A/N: Exam week. Sorry. But to reward for getting 5 reviews and make up on not updating when promised I made this chapter extra super long!

So without further adéu I present the third chapter and hope that you like it :)

Disclaimer: No I am not Stephenie Meyer, so I do not own anything Twilight related in this story. Though I do own Leonard - don't ask me how I came up with his name, I don't even know...it just kind of made itself ;)

"I'm not doing it mom!"

"Why not? Isabella his could help you!"

"No it –"

"Bella, the doctor said that the chemo could help. Honestly, I don't know where you're getting the idea that it won't."

Me and Renee had been having his conversation for the past four days – since I first got admitted into the hospital. Her and all the annoying doctors that felt the need to jab me with something kept trying to convince that chemotherapy was the way to go. I swear it's like they were tag-teaming or something.

I haven't had much time to just think, considering that after Dr. Demaots told me I had a something living inside me – something killing me – I'd been rushed to the hospital again and put through numerous tests. They said they wanted to make sure that it wasn't a wrong diagnosis. I think they were either happy to waste my mom's very hard earned money – she's just a kindergarten teacher so we're not exactly rolling in dough – or they were in denial.

I didn't understand. I accepted it.

Did I feel like I was attacked by a facehugger from Alien vs. Predator in my sleep?

Yes.

Was I afraid of dying?

Yes. I was only seventeen for Pete's sake – there was so much that I hadn't done yet...

But the awful, and blunt, truth was that I had accepted the fact that I probably wouldn't be alive much longer. If I could, then why couldn't strangers who didn't even know me?

Releasing a sigh I tried to order my thoughts.

"Mom, I know what you and the doctors told me, but I looked it up, and the thing is that the cancer has spread to much for the chemo to really have an affect... I don't want to pump my body full of chemicals, especially when they have no purpose – when they won't even do anything," I tried to keep my voice gentle but I couldn't keep some of the frustration from leaking into at the end.

I knew telling her this would hurt her, but I had to say it. I just couldn't...I mean this was...there was just no...

Great, my thoughts weren't even making sense anymore.

Looking up at my mom I saw the tears that were overflowing now. It broke my heart to see my mom so upset. She looked so fragile.

"Mom, I'm pretty tired, so could we finish this in the morning? Maybe you could go see Phil. I know he hasn't seen you in a while – I bet he misses you."

She hesitated, but then nodded.

"Goodnight, Bella. I'll be back first thing tomorrow," she said while giving me a death grip hug – I didn't mind it so much anymore.

A nurse came in while Renee was leaving. Checking all the machines I was hooked up to. Oddly enough the steady beep of my heart monitor was what lulled me to sleep most nights.

"Um, excuse me, does the hospital have wireless internet?" I asked.

"Yes, it does sweetie, but you should really get some sleep soon."

"I know, I wasn't planning on staying up long – I just wanted to check my e-mail."

"Okay. Don't be afraid to tell us if something's wrong or if you just feel funny."

"Thank you."

When I found out that I would be staying in the hospital for who knows how many days I asked my mom to bring me my laptop from home. She happily agreed. So, as soon as the nurse left I started up the lap top my brother got me all those years ago. It was an old thing – I nicknamed it "The Dinosaur" – but it was sturdy and held lots of memories for me.

Connecting to the internet took a little while, but soon enough I was on my Yahoo! account.

Leo wasn't on messenger, so I really was going to have to e-mail him.

Hey Leo,

What you been up to dork? Enjoying college life? The professors still handing out bitch loads of assignments?

Listen there's something that I really need to tell you, but it's the kind of thing that makes people looks like a dickhead when they say it through an e-mail. So anyway, when you get some free time just e-mail me and I'll call you. –There's no one at home to answer the phone so don't bother trying that—

If you could give me Charlie's number too that would helpful – I have news for him too but I lost his number.

Lots of love,

Lizzy

I knew using the nickname he gave me would keep him from thinking that anything was wrong. I didn't want him to find until I told him, no matter how hard it would be. And there was my dad – how was I supposed to tell him? I know we didn't see each other much but that didn't mean that we didn't mean we hated each other.

˳̊

"Bella? Bella, sweetie, come on. You have to wake up now."

"Mom? What are you doing here? Ugh, what time is it?" I asked while rubbing the sleep from my eyes. To say I wasn't a morning person was putting it lightly. It took me an average of thirty minutes to get out of bed to get ready for school. Now that I was finally getting some sleep, I wanted to be angry at my mom for waking me up. However, the logical part of my brain was screaming at the bitchy part that she wouldn't be doing this unless it was important.

"It's a little after eleven. Listen Bella, there's something that we need to tell you...I just...It's important..."

