Disclaimer: It all belongs to Stephenie M. No harm intended in any way. I am just lucky to dabble with them.

WARNING: This story contains drama, blush-worthy cursing, sex, and lots of mature situations.

Chapter Title: Complications

Chapter Song: "Only You Can Love Me This Way" by Keith Urban

NOTE: We'll be hearing from Edward, Alice, and Bella in this chapter.

Bella's POV:

"Say goodbye to Hawaii, E. We may never see her again, but we'll always remember her fondly."

Edward's laugh tickled my skin since he'd been busy kissing along my neck before I'd spoken up.

"We should do something really nice for Emmett when we get home. Something to show him how much we appreciated the trip 'cause it was hands down the best group vacation I've ever been on. And also, it was the best couple vacation too. Actually, the only couple vacation I've ever had."

Edward finally stopped kissing my neck and said, "Just wait until I take you away to the Grand Canyon. Hawaii will fall to a very close second on your list of great vacations by the time I'm done."

"Hang on there, Cullen. The Canyon is supposed to be your graduation gift. How is it a gift to you if you make it about me?"

Edward lightly gripped my shoulders and turned me around to face him. "You still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"Every second I'm with you is a gift to me."

I opened my mouth to respond only to realize I had nothing. Nada. Zip. Not a single thing in my head that could even come close. So I went with what I knew worked—I told him I loved him and then kissed the hell out of him.

"Okay, when I said to pack, I meant clothing into suitcases. Not your tongue into Edward's mouth." Ah, sweet Rosalie and her impeccable sense of timing.

Instead of ignoring her and continuing to kiss me, Edward pulled away and ran for his suitcase.

"Traitor," I yelled at him. "Run away with your tail between your legs. See if I care."

"You'd care if it was between your legs hitting all the right spots," Rose said just loud enough for me to hear.

I pushed her away with both of my hands. "Damn it, Rosalie. You can't come in here demanding good behavior from me and then give me a visual like that. What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Her laugh was pure evil. "Pack up and ponder what you can do in the privacy of your room back home."

"Do you know how many hours are between now and then?" I practically growled at her.

"Counting flight time, our layover, drive times, and baggage claim … I'd say it's right around eighteen hours."

I stuck my lower lip out at her. "I thought you loved me, Rosalie."

"As you once told me … I do love you. I just also love teasing the shit out of you."

"But I … And you … And I didn't …" I stuttered and stammered to her backside as she walked away laughing.

Edward's laugh came from right behind me. "Bella Swan speechless."

I whirled around and pressed my hands against his chest to move him away from me. "Shut up, Traitor."

"No, seriously, Bella. Had you just kept trying, I'm sure you would have had a stellar comeback for Rosalie."

I smiled as I lifted my left hand, turned it around and dropped every finger but the middle one. And then I did the same with my right hand. "Enjoy it, Cullen. It's the only kind of fucking you'll be getting."

He only laughed and grabbed me by the arms, pulling me against his chest. "You're pretty cute when you're angry."

"This isn't angry. This is perturbed. You don't want to see angry."

His lips pulled up to the left in a smile. "How about loving? Can I see that?"

I tried not to smile back, but it was like trying not to squint in the sun—it just wasn't possible. "You really need to stop with the ninja mind-fuck, E. You're going to irreparably harm my poor brain cells."

"Make you a deal. You forgive me for being a 'traitor', as you put it, and I'll show you just how sorry I am tonight. Rose and Emmett are supposed to be heading to Forks and I overheard Alice and Jasper talking about visiting his friends Peter and Charlotte. We'll have the apartment all to ourselves."

"Whether they really leave the apartment or not, I'm holding you to do this deal, Cullen."

"I look forward to it, Swan," he said with that damn irresistible smile of his. Bree and Rose had been so right on our girls' night out … I had it bad for Edward Cullen.

And I couldn't have been happier.

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Edward's POV:

"How much longer?" Bella's question was muffled by her face being pressed into my arm. She'd started feeling badly about halfway between Hawaii and Houston from all the turbulence we'd had during the flight. If she could feel so rough when she was normally fine, then I hated to think how Emmett and I would be feeling right then if either of us had forgotten to take our motion sickness pills before the flight.

I rubbed her back in an effort to soothe her while pressing a kiss to her hair. "Just a couple more hours and then this layover will be over and we'll be on our way home to Portland. You can crawl into your own bed and get some real rest."

She gave a little groan. "Bed. Sleep. That sounds so nice. Are you still planning to stay with me?"

"Absolutely. I'll see my parents soon enough when I make my first trip to Seattle," I assured her. Emmett and Rosalie had invited me to go home to Forks with them, but I'd chosen to stay with Bella instead even though she was scheduled to work much of the weekend.

"Your Seattle trip … Leaving Friday night and coming back Sunday morning, right?"

"Exactly right. You'll be at work and won't even miss me."

She snorted at my comment but didn't say anything. Instead she sighed and lifted her head from my arm. She looked so pale and tired and I hated that I couldn't make it better for her.

"Do you need anything, Bella?"

"I think I want some water."

"Okay. I'll go get it for you."

"I'll come with you. Maybe stretching my legs will help."

I stood up and then helped her onto her feet, noticing she was a little unsteady at first. Once she had her balance, she gave me a tired smile and then turned her attention toward my sister.

"Ali, we're going to get me some water. Do you want anything?" she asked.

"No, thanks. I'm good," Alice replied, reaching out and gripping Bella's hand. "Are you sure you don't want to just stay seated?"

"I think walking might help. At the very least, it'll wake me up some," Bella told her.

"Edward, keep an eye on her," Rose instructed. "She gets wobbly when she doesn't feel well."

"Bite me," Bella replied. But her usual smile and laughing tone weren't in it, proving beyond a doubt that she was not feeling like herself this morning.

I took her hand into mine and we headed off toward the stores in our section of the airport. "Do you think you might want to try to eat something too?" I asked.

Bella grimaced and wrapped her arm around her waist. "No."

I let go of her hand to press the back of mine to her forehead, checking once again for any sign of fever. Just like the other four times, her forehead was clammy but not warm to the touch. "No fever. It could be low blood sugar. Eating might help that."

She gave another grimace. "I don't know. Maybe a piece of fruit or something. It's just when I try to imagine anything I normally like to eat, I feel like I'm going to puke."

"Then we'll start with water and see if you keep that down. It could be dehydration, though I know you were careful to drink plenty of water while we were in Hawaii."

"Don't worry about me, Edward. It's probably just a plain old case of air sickness from all the bouncing around the damn plane did on the way here."

I laughed quietly while pulling her closer to me. "Bella, you telling me not to worry about you is about as possible as stopping myself from breathing."

"Em and I spent a whole night competing to see who could hold their breath the longest. He won but I still say it's only because his chest is twice the size of mine and has a larger storage area for air."

"Did you compete against Alice to prove your theory right?"

"Nah. She didn't want to play. She was busy watching one of her chick flicks with Rosalie and Bree. I forget where Jasper was that night 'cause I know he would have played if he'd been around." Bella suddenly stopped walking and grabbed my arm tightly.

