Chapter 5
New Perspectives

(Charlie POV)

During the last 36 hours I had been told so much stuff that my head felt like it was about to explode. I've had Carlisle tell me that I have terminal cancer and only have three months left. I frowned because that wasn't nearly enough time to spend with all of those I love. Then he tells me that the only thing that can save me is if they turn me into a vampire like all of them are. I've been thinking about it a lot since Bella hadn't changed all that much in the last few years, but I still don't know if I can do it or not. I mean, it would end any chance of me and Renee ever getting back together and she's really the only one that I've ever truly loved.

After leaving Carlisle's family, I went to talk to Sue. She was torn; Sue wanted to see me happy, and yet there was still that pesky matter of the treaty. But it sounded like she wanted me to be happy because she had in the past. I knew that her and Harry had something really deep. I really care about her but it'll never come close to the relationship that they had and I was okay with that. We even tried to force it by having sex about a year ago but both of us knew that it wasn't meant to be anything more than a good friendship. But now, Sue was in the hospital. She had a stroke the night I found out that I was dying while she slept, and I can't help but think that it was all my fault. Our talk must have upset her too much.

I was surprised that she thought that I should consider being changed; she actually gave me that advice yesterday from the hospital. Sue knew how much I loved Bella and Nessie and that I couldn't bear to make them sad, so I was still just thinking about the possibly of going through it. But still I hoped that maybe something would develop with Sue even though I was almost certain that ship had sailed.

I was on my way to visit her again in the hospital. The thirty minute drive to the reservation gave me a chance to think about it some more. Carlisle had been coming to treat her, driving all the way to a hospital that he didn't work at because Jacob asked him to. If that didn't show how much things had changed between the Quileutes and the Cullens, I don't know what would.

Before I left the night that Carlisle told me I had cancer, Jacob told me about the history between the tribe and the 'cold ones'. He also explained that their truce had gotten even stronger with him imprinting on Nessie, with it now almost as strong as an alliance. I was still pissed about that happening; Nessie looked like she was just shy of being a teenager, and here's Jacob talking about falling in love with my granddaughter. At least I laughed when Jacob joked that I took it better than Edward or Bella did. That had strengthened the bond between them and made it almost unbreakable. I found out at the hospital from Jacob that that was why he and Sam were willing to let the Cullens change me; they saw Bella after her… whatever you call it, and realized that she was still the same person she was before. I was still surprised that Jacob wanted me do what would make me happy, not what would make anyone else happy.

I arrived at the hospital shortly after 18:00. It didn't surprise me that half of the tribe was there since Sue was an elder, even though there weren't many who actually visited her in her room. Bella and the Cullens, except for Carlisle, stayed away; no reason to tempt fate in a hospital full of humans that one of my vampire in-laws wouldn't be able to control themselves, but they all sent flowers. I saw Sue every time I came and this time, when entering her room I saw Seth and Leah sitting at the foot of her bed in tears.

I had seen her before I left for what was going to be my last day of work. I had applied for, and was unusually rapidly granted, early retirement due to my medical condition. I assumed that the Cullens pulled some strings and was grateful to them. She looked better that morning, but still was nowhere near back to normal.

Carlisle must had known that I was there, as he pulled me out to give me his diagnosis. "We're losing her," the doctor whispered to me to try and not let anyone other than close friends and kin know the situation was so bad.

"How?" I asked, tears now betraying the strength I was trying to show. "I mean, she looked better earlier."

Carlisle shook his head and frowned. "She had another stroke this morning after you left; very massive. It's damaged her brain stem; the area of her brain that controls vital functions, like her heart rate and breathing. That's why they put her on a ventilator, but it's only a matter of time now. I'm trying to give her friends and family time to say goodbye, but there isn't much more I can do for her. She was a wolf, and I don't know if I tried to change her what would happen."

I knew what he was saying; Jacob had filled me in. If Carlisle bit me, it would change me. But if he bit a wolf, then it could kill them. He wasn't sure if, since the Quileutes were shape-shifters and not technically werewolves what would happen, but he didn't want to take the chance and neither did anyone else. I knew why Carlisle was here now; he was preparing to test her brain function and if she failed, it was over. He wanted me to say my last goodbye.

When I walked back in, Seth and Leah were still crying. They had begged Carlisle to do anything he could to save her, but there was nothing he could short of biting her. I hugged them both, kissing them lightly on their foreheads, and trying to tell them that she'd be okay. I couldn't guarantee that, but it was the best thing that I could say. "Worse-case scenario, she'll be back with Harry soon," I whispered in their ears.

