Author's Note:

Trigger warning! This story is going to be a friend's to lovers story. There will be character death, loss, along with the aftermath.

It is a ExB, with eventual HEA story. But it will take time.

If you decide to read it, please realize that note that there will be a few things that happen as per most stories it has ups and downs.

Disclaimer! Stephanie Meyer owns the rights to Twilight and all characters alike. I'm just here to give them a little ride.

Any new characters along with the plot of this story are my own, and we're born from my imagination. Thank you. Enjoy.

Synopsis:

Emmett and Rosalie died in a car accident, leaving behind their daughter, Macy Cullen.

Edward and Bella, Em's brother and Rose's sister, are left to the task of looking after her for a few months while everything gets settled in court.

Bella has always worked hard to both prove to herself and everyone else that she was independent. Never accepting the easy way out of anything. Her hard work got her to where she is.

She and her cat, Snowflake are to go live with them until the snow falls, helping with the financial aspect of the family business. While Edward tends to the horses and farm.

Edward has always been the odd man out in his family. In a family full of successful business owners, and doctors, he chose to go open a successful tattoo shop in New York. But family is the most important to him, so when he gets a call in the middle of the night he doesn't think twice before heading back home to Texas.

What happens when their time comes to an end? Will she be able to leave? Will he let her?

Bella's POV:

You never know what life has in store for you until it happens.

I thought my life was perfect, until life turned it upside down and showed me what perfection truly is.

Now, I simply don't know.

Would it be too much for me to walk away? Or should I stay and allow myself to lose that part of my old life?

I was at a crossroad in the first place, was all due to one thing. The loss of my best friend, big sister Rosie.

Now that I think back to that night… and how everything unraveled, I realize that maybe it was fate at play. Not my sister dying, but everything else.

That night and day had been, and I wanted nothing but to go home and sleep.

It was close to three in the morning, I had just gotten back from a business conference in Dallas, and driven all the way down to Trenton.

I was tired, and annoyed with myself for not waiting until tomorrow morning to come home, but what else is there to do when your work colleagues gets drunk and you have to share a room with them? I sure as hell wasn't about to lay there and listen to Jake and Becky get busy.

As I walked into my room and began to undress, I received the phone call that I now knew was about to change my life forever.

The next few hours were a whirlwind.

After receiving the call, my mind went into survival mode. I numbly went to change, before rushing back to my car to drive back to my hometown, thirty minutes away.

The entire way there I fought off the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes.

Thirty minutes later, I parked in front of the town's hospital, and rushed inside.

I signed the visitors list, waiting to receive my band before rushing to the floor where my mother had told me they'd be.

The elevator ride was enough to help me gain control of myself, yet I knew this wasn't going to be easy.

Nothing was ever again.

The elevator slowly rose and inched closer to the third floor, and it felt as if I had just run a marathon. My legs were shaking so badly that I had to lean on the wall for a second to gather my wits about me, closing my eyes as I inhaled deeply.

The moment the doors opened I pushed myself away from the wall, and slowly made my way down the wide, white and sterile hallway.

I turned the corner and blinked for a moment before continuing down another hall.

I knew I had reached the correct hall when I saw them from the end of the hallway, standing in the doorway of the waiting room. As I got closer, I could see my mother was a wreck and my father was barely hanging on as he held her.

"Mom, dad?" I called as I reached them.

When they heard me calling they both turned to look at me, distraught.

"Bella." My dad sighed, in relief, as my mother turned to pull me into a fierce hug.

"W-what happened?" I asked, as I tried to slow my breath down.

I could feel as my mother began to shake and sob into my neck. Hugging me tighter.

"What happened?" I repeated.

As my dad looked at me, I noticed his red rimmed eyes, and the haggard expression. The sight had the knot that was already in my throat growing.

"We— we got a call earlier, we were told that your sister and her husband had gotten into a car accident. We— we got here as fast as we could… but Ro— she went into cardiac arrest… and they couldn't do anything to save her." My dad said.