"Bella?"

"Give me a second. I got dizzy."

"You need to sit," I said as I wrapped an arm around her waist. I led her over to a nearby bench and made sure she sat down. "There's a store right over there so I'll just run in and grab a water and then take you back to our seats. Just sit here and try to relax."

She tried for a moment to smile, but then just gave up and slumped against the back of the bench. "Being sick sucks ass," she grumbled.

"I know, Angel. I'll get you some water and you'll start feeling better in no time." I kissed her cheek and then left to get her water. With the early hour I hoped there wouldn't be many customers and I'd be able to get back to Bella quickly.

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Bella's POV:

I tried to smile for Edward as he walked off, but it wasn't going to happen this morning. If this was really how air sickness felt, I couldn't understand how he'd been able to take this shit in silence on the flight to Hawaii. My stomach was rolling and cramping like it wanted food and I was just stubbornly denying it. But then when I tried to think of something to eat, it rolled the other way and wanted no part of it. And my head! My friggen head was pounding harder than the bass beat of a Beastie Boys song.

A new wave of nausea crashed over me and I closed my eyes again while trying to breathe slowly through my mouth. For a second, it seemed to be working. And then it got so much worse that I found myself leaping off the bench and running toward the bathroom we'd passed just a few feet back.

Awesome, awesome start to the day, I thought to myself. My tone in my head was bitterly sarcastic and I just hoped I hadn't been using it out loud with my family. The only nice thing I could think at that moment was I was thankful my hair was so short. If I did end up blowing chunks I wouldn't have to worry about picking them out of my hair after.

I stumbled into the heavy bathroom door more than opened it, but I didn't really care so long as I got inside. I headed for the handicap stall knowing I would need the room to kneel properly and aim for the center of the almighty porcelain throne. I was in such a hurry to get there and keep from puking on the floor and myself that I didn't even stop long enough to draw the bolt on the stall door.

I assumed the proper position in front of the porcelain—on my knees with my arms resting on the seat and ready to support my head if the upchucking turned violent. I closed my eyes and tried again to breathe slowly and stave off regurgitating my stomach contents. I maybe got in four or five even inhales and exhales and then I was bending over the bowl wracked with nasty dry heaves clenching my stomach muscles and tightening my throat.

Thankfully, the dry heaves didn't last long. But I was no fool and knew so much better than to move an inch at a critical time like this. There was a set of rules to puking and one of those rules clearly stated if an up-chucker moved away from the porcelain, then puking would immediately commence and clothing would be ruined. Yeah, some days I was positive I'd learned a little too much about the darker side of life.

While I waited to see what horrors my upset stomach had in store for me, I reached down to rub at my sore left knee, having banged it against the base of the toilet in my quest to quickly kneel. My hand found wetness and I gave out a grown, praying like I hell I hadn't just knelt in someone's piss. I refused to think of the many worse things I could be kneeling in while in an airport bathroom.

I looked down at my hand while pulling my palm away from my black yoga pants. I knew what it was I saw there but I didn't understand how it had gotten there. I lifted my knee up to see if it was on the floor only to find the floor clean and a thick line on my pants darker than the rest of the fabric. That same line ran down my opposite thigh.

I will not panic. I will not panic. I will not panic. I will—I gave up on my mantra, knowing I could repeat it a thousand times and never listen to it. There were more important things, like wiping my palm off and getting my phone out of my pocket. But then I decided I should get off the floor while I could and then once I was safely seated on the toilet I could call for help.

I braced my arms along the front of the toilet seat and slowly lifted my weight from my knees, shifting it onto my feet. I had just enough time to think "so far, so good" and then my legs gave out.

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Alice's POV:

"No, shift it to the left more," Rosalie demanded. "I can't see with the glare from the lights."

"You don't even need to see," I argued. "You took these pictures."

"I know I took them but I haven't gotten to see how they came out."

I rolled my eyes at her out of annoyance. When I'd brought up the idea of looking through the pictures earlier, she'd been too tired. Now that she was awake, she wanted nothing more than to look through them.

"Then move over here to Bella's seat so I don't have to contort my arms just to meet your viewing satisfaction," I told her.

"Oh, fine," she grumbled. She stood and set her purse down in her chair before moving towards Bella's seat.

I vaguely remembered having set my empty cup down after Bella had left so I put the camera down to grab the cup and clear the seat for Rose.

But Rose already had the cup in her hand and was looking at it oddly. "Alice, did you spill some of your drink in Bella's seat?" she asked.

"No. There was nothing left in it to spill."

"I really wish you had said yes."

I didn't like her tone or the look on her face. "Why Rose?"

She titled the cup and showed me the bottom of it. "Because I'm pretty sure this is blood and that it came from Bella."

I didn't speak. I didn't even really think. I just reacted. I grabbed Bella's purse from under her chair and took off in the direction I'd seen her heading with Edward. I wanted to tell myself there was nothing to worry about and that Bella had simply gotten her period without realizing it. But I knew better. She always knew when it came because it always came with those cramps that made it hard for her to move. All she'd had today was an upset stomach causing her more discomfort than pain which could only mean this wasn't her period. This was something else. Something bad.

"Alice, wait up!" Rose yelled out from behind me.

I didn't slow down for her but I did answer her. "I've got to find Bella."

"We will find her," she said as she caught up to me. "But this will go faster if we just stop and call Edward. He can tell us right where they are."

Rosalie's idea made sense to me even in my panicked state. I stopped and pulled out my phone, hitting my brother's speed dial number. I couldn't help myself from tapping my foot against the floor while waiting for him to pick up.

"What?" he barked into the phone.

"Where's Bella?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. Get off the phone, Alice."

I pointed ahead of me and started walking that way with Rose quickly falling in step beside me. "Edward, tell me where you are first."

"Alice, I don't have—"

"Now, Edward! Tell me now! Wherever she is, she's bleeding. Tell me where you are so I can help you find her faster."

"We went to the end of the concourse and then took a right. She got dizzy so I had her sit down while I went to get her water. Alice, I was only gone for a minute and now she's not here. She's not answering her phone either."

His voice started to echo just before Rose and I rounded the corner. We nearly ran right into him since he was running towards us at the same time we were power walking toward him.

"Did you call her phone?" I asked as I closed my own.

"Three times and three times went to voicemail," he replied. "What do you mean she's bleeding?"

"I went to sit in her seat and found blood in it," Rose explained. "It wasn't a massive amount, but it's still not good."

"Her cycle?" he asked.

I really wanted to tell him it was, but I didn't have it in me to lie. "I don't think so. It's never come without the severe cramping for as long as I've known her."

"Call her phone again," Rose suggested. "With all three of us listening, maybe we can hear it ringing."

"But where would she even go if she didn't head back toward you guys?" Edward asked.

"Maybe she realized something was wrong," I said, hoping it was true.

Rose lifted up on her toes to look down the concourse. "Is there a bathroom near here?"

