Hey people. Sorry for the long wait I've been sick and busy and just...ugh! Not gonna bore you with RL. It gets in the way of everything good. Anyways, here you go. A long chappie. I'm in Philadelphia right now and then I'm going to the Poconos. Not sure when I'll update again but there's only two chappies left including the epilogue.

As per usual, a million hugs and a lot of love to my beta, BellaTonks, she's awesome. And to my best friend, Little Silver Rose, she took care of me while i was sick and helped me deal with my serious bout of writer's block.

Disclaimer:"Hey guys, this story is coming to an end. I'll be sad to see it go. R4L doesn't own anything but Charlie's alter ego and Williams." S.M.

Chapter 30

EPOV (two weeks later)

I smiled softly as I gazed at Bella's sleeping face. I ran the fingers of one hand across her cheek. She stirred slightly but didn't wake. Now, she looked peaceful. Her face was slightly pale but that was due to the meds she was on. She had a faint pink scar across the cheek and another one at her left temple that was stitched up and slightly darker than the one on her cheek.

Her lips were parted as she breathed evenly and the bottom one was just getting back to normal. It was busted not too long ago. The steady beep of the heart monitor let me know that she wasn't having a nightmare. She was sleeping peacefully and I was glad for it.

Carlisle had kept her in the hospital because she had pneumonia, four broken ribs, a broken leg, a concussion, and other various small injuries. She was doing much better now. Her ribs were healing like they were supposed to, her leg would take more time than the ribs, and her small injuries were either almost gone or healing.

I hardly left her side. Emmett and Jasper had to literally drag me out of the room when I wouldn't eat or drink or clean up days at a time. Bella didn't wake up for four days after she'd told me she loved me in the car on the way to the hospital. Those four days were hectic.

Carlisle was waiting at the front doors of the hospital with a bed and a few nurses. As soon as we pulled up I popped the door open and gently but quickly lifted Bella out the car and placed her on the bed. The nurses bustled around her, checking her pulse, finding other injuries. As I followed her bed into the hospital another came out and I assumed that was for the officer in the front seat.

Carlisle paged another doctor and a few nurses to take care of the officer as Alice and I followed him and Bella to a room where they cleaned a spot on her arm and slipped in an IV. They hooked her up to a heart monitor but it wasn't beeping.

"She's got pneumonia!" Dad yelled.

I stood here and watched as he and the nurses bustled around, grabbing a defibrillator and a syringe.

I cringed.

"Dad," I croaked.

My heart was breaking all over again. I had her and I lost her. I had her again and I lost her again. This was horrible. I watched Dad shock her, trying frantically to get her heart to beat again. It took him three tries before the heart monitor beeped and kept pace with her heart. It was slow but that was all I needed.

The air came out of my lungs so fast I almost choked.

"Edward, you have to leave. I have to get her fixed up." My father said to me. He told a nurse to take me to a waiting room. I wanted so bad to stay with her, to not take my eyes off her, to make sure she was okay, but I knew my father would have none of it. I would be of no use standing around looking like a zombie.

The nurse walked me to a waiting room where Alice jumped up once she saw me.

"Edward, how is she?" Her eyes were worried.

"She'll be okay," I said mechanically.

I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. She placed a hand on my arm and guided me to a seat in the far corner of the room. She handed me a cup of coffee that I sipped blindly. Then I remembered something.

"Where'd that guy go, the officer?" I asked her.

I focused my eyes and looked at Alice. She frowned and then spoke.

"He's in surgery. They're trying to get the bullets out and give him blood transfusions."

"When will he be awake?"

She shrugged and glanced at her phone, as if waiting for something.

"Tomorrow, I guess. No one's really telling me anything."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I took a small drink from the cup in my hand.

"Have you called everyone else?"

She nodded. "I did. Williams and Emmett are on their way here. Williams says he's got a lead on Charlie, er, Mark and when I told him of the officer he said he'd talk to him when the chance came to get some more information. Jasper is on his way here with Rose. Mom is sleeping in a room on this floor. She had a few Braxton-hix contractions."

I nodded, but my mind was still around the corner in the room where I knew Carlisle was doing his best to keep Bella alive.

