BPOV

"How long has she been out?"

"She's been out for a few hours. They did x-rays and took blood. The doctors haven't been back yet. I just hope they figure out what's wrong so they can get her back on her feet. I bet whatever caused her to pass out and caused her nose to bleed is what's causing those headaches."

"Yeah, I've been tellin' her to go make an appointment. She can't afford to be sick. Lizzie needs her."

I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted. It didn't take me long to realize I was in the hospital. That seems to happen to me alot. The room was dimly lit, thankfully, because my head was starting to feel like it was splitting. I moaned as the pain started, alerting Charlie and Jacob of my consciousness.

"Bella, honey, are you ok? You're in the hospital. You blacked out at Jake's, and he drove you here."

"Ssh. Whisper please. And please tell the nurse to get me some pain meds, and it better be strong. My head is going to split."

Charlie dashed out without a word, and within minutes was back with a nurse on his heels.

"Hey there hun. Glad to see you awake. My name's Deb, and I will be your nurse tonight. Now your dad said your head's hurting, and I'm going to give you some morphine to help with the pain, okay?"

"Okay" I whispered. "Thank you." She patted my hand after she gave me my meds, and checked my i.v. bag.

"You wouldn't happen to know if her x-rays have come back yet, would you?" Charlie asked my nurse.

"Let me check, and I will let her doctor know that you would like to find out what the results are." She flitted out of the room.

"Dad, where's Elizabeth? I think it scared her when I passed out. I want her to know I'm okay."

"She's fine, sweetie. Skyler has her, and they are over at Emily's playing with the twins. She will be ok. You just focus on getting better." I felt the painkillers kicking in, and mumbled a thank you as I went back to sleep.

I awoke a few hours later, feeling rested. Charlie was still here, asleep in a chair next to my bed. I ran my hand through his thick brown hair, waking him up. He sat up, and looked at me with concern.

"Hey, honey. How are you feeling?"

"Better now. Did the doctor ever come back? What did my test results say?" He pursed his lips together, and scrunched his eyebrows together.

"Sweetie..." he said, as he rubbed my arm. Tears began forming in his eyes. Charlie never cried.

"They said...there's a tumor. It's... it's a brain tumor. They don't know if they can take it out, but I've talked to the doctor, and I scheduled you an appointment with the specialist they recommended. Your appointment is in tomorrow."

I sat there in the hospital bed, letting everything sink in. A tumor.A brain tumor. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt Charlie hugging me, tears pouring from his eyes too.

"Daddy... what am I going to do? I can't be sick. She needs me. She needs me to live. Oh, Daddy.." I cried. I cried because I felt like I hadn't been completely happy since Edward left. I cried because I was scared of dying, which I knew was a big chance with a brain tumor. Most importantly, I cried for my little Lizzie. I didn't know who I would leave her with if I didn't make it. I couldn't leave her with Charlie. He didn't know about Edward being a vampire, and he didn't know that Lizzie drank blood. I didn't think I could leave her with Jacob, either. He and Skyler love her, but since he imprinted I had tried to let them have their space, and not everyone in the pack was completely fond of her. I knew what I was going to have to do.

"Dad, I need a pen, paper and an envelope. Can you ask for it at the nurse's desk? I have something I need to do. And do you mind if I have a few minutes alone?" Charlie leaned over me in the bed, and kissed my head.

"No problem, sweetie. I'm going to call your mom and let her know how you are."

"Oh, God. I bet she's freaking out." Renee and I were still close. When she learned that I was pregnant, she didn't flip her lid. She was sad that I was pregnant so young, and that Edward wasn't in the picture anymore, but she said she had faith in me, and that she was happy to be a grandma.

Charlie brought the paper and enveolope into me before heading down to the cafeteria. I sat there for 5 minutes trying to find the words. I picked up the pencil and twirled it in my fingers while thinking. Then I began to write.

Alice,

I miss you so very much. There isn't a day that goes by, that I don't think of all of you and wish that you were still here. Hell, I even miss Rosalie. You said that if I ever needed you that all I had to do was ask. Well, I need you. My life has taken a serious turn for the worst, and I need you to come see me. I need to talk to Edward too; but I need to talk to you first. Don't let him try to weasel out of seeing me. I know he is stubborn, but there are some things he is not aware of that he needs to know about now. Please come as soon as you get this. I don't have time.