"Just before the turn," Edward said, already starting to walk that way. He pressed a button on his phone as he walked and then brought it up to his ear.

As soon as Rose pushed the bathroom door open, we could hear the ring of Bella's phone coming from inside.

Edward moved to push past me, but I grabbed his arm. "It's a female bathroom, Edward."

He looked down at me with something like anger in his eyes, only darker and more dangerous. "If you think a sign on a door is going to stop me, you don't know me at all." He roughly jerked his arm out of my hand and ran into the bathroom with Rose and me following right after him.

We didn't have to search for Bella. The door to the handicap stall was partially open and we could see her shoes and part of her legs. Edward rushed through the door and sent it flying into the wall behind it with a loud crash—it wasn't loud enough to even begin to cover up the sound of him screaming her name.

Rose caught the door as it swung back toward us and held it open with her body while I slipped in front of her and into the stall. There was a huge, angry purple knot on Bella's forehead above her left eye. I could see in Edward's face how much he wanted to pick her up and hold her and wondered how he possibly had the self control not to do it. Instead, he just lightly rested his hand on her back while telling her things like "you're okay" and "it's going to be alright".

I could vaguely hear Rosalie behind me on her phone telling someone we needed medical help. I wanted to do something for Bella but I just kept staring at her pants while trying to pretend there weren't any dark spots on them and that I didn't know it was caused by her blood soaking into the fabric.

It wasn't until Bella was being loaded into the ambulance that I found my voice. I also found myself in an argument with my brother. "What do you mean follow you? I'm going with Bella," I told him. "I'm always with her when she has to go to the hospital for anything."

"That was before, Alice. Now I'm going with her. You can ride with Jasper and the others to the hospital."

"No, you can't just decide this for us," I argued.

"I'm not arguing with you about this."

"You're right. You're not. You're moving out of my way."

His eyes flashed with that same anger I'd seen when I'd stopped him from going into the bathroom. "So fucking help me, Alice—"

"Look, we have to go right now. One of you get in here or this girl is going alone," the paramedic ordered.

Edward turned his back on me and climbed into the ambulance. "I'll see you at the hospital," he called out just as the doors shut.

I was so stunned I just stood there and stared until I couldn't hear the sounds of the sirens any longer.

Jasper called my name softly while pulling me into his arms. "Emmett and Rosalie are on their way out with our luggage, and I have a van waiting. We'll drop everything at a hotel and then head to the hospital. In the meantime, Bella's in good hands and Edward will call us if anything at all happens."

"That should be me in that ambulance with her, Jasper. I'm always with her."

"This time, Edward is with her. And he'll take good care of her. You know that. For right now, why don't you help me make some calls and find us a place to check into? We can't take all of our things into the hospital and we certainly can't leave them here."

I nodded in agreement even though it was the last thing I wanted to be doing. I wanted to be with Bella, making sure she was alright and had everything she needed. It had been my job from the start to take care of her when she needed it. It was both an honor and a privilege to be trusted by her that much and I worried she would be upset if she woke without me thinking I didn't want to be there for her anymore.

"Come on, Ali," Jasper coaxed. "Bella's going to be fine and when she's released, she's going to need a place to rest. Let's find her that place."

This time, I really was in agreement with Jasper. I gave him a smile as I took the phone he was offering me. I would get to her as soon as I could and explain all about Edward and his refusal to let me go with her. In the meantime, I would find the perfect place for her to get some rest and recuperate from this crazy morning.

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Edward's POV:

Bella was restless in her sleep, most likely because it was drug-induced and not a natural one. On the ride to the hospital, she'd woken up but it had only been to roll over and empty her stomach out on the ambulance floor. Whatever medicine they'd given her to stop the vomiting had knocked her out, leaving me to answer the doctor's questions in the emergency room.

With all of our late night talks about everything big and small, I was able to answer the doctor's biggest questions, like what medicines Bella was taking, which ones she was allergic to, and if she'd been in the hospital before. I'd explained all about Bella's condition as well as the why and when of her last hospital stay because of it. I'd also given them the name and number of Bella's doctor in Portland.

That had been almost two hours ago and I was still waiting for someone to tell me exactly what was wrong with Bella. They'd taken her for a CT scan for her head and an ultrasound for the bleeding, as well as drawn a couple vials of her blood. Now they just needed to come in here and tell me what was wrong with her.

My phone beeped with yet another text from my sister. I picked it up from the bed and flipped it open to see what her latest message had to say.

On our way up to her room. Any news?

I didn't bother replying since she was sure to burst into the room any moment now. Plus, I'd already told her four times she would know something as soon as I knew it.

Bella stirred again, this time kicking her covers away before curling into a ball and shifting her head from the pillow onto my arm. I reached out with my free hand and gently brushed the small hairs from her face and forehead. She hadn't been running a fever before but she was definitely running one now and sweating from it. I would have left her alone if we weren't about to have company, but since we were I had to at least pull the bed sheet up to her waist.

Just as I'd expected, Alice's arrival into Bella's room was loud and distracting. "How is she? Does she need anything? What does the doctor say?"

I did my best not to yell for Bella's sake. "Alice, I know you aren't blind. I know you can see she's asleep so quiet down."

My sister gave a nod. And then she went insane and attempted to get into the bed with Bella.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I asked, unable to keep from yelling this time. "Can't you see she's miserable enough? Get off her bed right now, Alice."

"Edward, you need to calm down," Jasper said.

"Jasper, get her off the bed or I'll do it," I warned him.

"Edward, you don't understand. I've been in the hospital with her before and she doesn't like waking up alone," Alice explained.

Only I didn't really care what her reasoning was for it. "Alice, she's got a fever and she's uncomfortable enough. Having your body heat next to her is not going to help. You're here in the room with her so she's definitely not going to be waking up alone."

"Both of you stop it," Rosalie ordered. She bent over Bella and kissed her cheek then whispered something I couldn't hear into her ear.

"What do you know?" Emmett asked, rubbing his hand up and down Bella's back.

"Not much of anything," I replied. "She started throwing up in the ambulance and the meds they gave her to stop it knocked her out. They ran some tests but so far none of the results have come back."

Bella grimaced and groaned in her sleep while rolling away from Emmett's touch. I thought about giving Alice an "I told you so" but was distracted by Bella's mumbling. We all listened silently and I had the feeling we were all hoping for her to wake up and talk to us so we could know she was okay.

"Sounds like she's saying noise, but I don't know," Rose said with a shake of her head.

"It's not noise," Alice all but whispered. "It's the word 'no' and part of a second word. It's what she always says when she's checked into the hospital for female stuff."

When Alice didn't say anything more, Emmett spoke up. "Is it some big secret or can you let us know what she's saying?"

Alice shook her head. "I'm not sure. I think it's still a big secret to her." My sister focused her watery green eyes on me. "Do you know what she makes them write on her chart?"

"No," I admitted. "Tell us, Alice. I'll take whatever anger Bella has over it onto myself," I pledged. In all honesty, I didn't think Bella would be angry—maybe a little embarrassed, but I was certain her days of angrily blocking things out were behind her.