No. No. No, she can't be gone. Not her.

Not my sister. There had to be some sort of mistake. She couldn't be— No. It wasn't possible.

"Are you—?" I began as my voice began to tremble, unable to hold back my pain.

"Yes, Bells, they did everything they possibly could to save her. She— She passed a few minutes before you arrived." My dad said.

"Where's —?" I began only to realize the Cullen's had yet to arrive or find out.

"They're on their way. Don't worry." My dad whispered, cutting me off.

I nodded, as we heard multiple footsteps rushing in our direction. We all turned to see Esme, and Carlisle—Emmett's parents— along with Edward and Alice, his younger brother and sister, rushing in our direction.

As soon as they saw us, Esme began sobbing hysterically into Carlisle's chest. Alice moved to comfort both of them with tears streaming down her face.

I looked over at Edward as he nodded in my direction, silently asking to talk to him.

I moved towards him, numbly.

"What happened?" He asked me tiredly.

"I — I don't know. I had only just arrived back home from a business trip when I received the call." I replied honestly.

"What happened to Macy?" He asked, concerned.

I gaped, I hadn't even thought of that. Oh god!

Without hesitating, I moved back towards my dad.

"Hey, dad?" I asked, pulling him aside.

"Yeah, Bells?" He asked, mindlessly, as he ran a hand through my mother's hair

"W-what happened to Macy?" I asked him.

He looked at me pained, "She's been put in a foster home for the night." He murmured.

I felt the blood drain from my face, "What? No. Absolutely not. I'm going to handle this." I whispered, before moving away and pulling my phone out to call Peter.

I watched as both our parents began to try to comfort each other. Before turning away, swallowing thickly.

But I knew there was no comfort. Nothing could take away the pain of the loss away.

Not when they hugged and cried together, and not when the doctor asked us to go identify their bodies, or when both our mothers nearly fell apart upon hearing those words.

Edward watched me speak into my phone as he slowly inclined his head towards the doctor.

When I finished the call we both realized we would have to go identify our siblings. Alice opted to stay with our parents.

"Did you find out where Macy is?" He asked as we followed the doctor.

"She's been placed in a foster home for tonight. I managed to get ahold of Peter, Jasper was with him, they're going to push to get me temporary custody of her." I whispered, trying not to cry.

He nodded, "I thought she was here." He murmured as we walked down a hallway.

I shook my head, "Fortunately, she was at home with a minor—" I explained before he interrupted me, "Minor?" He asked, confused.

I nodded in response, "Yes, a fifteen year old girl. Bree, I believe is the name of the girl, and she was babysitting Macy for the night. Anyway, Rose and Em went out and…and.. I guess the accident happened." I informed him, as I tried to keep my voice from breaking again.

"I'm actually pretty surprised that she is. Shouldn't family be contacted in cases like these? Our parents? Or even us?" He asked.

"They did, actually. Unfortunately my parents' house is in no condition for a toddler at the moment, since they're renovating that kitchen. Your parents don't live within this state. You didn't pick up. And I didn't either. So, they were out of options." I told him, as we reached a colder hallway, with a set of large, wide, double doors.

"Through there." The doctor said as he turned to look at us. "Now, this may be a shocking sight so you're welcome to take all the time you need or want before going in." He told us.

Over the past few years Edward and I had never been particularly close. We were on friendly terms, at best, maybe. I mean we got along well enough but never really interacted much. Despite what happened last spring.

Now, it seemed he was the only person I could count on.

Even though I hated to admit it, I need him. Especially now.

Suddenly as we neared the door, all my confidence went out the window and I began to shake like a leaf.

A warm hand suddenly engulfed mine and squeezed slightly. "It's okay, I'm right here with you, Iz." He whispered as he nodded to the doctor.

They say nothing ever prepares you for the loss of a loved one. Well, nothing prepared me for the sight that laid before me in that room that night. To be honest, I don't think it's something I'll ever forget. That image will haunt me for the rest of my life.