AN: So the fact that it's been almost nine months since I've last updated is not okay. I'm sorry! Real life has just caught up with me, I guess. I mean, when I first started writing this story, I had just started my second semester of college as a freshmen, and now instead of starting my second semester as a sophmore, I've been kicked out of my house because I wanted to take a year off. My mother has been in and out of the hospital since May of 2012 and I want to be close to her, not 400 miles away at school. My aunt who I'd been living with didn't like that, and kicked me out. So now I'm staying with my manager from work and helping her with her daughter! It's been crazy these last few months, and I'm sorry that I've completely neglected this story and all of your kind words- I think I've responded back to everyone, and if I've missed you, I'm sorry- I get them sent to my email on my phone so I read every single one of them and I'm extremely appreciative. I kind of abandoned everything and everyone- my poor beta probably hates me considering I just up and left. But like I said, real life has its way of creeping up beside you and biting you in the ass and that's exactly what it did with me. It doesn't feel like an entire year has past, but indeed it has. I wrote this story in a journal I had and mostly during my math class that I couldn't have cared less about lol I'd get lost in the world of Jared and Kim instead of learning about statistics. I hope you guys still continue to review and thanks for sticking around for so long :)

Just a few things to remember: The links to my twitter, tumblr and photobucket account are on my profile. Pictures on Photobucket will (hopefully) continue to be posted through out the story. I'll let you know when something new is posted. If you follow me on twitter and tumblr, just shoot me a tweet or a message to let me know where you're from and I'll follow you back :)

Disclaimer: Only Dean, Maqahla and Raven are mine!

I woke up the next morning to a loud pounding on the front door. The clock read just before seven. When I really opened my eyes, I was already stumbling through the hallway to the front door. Dean's bedroom door opened and he poked his head through, rubbing his eyes.

"Who's here?" he mumbled. I made a gurrutal noise as I flipped on a light switch before I opened the door.

Wrong decision.

Lights flashed in quick succession and I stumbled back into Dean, where we both crashed to the wall.

"Kmber, how are you doing?"

"How are you feeling after everything that happened last night?"

"How do you feel knowing that Keith is dead?"

"Do you have any comments?"

I blinked a few times. I was wide awake now. About six or seven white people- people who did not live on the reservation- all holding large cameras and one even with a microphone.

Reporters.

My jaw dropped as I realized what this was. I had forgotten- after everything that happened last night with Jared- I almost died.

"What are they talking about?" Dean asked, genuinely confused. He shoved me off of him and then helped me to my feet. The reporters were still going insane. I pushed past him to shut the big door, thankful that the storm door still separated us.

"Kim, do you have any comment at all-"

"No comment," I said, feeling strange. Why was this happening? "Please leave-"

"What's going on?" Dean insisted, coming to stand beside me. The reporters went wild when they saw him. The lights kept flashing. I was getting dizzy.

"Dean, how do you feel knowing your twin sister almost died last night?"

"Do you wish you could have been there to help her?"

"Were you friends with Keith?"

"Come again?" Dean asked in surprise. Before anyone could say anything else, I slammed the door shut, rattling the window frames of the house. Thankfully, the voices of the reporters became muted.

My heart was racing.

"What the hell," Dean asked slowly. He jerked his thumb at the door. "was that all about?"

"Who the hell is banging around outside while I'm trying to sleep?" My mother's voice carried down the hallway. I could feel myself starting to sweat, even though I was freezing. I stuck my hands under my arm pits.

"Kim?" Dean asked. "Who's Keith? Why do they think you almost died last night?"

My mother rounded the corner, blinking at us blearily.

"Who's at the door?"

"A bunch of reporters, or something," Dean shrugged. "For Kim."

"For Kim?" she repeated and I shivered. She laughed. "What did you do, Kimmy, kill someone?"

My stomach lurched and I knew what was coming, so I bolted into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. My stomach heaved on its own account and I couldn't stop even when there was nothing left to throw up.

There was a rough hand on my forehead, swiping back strands of hair. I wanted to look up at Dean, but I couldn't stop heaving.

"Kim?"

He sounded a little worried, but I just shook my head. I heaved again, but this time bile mixed with what could only be blood came up and, exhausted, I collapsed to the ground and hugged the bottom of the toilet bowl.

"Oh fuck. Kim? Kimmy?"

