I whispered hoarsely.

I cleared my throat. I looked at Bella quickly and I was relieved to see she was still sleeping. He motioned me to follow him outside while I noticed Dr. Gerandy and another unknown doctor waiting in the hall. They entered as we left.

"Your mother is here?" he asked confusedly.

"My mom….Oh! My mom! Yes, she was flying out to see Bella."

Captain Oliveros gave me a dubious look. I shook my head.

"One day, I'll explain it all."

"Yes, well, she's waiting in the waiting area. Strange women aren't allowed to see Ms. Swan as they please, so the nurses held her off back there."

"Thanks," I smiled humbly.

There were several nurses at the nurse's station now. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, realizing from a clock on the wall that it was now after five in the morning. Bella and I had been out cold for over an hour.

I turned the corner and saw Alice sitting with my mother in one of the chairs I had occupied earlier. Alice noticed me first. She smiled sadly at me as she stood up to give me a hug.

"Thanks for being here," I kissed her hair.

My mother grabbed me next, crying into my shoulder, and squeezing me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright. Bella will be okay, too."

I nodded into her shoulder. She released me after she gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"How long have you guys been here?"

"Only a few minutes," Alice answered.

She was dressed down—at least for Alice that is. My mother was sporting very smart jogging pants and a sweater.

"Bella and I were sleeping. The doctor just went in now. I don't know if you'll be able to see her just yet. The police haven't spoken to her. I suppose this time, after waking up, she'll have more of a grasp on reality. When we finally spoke earlier, she was still somewhat tired and loopy. She didn't even ask me about her father which was a good sign and a bad one."

"Is he here?" Esme asked hopefully.

I scratched my jaw for a minute before I answered.

"I don't really know how to say this," I sighed, "but Chief Swan died this morning."

Esme gasped while Alice's eyes widened. Her eyes started to fill with tears.

"That's terrible," Esme said regretfully, "How did it happen?"

"He was shot last night during the shoot-out. He probably would have made it if he were 20 years younger," I shrugged, not really sure if that was even true.

"Oh. Bella will be so heartbroken. She loves her father. How are you going to tell her?" Alice wondered.

"I have no idea," I said bluntly.

Esme hugged me again and I responded. Today had been real-live hell and I just needed someone to reassure me that things would get better.

"Well, Alice and I will wait here as long as they allow us to. Your father is coming in late tonight and Jasper probably won't be able to come for another two days. He's shifting patients around so he can at least make it for a two-day stay."

"I understand. This is really short notice. You guys being here is enough. I just really needed someone. I can't burden Rosalie and Emmett with everything. They've got enough to deal with. Emmett was shot yesterday, too."

Alice gasped.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah. The bullet was pretty shallow and he caught it in the arm. There was some quick surgery involved, but he was fine. They're at home, sleeping, now."

"Lieutenant Masen?" someone asked from behind me.

Dr. Gerandy was standing off with his new associate. The new guy stuck his hand out. I shook it, but wasn't really sure if that was the right thing to do just yet.

"This is Dr. Connor. He's a psychologist. We've spoken with Ms. Swan and she seems to be much further along in her awareness than we suspected."

There was a pause as Dr. Connor and Dr. Gerandy shared a look between each other. The old man started to speak again.

"The thing is, Lieutenant…we've been told that the information regarding Chief Swan's passing is being released within the hour. The public relations division at your department thought it best not to keep it confidential any longer. We're afraid of Ms. Swan finding out before she's had a chance to speak with someone she knows. In the end, we think you should tell her now."

As nervous as I was to tell Bella, as unsure as I was of what to say, I was mostly angry at the department. Despite how much Bella had progressed since she first woke up over the night, I would have had to tell her now regardless. I had a feeling that Hirsch wanted the news to be featured on the early morning programs and that irked the shit out of me.

Charlie's death being news worthy and timely was more important than protecting the already shaky psyche of his only living relative.