My heart was beating fast even though the rest of me felt as calm as can be. The hollow part of me felt like it never existed, like it was never there in the first place. I knew where Bella was, knew that she was safe.

Just the thought of that had me feeling better than I have been all the time she was gone. I couldn't help the lazy smile that spread across my face.

Bella was here.

And she wasn't going anywhere if I had anything to say about it.

Since Dad hadn't come back yet I asked Alice where Mom's room was so I could see how she was doing. I left Alice in the waiting room and told her to come and find me if there was any news about the officer and Bella.

I peeked in my mother's room to see her sitting up in bed eating some food. She smiled when she noticed me at the door.

"Hey, mom, Alice told me what happened. Are you okay?" I said as I walked towards and took the chair by her bedside.

She nodded. "I'm fine, Edward."

She stared at my face for a long moment. I picked at a string on my sleeve. Her gaze was unnerving. She knew I wasn't telling her something. I don't know why I was holding back. I don't know why my mouth suddenly wouldn't work. It wasn't like she wouldn't find out. I guess I just wanted to keep the news that Bella was back to myself.

"Something happened," Esme said. It was more of a statement than a question.

I nodded.

"Is it bad?"

"No, no. It's just…Bella's back." I whispered.

"What?! She's here?" Her voice got slightly higher.

"Yes, she's with dad."

"That's great, Edward. Now, we can…" She trailed off when I didn't look up and I wasn't as happy as she was. "Edward, what's the matter?"

"Bella has a lot of injuries. Dad's working with her. She…I…don't know if she'll make it." My voice cracked. I don't know why those thoughts came into my head when just a few moments ago I was smiling.

My mother reached over and gently cupped my face in her hands. She lifted my head till my eyes locked with hers. She smiled softly, reassuringly.

"Do you really think Bella would leave you now? Do you think she would leave any of us now?"

I shook my head weakly.

"She'll make it, Edward. She's been through so much, for so long. She won't give up now, especially now that she knows she has someone waiting for her when she wakes up."

Maybe it was just a mother's intuition, maybe it was just her being pregnant, but somehow she always knew what to say to make me feel like I didn't have to drown in my own misery, especially when it came to Bella, Alice seemed to have inherited that trait, too.

I smiled at my mother.

"Thanks, mom, I don't know how you do it sometimes."

She scoffed and said, "A mother knows when her child is in need. You don't have to thank me." She looked slightly smug.

I laughed.

"Thanks, mom," I hugged her.

Just then my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and flipped it open.

We're here, Edward. Where are you?

-Em

I texted him back telling him to look for Alice. He replied with an 'ok'.

I looked at my mother, apologetically.

"Everyone else is here. Will you be okay?"

"Edward, I'm pregnant, not old."

My eyes widened a bit before I smiled.

"Sorry, mom, I'll fill you in when I know something new." I stood and made my way back to where Alice was.

When I got to the waiting room everyone was there including Williams and a few other officers I'd never seen before.

"Is mom okay?" Emmett asked when he spotted me. Everyone looked at me save for the officers who were conversing amongst themselves.

I nodded.

"She's fine. I'm sure Alice told you what happened." They nodded. "I think she's going back to sleep, now. I told her I'd let her know if we found out anything new."

They nodded again and Williams came up to us.

"Alice told me about the officer on my way here. We'll talk to him as soon as he wakes up."

Do to my bout of misery the whole time Bella was gone I wasn't quite sure what was really going on with Williams' investigation save from what Alice told me last night. I voiced this, well the last part anyways.

"We tried to hunt down Perry's past places of residence, but he covered his tracks well. We also tried to find some things on Newton. Besides his obvious rap sheet that's longer than a yard stick we had nothing on him but a few years back his mother popped up in a case that ended with her getting a quarter of a million dollars and a dead husband.

"It was in some documents we found when we searched her house. She has a house she got from that dead husband. We're going to check that out but we haven't got our warrant for it, yet. Mrs. Newton says the house is abandoned but I don't believe her. She's lied before. Like I said before, once that officer wakes up, we'll get what we need."

"Can I be there when you talk to him?" I wanted to know everything that had happened and since Bella was…well I didn't exactly know what she was at the moment I was going to get what I wanted from this guy.

Williams stared at me for a moment before nodding.