Alice sighed and for a moment, she seemed like she would refuse. But then she came and sat on the arm of my chair, putting her hand over the one Bella had resting on my arm. "Her mumbling … no hiss. It kind of does sound like noise. But it's no hysterectomy. She doesn't really believe she has a chance of ever having a child of her own, but as long as she has all the parts, there's still some sliver of hope. She can't let go of that hope and she won't let the doctors take it from her. Not if there's another way to handle whatever problem has come up. So she always makes them write it on her chart to make sure it's only done to save her from imminent death."

I sighed and pressed my forehead against my angel's warm one. "Bella." Her name was the only word I could get past my numb lips, though in my head I had a thousand ways I wanted to apologize for every bad thing that had ever befallen her and just as many promises of every way I would make life better for her.

The sound of her room door opening had us all looking up. It was the female doctor I'd given all of Bella's information to earlier. She gave us all a smile and I latched onto that expression, assuring myself no bad news had ever been delivered behind a smile like that one.

"Guys this is Bella's doctor. Doctor Randall," I introduced.

"Has she woken yet?" Dr. Randall asked.

I shook my head. "No. And she's feverish now and sweating."

"We've already started her on antibiotics so the fever is nothing to worry about."

"Do you know what's wrong?" Alice asked before I could.

The doctor looked to me for permission and I nodded to her. I'd had to lie and tell the staff I was engaged to Bella so they would talk to me and let me stay with her. I wondered how Alice had managed it over the years.

"It's okay. You can tell me anything," Alice said as she dug through her massive purse. "I have a power of attorney in here somewhere for times like this. Bella had it drawn up and notarized so it's totally legal."

"You don't need to find it," Dr. Randall assured her. "As her fiancé, Edward has the legal ability to make her decisions, including who I disclose her condition to."

Alice, Jasper, Emmet, and Rosalie all turned toward me; three were grinning and one was glaring. What had my sister thought I would do? Just stand around in a waiting room and be told nothing because I wasn't legally considered family? I knew Bella considered me part of her family and that had been good enough for me. Besides, it wasn't really a lie since it would happen some day. Of the many amazing things to come out of our trip to Hawaii, one was definitely the knowledge Bella liked the idea of being my wife someday.

I forced my mind to stop fantasizing about the future and focus on Bella's doctor right here and now. "What's going on with Bella?"

"We believe the heavy flow of her cycle caused part of the endometrial lining to bleed and tear away. That's something that can and does happen with patients who suffer from Bella's type of endometriosis. As painful as this is for Bella, she's in no danger from it. Our concern is that during the painful process one of the cysts noted in her last exam may have ruptured. If that's happened, fluid could be leaking into her abdominal cavity and that could be the cause of her fever."

"What do you have to do to find out if a cyst has ruptured?"

"I'll be doing a transvaginal ultrasound on her."

"Will it hurt her?"

"Not at all. She'll only feel some pressure and might not even wake up. Between the anti-nausea and pain medication we've given her, she probably won't. Two of you can stay, but the rest have to clear out to make room for my nurses and the ultrasound gear."

"I'm staying," Alice said at the same time I did.

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Bella's POV:

Fuck, my head hurts. No, my stomach. My stomach is definitely worse. But my head is a really close second. It's never good to feel and hear your heart beating in your head. Did Emmett convince me to do Grey Goose and Red Bull? Fuck! That's probably it. Bella, you stupid ass. Forget fault for now, Bells. Just focus on relaxing before you end up puking. From the way my tongue felt hairy and swollen, I had the feeling I'd already thrown up a time or two.

"I think she's waking up." There was no mistaking Alice's voice. I just wished there was a volume knob for it.

"Angel, are you awake?" Edward's voice was much softer and easier to take.

After some struggling, I managed to pop my tired eyes open. "I am officially never touching Grey Goose and Red Bull again."

Edward chuckled and pressed his lips to my forehead. For some reason, they felt like ice on my skin and I shivered. "Are you ready to be covered?" he asked, using that same soft tone.

I thought about it for a moment and decided I was more hot than cold. "Not the blanket. Just the bed sheet."

Edward stood to pull the sheet over me and I stared at the chair he'd been sitting in, trying to figure out why it was bothering me. I felt like I was right on the edge of discovery when Alice slipped into the chair and blocked it from my view.

"How do you feel?" she asked. She had a big smile on her lips but her eyes didn't match it.

Since my brain was still too foggy for deciphering looks, I focused on answering her question instead. "My stomach feels like an alien is about to pop out of it and my head is nothing but pain. Other than that, though, I'm good."

Alice giggled as she wrapped her fingers around mine. "You always try to play it off as no big deal."

"Why wouldn't I? A hangover is all my fault."

Her smile faltered. "Bella, sweetie, you don't have a hangover. You're in the hospital."

I stiffened and immediately regretted it. I also had to close my eyes and breathe through my nose until the wave of pain and nausea passed. Edward rubbing my back and talking softly to me also helped.

As soon as I could, I fixed my eyes on Alice and went after some answers. "What happened to land me in the hospital this time?"

Alice's lips couldn't decide if they wanted to pull up in a smile or down in a frown. They finally settled on a neutral line which directly contradicted the tight skin at the corners of her eyes; she was freaked the hell out and now so was I.

"All you need to know is that you're going to be fine," she said.

I started to shake my head but quickly regretted it. I wanted to hold it in my hands but was afraid it would make the pain worse.

"Oh, Bella," Alice said softly as she stroked my hand.

"Bella, relax," Edward cooed from behind me as he rubbed my back.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked. I wished I could roll over and look at him, but I didn't have the energy. I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to lift my head over a bedpan if my stomach decided to let loose.

"It's nothing to worry over," Alice assured me. "Remember how you didn't feel well after your first semester? You went to the hospital then too."

"But I didn't feel like this. My head wasn't killing me and my stomach wasn't so upset. I had unbelievable cramping, but not this kind of sick."

"It's okay, Bella. Your cycle is just a little worse than normal."

I was trying really, really hard to stay calm, but Alice wasn't helping the situation. If she wouldn't tell me what was going on then it could only mean it was something really big and really bad. Oh, God! What if they did it? What if they finally did it? Just ignored what I wanted and put me into surgery?

I tried to roll onto my back so I could move the covers and check for bandages, but I could barely move my arms at all.

"Bella, stop," Edward pleaded, gently putting his hands over my arms. "You're going to make the pain worse by moving around so much and then you'll start to throw up again."

I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to explain how vitally important it was to check my stomach and make sure I was still whole—or at least as much as I had been up to today. I even wanted to tell him all the things I feared. Instead, all I did was let my tears loose.

Through watery eyes I saw him sit on the bed and bend over me, wrapping his arms around my back in a gentle embrace. I needed more than that, though; my hands fisted around the fabric of his shirt and forced him closer.

"Bella, please try to calm down, Angel. You'll make yourself sick and start throwing up again. I promise everything is really, truly alright."

