A/N:

Hello everyone!

I'm so very sorry that it took me so long to update! I promised to update before I went on vacation but someone passed away and I honestly couldn't find the inspiration to write then. Then I went on a two week vacation to Indonesia when my mom got sick so when we got back we had to spend a while in the hospital. A week ago my grandma passed away so it's just a busy time and I lacked inspiration.

I hope to get back on track now :)

Okay, onto the chapter!

Disclaimer: Twilight and their recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

This chapter is unbeta'ed so every mistake is mine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Previously on Stay:

And then everything went black. The water was gone and I couldn't move my limbs anymore. My eyes closed on their own accords and it felt like I was fighting a losing battle. My leg and back hurt, probably because of the huge amount of effort I had put into trying to reach the surface. My head felt as if I had hit it against the ground or against a boulder or something.

I tried to think about what happened; how I ended up in this blackness. About how it was possible that the water was suddenly gone, and about how I ended up in the water in the first place.

I wanted to think, I wanted to know. But all I could think about was a name. A name I didn't know who it belonged to. A boy's name.

Edward.


Chapter 12

EPOV

"Where are you going?" I wondered. I was seated in front of the TV, surfing through the channels.

"To visit Bella," Bree answered, lightly slapping the book tucked underneath her arm as to describe why.

I pressed the mute button on the remote control. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I think I can manage. I'll see you later." With a simple wave she left through the door.

Bree had been going to visit Bella more and more. She knew Bella had wanted to read that book she had described to her, so she had taken a liking to reading out loud to her in her hospital room.

It had been 3 months now, and there had been no sign of live. Luckily she had been moved from her isolation room, and was now allowed to have visitors during visitor hours.

Her injuries were mostly healed, so they were just waiting for her to wake up. If she was going to.

She wasn't breathing on her own and soon they were going to flip the switch. Yeah.

It hurt to hear that, but I knew it was now or never.

I barely had been in contact with Charlie and Renee, not because of lack of trying on their part. They'd been trying to involve me in the decision making, seeing as I was her boyfriend. They thought I deserved to have a say in it all. The funny thing was; I didn't.

Charlie stopped by yesterday evening after work to give us an update. He said that the hospital was going to flip the switch the week after, and that it all depended on Bella now.

I couldn't bear hearing anything more and emptied my stomach into the nearby toilet. I couldn't cope with it at all.

I had been going to school for about a month and a half now, but my grades were dropping and I skipped often. My liking to smoking had turned into a full blown addiction and I smoked a pack a day.

I didn't know why; it wasn't like I wanted to smoke myself to death, just because I couldn't be with my Bella. It made me relax and I needed something to relieve me of the permanent stress that was housing itself in my body.

I even started meeting up with a guy in Port Angeles over the past few weeks and he's been giving me some weed for a reasonable price. I didn't think that anybody knew of my new-found addiction, but I began smoking up more often.

I didn't go to any place that meant something to us. Even the ride to Port Angeles was hard, remembering how our new relationship had developed tremendously at the skating rink there.

The meadow was just out of the question and going somewhere with my longboard was just impossible. The pull to turn it over and look at the words she'd written there was just too strong, and I knew that if I gave in, I would be in no state to return home.

Every time I read the sentence: "I'm never saying goodbye", I burst out into tears. She didn't say goodbye because she didn't get the time nor chance to do so.

There was an old playground at the edge of the town of Forks where the houses had pretty much been abandoned. No kids played there anymore and it was one of those playgrounds with swing sets swinging by the wind and weird noises filling the air. A bit spooky, if you could call it that. I liked it. I used to sit on the creaking swing with a joint between my fingers, my feet digging into the roughened up dirt.

I didn't hang out with our friends anymore. Emmett was relatively cool and didn't resent me as much as I had expected, but it just felt weird to me. I didn't crave anyone's interaction. The only person my age I was able to have a normal conversation with, was Bree. Luckily, she had opened up to me. She was a great help in dealing with it all and I was actually glad to have her here with us.

School was silent and uneventful. Many people pitied me and that could easily be deduced from the looks they often gave me. They didn't dare engage in a conversation with me – not that I wanted them to – because they thought I was emotionally unstable. I wasn't though.