Just then Carlisle came back from around the corner with slightly bloodied blue scrubs on. My blood ran cold and my body froze. My breath came in quick gasps. I didn't even realize I was shaking until Alice grabbed my hand. The worse things were running through my head….

Carlisle stopped just in front of me but he spoke to everyone.

"She's fine. She got here just in time. We taped her up; tended to her other injuries and she'll be just fine."

I knew why, for the sake of my sanity, he didn't go into detail about her injuries, though I knew most of them anyways. It was hard just thinking about them. I didn't want to dwell on them to long.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and my body visibly relaxed.

"When can I see her?"

Though I knew Carlisle would never lie to me I needed to see for myself that she was okay.

"You can see her now, but only two at a time, she needs her rest. I moved her to a private room at the end of the hall. She won't wake for a few days because of the meds I have her on." He turned to Williams, then. "I'm sorry but that's the best I can do. She won't be able to talk much when she wakes."

Williams shook his head.

"It's no problem. I know what she's been through. Is there anything on the officer?"

"Yes, he'll be out of surgery in about two or three hours. You can ask Dr. Snow about his injuries and such."

Williams nodded and wrote a few down on a small notepad. Carlisle patted my shoulder before walking off in the direction of mom's room, shrugging out of his scrubs as he went."

Alice tugged on my hand and we made our way to the room dad told us Bella was in.

I wanted to break down and cry when I saw her laying on the bed. She looked so small and fragile. There were bandages on her face and head and some on her arms. The heart monitor beat steadily in the corner of the room. Bella's chest rose and fell with each breath she took.

I took the chair closest to her bed and sat down. I grasped her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. I kissed the promise ring I'd given her at that dreaded birthday party six months ago. Had it really been six months? It felt like forever. Alice went to the other side of her bed and held her other hand. She smiled at me slightly and I could see the relief in her eyes. She had her sister back.

I leaned in and kissed Bella's ear after whispering that I loved her and couldn't wait to see her deep brown eyes staring back at me.

Over the next few hours Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and even mom came to see Bella. Rose called her mom to let her know what was going on as she was on a book tour or something or other and couldn't be here. A nurse or dad regularly checked on Bella throughout the night.

I was sitting at Bella's bedside while everyone, but Alice who was sleeping on the other side of her bed and dad who was making his rounds, was in the waiting room sleeping or talking when Williams came and told me that the officer was awake. I nodded at him and squeezed Bella's hand before following him to another room three floors up.

The officer had his leg and arm wrapped up and was sitting up in his bed eating. He stopped and looked up at us as we entered.

"You must be the Officer Williams Dr. Snow said was coming," he said.

Williams nodded. The officer looked at me.

"Edward. H-how is she?" He asked hesitantly.

"She's fine. She's sleeping."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

Williams moved to stand next to him and I stay by the door.

"I just want to ask you a few questions." He took out his usual pen and pad. The officer nodded.

"Your name and occupation?"

"James Nomad. I work for the Forks Police Department."

That explained the uniform.

"How did you get involved with Perry?"

James took a deep breath before speaking.

"Charlie told me that he was going to hit it big, that a lot of money was coming his way. He asked if I wanted in and the only reason I said yes was because I needed the money to pay the hospital bills for my girlfriend. She has breast cancer and a policeman's salary in Forks couldn't cover it. I thought he was just talking about the lottery. He gave me a number to call in Phoenix. He said to tell them to scare Bella, do things to get her to want to come back to Forks. When she didn't and after September came along he said to destroy one of the rooms she spent a lot of time on. Mike Newton did that.

"He also half raped and beat her on purpose. Neither Charlie nor I told him to do that."

Williams nodded along. My hands clenched into fists and I folded my arms across my chest and pressed them into my ribs to keep myself in check.

"I tried numerous times to get him to stop but he wouldn't listen. I thought about leaving a million times but I feared that if I did he'd kill me because I knew too much so I stuck with it. He dragged me to the outskirts of Phoenix when Newton had to change schools and his wife left him. He talked with his mother. I don't know what about. All I know is that the house we stayed in belonged to her.

"Newton came bursting in saying he found out what new room she had moved into. He and Charlie made a plan to kidnap her and keep her until she either gave up the money or told him where her mother was. I never watched him beat her but I could hear it and it was the worse sound I'd ever heard. Sometimes when he'd leave the house I'd bring her food and water because I knew he wasn't feeding her. When he went down to the basement where he cuffed her to a pipe the last time, I heard his whole life's story.

