58

BPOV

I turned back to Charlie as we stepped into the light. I looked around and found us standing on a pale, sandy beach. I heard a noise behind us and turned around. I smiled when I saw Renee and Edward stepping out of the light. He was squinting slightly, causing me to giggle softly. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Bella," he said with a big smile.

"Edward," I squealed as I ran over and jumped in his open arms, wrapping my arms and legs around him. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. I pulled back and leaned my forehead on his. "God, I've missed you so much."

"Not nearly as much as I've missed you," whispered Edward. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I kissed him back a little harder.

"I guess they really do love each other, Charlie," chuckled Renee. Edward and I just laughed with her as we turned and looked at them. They were standing with their arms wrapped around each other.

"We do," I said. I looked around. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," said Charlie, looking around. "I've never been here before."

"Me either," said Renee as she looked around. "It is beautiful, though."

"Am I dead?" I asked. "Is this heaven?"

"No, you aren't dead," said Renee. "Heaven is much more specatular than this place. Although, this is a close second, I guess."

"Then why did you bring us here?" asked Edward.

"We don't know," said Charlie. "I guess someone knew you needed some time together."

"Oh," said Edward.

"We are going to give you some time alone," said Renee with a beautiful smile. "We will be just down the beach if you need us."

"Ok," I said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Isabella," chuckled Renee, before she and Charlie started walking down the beach until we couldn't see them. I turned back to Edward and realized I was still wrapped around him.

"Sorry," I chuckled as I started to unwrap my legs but Edward pulled them back.

"Don't," he said. "I've missed the feeling of you wrapped around me."

"I've missed you, too," I whispered. Edward sat us down in the sand so that I was still straddling him. "I didn't realize how much I missed feeling you until this minute."

"I know what you mean," chuckled Edward as he rolled so that he was hovering over me. He was nestled in between my legs. He ran his fingers through my long brown hair. "I've missed your hair too. I've missed your smile. I've missed everything."

"Me too," I whispered.

Edward leaned down and gently pressed his lips against mine softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down onto me. I brushed my tongue across his bottom lip asking for entrance into his mouth. He moaned as he let my tongue in while his hand roamed down my body until it rested on my thigh, pulled it higher up on his hip.

I moaned this time and pressed my hips into his, causing him to groan and kiss me back harder. I could feel all of him as he pressed himself against me. Edward rolled us so that I was straddling him again but our lips never parted. His hands roamed under my skirt to my bottom. I reluctantly pulled my lips from his and took a breath. I laid down next to him and looked over at him. He had a big smile on his face.

"You're smiling," I said.

"I'm happy," said Edward.

"Me too," I said. "But I can't help but wonder what we are doing here."

"I know," said Edward as he sat up. I sat up next to him and looked around ."It is beautiful here."

"Yes, it is," I said. "Do you think I am dead?"

"No," said Edward as he looked over at me. "Or I wouldn't be here. Unless I'm dead too."

"Good point," I said, pulling my knees up to my chest. "I guess this means that we will have to go back to the real world soon."

"Probably," said Edward, wrapping his arms around me. "But at least we have this time together. When we do have to go back, I will still be there. Just not the same way for awhile."

"So what do you want to do?" I asked with a smirk. Edward groaned and laid back in the sand. I chuckled and rolled over on my stomach and looked at him. "What?"

"You know what," he chuckled. He reached up and stroked my check. "You are so beautiful, my love."

EPOV

"No, I'm not," said Bella.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because my body has been through hell. I look like a freak," whispered Bella as she laid her head on my chest.

"You don't see yourself very clearly," I said softly. "Maybe you do look tired in real life but to me, you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever met."

"Bald head and all?" she asked.

"Bald head and all," I said. "Bella, it's your soul that makes you beautiful. You have the most beautiful soul."

"That's sweet," said Bella. "And kind of creepy."

"It did sound creepy, didn't it?" I chuckled.

"Yes," laughed Bella. I smiled when I heard my Bella laughing. She hadn't really laughed in weeks. "Come here, my precious. Let me take your soul."

"That's not what I sounded like," I scoffed with a smile.

