Happy Sunday, friends! Here's the latest in my little story. Thanks as always to my BFF and beta BittenEV for hooking me up here.

Just a little note: this is the last chapter I had already written. Chapter 10 is about three-quarters complete, and I still have to send it off to beta. I'm hoping to update next Sunday as usual or even Monday, but I can't promise. I'll do my best, though!

The song for this chapter is "I Will Never Let You Down" by Rita Ora.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Belongs to SM.

Chapter 9—I Will Never Let You Down

It was a typical overcast Sunday afternoon in Forks, but Edward and I were enjoying some time in the meadow. Edward was having his second round of chemo tomorrow, so he wanted to come out here to relax.

The last two weeks had been good ones for Edward. He returned to school a week after his first chemo. He was absolutely exhausted at the end of the school day, but his mood was better than it had been since his diagnosis. He was happy to be with our friends and to be doing normal things.

Edward had also continued playing the piano. His family was thrilled he had started playing again. I loved sitting next to him on the piano bench while he lost himself in his music.

"I'm nervous," Edward said quietly.

I turned to look at him. "Nervous? About what?"

"Chemo tomorrow. I'm having it as an outpatient. What if something happens? What if I get sick?" He looked down at the ground.

I lifted his chin with my finger. "Hey. Don't be scared. Even though you'll be outpatient, you'll still be in the hospital. You're still going to be monitored closely. Worst case scenario is that you'll have to be admitted."

"I guess so," he sighed. "Dr. Denali said that the second round is easier than the first. She's the doctor, so she should know." He paused. "I'm also nervous because the side effects of the chemo really start to kick in after the second round. I'm probably going to lose my hair soon, and then everyone will know I'm sick."

"It'll be easier to see your handsome face without all that hair in the way," I teased.

Edward looked at me and laughed. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"It's my job as your girlfriend to make you feel better. Don't ever forget that." I kissed him sweetly on the lips.

Unfortunately, I couldn't make Edward feel better the next morning. He didn't answer his phone when I called him, so I called Alice.

"He's in the bathroom throwing up. He's so worked up about the chemo that he's making himself sick," Alice explained. "Wait, hold on a second."

"Bella," Edward rasped.

I frowned even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Edward, making yourself sick isn't going to help anything."

"I can't help it. I'm scared," he replied softly.

My heart broke. "Oh, Edward. I'm sorry. Don't be scared, though. It's going to be OK. You've got excellent doctors and nurses taking care of you."

"I know, but I'm scared of getting sick," he admitted.

"Don't even think about it," I told him. "If you think you're going to be sick, you will be. No negative thoughts. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," he laughed. "You can be really bossy."

"Don't let it happen again," I said.

I thought about Edward all day while I was at school. He had insisted on going to his treatment alone today. Esme wasn't happy about it, but Edward didn't want her stuck at the hospital all afternoon. She was going to drop him off, and Carlisle would stick around after his shift ended to drive him home.

Despite Edward's insistence at going alone, I went to the hospital anyway after school. I found the outpatient cancer center easily and approached the nurse's desk.

I was greeted by a pretty red-haired nurse. "Hi! Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Edward Masen," I said nervously.

"Sure! He's my patient today," she said brightly as she led me through a set of double doors. "You must be his girlfriend. I'm Victoria."

"I'm Bella," I replied. "How is he doing?"

Victoria smiled. "He's doing very well. He didn't have any reactions to the Rituxan, which is great. He was a little nauseous earlier, so I gave him some Reglan to help him out. He's only got the Oncovin left, and I'll give him that in just a few minutes." She stopped as we neared a curtain. "Edward's right in there. Go on in, and I'll be back in a few minutes."

I walked in and saw Edward lying in a recliner. He was asleep and covered in the same afghan I had seen during his last treatment. His Kindle was on the table next to the recliner along with his phone. His earbuds were in, so he was obviously listening to music on his phone. His face looked serene, which was a huge difference from his first treatment. I leaned over and kissed his lips.