They were both sobbing. Billy had entered the room with Jacob. Billy and I went to the chapel to pray while Jacob stayed with Seth and Leah as Carlisle prepared to test her brain function, in addition to ask about any other of her final wishes.

"She lasted a lot longer than I thought she would," Billy said as we entered the chapel. I looked at him confused, and he explained why. "When a wolf's imprint dies first, the wolf normally doesn't live much longer than a few weeks after that. The imprint is that strong; the wolf, even if long since its last phase, hurts too much to go on. Between you and her kids, you gave her a reason to live."

I was fighting back my own tears. "I just can't help thinking that this is all my fault. Billy, do you think Sue would rather see me as a … well you know or dead?"

Billy shook his head vehemently. "Never think that. She always wanted for you to be happy, and if you having to change to be with your family will make you happy, then do it."

"She was the only reason I didn't go through with it right away, and now with her holding on by a thread, I don't know what to do any more."

Billy reached up and was patting my right shoulder with his left hand. Now I lost it; I couldn't hold in my tears any more as I felt Sue's spirit leave.

We were only out of the room for maybe fifteen minutes, but when we got back Jacob, Seth, and Leah were all crying. All the instrumentation was off, although she was being kept artificially alive. Carlisle came in to talk to me and Billy.

Carlisle looked at me sympathetically and shook his head. "She's brain dead," the doctor said looking visibly upset too. "When I removed the ventilator, she couldn't breathe on her own. Seth and Leah consented to having her organs donated; that's the reason we're keeping her heart still beating. There's an operating room being prepped to harvest her organs. If nothing else, Sue will give some people a second chance at life."

Now I completely lost it and rushed to Seth and Leah. Leah looked absolutely pissed at me. She was about to shout at me when Jacob shook his head at her. "It's not his fault," Jacob said trying to calm Leah.

"Like hell it isn't. Why would you even let them try to-"

Seth cut off his older sister. "Not now!" He snapped. I was grateful for Seth stopping Leah's tirade, even though I did feel like it might be my fault.

Leah leapt out the second story window and phased by the time she landed. A loud, pained howl escaped from her, and it seemed that every wolf in a ten mile radius of her answered her. She ran deep into the woods and I assumed she was doing this to mourn in her own way. How's a werewolf mourn anyway?

"Seth, I'm so sorry," I said to him as I hugged him. He looked like he was even more hurt than Leah was. He returned my embrace as I rubbed his back trying to comfort him, but the boy was almost inconsolable. I couldn't blame him; when I lost my parents I cried like a baby for days. I even woke up in the middle of the night screaming, much like Bella had when Edward left her.

Carlisle had come back in and joined Seth and myself. Jacob left after Leah, trying to make sure that she didn't do anything foolish, I assumed. I really didn't want her to be alone right now either. "Just a lousy week all around," Carlisle said in sympathy to both of us, "but Seth, her gifts will give many people a second chance at a good life. And a part of her will live on for a very long time."

Seth was fighting a small smile through his tears. He knew that his mom always wanted more than anything else to help others. That's why when Carlisle had asked them about organ donation, Leah balked at first but Seth was adamant about doing it.

Carlisle left the room after briefly speaking to Seth and wanted to talk to Billy. He had spread the word to his family that Sue was gone, and Alice insisted on hosting a party to celebrate her life. Carlisle didn't know what Seth and Leah would think about that, so he wanted to test the idea with Billy.

I walked out of the room with Seth just as Carlisle was telling Billy about the plan. At first, Seth was outraged that Carlisle wouldn't ask him, but Carlisle explained why he went to Billy first. "I wanted to learn more about Quileute burial rituals and make sure it would be proper. With the," Carlisle struggled to find the best way to describe the closeness between them in the past few years, "almost kinship we've developed in the last while, my family wants to celebrate Sue's life more than mourn her death."

"Think of it as a sendoff," I said to Seth who looked confused. "It's not uncommon when someone dies to drink to their memory soon after, and tell stories about them; remembering the great times that we shared. You ever hear of an Irish wake?"

Seth eventually nodded in agreement to the plan. That just left Leah, wherever she had disappeared to. Sue's passing made me think even more about my mortality. We were all a little surprised about her sudden death, and it almost forced my hand to a decision. Now that I knew there was no chance of us having a long and happy life, it brought me back to the immediacy that this decision needed to be made in.