Sisters always,

Bella

I folded the letter and stuck it in the envelope, and wrote the address she gave me on it. I had it memorized when I recieved that letter 5 years ago. I sealed it with a kiss, and called Deb over the intercom. She came in to the room smiling. Her warmth reminded me of Esme.

"What do you need, dear?"

"I was wondering if you have any ice cream? I've had the worst day and could use some chocolate ice cream." She gave me a warm smile and rubbed my arm.

"I sure do hun. They keep little containers for the patients. I'll bring you two 'cuz they are small." She left the room, and I carefully began getting out of the bed, trying not to pull out the i.v. in my arm. I had to pee so bad. When I finished I stopped to wash my hands, and I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were still puffy from crying and my hair was a mess. I found my hair tie in my bag of clothes, and pulled it back into a ponytail. Deb was returning with my ice cream as I came out of the bathroom. She asked me about my family as she helped me get back into bed.

"So do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, but I have a little girl."

"Aww, what's her name?"

"Her name is Elizabeth Renesmee. She just turned 4." I smiled, thinking about Lizzie's fairy party we threw her. She made Jake and Charlie wear princess crowns.

"I've got a 4 year old grandson. He's a handfull. He smears his food all over my table everytime he eats at my house. He says he's 'painting'." I chucked at this. Lizzie has never played with her food. She considers it to be 'infantile'. Deb reminded me to let her know if there was anything I needed, and stepped out of my room. I used the bedside remote to turn on the television, and began flipping through the channels, trying to find something to take my mind away for a few minutes. I found a movie and left it there while I ate my ice crem. I was starting my second carton when Jake walked in.

"Hey Bells. I just got back from the res. Lizzie told me to make sure you were okay. She doesn't like being away from you."

"I know. She's never seen me like this. The worst I've been sick since I had her was the flu or a virus." He sat down in the chair next to the bed, glancing to see what movie was on.

"So, what's new? I heard about...uh... what's wrong. Are you okay? Do you want to talk?" I sighed, knowing that sooner or later I would have to have this conversation with him.

"Yeah, I do need to talk to you. I know you and Skyler care about Lizzie, which is why it was hard for me to make this decision. Alice will be coming to see me in a few days, and I am telling her everything. They need to know, because if something happens... I want her to have atleast one of her parents. And I know you are mad at them. They left me pregnant. But they didn't know, and I am the one who decided to not tell them. I want to leave her with Charlie, but I can't. He doesn't know the truth about her lineage. What will he do when he realizes she doesn't ever get sick? When she eventually stops aging? And I can't excpect you and Skyler to raise her. One of these days you guys are going to become parents, and she needs to know her father. So, if... if I die, she's going to be with the Cullens." He sat for a moment, the emotions in his face ranging from anger, to sadness, to understanding. After he calmed himself down, he looked me in the face, tears forming in his eyes.

"I guess you're right. I just hate the fact that this is all happening to you. You're a great person. You haven't done anything to deserve this. And you're right about Skyler and me. We were going to tell everyone this weekend, but you're probably not going to be there... Skyler's pregnant."

"Oh my gosh! That's great, Jake! I am estatic for you!" I beamed. I had a gut feeling that she was because she had been nauseous for the past week, but didn't want to pry.

"I still have all of Lizzie's baby stuff in the attic if you want it. I was going to take it all to the donation center, but I would be so happy to know that someone I love was getting use out of it. What are you hoping for?" Jake was noticeably exited at the thought of being a father.

"We want a girl. We love Lizzie so much, and we know that even though our baby won't be as gifted as Liz, but she really left a mark on us. When you talk to the lee.. I mean Alice, will you please ask them to bring Lizzie to see us every once in awhile? We've seen her nearly everyday in the past four years, and it would kill Sky if she didn't get to see her again." I smiled softly, and patted the back of his hand.

"I will make sure that they know. Hopefully, one of these days, all of you will get along. They are like a regular family once you look past what they eat. I mean, they really are."

"Okay, okay, I didn't ask for a play by play." He grimaced. He looked at the clock on the wall. It read 5:30.