"I couldn't believe and I tried one last time to get him to change his mind, to give up. But he didn't. He shot me and pushed me down the steps into the basement. I talked with Bella, told her why I helped him, why I didn't want in anymore, the same things I'm telling you now just not with so much detail. She looked horrible sitting on that old mattress. I uncuffed her then looked for a way out because I knew he locked the door and sooner or later he was going to kill us both.

"I found an old door that opened to the back of the house where my truck was parked. I guess that was used to bring stuff in when the house was being built and whatnot. We waited till dark to leave, when Charlie and Newton were asleep. But things didn't go as planned. Bella told me that if we didn't leave then she would get pneumonia and with all her other injuries visible or not I knew that wouldn't be a good thing.

"I wrapped her up in a blanket as best I could and made to get away quietly. But Charlie wasn't having it. I managed to get out of the house and to my truck but then the back door of the house opened. Charlie shot me in the arm and leg as I ran around the other side of the car to the driver's side. I pulled my gun in self-defense and I think I hit him once but I'm not sure.

"As soon as I got in the car I revved the engine and hulled ass. I had to wake Bella to ask her where to go because I didn't know where the hospital was. I only knew where the school was and where his was." James nodded to me. "Charlie had me and Newton scope it out once or twice. We never went in, though.

"I drove as fast as I could, wanting to get away from Charlie and wanting to get help for both of us. I made it, the house and a dainty little girl answered the door. She called for Edward and after I told him to save Bella I passed out. Next thing I knew I was here."

All of that just for some money, some people were completely out of their minds. I could feel my body shaking with anger. How could someone do that to their own child for money that didn't even rightfully belong to them? It was preposterous. It was madness. It was insanity.

"Thank you, James, for saving her," I said quietly.

He deserved it after the shit he went through. I may not like some of the things he did but he did the most valuable thing of all and that I had to give thanks for.

James nodded.

I quickly left the room. I could hear him and Williams talking some more but it wasn't clear. My chest was already hurting from being away from Bella too long.

Alice was awake when I got back to the room. Her eyes asked the question I knew she'd have when I asked Williams if I could be there when he talked to James.

"Later," I said as I took my seat and grabbed Bella's hand in mine. I watched her sleep, wishing I could take away all that she'd been through; erase it from her mind so she'd never again have to think about it.

Two days later…

Williams was back and forth from the police station to the hospital to the courthouse. He was still working on his warrant, but he had a statement from James so that helped speed things up a bit. Carlisle was running around doing double shifts and checking on Bella and mom.

I hadn't left Bella's side since seeing James. The family came and went but I didn't. I made quick runs to the bathroom when it was absolutely necessary. I didn't eat and I hardly slept. I talked though. I talked to Bella. I told her how it was for me, the time she was gone. I told her how the family felt about it.

I also told her what I thought about her poems. I told her about the questions that went unanswered and the feelings they evoked in me. When I couldn't think of anything specific to tell her about I just told her that I loved her. I kissed her hand and sometimes her face. I kissed the ring on her finger.

Tonight, I just whispered my love for her. I told her how I couldn't wait for her to wake up. Then Emmett and Jasper and Alice and Rose appeared in the doorway.

"Okay, Edward, it's time you cleaned yourself up. Let's go." Alice's voice washed over me.

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving until she wakes up."

Dad said she was supposed to be awake by now but she wasn't and that had all of us worried.

"Em, Jazz," Alice said.

Suddenly I found myself being lifted up and thrown over two shoulders.

"Guys! Put me down, Now!" I hit and punched their backs, but they didn't let me go.

"Edward, you smell. I don't think Bella would appreciate waking up to a smelly face." Emmett said.

I tried uselessly to get them to put me down but they didn't listen. I sighed and let them carry me to the bathroom.

"Clean yourself up," Alice said as she threw a bag at me and closed the door.

I washed up as best I could, changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, etc.

As I walked back to Bella's room I caught a glimpse or someone I never wanted to see in my life.

Charlie. Mark Perry.

