Okay guys, here we are - the very last chapter of Lost & Found. Huh, it's weird. I hope you like the ending. I'm not planning a sequal, so this will be it. :(
Huge thank you to everyone! It's been brilliant. Well, with that let's get moving:

Chapter 17

It was finally weekend, and Angie, Ben and I had plans of going to see a movie. We had talked about it all day, it was supposed to be a really good one.
That night we drove to Port Angeles. We had planned to go eating first, but seeing as our reservation wasn't until 7pm, we decided to browse a little bit. We walked around when I came across the cutest little bookstore. I convinced Angela and Ben that they didn't have to come with me, seeing as they rather wouldn't – I was quite the fanatic when it came to books, after all – we split up. I went inside the bookstore, and found a couple I wanted to read. I paid and went outside, while I took out my phone to text Angela. I had a more difficult time than I should, but the sun was setting and the light glared from the wrong direction, and made the screen difficult to see. I was so concentrated on it, that I didn't notice them until it was too late.

I was pulled into an alley, and surrounded. I abruptly ended the text with a HELP! And sent it to Angela. I only hoped she would be able to find me.

Jessica, Lauren and their little gang had surrounded me. I had no idea they were even in Port Angeles.

"What are you doing here?" My voice sounded incredulous. Lauren only sneered at me, and flung her flat hand at my cheek. It stung, badly. I could see the maliciousness in their eyes and the hate in their sneers. Their hateful words didn't register, but their slaps and fists did. It was 5 to 1; I had no chance. I wondered if Alice had seen it; had it been intentional from the beginning, had they followed us here? I didn't think so; sure we had talked about it all day, but Jessica and Lauren couldn't possibly have known that I would go out on my own. I was sure it was only me they were after. Jessica and Lauren had hated my guts since the moment I stepped foot in Forks High. Their little cronies just followed their lead.

I could feel something hot and wet run from my nose. Somebody had hit me with their fists closed. I was being held back; both my arms were behind my back, and I could feel a warm body behind me. I coughed blood as a kick hit my abdomen.

Laughter. Words. Sneers. Curses. Hits. Kicks. I lost track of time as the blood kept pouring, and the hits came raining down on me. I was on the ground, that much I was sure of. I was pretty sure I had a broken, or at least bruised, rib or two, and my nose wasn't in great shape either. My eye was swollen; I could only partially see from it. My lip was slit and I could feel various cuts around my body. Suddenly, an intense pain shot through my arm. I screamed out, and looked down, only to see them branding me with cigarettes. Tears were streaming down my face, and I just wished they'd stop. I heard shouts and hurrying feet, but I couldn't find it in me to care. Finally, my world blacked out, and I didn't feel the pain anymore.

An annoying sound was waking me up. Snooze. Where the hell is my snooze button? I cracked an eye open, only to realize it wasn't my alarm-clock that had wakened me.
I was in the hospital. Why was I in the hospital? I gasped as the pain entered my consciousness. Everything came rushing back; I was supposed to be at the movies with Ben and Angela, when Lauren and Jessica and their gang showed up. They had beaten me up. But why? I tried to remember their words, but only tidbits came through. Not worthy… Little slut… I'm supposed to be with them… Don't… Deserve…

I gasped again, and cried out in pain. Not a good idea to take in small, quick breaths. It hurts.

"Darling?" It was Esme's voice. I moved my head a little, but could only slightly see her through my swollen eye. I wondered how long I'd been out.

"Esme," I croaked. She came forward and took my hand, the coldness of hers calming me down, soothing me.
"Oh dear," she whispered and broke into sobs. I cried with her. Suddenly, a doctor came in, and it wasn't Carlisle.
"Isabella, how are you?" I wanted to tell him to take a look at me, and tell me how he thought I was, but decided against it.
"In pain," I said instead. I was fairly certain he wouldn't buy it if I said I was fine. He pushed some sort of button, and I could feel the pain slowly going away. Pain-killers. Wonderful, they make me whoozy.

"Isabella, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Let's start with your injuries, shall we?" I just nodded, not really looking at him, rather past him.

"Your nose has been broken, but that was easily fixed. You have to cracked ribs, and three bruised. Two fingers on your left hand are broken, one in more than one place. Your little finger on your right hand is also broken. No extensive injuries to your legs, however, we had to perform an emergency operation to remove your uterus. It had ruptured, and it was impossible for us to correct it." He finished listing my injuries. I barely blinked when he finished. Uterus. Ruptured. Impossible to correct. No babies. I blacked out again.

When I came to, I gasped and started crying. I was incapable of having children. Impossible. A cold hand in mine alerted me to the presence of one of my family members. I looked up to see Emmett's pained face.