It felt like a huge hole was punched through my chest, right where my heart was supposed to be. But apart from that, I was fine.

I was acting like a robot now though. I woke up, showered, had breakfast, went to school, pretend to learn stuff, I went back home, I did homework, I had dinner and I went to bed before starting all over again the next day.

I knew my mom could easily see through my façade, but the rest of Forks couldn't. And that's what I was doing it for.

I could only pray, pray like the doctor had said, that Bella would start breathing on her own. A week from now, we would know.

~Stay~

Bella's coffin was beautiful. It was white and her little cousins were allowed to draw something on it that reminded them of her. It looked like shit, but no one voiced their opinions. A bouquet of her favorite flowers was laid on top of the coffin. The top was divided into two parts, and the upper part could open. If you walked up to the front, you were met with the vision of Bella lying in her favorite blue tube top with a simple golden necklace. Her hair was beautifully done, lying on top of her chest. Her hands were folded together on her midsection and she was wearing the rings she always wore; one I had given her for her birthday when she turned 14.

A picture was standing next to the coffin and Emmett was trying to say something. Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon was playing softly in the background. Using that song had been my decision; whenever we went somewhere by car, she made sure to always play that song at least once.

Tissues were held in hands, sniffing sounds filled the air, and Emmett was obviously struggling to voice the thoughts he had on the death of his sister. Rosalie came up and stroked his arm lovingly while blinking tears away. This apparently gave him more strength and he managed to finish his speech without further breaks.

I hadn't walked up yet, I knew I had to. The description of Bella had come all by my mom who walked up there immediately after her arrival.

A man working for the funeral home went up the little stage and stood in front of the microphone.

"Now Edward Cullen will say something," he announced and moved away from the stage.

I swallowed and stood from the chair on my shaking legs. Bree, who was seated next to me, grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle yet firm squeeze.

I walked up to the stage and could everyone's eyes feel boring into my back. I skidded to a halt when I could view into the coffin. She was wearing make-up, but only lightly. I knew, because I'd seen her without often enough. I continued my walk and stopped next to the wooden coffin. I touched her hand and for some reason I expected it to be warm. I pulled back my arm out of sheer shock. I turned around and could see every person look at me with a weird expression. I screamed. Several times.

"Edward!"

"Edward!"

I quickly sat up. Sweat was pouring down my forehead and the blankets around me were soaked. Bree was sitting next to me on my bed.

It was all just a dream. Just a fucking dream. Don't worry. She's not dead. She won't die.

Bree sat cross-legged next to my sweating form, stroking my arm.

"Where you having a nightmare?" She asked softly.

No, it was a goddamn sex dream. You interrupted my time with Megan Fox.

"You can say that again," I breathed instead of voicing my inner thoughts.

"Bella?" She questioned. I simply nodded and left it at that. She raised her hand and began moving her fingers through my hair. It was long.

"I need a haircut," I said, dragging a hand through the hair on top of my head. It was so long that it often didn't manage to stand up anymore so it took up residence on my forehead, which I didn't like at all.

"That, you do," she emphasized that.

She dragged her hand through it some more, sometimes lightly scratching my scalp.

"Bella used to do that a lot, you know." I hardly talked about Bella, because it felt as if I were betraying her.

"I know," she said. "Your mom told me."

There was a long period of silence, but she kept scratching.

"Did I wake you?" I wondered.

She nodded regretfully. "I heard you screaming so I knew something was wrong so I checked up on you. I hope it was okay that I just entered your room like that."

"Of course it was. I was keeping you from sleeping."

Some more silence.

"Lay down," she ordered me and I did.

She sat against the headboard with her hand still in my hair while I curled up under my now damp sheets.

"Sleep."

I closed my eyes and pretended it was Bella scratching my head. Sleep took me fast.

~Stay~

A week later we were all gathered together at the hospital again. Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie, Renee, Bree, Carlisle, Esme and me. Our friends had wanted to come as well, but we opted for having a smaller group present instead. They did make us promise to call as soon as we knew something.

I was so fucking afraid. I knew that if she stopped breathing; everything was over. They wouldn't help her anymore. But if she did. If she did start breathing on her own, there would be hope. Hope of recovery.

Carlisle had a day off, so he wouldn't be the doctor to perform the act on the machine. I knew that was a good thing.