Edward opened his eyes, smiled, and pulled out his ear buds. "Bella! What are you doing here?"

"I needed to be with you," I said as I took his hand and sat in the chair next to his recliner. "I know you wanted to be alone, but I wanted to be here."

"I'm glad you came," he said, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it. "It hasn't been too bad."

"I met your nurse, and she told me you were doing well," I said. "I'm very happy."

"Me too," he replied. "No bad reactions and no more nausea."

"Knock knock," came a voice from behind the curtain. It was Victoria. "It's time for your Oncovin."

"Let's get this over with," Edward said.

Victoria took Edward's IV line and injected the Oncovin. Her cheery smile was replaced by a serious look as she did the IV push. She carefully injected the medicine and smiled again when she was finished. "All done!" I want you to relax for a little while. If everything's good when I come back, you'll be able to go home. Can I get you anything right now?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," Edward replied, and Victoria left us alone.

I was telling Edward about my day at school when Carlisle came in. "Bella! I didn't know you were coming by."

"I missed Edward, so I came to sit with him," I explained.

"I'm glad. I don't like him being alone." Carlisle gave Edward a stern look.

"Can you blame me?" Edward asked. "It can't be very exciting to sit here and watch me have chemo."

"No, but it's good to have some company," Carlisle insisted. "Anyway, Victoria said that everything went well today."

Edward smiled. "It was nothing like the last time. The Reglan stopped the nausea before it got bad. I'm achy and tired, but I don't feel like death. I just want to go home and lie down in my own bed."

Victoria came in a few minutes later and did a thorough check of Edward's vitals. "Everything looks good, Edward," she said as she removed the IV tube from the central line. "You're free to go home. Your next appointment will be three weeks from today at the same time."

"Thanks," Edward said gratefully as Carlisle helped him up.

"Are you going to ride home with Bella?" Carlisle asked as we walked towards the exit.

Edward nodded. "If it's OK."

Carlisle chuckled. "Of course it's OK. Be careful and I'll see you at home."

"Do you want to drive?" I asked Edward as we got to my truck.

He shook his head. "No. I don't feel sick, but I don't want to take a chance on driving. I know you'll get me home in one piece."

As we drove to the Cullen house, Edward insisted that I tell him every detail of my day. One of the hardest things about his cancer was missing school, so he wanted to know everything that went on while he was gone.

We found Esme in the kitchen when we arrived at the house, and she was thrilled to see Edward looking well. "Oh sweetie, I'm so happy that you made out OK today. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired, but otherwise I'm good," he replied. "I'm actually hungry."

Esme beamed. "We're having baked chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner. I figured it would be easy on your stomach. Now go rest for a while and I'll call you when it's time to eat."

Edward led me up to his room. "I'm going to take a nap. Want to join me?"

"I'd love to, but I should really get my homework done," I told him sadly.

"That's cool. Just wake me up when it's time for dinner." He smiled and kissed me before settling in bed for his nap.

I made myself comfortable on the sofa in Edward's room and got started on my homework. I had just finished and was putting my books in my backpack when Alice came in. "Dinner's almost ready," she said, flopping on the sofa next to me. I put my head on her shoulder, and she put her arm around me. "You OK?"

"Yeah. I'm happy that Edward did well today." We sat quietly for a few minutes. "How are things between you and Jasper?"

"They're great. We finally had the sex discussion. I told him I wasn't ready yet, and he totally understood. He said he doesn't want to pressure me into anything I don't want to do. We've fooled around a little, but we haven't gone all the way." She paused. "What about you and Edward?"

"We haven't even fooled around," I admitted. "He's very self-conscious since he was diagnosed. I haven't even seen his central line. I touched it through his shirt one day, and he totally stiffened up and pulled away. I'm really worried about how he's going to be when he loses his hair."

