Authors Note:

I'm not dead, I swear. I know two months is way too long in between posts, but things picked up with the wedding, and I just didn't have a chance to sit down and write. It especially didn't help that I got sick with colitis a week before my wedding and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital. But now that the wedding is behind me, I should have us back to regularly scheduled updates. I don't own twilight.

Columbine Flowers

Lily POV

(March 13th, 2005)

"Babe, babe, you going to wake up anytime soon." I felt Sam's soft lips kiss my bare shoulder, and his large hand comes across my waist, pulling me tighter against his solid form. I sighed and gave a non-committal moan. I was comfy and didn't want to get up just yet. Sam just chuckled at my actions and began to kiss my exposed back. "You have to get up at some point."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean now," I said in response. My eyes slowly opening.

Sam rolled over, so he was on top of me and gave me a cheeky smile. "Oh, so you are alive."

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "I could be a zombie."

"Well, you're the prettiest zombie I've ever seen if that the case." He mumbled into the crook of my neck.

I let out a laugh at his remark. "What time is it anyway?"

"It's almost 10:30."

Sitting up, I closed the space between us with a kiss. I felt his hand run up into my hair and pull me closer to him. This kiss was simple and lacked heat initially, but desire began to grow, and we stayed locked together for a few moments before the need for air surfaced, and we broke apart. Catching our breath, Sam's eyes held the look of fire, and I knew my eyes matched.

"Ay, Sam! You up yet!" We heard Paul's loud voice call from downstairs. It jolted both of us away from each other.

"Why are they always here?" He said with a growl as he rolled off of the bed and me. Finding a pair of pants, he quickly slipped them on and headed downstairs to deal with Paul.

I sighed and figured I might as well get up myself. I went to the dresser and slipped on a pair of panties, then a pair of Sam's clean boxers, and finally threw on one of Sam's plaid button ups. I walked downstairs to see the boys sitting at the table, and Sam was noticeably tenser. "Is everything okay?" I questioned while placing a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam's hand came up and grasped mine.

Paul was the one who answered me. "We might be having a new pack brother soon, hot stuff."

I rolled my eyes and ignored the 'hot stuff' comment. "Who?"

"Embry Call." Sam's voice came out rougher than usual. I squeezed his shoulder and kissed the top of his forehead. I knew with every new member that phases, the responsibilities that weighed on Sam's shoulders grew. All I could do is try and be there for him.

"How much longer do you think he has?" I asked, hoping that he still had a bit longer of being a typical teenager.

"I'm not sure. I saw him on the beach, and he's doubled in size, so it could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on his temperament." Paul responded.

"Oh, okay." I nodded. There was an awkward pause before Paul's stomach growled. I let out a laugh. I took it as a sign I should start on breakfast and headed towards the fridge. "Why is it you're always hungry when you come over?"

"Why are your cooking skills remarkable?" Paul replied with a smirk. I blushed in response, which only made Paul's smirk grow. I grabbed two cartons of eggs and went to the stove, figuring omelets would be perfect as they were quick and easy.

Sam came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "You know you don't have to always cook for us, babe."

I leaned back into his embrace. "I don't mind, truly, I don't. You guys work so hard it's the least I can do."

"See, she doesn't mind, let the girl cook. Also, knock the lovey-dovey shit off. It's gross." Paul interjected. Sam sent him a glare while I just giggled.

"Just you wait, Paul, you'll understand when you imprint," I stated while looking over my shoulder.

"That's never going to happen, sweet-cheeks; I'm going to be a ladies' man forever. I don't need to be nailed down to one girl. If that ever happened to me, it would be a tragedy. I mean, look at me, I'm the perfect example of manliness." Paul said while raising his right arm and kissing his biceps.

I rolled my eyes at his cockiness and went back to focusing on breakfast. It didn't take me long to have an enormous plate full of omelets. Sam worked in sync with me and made another plate full of toast. We worked like clogs in a well-constructed machine, never getting in each other's way and working as a team. Paul wandered into the living room to lay on the couch while we prepared breakfast.

"Paul, foods ready," I announced while I sat the omelets down on the kitchen table.

"Great," Paul replied, jumping up from the couch and quickly taking a seat at the table. He began to reach for an omelet when Sam slapped his hand.

"Ladies, first, you heathen."

I smiled and gave Sam a kiss on the cheek before sitting down and grabbing two omelets and a slice of toast. Paul waited several moments to make sure I had taken what I wanted and went in for what he wanted. Sam placed a cup of coffee in front of me, giving me a kiss on the top of my head, and then finally sat down to enjoy his own portion of the meal. It was a quiet affair with both boys stuffing their faces at an alarming rate. I could only snicker at the sight.
"Sam, when is your patrol?" I asked after taking a sip of my coffee. Sam had made it perfectly, not too bitter and not too sweet.