"Did too," teased Bella.

"That's it," I chuckled as I jumped to my feet.

I pulled Bella up and tossed her over my shoulder and ran into the water with her as she squealed and laughed. I tossed her into the water. She came up and splashed me as she jumped into my arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around me again.

"That was mean," she laughed.

"I know," I chuckled. "But you started it."

"Did not," she smirked.

"You so did but I am willing to let it go," I said with a smile.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I have you in my arms," I chuckled. "That makes this the best day ever."

"Yes, it does," whispered Bella before she kissed me softly. She laid her head on my shoulder and we just enjoyed being with each other.

"Bella, Edward," called Renee about an hour later. We turned and saw her and Charlie standing on the beach. I tightened my arms around her as we walked over to them. "It's time to go back."

"Back where?" asked Bella.

"Back to the real world," said Charlie. Bella tightened her arms around me.

"I don't want to," she cried as she buried her face in my neck. "I want to stay here where it doesn't hurt."

"You can't," said Renee. "You have to go back. You both have to go back."

"Why?" snapped Bella as she glared at Renee. "Why do we have to go back to the pain?"

"Because you have to keep fighting, sweetheart," said Renee, sadly. "You have to go back and fight for your life with Edward."

"Edward, you have to stay strong for Bella," said Charlie. "She's going to need you to stay strong for her. If you both are going to beat this, then you have to go back and fight together. You can do it because your love is strong."

"Are you saying that I'm not going to die?" asked Bella.

"I don't know the answer to that, Honey," said Charlie. "I wish I could tell you that you would be fine. I wish I could tell you that you will have your happily ever after but I can't. What I can tell you is that you are incredibly strong. Together, you can do anything. You just have to keep fighting."

"What if I'm not strong enough?" asked Bella.

"I don't know," said Charlie. "Just remember that we are always with you both."

"Bella, he's right," I whispered sadly. Bella looked up at me. "I don't want to leave you right now but we have to go back. I promise I will be with you."

"Do you promise?" she asked.

"I promise," I whispered. "Forever, remember?"

"Forever," she whispered before she turned back to Charlie and Renee. "Ok, we'll go back. I love you both."

"We love you both," said Renee, hugging us both. She pulled back. "Take care of each other."

"We will," said Bella. "Take care of each other."

"We will," said Charlie, pulled Renee into his arms. "You have better go."

Bella and I turned and saw the bright light again. We turned back to Charlie and Renee but they were gone. I kissed Bella one more time before I tightened my arms around her and carried her into the light.

"Edward," said Esme, shaking my shoulders. "Edward, wake up."

"What?" I mumbled as I slowly opened my eyes. I looked around and saw that I was back in the waiting room. I looked over at Esme. "How long was I asleep?"

"Nearly three hours," said Esme.

"Oh," I said, sitting up. I could feel everyone's eyes on me but I ignored them. "How's Bella?"

"About the same," said Esme. "They've got her fever down a little bit but she's still running one."

"Oh," I said.

"It's time for you to go home and get some sleep," said Esme.

"I'm staying here," I said, shaking my head.

"Edward, you need to go home and rest," said Esme.

"No, I'm not leaving until my wife is better," I snapped as I stood up and walked out of the waiting room.

I walked down to Bella's window and just watched her. Carlisle was sitting in the chair next to her bed, reading through some charts. Bella was just laying there. I could see her chest moving up and down as she breathed. Had I really been on that beach with Bella or had it just been a dream?

It felt so real. I could still feel her in my arms. I could still feel her lips on mine. Her arms and legs wrapped around me. I ran my fingers through my hair as I watched her. I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder but I didn't look back.

"I know you are scared, Edward," said Emmett. "So am I."

"I know you are, Em," I said. "I know."

"You know, when Bella proposed to you, I wasn't sure you really loved her," said Emmett.

"I'm sure you didn't," I said, not taking my eyes off of Bella. "It's not like you knew anything about me."

"Exactly," said Emmett.

"Then why did you let Bella marry me?" I asked.