He was on a gurney being rolled in my direction. There was blood all over the sheets and a few nurses and a doctor fussing over him.

His eyes caught mine and a slow sadistic smile crept over his face, though I could see the underlying pain in it from his wounds.

"You, boy, how's that bitch of yours?"

I saw red.

"If you ever come near her again, I'll fucking kill you! You hear me? I'll kill you!" I growled.

I felt my body being held back but I paid it no mind.

"Don't come near her again. Don't come near my family again! Ever!"

Perry laughed then coughed up blood. His gurney disappeared in the elevator.

My breathing was so fast I thought I was going to choke. Blood was rushing in my ears. I could faintly hear someone calling my name.

"Edward! Edward!"

I growled again, still thinking of Perry.

"Edward, you need to calm down!" Emmett's voice rang out from beside me.

"Edward!" Jasper's voice was on my other side.

I breathed deeply and closed my eyes and thought of the only thing that grounded me to calm myself down; Bella.

"Let me go."

"You aren't going to go charging after him, are you?" Emmett asked.

"No," I shook my head.

Jazz and Em let me go and I went back to Bella.

One Day Later…

I was sleeping. I tried hard to keep my eyes open but I couldn't. I was dreaming. Bella was sprawled out on her hospital bed. Her eyes were open but they looked…dead. Lifeless. I ran to her, called her name but she didn't look at me.

When I reached her bed I realized then that she had a bullet wound on her chest, right where her heart should be.

Then I heard cackling behind me. I turned and saw Perry. He was laughing while pointing the gun to my chest.

"Looks like you were too, boy." He laughed some more and my vision turned red.

I got ready to charge him. He'd killed the love of my life. He'd hurt my family. I couldn't let him do this anymore.

But just as I turned, the gun went off.

"NO!" I screamed.

"Edward!"

I bolted upright, my breathing heavy and erratic. I glanced around the room trying to get my bearings.

"Edward." I heard her voice.

I looked at the bed to see Bella's deep brown eyes staring back at me. My heart beat faster and I couldn't help the huge smile that spread across my face.

"Bella, you're awake."

I grasped her hand in mine and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered against my lips.

"I love you, too."

"How long have I been out?"

"Four days."

Her eyes widened.

"That long?"

I nodded.

"Where's everyone else?"

I shrugged. "Everyone's out and about, I guess. I'll page dad."

Dad came only five minutes after I called him. His smile was almost as big as mine. He checked her, asked her if she was feeling any pain. He told her about her injuries and things she could and couldn't do for a few weeks. Not long after, the family came rushing in.

Light hugs were given and smiles were shared. Our family was put back almost as soon as Bella opened her eyes and we couldn't be any happier, especially me.

Bella was doing extremely well. After she woke the first time I was finally able to leave her side without worrying about something happening to her. I tried to keep the information of her father being in the hospital from her, but she saw through it. I wasn't too surprised I was just hoping she wouldn't have to dwell on it.

What did surprise me was the fact that she wasn't scared. She acted like it wasn't anything special. I asked her about it.

"I know that I'm protected. I know that you're here and the gang is here and Carlisle and Esme and even Williams. I won't have to worry because I know that nothing else will happen to me as long you guys can help it." That was her response.

I felt pride in knowing that she trusted me with her life, that she trusted my family.

I left her every now and then to talk with Williams and some other officers. I held her hand when Williams got her statement. She cried through half of it and Williams tried to tell her that she could do it another time, but she refused saying that she had to do it now, she had to get it out or it would eat her from the inside out.

I was proud of her.

She'd be out of the hospital soon, another two weeks dad had said. She wasn't going to be able to go to school yet, so she was going to stay at the house with mom. Mom was a little put out because she couldn't travel to her regular conventions, but she was glad she was going to have company in the house.

I hated to leave Bella at all, but I made sure she had her phone so she could text or call me anytime she wanted.

As soon as Perry was put away in jail Bella could truly live in peace and be happy as she truly deserved.

Thank you to Nickelback's If Today Was Your Last Day. That song has been my muse for my writer's block besides my best friend LSR. The next chappie will be up ASAP and don't forget to vote for a sequel and please PM me any ideas you have.

Review, please? I'd like to hit a thousand or more before I update again. Can you help me out?

R4L, peace!