"Well, I'm going to let you rest. Besides, I'm sure they will be bringin' in your dinner sometime soon. Call me if you need me, k?" I smiled and nodded in response, and he got up and quietly left. I tossed my empty ice cream containers and spoon into the trash can right next to the bed. I let my thoughts drift to Edward. I had long since gotten over my fear of saying or thinking his name. I had to. Elizabeth looked so much like him, that I knew that I'd be reminded of him everytime I looked at her. Not only that, but I knew that deep down he still loved me, regardless of whether or not he was gone, or what he said the day he left. He spent 90 years alone before I came along. He had never loved another woman, and that told me that you couldn't erase what we had so easily. That had helped me get through the past 5 years. But now, I needed him. Whether I died from this, or not, it was time to air out my closet.

The next morning I was dishcarged. I was so glad to be out, even if I had to be back at 3 for an appointment. I stopped at the post office and paid to have the letter delivered next day mail because I didn't want to wait. I drove home to grab something to eat and take a shower. I felt a little better after taking a hot shower. I grabben a navy blue 3/4 sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans and threw them on. After I blow dried my hair, I headed downstairs to eat breakfast. I made myself a couple of blueberry waffles and smothered them with peanut butter and a glass of orange juice. I grabbed the cordless phone off the charger and called Jake's so I could talk to talk to my girl. It only rang twice before it was picked up. A tiny, bell like voice came on.

"Hi, Mommy!" she said in a sing song voice. She always knew it was me when I called her. It was one of her many talents.

"Hi, baby. How are you? Are you okay?"

"Yes, mommy. I had bacon and eggs for breakfast! Oh, and I think Skyler is going to have a baby because when she's in the room I hear two heatbeats, not one." She whispered the part about Skyler, as if it were a secret only she was aware of.

"I know baby. Uncle Jake told me."

"Is he leaving?" That was a question that caught me off guard.

"No, baby. Why do you think he'd leave?" I just knew this had something to with Edward's departure before her birth.

"Because my daddy left before I was born. Do daddies leave before babies are born?"

"No, not all daddies leave. Your daddy left because he was scared I would get hurt by someone like him. And he didn't know about you."

"Oh... Well mommy do you think if he knew me he would like me?" I was already fighting back the tears this morning, and her questions didn't make it any easier.

"Lizzie bug, I know he would love you. But I'm coming to get you and we are going to our special place, ok? We'll have a picnic for lunch." It had been sunny earlier that morning but it was now overcast. Her alabaster skin didn't sparle like diamonds, but she did sparkle a little in the sun, almost like she had glitter on her skin. Whenever someone asked about her glittery skin, I simply said she liked glitter body spray. They seemed to understand, since it's no secret she loves dressing up like a fairy or a princess. Alice would be so proud. I told her I loved her, and that I'd be there at noon to get her, and asked her to put Skyler or Jake on. Skyler came on.

"Hey Belladonna!" She always called me that. She said it was because my looks could kill. I think she's crazy, personally.

"Hey Sky. How are you feeling?"

"Good, considering I can't stop ralphing, and I feel dog tired. What about you? Jake told me you have an appointment with a specialist at 3. Do you need me to keep Lizzie while you go? She said you guys were going to have a picnic together."
"Yeah, I'm coming to get her for a picnic, and I'm going to tell her about me being sick and a few other things. I'm nervous, Sky. I don't want to go through all this. I'm scared I won't see her grow up."

"I know. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Skyler was one of my best friends, other than Alice and Angela. Her parents were ex-hippies, so she grew up believing in karma, and loving life. She knew about the Cullens and the treaty, and unlike most people on the reservation, she believed that as long as someone tried to atone for past mistakes, and live their life in peace and harmony then they were good. To this day, I believe that she was one of the reasons the elders didn't take Lizzie from me when she was born. It was now 10:30. I still had an hour to spare before I had to get ready for the picnic in the meadow. I took Lizzie there every once in awhile for picnics or to play. She loved it there as much as her parents, but she didn't know about its past. I went into the family room and pulled our photo album down off the bookshelf. I looked through all the pictures of her as she grew. It wasn't long until I found myself crying again. I never saw myself in this position: a dying single mom.