"It's only a small stay in the hospital, Bella," Alice assured me. "You'll be out of here in no time. There's no reason at all to be worried or upset."

I tried hard to speak calmly but the words still came out in garbled sobs. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong," she answered. "Just a little out of whack, but it'll be alright."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, starting to cry harder again.

"Nothing, Angel," Edward promised as he softly stroked my hair with his hand. "I know you're scared but I promise you don't have to be. The only thing you should be focusing on right now is relaxing and resting. And once you calm down, I'll tell you everything the doctor's told me so far."

"Edward, you can't—"

He not only cut off Alice, he gave her an order. "Alice, go somewhere."

"But I—"

"Did you not fucking hear me? Go somewhere. For once in your damn life, listen to me without arguing."

"Don't you dare—"

"Move your ass out of this room now, or I will do it for you."

I finally managed to get myself under enough control to speak up. "Edward, don't be mean to her. She's scared too."

He brought his eyes down to mine and made a mostly useless attempt at wiping my tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "I'm not going to let her upset you."

"She doesn't mean it. Please don't be mad with her. For me."

He let out a sigh and gave a reluctant nod of his head.

"Make up with her."

The indignant look he gave me would have been funny if I hadn't been scared out of my mind with my head and stomach vying for the title of most painful body part.

"Please, Edward. Please do it for me." I knew exactly how he reacted to hearing me plead for anything and it was exactly why I'd done it—I needed them both here with me, not fighting with each other.

His face immediately lost all signs of annoyance and his eyes took on that soft shine I'd come to love so much. "For you, Angel."

I knew I was pushing my luck, and being a little selfish, but I couldn't feel guilty for what I needed most right then. "Give her a hug, please."

He gave me a tender smile and a very soft kiss to the temple before getting up from the bed and going to his sister. "I shouldn't have cursed at you, no matter how aggravating you can be. I'm sorry," he said as he hugged her tightly.

Alice sniffled loudly. "I just want to help Bella."

"I know, Ali. But you're going about it the wrong way. You're upsetting her by not answering her questions."

As crappy as I felt, I knew I needed to ignore it for now and focus on Alice and Edward. Alice just wanted to feel like she was taking care of me, but Edward … Edward needed reassurance. He'd sounded angry before but I knew from the way his eyes were trained solely on me that his mood was coming from fear. I almost laughed at the fact I was suddenly more concerned with Edward than with finding out what was wrong with me. But none of this was funny so I didn't.

"Alice, would you do me a favor?" I called out.

She was at my bedside in an instant, smiling and wiping away her few tears. "Anything. What do you need?"

"An ice cold bottle of strawberry flavored water, the latest issue of Vogue, and a pack of breath mints. Make sure it's spearmint flavor. And a book. Something so horribly cheesy that I can't help but laugh at it."

"You've got it, Bells. Is there anything else you want? Anything at all?"

"Just one. Forgive Edward."

She smiled and softly pressed her lips to my cheek. "I already have."

"That's my Ali girl," I said as I squeezed her fingers in thanks.

She assured me two or three time she'd be right back, gave Edward another hug, and then left the room. She was barely gone more than a few seconds when her little head popped back into the room. "What if they don't have a Vogue?"

I chuckled at her and was very glad it only hurt a little. "Then don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? I can find a store that has one."

"Ali, just get the rest of the stuff please," I told her.

"Right. Love you!" She blew me a kiss and then disappeared.

I stared at the closed door, smiling over having the greatest best friend in the whole damn world. It wasn't until Edward's hand settled over my arm that I turned my eyes his way.

"Hi," I said, giving him the best smile I could at the moment.

"Hi, Angel. How are you feeling?"

"Like a dinosaur sized pile of crap."

He chuckled and leaned over me, kissing my cheek so softly it tickled. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I waited for him to sit down before starting to interrogate him. "What were you thinking being mean to Alice that way?"

He gave a shy smile and ran his free hand through his already messier than normal hair. "I wasn't thinking."

"Yeah, that much was obvious."

"I'm sorry. I'm just … I'm worried about you."

"I'm sure you are, but you have to remember she's just as worried."

"I know. She's just …" He forced his lips to form a smile; his real smile touched his eyes and this one didn't. "I promise I'll try harder to be patient with her."

"Thank you," I said as I pressed my hand to his cheek. I hated being the cause of his sadness, especially after the great time we'd just had in Hawaii with everyone. We should be unpacking our clothes and reminiscing about the trip. And he should be happy and relaxed instead of full of fear.

Edward pulled my hand from his cheek just to kiss my palm and then put it right back. "I'm so glad you're awake. And Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie will be happy to hear it too."

"Where are they?" I asked.

"At a hotel nearby. You've been sleeping most of the day so they all decided to go get some food and rest. As soon as I call and tell them you're up, they'll be here."

I frowned at that knowledge, hating that I was messing up everyone's plans. We were supposed to be long gone from Houston and back in Portland. But thinking about home just led me to thinking once again that my reason for being in the hospital had to be big and bad.

I made sure I looked right into Edward's eyes so he would know I was serious; and also so I would know he wasn't editing anything. "Tell me what's going on."

"Well, you can expect to have your head hurting for the rest of today and possibly even tomorrow. You fell in the bathroom and banged your head up. You've got a pretty nasty bruise above your left eye."

"How did I fall?"

"We were hoping you could tell us."

I took a moment to think back to the morning and pull up every memory I had of it no matter how hazy. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall hitting my head. "The last thing I really remember is going to the bathroom to throw up. I can remember kneeling down, but that's pretty much it."

"Maybe you'll remember when your head doesn't hurt as much."

I gave the best shrug I could while laying down. "Doesn't matter. A head injury wouldn't have you and Alice upset enough to be at each other's throats. What's my real problem?"

"Bella, we weren't arguing because of your condition. We were arguing because Alice wants to control everything to do with you and I wouldn't step aside and let her. She didn't want me going into the bathroom to check on you, she tried to keep me from riding to the hospital with you, and just a little while ago, she attempted to tell me what I can and can't say to you."

I was shocked to find myself suddenly smiling. "You guys were fighting over me."

Edward let out a chuckle—it was probably one of those relief laughs from being in a stressful situation but I still enjoyed the sound of it. "You seem pretty happy about that," he said.

"Well, yeah. I've never had that before. It feels kind of nice."

"I'm glad we can make you feel better, even if we're going about it rather immaturely."

"I don't really want you guys fighting over me, you know?"

"I do know. And I'll work harder to keep my temper with Alice."

"Good. Now tell me why I'm in this place."

"There's still one batch of test results they're running. As of right now, they know you had part of your endometrial lining bleed and tear away. The doctor thinks the heavy flow of your cycle caused it. She was concerned you might have also had a cyst rupture, but the ultrasound didn't show any fluid in your abdomen. You're still running a fever, though, so she's checking you for infections."

"Jeebus. Anything else wrong with me?"

"Let's hope not." He kissed the back of the hand he'd been holding and lifted his eyes up to mine. "Has this ever happened to you before?"