"In about 30 minutes. Why?"

"I was just wondering. I'll probably head home when you go." I said with a sigh. Not really wanting to leave but figured I probably should.

Sam grasped my hand and gave it a tiny squeeze. "You know you're welcome to stay while I'm gone, babe. Besides, aren't we going to watch the hockey game with mom tonight?"

I nodded while walking my plate to the sink. "I'll be back in time for the game, but I should go back home and cook dad supper. You know dad's worthless in the kitchen."

"I guess that's fair. Although if it were up to me, you would never leave." Sam said while pulling me onto his lap and burying his face into my neck, giving it subtly nips.

Paul began to fake gag at the sight of us. "God, you two are worse than Kim and Jared, and I have to see them sucking face every day at school. You're going to make me puke."

Sam threw up his middle finger. "If you don't like it, then leave. This is my house, after all. I'll do what I want."

"Fine, I can take a hint," Paul stated while standing up and heading for the back door. "Angel, great food as always. Sam, I'll see you at shift change."

Sam began to lightly suck on my neck, causing me to throw my head back in pleasure. "Sam." I moaned out. "We don't exactly have time for this."

"We can make time."

I stood up, which caused him to pull back with a pout on his handsome face. "We can continue this later tonight, love, but right now, we need to clean up, and then you need to get to your patrol."

Sighing, Sam pushed his chair back and stood up. "But I want to devour you now."

I grabbed Paul's plate and gave Sam a kiss on his shoulder, seeing that I was too short to reach his cheek when he was standing straight up. I turned on the sink but was quickly hip-checked out of the way. "Oh no, you know the rules. You cook. I clean."

"Alright, then I'm going to go and get changed. I don't think my dad would enjoy seeing me in your clothes." I turned to head up the stairs. But stopped when I felt hands on my hips.

"But I do," Sam growled in my ear while playfully nipping right behind my ear.

"Sam, reign it in; I promise we can continue this tonight," I said, groaning and pushing his hands off my hips.

"I'm going to keep that promise." He sighed and turned back to the dishes. I just shook my head and started climbing the stairs. I got back into the room and changed out of Sam's clothes and into a spare pair of jeans and sweater that I kept here for nights I stayed over.

Sam was thorough washing dishes by the time I returned and immediately wrapped me in a hug, squeezing me tightly. "Sam, I'll see you in a few hours. It's not like I'll be gone for years."

"Any time away from you feels like years to me." He whispered into my hair. I couldn't help the blush that rose to my cheeks and the fluttering in my heart.

"I love you."

"I love you too, my Ana."

"Dad, I'm home," I call out as I walk through the front door, slipping off my shoes and placing them on the shoe rack.

"I'm in the living room." I heard his gruff response and headed into the living room to spend some time with dad. I noticed that he had Law & Order on and was reading the paper.

"Anything interesting in the paper, dad?" I said while flopping on the couch.

"Not really, but it's good to stay informed." He stated while flipping the page.

I laughed and smile. It was a typical dad response. "Is Bella awake yet?"

At the same time, dad started to respond; a quiet voice broke through, saying, "I'm awake."

We both turned to see Bella standing at the base of the stairs. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and was wearing a long khaki skirt and a blue top. I raised my eyebrow. This was definitely more fancy than she usually would wear. "What's with the outfit?" I questioned

Bella blushed a bright red and turned her gaze to the floor. "Edward Cullen wants me to meet his family. Formally."

That comment was enough to tare dad away from the paper. "Edward Cullen, Carlisle's son?"

Bella, still looking at the floor, nodded in agreement. "How long have you two been an item?" I said, staring straight at her. I wanted to scream at her. Did she not care about her life. How could she date someone who could easily make her his next meal without a second thought? She was being foolish, extremely, extremely foolish. He didn't have the restraint and years of practice that Carlisle did. How's to say that he wouldn't revert to a bloodthirsty beast before our eyes today.

Bella finally looked up and meet my eye. "Not long, Since this past Wednesday."

Dad grunted and stood up from his recliner. "Well, are we going to meet this boy? It seems only fair since you're meeting his family."

"Yes, he'll be here soon." As soon as the word "soon" came out of her mouth, there was a knock at the door.

I headed towards the door. "I'll get it."