"Em," I gasped, tears streaming down my face. I had never thought of having a child, but now that the opportunity wasn't even there, it was like I had been robbed of something. Something that was impossible to get back and I wanted it.
"Em, please get Rose, please!" I cried. I tried to sit up, I needed to sit up, but I couldn't. Em gave my hand a gentle squeeze before he went out to find Rosalie. When she came in I just looked at her in a panic. She knew what it was like. She had lost the opportunity herself.

"Rose, they.. They!" I couldn't even say it. She looked at me with tears that would never fall in her eyes, and nodded; she understood.

"Oh Rose, I can never have children. Never!" My crying wouldn't stop. Rosalie hopped into the hospital bed with me, gathering me in her arms and holding me as I cried. We cried together over the loss of something that had been taken away from us. We didn't say anything, we just cried. The family came and joined us, along with Ben and Angela, but I couldn't stop crying. Eventually, I became exhausted and just fell asleep.

It was days before I was allowed out of the hospital. For the first few days I stayed at home, catching up on schoolwork. I didn't say much, just coming to terms with everything, and also preparing the trial. They weren't going to get away with it; they were probably going to serve some time in Juvenile Prison for the assault. I didn't really care, so long as I never had to see them again. I may have wanted to become a vampire, and that would have meant given up children willingly. Suddenly, when I couldn't have them, something in me longed for it. Rosalie told me I would get over it eventually, that it was because it was taken so abruptly that I felt this way. I believed her, because I had never wanted children before.

Edward never left my side in those days. He comforted me and cheered me up, and I was so grateful to him.

I testified in the trial. They showed all my injuries, they showed pictures of where I was found. It was a horrible time, because I really didn't want to see them ever again. But they did get to serve time, so I wouldn't see them around town at least. When I got back to school, people avoided me; why, I have no idea, seeing as I was the one who was assaulted not the other way around. But I had Angela and Ben so it really didn't matter much.

"Bella?" Carlisle had been so furious when he had seen me been brought in. It was a split decision the group had made to attack me, so Alice hadn't gotten a glimpse of it, until they had been interrupted, when they had decided to let me lay there. The whole family was in a rage over what had happened. I didn't think I had ever seen Edward so angry.

I looked up at Carlisle to see what he wanted.
"Yeah?" He smiled softly at me, and came to sit beside me.

"Bella, there's something I need to talk to you about. It's your biological father." My head snapped up to his. I had never forgiven my father for what he did. I couldn't. He had neglected and abused me. But had still loved him, because he was my father, but he had driven me away, forced my out of my own home. I shook my head.

"What about him?" I bit out. I wasn't mad at Carlisle, and he knew that.
"He's in the hospital; cancer." I could feel my eyes widening. I hadn't expected that.
"And he wants to know if I knew where to find you. He wanted to talk with you. Apologize." I stared.

"No," and that was that.

Except, this is Carlisle, and he's such a good person. Eventually he made me see that my father was dying, and his only wish was to see his daughter so that he could apologize. I don't think I could ever forgive him, but I could at least give him peace. So that's how I ended up in the hospital again, my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest, my family behind me to offer me silent support.

My mind was in a haze as I walked toward the ward where he was at. My thoughts swirled around, memories of good and bad times flittering about. I could remember when he was happy and laughing, dancing with my mother in the kitchen. I could remember when she died, and he turned to the bottle. I could remember the livid look in his eyes as he raised his hand on me for the last time before I ran away.

I gulped as I gathered all my courage to open the door. My breath caught at the sight of him. Last I remember, he was big and scary and drunk. As he lay there, he was small and frail and pale. His once dark brown hair was grey and thin, his eyes sunken and lifeless. I neared the bed, my heart beating faster still. I very nearly ran out of the room when he coughed and turned his head toward me. His eyes lit up with recognition, sorrow and regret.
"Bella," he whispered as tears streamed down his face. I nodded reluctantly, still not sure what to say to this man. He wasn't my father, not any more.
"Bella, I'm so very sorry," he started and coughed again. "And I know that is never going to cut it, never going to make it better, but I want you to know how I have always regretted what I did. I have," he entered a coughing fit, and I didn't know what to do. I just stood there awkwardly, shifting on my feet, looking at him.
"I have always, always, felt terrible, but never more so than after you ran. And I understand why you did it. All those awful, horrific things I said, all the unforgivable things I did. I was a mess when Renée died. And I know that it a terrible excuse." He heaved in a breath; it was coming quicker than before. He winced and tried not to move too much as he stared into my eyes with heavy tears falling down his cheek. His eyes were the exact same color as mine.
"It is," I whispered, breaking away from his stare. I didn't want to look at him right now.

"You reminded me so much of your mother." He started again.
"You were always so happy, so smart. When I looked at you, I saw her, and my heart broke all over again." Pause. It was so difficult to hear this. I had never done anything this tough in my life.