"Not like this. Years ago I had some lining tear away, but it must have been really small compared to today. And that time, I'd hardly felt the pain over my cramping. I'd only known something odd was happening because of the extra bleeding. I didn't even get checked into the hospital that time. But today there wasn't any cramping. I mean there was, but it only felt like an upset stomach. And I've never felt dizzy. I can remember feeling dizzy when we went to get water."

"Maybe that's coming from whatever is causing your infection."

I nodded while covering my mouth and yawning into my hand. "Maybe."

Edward gave me a small smile and rubbed my arm lightly. "We've already tired you out. Why don't you try to sleep a little more?"

"I thought that's all I've been doing."

His smile widened just a little. "After the day you've have, you're entitled."

"You'll stick around?"

"I'm not leaving without you," he promised.

I pulled our joined hands close and rested my cheek against his skin. "You can have your hand back after I fall asleep."

"I love you, Bella."

"Love you too, E," I managed to get out through a loud yawn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bella's POV:

Waking up was turning out to be a really slow process and so far the only parts working were my ears. Jasper's soothing voice was coming from somewhere very close by and I focused on his cadence while trying to get out of my stupor.

"I really want to stay. But then there's the interview. It's been scheduled for over a month and if I cancel, I may not get another. But then I really want to stay." Poor guy's thoughts were running in a circle and I was the cause of it.

"She'll understand, Jasper," Edward assured him.

Emmett snorted. "Hell, Jazz, I don't know what you're stressing for, man. She'll order your ass out of here and you know it."

"Just like she'll do to me when she finds out about my grandparents being in Forks," Rose added. "She knows I only get to see them a couple times a year."

I wanted to nod my head in agreement. Hell, I wanted to agree vocally and tell them all to get their asses to the airport right now. I'd already screwed up their plans enough with my little hospital detour. But I wasn't awake enough to tell them any of that yet; I could only lay there and listen.

"Don't worry about it, you guys. We'll keep you all informed and with any luck, we'll be out of here tomorrow," Alice said, sounding much cheerier than she had earlier.

"We?" Edward asked.

"Yes. We," Alice replied.

"Don't you want to go home with Jasper?"

"My place is here with Bella."

"Alice—"

"Don't even, Edward Anthony."

"Alice, just listen to me for a second," he pleaded. I was so proud of him for not raising his voice to her like he had earlier.

"Hear him out, Alice. It's only fair," Jasper said.

She gave out a sigh and then a rough "fine".

"Ali, I know you love Bella. I know you want to take care of her and make sure she has everything she could possibly need. But don't you think what she needs most is to trust me to take care of her?"

"She does trust you, Edward. And she'll trust you whether I'm here or not."

"I don't believe that. If you stay, you're telling her you don't trust me to care for her when she's hurt."

"Oh, that's a load of horse manure and you know it," Alice argued.

"No, it's not," Edward insisted, still keeping his voice calm. "She looks to you to be sure of who to trust and you know it. If you stay, then you're showing her you don't trust me when it comes to her medical problems. She already worries so much that it'll be the thing to divide us. Alice, if I stay, if I'm the one taking care of her, then she'll see with her own eyes that the medical stuff doesn't matter to me. She'll see it and she'll finally believe it."

"This is … this is …" She stopped speaking and huffed instead.

"Be honest, Ali. How many times have you said all you wanted for Bella was to find a guy who would treat her as good as Jasper treats you? A guy who would accept all of her, good and bad?" Rose asked.

"For once, I've gotta agree with Ed," Emmett announced. "He needs to be the one to stay. Seeing is believing with Bells. You know that better than anyone, Alice."

The room suddenly got quiet and it seemed like everyone was waiting on Alice to say something. I knew I damn sure was—I was also highly annoyed at not being able to get my mouth to work. While I appreciated everyone trying to look out for me, I didn't think there was a reason both Alice and Edward couldn't stay. I understood Edward was concerned about my believing him, but one time hanging by my side in the hospital wasn't going to make or break my trust in him. Whether or not he could truly accept my condition was something we would only find out if he ever decided he wanted to be a parent. Right now, that choice wasn't on the table so he couldn't realistically be sure of how he felt about it.

Jasper broke the silence. "Alice, think about if it was me in that bed. Would you be happy with Rosalie staying and hovering over you while you took care of me?"

Alice answered almost immediately. "No, I wouldn't. I know she loves you, but in my heart, it's my job to take care of you. So as much as I don't want to leave, I want what's best for Bella more. I don't want her feeling like she has to choose between us, Edward. And I definitely want her to believe completely that her condition has no bearing at all on your relationship with her."

"Thank you, Alice." It was easy to hear in his tone how much Edward meant those words.

"Just know that if you ignore my calls, I'll make you regret it when you get home," Alice warned him. "And you better make sure she's comfortable and has everything she wants at all times."

"Yes, Ma'am," Edward replied with a little laugh. "I would hate to incur your wrath."

Emmett barked out a much louder laugh. "Ed, if you fuck this up, you won't have to worry about Ali's wrath."

Since my mouth had finally decided to listen to my brain and it seemed Alice and Edward had things worked out—and I knew it was pointless to say anything to Emmett—I decided not to comment on what I'd heard. I also decided teasing Emmett would be a good way to distract everyone. "Could you be any louder, Sasquatch?"

They all seemed to move at once and they definitely all talked at the same time, making it hard to focus on any one face or sentence in my loopy state.

"Yeah, heavily medicated person here with a short attention span," I told them. "You guys might want to try that again and one at a time."

"Hello, Darlin'," Jasper drawled as he leaned over and kissed my cheek. "How are they treating you here?"

"I'm having a much better experience with Texans than Em did," I told him. I was happy to see my comment had them all laughing.

"I got everything you asked for earlier," Alice chirped as she plopped her little self onto the bed, sitting near my hip. "What would you like first?"

"First, I'd like somebody to work the controls on this bed and sit me up some. Then, my breath mints. I don't want to scorch any nasal hairs with my puke breath while talking to you guys."

Edward reached past my head for the remote and a few seconds later, I was comfortably sitting up yet still reclined. "How's that?" he asked.

"Perfect." I wiggled my hand at him and smiled when he took the hint and wrapped his fingers around mine. I couldn't really pull him to me but he got the idea and brought his ear to my lips. "Thank you. I know it was hard to keep your temper with Alice and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Or even how much I appreciate you."

He turned his head and had a real smile on his lips as he placed a soft kiss on mine. "You're welcome."

Alice took up her spot on the bed again and practically shoved Edward out of the way to pass me the box of mints she'd picked up for me. "Spearmint as requested."

"Thank you most awesome best friend ever," I told her, getting her to smile. I also squeezed Edward's fingers to let him know once more how much I appreciated his effort to stay calm with his sister.

I also popped a couple of mints into my mouth and secured them against my cheeks before addressing my family. "I appreciate all of you for sticking around Houston just for me. But I know you guys have stuff planned for tomorrow and Sunday and I don't want any of you missing out because of me."