I opened to see Edward Cullen in his form, standing on the porch with his hands in his pockets. I knew he had probably heard everything that had been said, so I simply waved him in. He passed me, and I felt myself tense up, the hairs on my arm raised, and my breathing picked up. I shook the feeling out, trying not to be so obvious about my distaste of a vampire being in my home.

"Chief Swan, I'm Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you. I would also like your permission to date Bella." He said with a silken voice that seemed to lure me into a sense of safety. I tried to fight that feeling.

Dad cleared his throat before answering. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Edward. Thank you for asking for my blessing. I approve, but it's ultimately up to Bella on who she sees." He nodded and then noticed me hanging out in the background, trying not to be noticed. Apparently, that wasn't going to happen. "Have you, Liliana?"

Edward turned his gold eyes onto me. His original face was slightly screwed up as if I was an almost finished puzzle, but none of the remaining pieces fit. In a flash, he straightened out his face and walked closer to me. His scent was tantalizing, and my body seemed to lose all its defenses. "Yes, I briefly meet her at the hospital after Bella's accident. You prefer to be called Lily, right?

"That's right," I said, reaching out my arm to shake his hand. When his hand met mine, I felt a jerk run through me. He was so cold like an icicle outside in negative 5, nothing like the furnace that is my Sam. I much preferred the heat. Heat meant safety; it meant Sam.

"We should go Bella, my family is very eager to meet you."

Bella simply nodded and went to slip on her shoes. I watched her as she headed out the door. I wanted to grab her and lock her up, make sure she was safe, but I couldn't. I simply prayed to the universe that she will regain her senses soon and stop this stupidity. After the door, closed dad turned to me. "So what do you really think about the boy?"

I put on a fake smile. "He seems nice enough. Besides, this relationship will be good for Bella. Get her out of her shell."

Dad grunted in response. "Something seems off, but I'll agree with you. It'll be good for Bella to come out of her shell a bit." He flopped back onto his recliner and started to flip through the channels for something new to watch. "While we're talking about relationships, how's it going with Sam?"

This time my smile was real. "We're really good, dad."

"When is he going to meet Bella? You've been dating for quite a while, and you still haven't let your sister meet him."

I sighed. "He's been busy with work and doing things for the council. I don't know when he'll get a chance to meet her." I let out a yawn and checked the clock; it was around one. I still had a few hours before I needed to head back to La Push. "I think I'm going to head upstairs and take a nap, dad."

"Okay, Lily Pad."

I climbed up the stairs and laid down to rest. But my dreams were plagued by nightmares of Bella in danger.

I was awakened sharply by the slamming of a door and thundering steps running up the stairs. I quickly jumped out of bed and opened the door. Bella was frantically looking around her room and throwing things into a suitcase.

"Bella, Bella, what's going on?" I asked quickly.

"I have to get out of here."

Something was going on, and I felt a pit in my stomach. "Why, what happened? I thought you were with Edward."

"I was. It's over. I broke up with him. I have to get out of this town." She rushed out. Dad soon joined me at standing at her bedroom door.

"I thought you were happy here, Bella? Whatever happened, we can fix it. Just calm down and explain." Dad said in a calm tone. I hadn't heard him talk like this since I was a child. He would adopt this tone when I was suffering from a bad dream.

Bella zipped up her suitcase and turned to us. She was red in the face, and her eyes were frantically searching the room. "NO! You don't get it. This town is like a leech. It sucks away all happiness, and I can't stand it anymore. I need to get away" She pushed past us with her luggage in town and basically flew down the stairs. We quickly followed, and as she grabbed her keys, she said something that I would never forget and made me stubble back as if I had been slapped. "I'm not making the same mistake that mom did and be stuck here in this worthless town for the rest of my life. She was right to leave." With that, she slammed the door and left.

I felt tears well up in my eyes and turned to dad. His grip on the railing of the stairs was so tight I could see the veins in his knuckles. His eyes looked like his soul had been shattered.

Running up to him, I wrapped him in the tightest hug as if trying to say, "I'm still here. I won't leave." But all that did was make his knees break, and we fell to the floor. I knew my dad was too proud to cry in front of me, so I did enough for the both of us. I was too young to remember my dad's heartbreak when Renée left, but now I could see the full effect. How was my dad so strong to deal with the betrayal and then raise me. I don't know how long we stayed on the floor, but it felt like an eternity. The only thing that broke the sorrow in the air was the ringing of my phone from upstairs. I checked the clock. It was 6. I should be in La Push by now, but I couldn't leave. No, I wouldn't leave dad to deal with this on his own. "Dad, I'll be right back, I need to answer my cell phone."