Alice had outdone herself with the sendoff. Even a few of the Alaskan vampires came in for the event; I was told their names were Eleazar, Carmen, and Tayna. (Garett still wasn't fully able to control his instincts around humans, so he and Kate would stay behind.) I wondered how'd they even get there that fast. There was only one possibility; Alice had told them to come earlier in the day. In addition, many of the Quileutes came; the first time that many of them had entered the Cullen home. Jacob and Sam had helped bury the animosity between the Cullens and the tribe.

There were many old pictures of Harry and Sue, with one of their weeding pictures enlarged with a caption underneath it that read 'together at last'. Under that was 'September 15th, 2010 to eternity'; that was the date of Sue's death.

I had talked to Billy about some of that. He told me that the Quileutes believed in an afterlife, much like the Christian heaven; the bravest of their warriors, those with the ability to turn into wolves, were guaranteed entry. He had told me that this was the case with both Harry and Sue, although Sue lost the ability when she became pregnant with Leah. Harry was able to phase until the birth of Seth, since the only vampires in the region were the Cullens and they were harmless to the tribe, even if some of them were skeptical of them. Billy added that as part of the treaty, the Cullens had agreed to return to the area on occasion to spark phasing in younger members of the tribe. The Cullens agreed to this, since there always was a chance, mainly due to the weather, of non-vegetarians coming to the area.

Billy was leaving me as one of the vampires I wasn't completely familiar with caught my eye. I had seen her staring at me for a while as I was talking with Billy. Her eyes were brilliant honey gold, her hair was bright strawberry blonde, and her face looked like an angel. She was so obviously a vampire that it didn't take me long to figure that one out. I don't know what it was, but something was drawing me to her. Carlisle had explained how the eyes worked; a vampire with golden eyes didn't need to be feared, while one with red eyes should be. But I knew one other thing; she was the one who I had longed for my entire life. I saw her take a sniff but quickly ran to the other side of the house.

"Who's that?" I whispered to Jasper, who walked over with Edward.

He looked up and answered, "That's one of our friends from Alaska, Tanya."

"Tayna," I whispered to him, "what a perfect name for an angel." I was smiling widely at her, and was certain that my smile looked kind of stalker-ish to her. Was that even a word? Eh, who cares?

I saw Edward rush to me, which seemed to make Tanya looked worried. Apparently she didn't know that I knew about them already. "She's been staring at you since see smelled you," Edward whispered to me. "Apparently you smell better to her than Bella did to me, but I don't notice it."

I sniffed myself trying to ascertain what he was talking about. I didn't smell; sure I was wearing cologne and it was rare for me to do that, but it wasn't B.O.

Edward laughed at me again. "Not like that," he chuckled as he shook his head. "That's one way we can tell when we meet someone special. If their human, their blood sings to us. Tanya's like us and hasn't tasted human blood in more than a century, but you're straining all her will power now."

I hoped that was the case, that she felt kind of smitten about her. This was the first time that I had been able to forget about Renee. I was certain that Tanya was the one who I was destined to fall in love with, and could only hope that was the case for her. I had planned to tell Carlisle the night after Sue's funeral about my decision; I still wasn't sure if it was the right one, but I was willing to go through with it.

I looked up from talking to Edward after noticing a nervous look on his face. Esme had told me about his gift, and I assumed that he had simply heard my wavering. I saw whom he was staring at; it was Alice. I knew about her skill also, and simply assumed that she had seen a vision of me being like them in the very near future. But when Edward's look returned to me, I knew there was something wrong with that thought.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Edward smiled; not his usual bright smile, but rather this one was incredibly guarded. He shook his head when he answered me. "Nothing."

I knew he was lying, but I wouldn't press him much. I looked at my watch, and it was already approaching midnight. Sue's funeral was the next morning, so returning home seemed to be the prudent thing to do. All of the Cullens would be attending then next day; the first time that many of them had ever set foot on Quileute territory. I smiled as I thought about everything that had happened in the last few years. The hatchet had been buried. All of my friends and family were getting along and me and Bella couldn't be any happier, despite the loss of Sue.

A/N: What did Alice see, and why? Next time. Thanks you reading and reviewing. Next chapter should be up within the next week of so. Also innothiced an issue with the date above. If the story is set just after Renesmee's fourth birthday, then I should have the date of Sue's death match.