"We'll get him through it," Alice assured me. "He's already overcome so much. Let's see if he can overcome this." She hopped off of the sofa and on to Edward's bed, where she began jumping. "Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Edward jumped up. "What the fuck?" he yelled as he grabbed a pillow and started swinging it. When he realized it was Alice, he hit her with the pillow. She fell on the bed, a giggling mess. "Damn it, Alice, are you trying to scare me to death?" A small smile played on his lips showing that he really wasn't angry.

Alice smiled innocently. "What? I just came in to tell you that dinner is almost ready."

Edward hit her in the head with the pillow. "At this rate I'll die of a heart attack instead of cancer. You should have let Bella wake me. At least she's pleasant."

"My way is more fun," Alice insisted.

I got up and sat next to Edward. He kissed me, which earned a grimace from Alice.

"Ewww gross!" she said and then laughed. "Dinner. Downstairs," she added as she got up and left us alone.

"She's so annoying," Edward said between kisses.

"Very annoying," I agreed.

"I just want to stay here with you all night, but, well, I'm really hungry," he admitted sheepishly.

I laughed as I took him by the hand and led him downstairs.

Edward had been serious when he said he was hungry. The Prednisone stimulated his appetite, which was a good thing since it helped him keep up his strength.

"Slow down, Edward. You look like Emmett eating," Carlisle chuckled.

"Dad, are you insulting me?" Emmett asked with his mouth full of food.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen, close your mouth and stop acting like a Neanderthal!" Esme scolded.

"But, Ma! Dad's being mean!" whined Emmett.

"Emmett honey, you have no table manners. It's the one area of parenting where I've failed," Esme said gently. "It's very difficult watching you eat." Then she looked at Edward. "Edward, slow down. I don't need two Neanderthals at the table."

"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry," Edward apologized.

Carlisle and Alice were laughing, and I couldn't help but join in. Edward looked at me as if I'd hurt his feelings, but he quickly smiled to show he wasn't really upset.

"So, Edward," Carlisle began once everyone had calmed down, "you'll get your Neulasta shot tomorrow evening." Edward grimaced, and Carlisle continued. "I've done some research, and apparently taking Claritin the day of the injection alleviates many of the side effects."

"Claritin? Really?" Edward was surprised.

Carlisle nodded. "I'm not sure how, but people have had great success by taking it. I spoke with Dr. Denali, and she said it can't hurt to try it. Hopefully it'll work for you."

"I'm willing to try anything," Edward said. "I never want to experience that pain again."

Thankfully the Claritin worked and Edward didn't suffer the terrible side effects of the Neulasta. He bounced back quickly after the chemo and was able to return to school on Thursday.

On Friday morning, though, Edward called me in a panic. I had to talk to him for a couple of minutes before he calmed down enough to tell me what was wrong.

"I woke up this morning and there was a clump of hair on my pillow," he nearly whispered. "Everyone is going to know now."

"Edward, most people in Forks know about your cancer," I said.

"Yeah, but now I'm going to really look like a cancer patient. I don't want anyone to treat me differently."

"Has anyone treated you differently since your diagnosis?"

"No."

"Then I don't think they will now. I know you're self-conscious, but I doubt people will care about your lack of hair."

"Thanks, Bella," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"It's part of my girlfriend duties," I reminded him. "So, are you going to school today?"

"Yeah. I'm going to ride with Emmett, so I'll see you there. I love you."

"I love you too," I said as we ended our call.

When I arrived at school, I parked next to Alice's bright yellow Mustang. I didn't see Emmett's Jeep, though. I made my way to our usual morning hangout spot and saw Alice, Jasper, and Nessie. "Where are Edward and Emmett?" I asked, becoming concerned.

Alice shook her head. "Emmett is probably trying to convince Edward that he doesn't need a toupee. He's so self-conscious about losing his hair."

"Hey, it's a pretty big deal," Jasper reminded her. "It's not just a vanity thing. Edward's already feeling like crap, so why not add insult to injury and have his hair fall out."