As much as I didn't want to lump her in, I knew Teri had to do with this and it made me angry with her. She didn't know about Bella and me obviously, but I felt like she was better than that. The only good thing that could come out this shitty timing was that I could probably use her fuck-up as leverage for when the real problems started for me and Bella.

I was definitely going to make her pay me back for this. Her public relations connections would come in handy when I wanted to keep Isabella Woods a secret.

"Okay, sir," I finally said.

I looked over my shoulder at my mom and Alice. They were giving me remorseful looks. Quicker than I would have liked, I was standing outside Bella's room. I hesitated as I debated how I would go about this. I knocked on her door quietly before pushing it forward once again. It closed behind me softly as I made my way to the frail women on the mattress.

"Edward?"

Her eyes had gone down a lot in the swelling. I was hopeful that it would go away soon.

"My vision is kinda blurry. The doctor says I'm probably going to need to see an optometrist," she sighed.

"I know, baby," I agreed as I kissed her forehead.

I sat on the chair next to her bed. As the words jumbled together in my head, I grabbed her hands.

"Bella, there's something I need to tell you."

She shifted immediately. Her frown line appeared.

"What's wrong?"

"It's…it's about your father," I began.

"What about him? Is he angry at you? He knows now, right?"

I shook my head and swallowed.

"No," I whispered, "No, he doesn't."

"Is he okay? Is he unconscious, too?"

"No. He's…Bella your father was shot tonight. He was brought to the hospital, but…"

I just needed to man up and say it already. She could hate me for the rest of my life for this, but I just needed to be honest already. Dragging it out would make it worse.

"Bella, love, he's gone. He didn't make it."

Bella was quiet in her bed.

"What do you mean he's gone?" she whispered. "He can't be. I-I need him."

"I'm so sorry, baby. They tried everything they could. He just…"

"Oh my God," she croaked.

I circled my fingertips in different patterns along her hands. Bella started to quake a little bit as sobs from crying emerged. She raised a weak hand to her face and covered her eyes. I heard her mutter my name between her cries, but I didn't say anything. I sat there and simply made myself an anchor for whatever she needed.

"I…oh…I can't b-be without him. How could this h-happen?"

"I don't know. It was an accident. Lots of crazy things happened last night. No one meant to get hurt. It was just a bad scene."

I tried to console her, but I was very doubtful that it was working. I felt wholly unconvinced that anything I was saying was helping.

"I just…he's the only family I have. Marie barely remembers me sometimes. I can't stomach Renee. I need him! Who else is going to tell bad cop jokes? Who's going to ruin black coffee? Who's going to walk me down the aisle?"

Bella was sobbing uncontrollably. I was helpless as to how to handle this, so I only held onto her.

Every couple of minutes, the sobs quieted down and then erupted again. After about 12 minutes, Bella pulled away during a quieter moment. I was crazed from all the crying. Bella crying was something I didn't do well with, especially when a sense of guilt came along with those tears.

"What is it?" I murmured to her.

"Can I just be alone for a little while? I just need some space," she asked.

Despite my better judgment and wishes, I nodded. Unfortunately, I was all too willing to give Bella anything she wanted.

"I'll be in the waiting area. My mom and Alice are here," I informed her in an attempt to cheer her up.

Bella nodded, not really responding to either statement.

"If you need me, just ask for the nurse and I'll be here in the blink of an eye," I promised.

"Okay."

"I love you," I declared as I kissed her hair.

"I love you, too."

Hard times, but I know you guys can handle it. If I didn't think so, this story would have fallen apart a long time ago. Reviews are always appreciated. Apparently, you guys seem to enjoy that the button turns green now. Reviews have increased significantly ;)

I have a blog I want to write. It's still in draft form. I'll try to finish it up for the next chapter. I didn't anticipate having to write so much for this one chapter. Oh, and please understand that Charlie's death had been planned from the beginning. It was a central plot point, when I decided to continue Secret. I'm sorry to those of you who are upset with me.

Rec'd Fics: Settler's Grove by Pears13 (just read it - she's wonderful)