"Do you all want to be there?" The replacement doctor asked. Charlie responded with a quick yes. The group of 8 streamed in the room behind the doctor and he stopped next to the machine.

"I hope you've said all your prayers," the doctor said. The prayers. I had been having a hard time with that but I looked up on the internet how to properly pray. I continued the tradition I had started with my gran as well, since I didn't think it could hurt to do more than one sort of prayer.

The Swans were seated next to the bed in uncomfortable hospital chairs, and the rest of the company was standing against the wall; needing something to lean against.

There was a switch on the machine, like a light switch. Up for on and down for off. His hand moved towards the switch and I could hear everyone take a deep breath. I didn't let it go until he flipped it. There was silence. It appeared like I wasn't the only one that didn't dare to breathe because I couldn't hear anyone take a breath.

Apart from Bella.

After a few sickening moments, she took a breath.

I knew how unexpected it was, and a huge smile made its way to my face. A smile that hadn't been there in months.

"Oh my god," Rosalie said. I could see tears running down her face but a big smile was plastered there as well. While Emmett was sitting in the chair, Rosalie was standing next to him with her arm around his shoulders. He smiled before burying his face into Rose's stomach.

Renee began to wail again like we were getting used to. Charlie grabbed her hand and smiled in relief. I could see my parents and Bree smile as well. Bree walked over to me and laid her arms around my waist, trying to give me a hug. I enveloped her in my arms and returned it.

She did it. She breathed.

The doctor immediately began to check her responses. He shone in her eyes with a flashlight and printed something from the heart monitor. He shooed us all but Charlie and Renee out of the room so he could remove the breathing tube. She wouldn't need it anymore. We were one step closer to her recovery.

I wanted to sit with her today, so I decided to wait until everyone else had left. Bella's parents took their time; about an hour. I would've done the same and was actually planning on sitting with her until visiting hours were over so I couldn't blame them. Not really. I still did a little bit though. I wanted time with her as well.

I shouldn't have been whining so much since it was only 3pm and visiting hours lasted until 7pm.

After another half hour, the twosome finally exited the room and looked surprised to find me there.

"Oh, Edward. We didn't know you were waiting here," Renee said.

"It's okay. I just want to sit with her for a while if that's okay," I said, a polite smile on my face.

"Of course, of course. Go ahead," Renee motioned for me to enter and they all said their goodbyes to me. I entered and closed the door behind me. I went to sit next to the bed and grabbed her soft hand in both of mine. I didn't want to cry, but I did anyways.

"I thought you were gone," I sobbed. I rested my head on top of her hand.

"I thought that when you didn't immediately breathe, you wouldn't ever again. But you did, Bella. You did it." I squeezed her hand softly.

I sniffed some but could prevent a sobbing attack from happening. I moved for the bottle of lotion on the night stand so I could moisturize Bella's hands, but couldn't quite reach it with my hand still wrapped around Bella's so it slipped and fell to the floor. It had been quite full still so it hit the floor with a loud bang.

And then the most wonderful thing happened. I swear I could feel Bella's fingers twitching. Instead of focusing on the mess on the floor, I stood next to Bella.

"Bella! Can you hear me? Please just move your fingers or something if you can. Baby, I love you so much. I missed you. Please, wake up, baby." I cupped her cheek in my hand while the other kept holding her hand, hoping for another twitch.

I pushed the button on her bed when I didn't get any response from Bella.

A nurse came in about two minutes later, staring at the exploded lotion bottle on the floor.

"She just moved! I swear! I was holding her hand and her fingers moved!"


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N:

A little bit shorter than usual, but it is an update ;)

This might've been a bit boring, but it was a filler chapter. It was necessary for the story, but I think from now on things will get a little bit more exciting;)

I'm not gonna bind myself to any update schedules because my inspiration is very scarce at the moment.

I WILL finish 'Stay' because I hate starting something without finishing it.

Also, keep your eyes open for a new story of mine. I have several ideas, I'm just not sure which one I'm gonna start on first. It might just end up to be an O/S but it could turn out to become something more.

I have no idea how many chapters 'Stay' will end up getting, but I think around 20.

Please review because I like reviews as much as Rob's promo tours! ;)

X ~Nathalie