"Don't feel guilty, Bella," Rose said as she set her hand on my leg. "You didn't make this happen."

"And look at the bright side … I'm no longer the only one who caused a scene in Houston," Emmett added, tossing me a wink and a grin.

I smiled at the big guy and managed to get my foot to brush against his hip. "Least I stayed out of trouble with the law."

"Yeah, no tasers involved," he agreed.

"Speaking of law," I said as I looked up at Edward. "Does the Chief know?"

"He does," Edward answered with a nod. "And so do Jacob and Bree since they were with Charlie when I called him."

I let out a disgruntled sigh. "Oh, joy. Not only do I have a parent to calm, I have two children to deal with as well."

"I can handle Bree and Jacob for you," Alice offered.

"Thanks, but I know Jake won't be happy until he hears directly from me and Bree will get jealous if he doesn't get the same treatment."

"You can handle them all later," Jasper said as he picked my free hand up from the bed. "We've got an hour and a half until we have to get back to the airport so until then, your attention belongs to us."

"You can have my attention if I can have some chicken," I bartered.

He smiled wide and his blue eyes crinkled just a little at the corners. "Darlin', it'll be my pleasure to see that you get some."

"Gotta love these southern boys and their manners," I said as I squeezed his fingers.

This was definitely not how I'd pictured my Friday night going. And though some parts majorly sucked—like the pain and being in the hospital—I couldn't really call it a bad night. Surrounded by people who loved me and cared for me … No, not a bad night at all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was almost asleep when Edward's softly spoken words jarred me awake. "I love you."

I smiled and nuzzled my face further into the palm of his hand. I'd wanted him to get into the bed with me but he'd said it was too small and would make me uncomfortable. He was doing anything and everything he could to make sure I was contented, from getting me anything I wanted to eat or drink to messing around with the bed remote until it moved into just the right position.

"Sorry. You were almost asleep," he whispered while pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"So 'kay," I mumbled. "How are you?"

He laughed quietly as he rubbed my arm soothingly. "Isn't that my question?"

"Not right now. Not with it being just the two of us."

"You should sleep, Angel."

"After you talk, E." I forced my tired eyes open just to show him how stubborn I was ready to be about this.

He scooted his chair closer to the bed and rested his head right next to mine, our noses barely touching. "You shouldn't worry about me. Whatever I'm feeling can't be anything compared to what you're going through."

"So? Do you think that somehow means you should go through it alone? Especially when I'm the reason behind what you're feeling?"

He was silent for a long time, his green eyes watching mine. When he finally did speak, he looked so sad that I ignored all of my aches and pains to move closer and hug him. "I don't want to lose you, Bella."

"You won't."

"I could."

"You won't."

"What if—"

"Okay, apparently, I haven't made this nearly clear enough to you, E. I hate 'what if'. All it does is get your brain spinning with the darkest possibilities and leaves you feeling crushed before you even know what's really going on. I know it's damn hard to avoid, but there are certain times in life when you just have to force yourself to ignore it. You heard my doctor right before our family left—I'm going to be fine. I'm in here because my cycle went haywire at the same time I got a sinus infection from some Hawaiian plant. Neither are life threatening so you won't lose me."

His emerald eyes were too bright and I knew if he blinked, twin tears would fall from them. "Seeing you on the floor and not being able to even hold you … it killed me to be so powerless to help you."

"Is that what had you fighting with Alice over who would stay here?"

Edward's lips pulled up into a guilty grin. "You heard that?"

"Yeah, I did."

"I'm sorry. I know you asked me not to argue with her."

"Actually, I was pretty proud of you for holding your temper like I asked. It definitely could have gone a lot worse."

"You know I would never make you choose between us, right?"

"I kind of suspected that might be why you were trying so hard to work it out with her on your own."

"My motives weren't that innocent," he admitted with a sly grin. "I also wanted the extra time alone with you."

A tired laugh bubbled out of me while my eyes ignored my determination and closed themselves. "You're a mess, E."

"When it comes to you … absolutely."

"I'm gonna sleep now."

His lips brushed over my cheek, followed by a whisper of breath against my ear as he spoke into it. "Sweet dreams, Angel."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saturday night found me finally getting home to Portland and arriving to find the apartment full. Bree had decided to cut his vacation in Forks short to be there when I got in, and once Lance had heard about it, he'd showed up to support both Bree and me. And apparently, Charlie and Jacob had decided a trip down to see me was warranted because they were also seated in my living room, along with Alice and Jasper. Rose and Emmett were still in Forks visiting with her grandparents and I had been assured quite thoroughly it was the only reason Carlisle and Esme weren't there in my apartment. Even Kate and Angela had popped in with their respective others to check in on me, which really meant a lot since they were both stuck covering my shifts until Monday. My doctor had been very clear about my bed rest requirements and Edward was making damn sure I stuck to them. He wouldn't even let me sit up to talk to everyone and had flat out promised he would put me in my bed if I didn't stay lying down on the sofa. I had not been as amused as everyone else at his little edict.

I also had not been as energetic as everyone else and it hardly seemed like I'd been home long at all before I was being moved to my room so I could sleep. "But they came all this way," I argued once more despite knowing it wouldn't do me any good.

"They'll be here in the morning, Bella," Edward promised. "For now, get some sleep."

"Only if you promise to eat something," I countered. Other than the chicken Jasper had snuck in for us on Friday night, we hadn't really eaten much—I hadn't even been allowed to eat the skin just because it "might" upset my stomach. Edward was a friggen hard ass! But since then, I hadn't eaten because of a real lack of appetite while Edward's was from having nothing but hospital food and vending machine junk available.

Edward smiled down at me while brushing a few hairs from my forehead. "Alice is making me a plate right now. She had some leftovers from her lunch with Jasper and very sweetly agreed to give them to me."

"Then go eat," I said with a push against his thigh.

"I will. As soon as you fall asleep."

"Cheater," I mumbled, getting a grin out of him. It was the last thing I saw before finally letting my heavy eyelids close the way they'd been trying to for awhile. Lying there listening to the hum of voices from the living room mixed with Edward's steady breaths right next to me had me drifting off into oblivion in record time.

All too soon, though, voices were tugging at me and trying to pull me out of my sleep. "Charlie, you can take my bed while I stay in here with Bella and Edward takes the couch," Alice instructed.

I had such a strong urge to shake my head at her that I wasn't completely sure my head wasn't moving. After what had gone down in the hospital, how could she really think for a second Edward would let her have his spot in my bed? Then again, he did have an absurd fear of my father.

"Alice, that's a sweet offer, but the couch is perfectly fine," my dad told her. "And honestly, Edward knows where and what medicines Bella needs so it's probably best if he's right next to her like he has been most of the night."

"Not to mention that you won't make her listen to all of the doctor's instructions, Ali," Edward added.

"I would too," she argued, sounding highly indignant. I would bet anything she had her hands on her hips and was glaring at her brother.