Dad simply nodded and slowly started to stand up. "Dad, where are you going?"

"I'm going to the Cullen's. I going to figure out what happened. I want you to wait here in case Bella comes back."

I gave a shaky nod and heard my phone go off once again. "I can do that for you, dad."

Dad sighed and walked to the front door. "Be safe," I called out as he closed the door. I ran back up to my room to grab my phone, which was ringing for the third time.

"Sam, it's me," I said into the phone.

"Oh, thank god, we were beginning to worry you had gotten into an accident. Are you on your way?" Sam responded in a relieved tone.

"No, I'm gonna have to cancel tonight. I'm so sorry." I began to tear up again, thinking back on what Bella had said. Apparently, Sam could hear it and immediately become worried again.

"What has happened? Why are you upset? Do I need to send Mom up there?" I knew he offered to send Allison because he wasn't able to come because of the treaty.

Taking a deep breath, trying to reign my emotions in "It's Bella."

"What about Bella?"

"She's left. She said she didn't wanna be stuck in a worthless town. Like, like my mom did." I felt the break in my voice and felt the tears run again down my face. "Dad's gone to the Cullen's to look for her and try and figure out what happened. I'm supposed to stay here and wait for her in case she comes back."

"I'm sending mom, you're not waiting alone. I don't want you being alone right now." He said in a comforting tone.

I shook my head. "No, I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not a bother, honey." I heard Allison's voice come through the phone. She must have taken the phone away from Sam. "I'm heading out the door now. I'll be there soon."

"Okay."

It was a few moments before I heard Sam's voice come through the phone again. "I'm sorry I can't be there, Ana. I would be there in a second if I could."

"I understand. I do. How could she Sam? I thought she was happy here. I thought that I had finally regained my sister. She broke us just like mom did."

"I don't know her reason Ana but just give it a while. The truth will come out about what happened," Sam responded in a calm, even tone.

"I love you, Samuel. Please don't ever hurt me. Please be mine forever."

"Liliana, You will have me till the world stops spinning."

Lily POV

(March 18th, 2005)

"I'm looking for Isabella Swan's room?" I kindly asked the front desk nurse.

"Are you a relative?" He asked in a clipped tone.

I nodded. "I'm her older sister."

"She's in room 406. Walk down the hallway and take a left. It'll be the last room on the hall."

"Thank you." I turned and started walking toward the room. I had been in Phoenix for approximately an hour. Keeping my stuff in the rental car. Dad hadn't been able to get off enough time to come, so I was here for both of us.

I felt my heartbeat pick up the closer I got to the room. I knew Bella had gotten into an accident, according to Renée, but I wasn't exactly sure what state she would be in. If she was even conscious or not. I finally arrived in the room and took a deep breath, and went to walk in when I heard Bella talking to Renée.

"I like Forks mom, I want to stay there." I felt anger rush through me. If she only knew what those words she spat out, leaving did to us. For the days that she was missing, Dad stared into space with a broken look. Allison had been looking after both of us as I was no better, tearing up at random times. Bella had crushed us with no remorse.

"Knock, Knock," I said quietly as I walked into the room. I took a glance around and noticed Edward faking sleep in the corner and gritted my teeth. My gaze turned to Bella on the bed, and I felt the tension in my face relax. She looked like hell. Bella blanched when our eyes locked. Good.

"Oh, Liliana. When did you get in? I could have picked you up. Where's Charlie?" Renée rushed out.

"It's okay. I got in an hour ago, and Dad couldn't take off on such short notice, so I'm here instead. Bella, I'm glad you're okay. You had us worried sick. I hope you know this."

Bella hung her head in shame and simply nodded. I wanted to fully go off, let go of everything I wanted to her to feel the hurt that I was going through. But I knew right now wasn't the time. Right now, she needed to heal. Besides, I have no doubt that Edward would "wake up" to defend her. "Alright, then."

There was a silence that held in the air after I spoke. It was like no one knew what to say. Thankfully Carlisle walked in at the moment.

"Oh, hi Lily, I was wondering if you were going to come."

I gave Carlisle a tense smile. "When can she be released?" I asked, wanting to head back to Forks as soon as possible. There was a tightness in my chest being so far away from Sam.

"I can release her into your care tomorrow." He replied while taking some observations and notes in her chart. I would have to check it and see what the real damage was.

I walked towards the empty chair beside Edward and sat down. "Okay. Thank you, Carlisle. I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem, Lily."

I know this was a pretty short chapter, but I felt this is a good place to end. I hope you all like the story. Feel free to like and comment.