"I'm just tired, Dean," I mumbled. His hands were so cold on my face, wiping away the sweat and pushing my hair back. His face was going in and out of focus, and then someone was crying and Mom was yelling and my stomach muscles hurt so bad after all that. So I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

When I woke up, I didn't open my eyes.

I could tell, by the all familiar beeping, that I was in the hospital. And not just any hospital- but Forks Medical Center. My stomach rolled at the thought.

Keeping my eyes closed, I tried to broaden my other senses without letting someone know that I was awake. I knew that there was someone in the room- I could hear them breathing, so they must have been right next to me. I tried to keep my breathing even to appear as though I was still sleeping. Other than the breathing and the beeping, I could hear muted voices, which meant that my door was closed. I couldn't smell anything other than rubbing alcohol.

"I know you're awake," the person said. I started; I hadn't realized how close they were.

I peeled my eyes open to match the voice with the face. Jared. Despite not feeling all together, I smiled at him, though he did not smile at me. He looked pissed off.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"Now isn't exactly the right time for jokes, Kimber." That took me back. He wasn't yelling- he wasn't even talking loud- but his voice was husky and authoritive. I shivered. "You lied to me."

"What?"

"You lied to me."

"How? About what?" Genuinely confused, I tried to think back to a time when I had lied to him and came up with nothing.

"You told me- you told me you were taking your medication." His voice cracked at the end. I was horrified.

"No, Jared, no- I told you that I didn't need to take my medication-"

"But that wasn't true!" he shouted and I jumped again. "You do need to take it," he continued in a quieter voice. "You are still sick, Kim. You have to take your medication."

In spite of the situation, I crossed my arms. I hated feeling like I was being scolded, like I was Maqahla or Raven. My medicine was my business and no one else's, aside from my doctor.

"Thanks Mom," I said, sour. "Are you done yet?"

His face glowered. I could see his hands were trembling, like how he did with Keith.

"If you leave me," he said and it felt like my heart was breaking in half when his voice cracked again. "I will never forgive you."

I was silent for a second, trying to ignore the pounding rushing noise in my ears. I wiped my face, pulling the IV wires.

"Who said anything about leaving?" I asked quietly.

"You did," he said sharply. "As soon as you decided you didn't want to take your medication anymore!"

"What-"

"Your medication, Kim, your medicine! Don't you understand? You take them for a reason! You're in danger of dying-" He stopped, unable to go on and ran a hand through his hair, gripping it like he was going to rip it out. When he looked up at me, his eyes were rimmed in red. "If you die, Kim- I'll never forgive you."

"I'm not leaving," I croaked.

"Then take your medication," he yelled at me. "Dont leave me alone, Kim, please! I can't- I can't take it if you- you-"

"Jared-" I reached for his hand tugging him until he was curled around me and I realized then that I was freezing. I shivered against him as he laid his head in the crook of my neck. I'm sure we looked a little ridiculous- Jared, almost seven foot tall, curled up around me, pale and barely average height, on a small twin sized hospital gurney.

He pressed his lips to the juncture between my collarbone and neck. "You don't understand how different it is for an imprint. You're like a vital organ- without you, I don't exist- can't exist. If you leave me-" His breath shuddered on my skin.

"I'm not- I'll take my medication again, Jared, I promise. I won't die-"

"Don't say it," he whispered.

I don't know how long we laid there for-I stroked his hair until I could feel him breathing deeply and I knew he was asleep. Just as I closed my eyes, the door opened and Jared jumped up, immediately awake. A growl ripped through his mouth and he started trembling.

Doctor Carlisle Cullen raised a single brow at him.

"What are you doing here?" Jared snarled. His body was shaking again.

"I'm Kimber's doctor," Dr. Cullen responded. He smiled at me. "Long time, no see, Kim."

I flushed at his words. "Hello."

Jared's jaw dropped and he looked at me. "This leech is your doctor?"

I frowned at him. "What?"

Dr. Cullen looked a little uncomfortable. "Can I speak with you outside for a moment, please?" I nodded, pulling the sheet back from my bed, but he held up a hand. "I meant your...friend."

Jared snarled again.

"Is that really a good idea?" I asked and shot Jared a glare. What was wrong with him? Dr. Cullen just smiled pleasantly, looking at Jared expectantly.