"I'm not trying to make fun of him," Alice insisted. "It's just that Edward worries so much. No one's really going to care if he's bald. He's still Edward."

I sighed. "I know, but we need to convince him of that. How can we let him know that losing his hair doesn't matter?"

The four of us sat in silence for a few minutes. Then a huge smile appeared on Alice's face. "I just thought of something. I know how we can help Edward with losing his hair." We leaned in as Alice excitedly told us about her plan. When she finished, we all agreed that it was an excellent idea.

Edward and Emmett arrived just as the first bell rang. "I was starting to get worried," I said, hugging Edward.

"I was afraid I had some huge bald spot on the back of my head," he replied with a frown. "And my scalp hurts. No one told me that losing my hair would be painful."

"You can't even tell that you've lost any hair," I insisted.

"I know, but when I was brushing it, a lot more came out. I guess I'm just going to have to shave it soon." He looked miserable.

"And I'll love you no matter what," I promised him.

I didn't see Edward again until lunch. He was smiling, which made me smile. All of our friends were in a good mood, which made sense since it was Friday and we were ready for the weekend. Everything was going well until Edward leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. He looked horrified as he held a clump of his hair in his hand. Emmett was at Edward's side instantly.

"It's OK," Emmett assured him. "It's just hair."

"B-but it's m-my hair," Edward stammered.

"No one likes you because of your luscious locks. We like you for your sparkling personality," Emmett told him.

Edward looked at his cousin as if he had lost his mind. "Emmett, what are you talking about?"

Emmett seemed exasperated. "I try to point out your best features and you think I'm crazy. It's hair, Edward. It'll grow back." He picked up a napkin from the table and used it to take the hair out of Edward's hand. He then balled up the napkin and tossed it on the table. "No one here cares about your hair. We care about you. If your hair falls out so you can get better then so be it." Edward opened his mouth to speak, but Emmett stopped him. "Don't argue with me. You know I'm right."

"I know you are, but you're not the one going through this," Edward replied. "You're not the one going through chemo and feeling like crap. You're not the one who can barely make it through the school day because you're so tired. The hair loss is just the fly on the steaming pile of shit that is my life." He paused and looked around the table. "At least I have all of you on my team. That does make it more bearable." His smile was back, and he was much calmer.

Unfortunately, Edward's hair continued to fall out. On a more positive note, news of Alice's plan spread like wildfire. We were completely overwhelmed by the support. Everything was set for this coming Saturday.

Alice and I were heading to lunch on Wednesday when I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see Nessie running down the hall, her red hair trailing behind her like a flame. "Bella!" she called out as the pushed past people in the hallway. She was breathless by the time she reached us.

"Ness, what's wrong?" I asked, becoming very worried.

"Edward just got sick in class," she panted.

I felt as if the blood had rushed out of me. "Sick? What happened?"

Nessie had finally caught her breath. "We were packing up at the end of class when he doubled over in pain. He got really bad stomach cramps and could hardly stand up. Ben walked him to the office."

"I need to get down there. Thanks, Nessie!" I called over my shoulder as I ran to the office. Alice was right on my heels.

Mrs. Cope met Alice and me at the counter when we arrived in the office. "Edward's in Ms. Feasel's office. You can go right on in."

Alice and I exchanged worried looks. Ms. Feasel was the principal, so I didn't think it could be good if Edward was in there.

We dashed into the principal's office and found Edward curled up on the sofa in there. His eyes were closed, but his face was contorted in a grimace. Ben was sitting on the floor next to the sofa but got up when he saw Alice and me.

"Ben, what happened?" I asked frantically.

Ben shook his head. "I don't know. We were waiting for the bell to ring, and me, him, and Ness were talking. All of a sudden he grabbed his stomach and doubled over like someone hit him. I feel bad because I pretty much dragged him to the office. He could hardly stand. I hope he's not mad at me."