"Alice, I've got to agree with Edward on this one. While you'll give Bella anything she wants, Edward will give her what she needs even if that's making her mad with him." My dad chuckled softly and the sound made me smile. "Hell, she's already pissed at him for bringing her to her room in the first place."

Now it was Edward's turn to chuckle. "She forgave me in exchange for me promising to eat a real meal."

Alice snorted. "Try two meals. I'm going to have to go grocery shopping tomorrow thanks to you."

"You were going to have to go anyway," he replied. "You girls emptied the fridge before we left for Hawaii, remember?"

"Well, you two can stand around and keep on arguing, but I'm going to get some sleep," my dad announced. "Oh, and I'll just go on ahead and give my daughter a kiss since she's playing possum and all." It was only seconds later that I heard him laughing right behind me and felt his lips on my cheek.

"Wasn't playing anything," I grumbled. "You guys were way too loud."

"Sorry, Sweetheart," he said while rubbing my shoulder.

"So 'kay," I mumbled while yawning and rolling onto my back to see them all.

Alice practically danced over and grabbed my hand while Edward carefully crawled up beside me in the bed.

I chuckled at suddenly behind surrounded. "I could get used to this if I didn't like have a life and stuff," I joked.

Edward chuckled against my cheek as he kissed it. "Nice to see you're feeling better. Any chance I could get you to eat something?"

For once, I actually wasn't completely repulsed by the idea of food. "Toast with just a little strawberry jelly. And a really cold glass of milk."

"No milk. You still have a bit of fever."

"But I want milk," I whined.

"Do you want it enough to puke it up later?" He already knew my answer because he had a cocky smile on his face and his arched eyebrow was challenging me to be stubborn.

I groaned out my displeasure long and loud. "Fine. Tea then."

He nuzzled the side of my face with his nose and when he spoke, I just knew he was smiling. "I love you, Angel."

"Go away," I moaned, pressing my palm to his forehead and pushing him away.

He laughed as he rolled off the bed and stood. I let him get as far as the door before telling him I loved him too, to which he cockily replied he knew.

While rolling my eyes at him, I noticed my dad and Alice were still there. "What?" I asked gruffly, trying to ignore my reddening face.

My dad smiled as he shifted his eyes over to my best friend. "Alice, would you mind if I had a moment alone with my daughter?"

"Not at all, Charlie," she practically sang as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. She tossed me a smile and then pranced her way out of my room, closing the door behind her.

My dad sat down next to me and gave me his stern gaze. "How are you really?"

"You want super honest truth or dad truth?"

"What's the difference?"

"One makes you sigh and shake your head at me while the other eases your mind."

"Yeah, okay," he said with a laugh. "Give me the first because the second isn't possible. No matter how old you get, I'm always going to worry about you, Bells."

"Hurts like a bitch and I'm tired and I'm sore from sleeping because I'm tired. It's a vicious cycle."

Just as I'd predicted, he sighed and shook his head—but he also laughed. "You're the only kid I know who hates staying in bed."

"Hate to break it to you, Dad, but I passed the kid stage a while back."

"I know." He said it softly but with so much feeling behind it I instantly felt guilty without knowing why. He seemed for a second like he was going to say more but kissed my forehead instead. "So was the Houston hospital better than the one in Forks?"

I chuckled at his lame idea of a topic change. "It was a hospital, Dad. It was full of bad food, the nurses kept prodding me, and the whole place stunk of antiseptic."

"And you had Edward with you."

"Yeah, I did," I agreed with a nod. "Although, he's worse than you when it comes to making sure I follow everything the doctor says, even the stuff that's just a suggestion."

My dad smiled while nudging my arm with the back of his hand. "That might have a little something to do with him caring about you."

I'd had no intention of saying anything but the whispered words were suddenly tumbling out of my mouth. "I was really scared this time, Daddy. There was a long moment when I was positive they'd finally gone ahead and cut me open, taking it all away."

He didn't say anything at first and when he did finally speak his words came slow, like he was measuring each one before saying it. "The thing you want most … the one you won't voice because you do want it so badly … Bella, it's going to happen whether you have that surgery or not. Being a mother has everything to do with your heart and very little to do with how the child enters the world. I'm sure it is a special feeling to be pregnant and give birth, but that's just one tiny part of being a parent. The love you give your child, the direction and guidance, and the dreams you help foster … Bella, those are what matter and those come from right there in that oversized heart of yours. When it's time, you will find a way. And I'll be as proud of the mother you become as I am of the daughter you are right now."

I turned enough to get my arm around him and hug him. "Thank you."

"It's just the truth," he said a little gruffly. He also moved to stare at the picture on my wall, hiding his face from me. He was about as good at being emotional as I was at keeping my language clean.

"I love you, Daddy."

"Well, I better get on out of here so Edward can bring in your food. I'll see you in the morning," he said as he opened the door. He stopped right in the doorway, his hand gripping the edge hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "I love you too, Bella. I should probably say that a lot more often, but I figure you know it. You do, right?"

"Yeah, I do," I assured him. And I meant it.

No sooner than my dad passed out of view, Edward was entering the room with a tray in his hands. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's good," I said as I carefully scooted myself up to a sitting position.

Edward set the tray over my legs before crawling into bed next to me. "You know, I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you."

I snorted at that. "Gonna trade up from watching me like a hawk to having an eagle eye on me, Cullen?"

"If that's what it takes to know when you're only pretending to sleep, Swan. I can't have you overhearing me while I'm planning some surprise for you someday, now can I?"

"You can't know all of my secrets, E. That would make me so boring and unappealing."

"Never," he promised with a smile and a kiss to my cheek. "So did you have a nice talk with your dad?"

I shrugged while tearing off a corner of my toast. "It was … educational."

He leaned up on his elbow, setting his head in his hand. "What's that mean?"

I kept my eyes trained on the food in front of me for fear I would take one look at Edward and start crying and he would misinterpret my tears as something bad. "I finally get it. I get why Esme and Alice have always been so optimistic about my future. And I get how you can say you don't care."

"Wait," he said, sitting up quickly. "So all of our talking and it's your dad who convinces you? How?"

I chuckled at how shocked Edward seemed; and also because I was sure there was a little jealousy mixed in there too for not being the one to change my mind. "Charlie broke it down into simple terms I could really understand and accept." I purposefully didn't say any more, knowing it would drive Edward crazy; he hated it when I didn't give a full explanation for something.

I counted all the way to forty-five in my head before Edward gave out an exasperated huff. "Bella."

I laughed a little while reaching for his hand and sliding my fingers through his. And then I finally looked at him. "Nurture over nature, Edward. It isn't the arrival on this planet that matters, but the life built from that moment on."

Edward's smile was blindingly bright and his green eyes were practically dancing with joy. "It truly is, Angel."

I still wanted very much to get to feel my child growing inside of me, but I could also accept the idea of letting someone else do the growing so I could do the loving. I could also accept the possibility of a real future with Edward with everything he'd ever talked about us having together. While this whole mess wasn't anything I'd ever want to experience again, at least I was getting something really great out of it—a chance at a truly happy life.