"Because she knew you loved her," said Emmett. "Last summer, Bella asked me how I knew I was in love with Rose. I told her about how I released that I had feeling for Rose but I didn't know they were love for awhile. Bella told me that she didn't think anyone would ever love her for her. See, Bella's so smart that people can be turned off by it. She's works really hard not to gloat about it but most of the boys in our school have known us since we were in diapers. So they know how smart Bella is. They know that Bella could have been out of here years ago but chose not to. I'm not saying that they treated her badly, cause they didn't. Well, except for Newton but Bella took care of him. They just don't know how to handle someone who knows more about everything than they do. That's why she and Jake get along so well. They both are freakishly smart. She and Jas have books. She and Rose are girls so they have that sisterhood thing going for them but she's never really had that guy that made her feel like she was their everything. She has that with you."

"She is my everything," I said. "I've never met anyone like Bella. She's….she's just amazing. That first day, as soon as I saw her, I felt like my heart was going to break out of my chest, Em. She was so beautiful. But it wasn't until I heard her play her cello that she owned my heart, man. Her music is like food for my soul. She had this look of pure joy on her face. Every time I listen to her sing, man, it's like listening to angels singing from heaven. I can't lose her, Em. She has my heart. If she goes, I won't be able to go on."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," said Emmett. "I'm not going to tell you that you need to go home and rest, because we both know that you won't."

"I can't," I said. "She needs me here. I promised to be here."

"I know, man," said Emmett. "I'm going to be down in the waiting room if you need anything."

"You aren't going home?" I asked, looking at him.

"Nope," he said. "That's my sister, Edward. I can't leave her either."

"I know, Em," I said.

"Edward, thank you for taking such good care of her," said Emmett. "You're a good man."

"Don't thank me," I said. "I'm just lucky that she loved me back."

Emmett didn't say anything as he patted me on the back and walked back down to the waiting room. I turned my attention back to Bella. Carlisle was sponging off her forehead again. I watched through the window as Bella slowly opened her eyes. She turned and looked right at me. She gave me a beautiful smile which I returned as I put my hand on the window.

'I love you,' she mouthed as she reached for me.

'I love you, too,' I mouthed back. Carlisle stood up and came out of her room. He shut the door behind him. "How is she?"

"She's ok," he said. "Her fever finally broke but we still have to watch and make sure it doesn't spike again. You need to go home and rest."

"No," I said. "I promised to be here."

"Edward-"

"No, Dad," I said, looking away from Bella to look at him. "I promised her I would be here. Now, I understand that I can't be in there with her right now but I am not leaving this spot until I know she's going to be ok."

"Fine," he sighed, as he looked back at Bella. She was watching us with a frown on her face. "Pull up a chair to the window. I want you to rest while you watch. If she's still fever free in the morning, you can come in. Deal?"

"Deal," I said. "Dad, thanks for taking care of her when I couldn't."

"I think you did," said Carlisle. "She was talking to you in her sleep. Somehow, I think you were with her."

"I hope so," I mumble. "I'm just going to go give Emmett the update before I come back down here. Tell her I love her."

"I will," he said.

I turned and headed back down to the waiting room. I was surprised to see Esme, Rose, Alice, and Jasper all waiting here with Emmett. I knew they were here because they loved my Bella almost as much as I did. Almost but not quite as much. They all looked up when I came in.

"Her fever broke," I said. They all sighed in relief. "Dad said that they are going to have to watch to make sure the fever doesn't come back but at least this a start."

"Thank god," sighed Emmett.

"Ok, Edward, now you can go home and rest," said Esme. I shook my head. "Edward, you have to take care of yourself."

"Mom, I have to be here for her. I can't explain it but I promised her that I would be here," I said. Esme just looked at me for a moment.

"Ok, Edward," she sighed. "But if Bella gets mad at you then it's all your fault."

"I know," I chuckled. I hugged her. "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome," she whispered. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too," I whispered before I kissed her on her cheek.

I turned and made my way back down to Bella's window. I pulled up a chair and sat down with my head leaning against her window. She rolled over in her bed and looked right at me. She smiled softly as we stared at each other. I couldn't wait to hold my Bella again.