Alice smiled gently. "I'm sure he's not mad. You did what you had to do."

As Alice and Ben talked, I rushed to Edward's side and knelt down. "Edward, I'm here."

He didn't even open his eyes. "It hurts."

"Are you nauseated?" I asked, taking his hand.

"No. It's a really bad cramp. I've never had anything like it."

"Edward, your aunt is on her way." I looked up and saw Ms. Feasel sitting on the arm of the sofa. "Can I get you anything for now?"

"No thank you," he replied quietly. "I just want it to stop."

Ms. Feasel stood up. "Bella, Ben, Alice, you may stay here until Edward leaves. I'll have Mrs. Cope write each of you a pass allowing you to go to 5th period late so you'll have time to eat lunch. Right now it's more important that you're here with Edward. Just yell if you need anything." She smiled and left the office.

Ben, Alice, and I talked to Edward as we tried to make him feel better. He finally opened his eyes, and his face relaxed a bit, but he was obviously still uncomfortable.

Esme flew into the office a few minutes later. "Edward! My poor baby!" she cried. "We're going to the emergency room. Carlisle and Dr. Denali are waiting for us."

"OK," Edward replied weakly. "Ben, can you help me?"

Ben helped Edward up into a seated position before helping him stand. Edward leaned on Ben as they walked out of the office.

"I'll keep you posted," Esme said, hugging Alice and then me. "Just pray that it's nothing serious."

Alice and I got our passes from Mrs. Cope and made our way to the cafeteria. I didn't have much of an appetite, but Alice insisted we eat something. Lunch was nearly over, so Alice quickly updated our friends on what had happened. We didn't linger around too long after the bell and made it to class without being too late.

As soon as the 2:30 bell rang, I rushed to my truck and pulled out my phone. I had a voice mail from Esme. I listened to it nervously.

"Hi, Bella. It's 2:00, and we're still in the ER. Edward had an abdominal ultrasound, which ruled out any blockages. Dr. Denali drew some blood, and we're waiting for the results. We're also waiting for CT scan results to see if there are any tumors. The nurse gave him something for the pain, and he's been knocked out ever since. I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while. I'll let you know as soon as I get any results."

I didn't even hesitate. I drove straight to the hospital. I needed to be with Edward.

"Excuse me," I said as I approached the information desk in the ER. "I'm here to see Edward Masen."

"Are you family?" the woman at the desk asked.

"I'm his girlfriend," I replied.

The woman gestured to the waiting area. "Have a seat please. I'll see if I can get you in."

I sat in the waiting room for a few minutes until Esme came out through a set of double doors. I rushed to her.

Esme hugged me tightly and then led me back through the doors. "No news since I left you that message. Carlisle is trying to rush up the test results so we aren't here all night."

We went into the room where Edward was. He was sound asleep. He was in a hospital gown, and an IV was hooked up to his central line. My heart broke every time I saw him like that. Esme and I sat and talked quietly until Carlisle came in.

"Dr. Denali is on her way down with the test results," he told us. Then he gently woke Edward.

"What's going on?" Edward asked, still very groggy.

Carlisle sat on the edge of the bed. "I hated to wake you, but Dr. Denali is on her way down. I figured you'd want to hear what she had to say."

Dr. Denali entered the room. "How are you feeling, Edward?" She was smiling, which put me at ease.

"Still hurting but not as bad. I'm in a fog," Edward replied quietly.

"Pain meds will definitely make you feel foggy," Dr. Denali said, "but I have news that will make you feel better." She paused a moment and smiled again. "Your CT was fine. No tumors."

Esme let out the breath she had been holding, and Carlisle visibly relaxed. Tears of happiness welled up in my eyes. The cancer hadn't spread.

Dr. Denali continued. "Your blood tests looked good as well. You are slightly anemic, so we'll monitor that for now. Edward, have you had any pain, numbness, or tingling in your hands and feet?"