Jared stalked from the room, without a backwards glance to me.

The door shut behind Dr. Cullen, who casually said, "We'll be right back."

I doubted it.

I was expecting to hear shouting and rage- from Jared, mostly, but I didn't hear anything. Maybe they walked down the hallway. Or to another floor. I waited for a few minutes and was just about to push the Nurse button when Dr. Cullen walked in...alone.

"Where did Jared go?" I asked, my heart thumping wildly.

"He's just outside. I wanted to speak with you first about some things before he comes back in."

I didn't tell Dr. Cullen that Jared could probably hear through the walls and nodded instead. He sat down in a spinny chair and swiveled his way over to me, reading a few things off my file. It was pretty thick- I'd been coming to Forks Medical Center for a while now, since the health clinic we had on the reservation wasn't equipped with the things my body needed.

"It's been awhile since you've last been here, hasn't it?" He looked up at me. I nodded, a bit guilty.

"I haven't really felt the need to come in," I said. Dr. Cullen nodded, looking thoughtful.

"I hope that in the future, you'll want to come in more often for regular checkups, so we can avoid situations like the one you just had." It wasn't exactly a reprimand but I felt embarassed anyways.

"I heard about what happened to you last night," he said conversationally. I had to really think for a minute and I almost choked.

"That was last night?" I took my first look out the window; the sun was setting. It felt like weeks ago. "How did you hear?"

"I'm very good friends with Charlie Swan," he said. He looked genuinely concerned. "I can't imagine how frightened you must have been."

I shrugged, trying not to shudder. "I don't have to worry about it anymore."

"Can you tell me about this morning?"

I explained to him about the reporters and how they had crowded around on my front steps. The flashing lights had made me dizzy and I had gotten nauseous, then passed out.

"Dean brought you here," Dr. Cullen said. He looked unhappy. "But your mother-"

"-has work," I finished for him. "It's fine. Where is Dean?"

"He left to get your sisters and to prepare dinner."

"Is he coming back?"

"I don't think so," he said. "You'll be discharged shortly."

"Oh." That was a first. I'd always had to spend the night after an episode. Interesting.

"We ran some tests just to see if everything is up to par; your anemia seems to be at a standstill- it's not getting worse, but it's not getting better, either. Which is a good sign, I believe. Before, your red blood cell count was getting lower and lower, whereas now, it's stopped decreasing all together."

He continued on, talking about possibilities to get the red blood cell count up- blood transfusions, birth control pills, and others, but those were last resorts.

"I'd like you to come back in for a check up in two weeks." He wrote some things down in my chart and then closed it, standing. "Do well to remember it this time." He winked at me. "Feel well, Kim. A nurse will be by with the discharge papers in a few minutes."

"Thanks," I said. Dr. Cullen opened the door and Jared stood there, obviously waiting impatiently. Dr. Cullen swept his hand behind him, beckoning Jared into the room. The door shut behind him and then it was just the two of us.

"I can't believe that he's your doctor," he grumbled. He climbed back into the bed and wrapped himself around me. I hadn't realized I was cold until he did.

"Why not? What did you call him before?"

"A leech." The word sounded like poison on his tongue.

"I don't understand."

"I'll tell you another time," he said. I didn't press him.

"He's a good doctor," I said half-heartedly. "He's really nice, and they say he's the best around-"

"Until he sucks your blood," Jared muttered under his breath. He didn't sound like he could help himself. I don't think I was meant to hear it, but with his mouth on my neck still, and so close to my ear, I did. It took me a minute to work what he said out but then it all clicked into place. I gasped.

"He's- he..what? No-"

Jared sat up. "So much for explaining it to you later."

"You shouldn't have said what you did then," I said, feeling stupid. "The legends-"

"The Cold Ones," he murmured. He nodded his head to the door. "He's the reason why I am what I am."

"How can he work in a hospital?" I said, hushed. I felt sick to my stomach. No way. There was no way that- that he was-

"Supposedly, they're 'vegeterians'," he grumbled. "They only suck the blood of animals. I don't trust them though."

My heart was pounding a million miles per hour. Dr. Cullen- a vampire? This world was just getting crazier and crazier.

"Are you sure that Harry Potter isn't real?" I whispered. I think that'd be a nice antidote to what was going on. Jared laughed.

"I'll believe anything at this point."