"All I could think about was that she loved you so much, but it had been such a hard birth. The chance of getting cancer from a transfusion is like a million to one, but it happened to the love of my life, and I couldn't help but blame myself and you a little. The alcohol made it even worse, and in the end I took it out on you. I have always loved you, Isabella. Always. But heartbreak messes with your head, and alcohol makes it worse, and it was so easy to blame you, when I really should be blaming everyone but you. When I realized that it was too late." He whispered. I guess it was nice to know the reason behind why he was my Daddy, my hero, one day, and my very worst nightmare the next. It was really good to know that at least my dad actually had loved me. And people have beat up their kids for less things, I guess. But it still didn't make it right. But at least I understood.
"I have never forgiven myself. I can't live the thought of what I did to my little girl, or of what Renée was say. I don't let the doctors treat me, you know. I deserve this. I'm just here waiting to die and I'm ready for that. I'm ready to take my punishment," He said. I sniffled, and I realized I had been crying the entire time. I wanted to scream and yell and run the hell out of there, back to my family, feel the soothing embrace of my dad, the loving caress of my mother, the comforting hand on my shoulder as my brother calms me down with his gift. I wanted to feel protected in my other brother's strong arms, and feel cared for and loved by sisters' words. I wanted to be held and loved by the boy I had loved for so long.

I looked at the man that had driven me from my home when I was little, and I pitied him. I looked at him and saw a broken man, burdened by his sins and regrets. I looked into his eyes and I could tell he was afraid. He was afraid to die. I felt a tug in my heart and I realized that I could no longer be mad at him. What he did was wrong, but it brought me the best thing in the world. It brought me my family. And if I looked deep down into myself, I knew I could forgive him.
"I.." I started. Actually saying it was harder than I thought. His actions had given me so much heartache and trouble. I remembered my phase when I was twelve, where I couldn't even let Edward near after a nightmare.
But I also remembered all the good things. When I had beaten Emmett in Guitar Hero (take your vampire reflexes and suck on that, brother!), when Esme had comforted me after my first period and made me laugh; when I had played games and done silly things with my family, when I had talked with Alice and Rosalie.
"I think I forgive you," I finally choked out, tears still streaming down my face. A heartbreaking smile broke out on my father's face, and he started crying forcefully. Sobs racked his body and he clutched at his chest. I ran over to him, and took his hand, worrying slightly. He started coughing again, and I flinched at the painful sound of them. His cold hand clenched mine, and he looked into my eyes.
"Bella, you're truly an angel. You're so beautiful, so like your mother. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I love you, Bella" He said and gave it an extra squeeze. I sat beside him in silence, not answering with anything other than a vague smile. We didn't speak anymore but I continued to sit with him.
His worst coughing fit yet broke our comfortable silence. His eyes were wide with fear, and his hand clutched mine harder.
"Bella," He choked out. My eyes were wide as blood stained the white sheet he was under as his coughing got worse.
"Doctor!" I yelled out, my hand still in his. His brown eyes seared into mine, and I understood what he was trying to tell me. Tears streamed down my face when I felt his hand go limp in mine, and his eyes closed. His coughing ceased and with a small smile on his face he took a deep breath. And that was it. The air left him, and he lied still on the bed. His hand was still in mine. I let go of his hand after one final squeeze and backed up into a wall when the nurses flittered in and did their job.

In a daze I joined my family again, and they took me home. That night I barely ate anything and when I went to bed I was confused and sad.

The next day Edward came and woke me up. I felt better about everything that morning. My eyes were sore from crying, but I was glad that Edward was there. He sat on my bed and took my hand. My heart sped up a little when I looked at him. He was just so beautiful.
"You did an amazing thing yesterday Bella. You gave a man peace. He had been holding out, hoping you would come see him. He didn't expect you to, you know. I read his thoughts. He really hated himself, but you gave him peace. You're an amazing person, Isabella Marie Cullen," I smiled slightly at him.
"And there's something I have to tell you," he seemed to pause, considering his words. My heart beat faster, hoping against hope that he would tell me that he liked me, or something.
"He got his act together you know?" And just like that, my hope pummeled.
"He quit drinking, and he started doing volunteer work. But that's not what I wanted to say. You really did something amazing yesterday Bella and I realized it just made me love you more, than I already do. I love you, Bella," I cut him off with a kiss.
"I love you too, Edward." I said through my smile. Yesterday had been hard but with Edward and the rest of my family by my side, I could get through it.

I had been lost but I was found, and I had found a family and love along the way. Life was good.

Well, here we go, the ending of the very last chapter! How did you like it? :)
Bella's made peace with her past and gotten herself the love of her life.
I hope you have enjoyed this story, because I sure have enjoyed writing it.

Cheers!

-Lu