Edward looked confused. "My foot falls asleep sometimes, but what does that have to do with my stomach pain?"

"Your stomach cramps were caused by a condition called peripheral neuropathy," Dr. Denali explained. "It affects the nerves and causes numbness and sometimes sharp pain. It's most common in diabetics, but it's also a side effect of some chemo drugs."

Edward groaned. "Is there any way to treat it?"

"Yes. I'm going to write you a prescription for Lyrica," Dr. Denali replied. "It will lessen the effects of the neuropathy and won't interfere with your other meds."

"Lessen? You mean this won't go away completely?" Edward asked, becoming exasperated.

"Not while you're on the chemo," Dr. Denali told him. "Hopefully it will go away completely when you're finished treatment."

"Hopefully? What do you mean hopefully?" Edward was angry.

Carlisle placed his hand on Edward's shoulder. "Calm down, Edward."

Edward interrupted his uncle. "I don't want to calm down! First off, I'm only 16 and I have cancer. Then you give me poison to stop it. Now my hair is falling out, I live tired, and I might have permanent nerve damage. Yeah, forgive me if I don't feel all that calm right now." The expression on his face was one of frustration and anger, and his eyes were filling with tears.

Carlisle wasn't deterred. He sat next to Edward on the bed. "Edward, I am so sorry. I would take it all away if I could. I hate seeing you suffer. I wish you were at baseball practice right now instead of being stuck here. It's hard being a doctor and not being able to help you. I know how strong you are, though. I know you've got a lot of fight in you. Don't get upset. Fight it. The cancer only wins if you let it."

Edward nodded tearfully as he fell into his uncle's arms. He looked fragile as Carlisle hugged him tightly.

"Are you OK?" Carlisle eventually asked.

"I will be," Edward said as he sat up. "I'm sorry I acted out like that."

Dr. Denali spoke up. "You don't have to be sorry. Sometimes you need to let it out. I do know something that will make you feel better, though. Are you ready for me to spring you from this place?"

"Yes please," Edward replied eagerly. We all laughed at him.

"I figured as much. Let me get your discharge papers and prescription so you can go home." Dr. Denali smiled and left the room.

Esme and I also stepped out so that Edward could get dressed. She hugged me as soon as we were out of the room. "Thank goodness it hasn't spread," she said. "I was so scared." I could see the tears in Esme's eyes, and I blinked back a few tears of my own.

"Me too," I admitted. "It was pretty scary."

Esme excused herself after a minute so she could call Emmett and Alice with the news. I waited in the hallway until Carlisle stuck his head out and told me I could come back inside.

Edward was sitting on the side of the bed, dressed in his own clothes again. He held his arms open for me, and I eagerly fell into his embrace. "I'm sorry I scared you," he said.

I pulled back and playfully swatted his arm. "Don't do it again," I teased.

"I know you want to come to the house and be with me, but all I want to do when I get home is go to bed," Edward said. "Please don't be mad at me."

I really did want to be with Edward, but I understood. "Yeah, you're really no fun when you're asleep. I'll come by tomorrow when you're actually alert."

Edward kissed me chastely since his uncle was in the room and then promised to let me know when he was home.

Edward stayed home from school on Thursday and Friday. His absence gave Alice an opportunity to finalize her grand plan. We were all very excited about the support we had received from everyone at Forks High.

Our whole gang arrived at the Cullen house about noon on Saturday. Esme was waiting for us. "I should tell you that Edward isn't in a very good mood," she warned us. "His hands are really bothering him today. They're alternating between pain and tingling."

Alice wasn't deterred. "He'll be fine when he sees what we've done."

Everyone moved into the den as Esme went upstairs to get Edward. She came down laughing a few minutes later as we heard Edward grumbling behind her. He stopped in his tracks, though, when he saw everyone gathered.

"What's going on?" he asked, obviously shocked. "Where's everyone's hair?"

"Surprise!" Alice yelled excitedly.

To help Edward feel better about losing his hair, the guys had shaved their heads. Emmett, Jasper, Ben, and even Carlisle had gone completely bald.

Alice explained. "I figured that if the guys were all bald, you wouldn't feel so self-conscious about losing your hair. The guys here aren't the only ones. The whole Forks High baseball team and about half of the guys in the junior class shaved their heads."

Edward was glued to his spot on the stairs, still shocked. "But your hair. What did you do?"

"We girls cut our hair and donated it to Locks of Love. We want to help those girls out there who have lost their hair to cancer," Alice said.

Rose, Angela, Nessie, and I had each had our hair cut into a long bob. Alice, however, took it to the extreme. Her long black hair, which had been down to the middle of her back, was now a buzzcut.

"You did this for me?" Edward was still in complete disbelief.

Emmett spoke up. "If you lose your hair, then we all lose our hair. It's all part of being on Team Edward."

Edward finally moved from his spot on the stairs and came down to join us. We took turns hugging him as lots of tears flowed.

Esme hugged him last. "I haven't cut my hair yet since I was with you all morning. I'll do it next week."

"No. Please don't," Edward pleaded. Esme was confused, but Edward continued. "You and my mom look so much alike. She always wore her hair similar to yours. It's just something familiar that reminds me of her. Please don't cut it."

Esme nodded. "Of course. I'll keep it."

Edward let out a big sigh. "I guess it's my turn now."

"You don't have to do it now if you're not ready," Carlisle assured him.

Edward shook his head. "It's time. I won't have to deal with it falling out anymore. Do you know how much that shit hurts? My scalp is all irritated. Besides, I don't want to be the only guy with hair." He laughed a bit then paused and became serous. "I don't want an audience, though. Carlisle, can you do it here?"

Carlisle nodded. "I've got clippers. We can go up to your bathroom and do it there."

Edward looked relieved. "Thanks," he smiled. "Bella, will you come up too?"

"Of course." I couldn't deny him anything.

"Don't go anywhere," Edward told our friends. "I want to go to the diner to celebrate when it's done."

Jasper spoke up. "We don't have to go anywhere. You don't have to go out if you're uncomfortable or not feeling well."

"I'm fine," Edward replied. "My hands are bothering me, but otherwise I feel fine. Besides, we have to show off our new looks." Then he took me by the hand and led me upstairs. "Let's do this."

Once in the bathroom, Edward grabbed a towel from the closet and wrapped it around his shoulders. He lowered the lid of the toilet and sat down as Carlisle came in.

"Are you sure about this?" Carlisle asked.

"Absolutely. It'll be one less thing to stress about," Edward said.

Carlisle picked up the clippers and began. Edward tensed up at first, but he soon relaxed. I sat on the edge of the tub and watched sadly as Edward's beautiful hair fell to the floor. None of us spoke the entire time.

Before long, Carlisle was finished. "All done. Are you ready to see it?"

Edward slowly stood up and walked to the mirror. He stared for a minute before touching his now bald head. "Does my head look funny?"

"You look great," I told him honestly as I got up and stood next to him. "Your head isn't funny looking at all."

"Thanks," he said, kissing me. Then I motioned for him to lean over. He was confused, but he did it. I kissed the top of his bald head to show him that I didn't care whether or not he had hair. He stood up and gave me a huge smile. He then turned to Carlisle. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"You are very welcome," Carlisle replied, hugging Edward. "Now scram. You've got some celebrating to do."

"But what about all of this hair on the floor? I need to sweep it," Edward insisted.

Carlisle shook his head. "I'll get it in a bit. Go. Have some fun. You deserve it."

Edward smiled, took me by the hand, and led me out of the bathroom. Today had the potential to be rough, but Edward handled a tough situation gracefully. Once again he didn't let the cancer rule him. It was moments like that where I fell in love with him even more.