My mom was sobbing as Phil hurried across the room to hold her. Trying to calm her down.

"Mom, it's fine. It's going to be okay." I tried to rub her back, to convince her that it was okay...whatever it was.

"Phil...I can't...could you..." Renee managed to say between sobs.

I looked up at Phil, hoping he would be able to tell me, but he only met my eyes for a few seconds before looking down.

"Listen Isabelle...um...crap. Well, see...well me and your mother talked to the doctors about you not doing chemo, and they told us that... Well they said that if you decided not to do it then the chance of you...living...for more than a year was – well that it was pretty much impossible."

"A year," I murmured.

"Bella, hunny, please reconsider doing chemotherapy. It isn't that bad. We – me and Phil – talked to some of the doctors about it and they said...they said..." My mom had to break midrant to take many deep breaths. "They said that you might get a few side affects but nothing too serious. They said it could really help..."

"Mom, I'm sorry, but I'm not changing my mind. I can't and I won't do it."

"Isabella Swan! I am your mother, and I say that you're doing it..." She started out screaming, but was down to a whisper by the end.

I hated seeing my mom like this. Especially knowing that I'm the one that caused it. Maybe she would calm down if she had a break – maybe something like a mini vacation...

That's when it hit me. The hardest yet easiest decision I'd probably ever have to make. I wanted to think about it, think about all of the consequences and how much it would change my life, but I knew that I didn't have anymore time to waste. For me time was running out.

"I want to go home," I said quietly.

"The doctors said you could go home tonight if you wanted – there's nothing more they can do," Phil said over my mother's head. She was still clinging to him, but her sobs had quieted.

"Mom. Mom look at me." I only continued when she finally met my eyes. "Mom I want to go live with dad. In Forks."

"What?" she gasped.

"Isabella, now isn't the time –"

"No Phil. You can't tell me what to do. Mom, I'm sorry but I want to go live with Ch – dad. I think it would do everyone some good. Besides then I could tell him and Leo in person, instead of over the phone like some wimp." I tried to smile but I think it came out as more of a grimace.

"But, sweetie, you hate Forks," my mom protested.

"It's not so bad... Who knows maybe I might even like it now." I let out a deep sigh. "Mom no matter what you say I already made my decision. I'm going." I said all this with a soft smile hoping she would understand that I wasn't trying to hurt her. I honestly think that some time away, some time to process everything, would be best for all of us. Renee especially.

After that the next few days passed in a blur, and before I knew it I was being crushed by my mom in the airport.

"Mom, I really have to go or I'll miss my flight." I tried to pry her arms off but it just seemed to have the opposite effect.

"Just promise me you'll call or e-mail or text if you need anything. And I mean anything."

"Mom you don't have texting," I said while laughing. "But sure, I promise to call if I need anything."

"Thank you Bella. And don't be afraid to come home if you want to..."

"I promise. Bye mom, I'll miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too hunny," she said as she finally let me go.

A few dreadful and dull hours later I was in the parking lot looking for Charlie's cruiser. I swear he thought of that car as his manhood.

"LIZZIE!!" A voice from my memories yelled. I turned to see Leo getting out of his car with my dad getting out of the passenger side.

Saying screw it to my luggage I dumped it all on the wet ground and ran to my brother – jumping on him when I was close enough.

He caught me as if we had practiced it...well we did do it often enough over the years.

"Okay you two, enough of that," Charlie said, looking as if he thought the whole thing was a little awkward.

I was laughing while Leo set me down, and went to hug my dad. He did the pat on the back thing. Guess he still had trouble with showing affection, but I didn't mind. That's just how he is – what makes him Charlie.

The guys threw my three suitcases in Leo's trunk before we started back towards Forks. My new home. At least for the next year...

When we finally made it back I looked around and realized nothing had changed. Not the dark green of the living room walls, the beat up couch, not even the yellow cabinets in the kitchen. Though I did see my school pictures above the fireplace – I would have to do something about those, or maybe something to them. Insert evil laugh here.

"So, Bella why the sudden relocation?" Leo asked as him and my dad came into the living room.

And so I told them – I let everything out. When I first started getting the pain in my stomach, when I couldn't sleep, when I started fainting, the vomiting, and finally the trip to the doctor's office that started this whirlwind. By the time I finished I was sitting in Leo's lap with his arms around me – he did this when I got to the part about the CT scan – and both men had tears tracks down their cheeks.

Charlie was the first one to break the silence. "Bella..." He swallowed thickly. "Bella I don't give a damn what you say, you are going through with the chemo and that is final."

This was definitely not what I expected to be the first thing he would say.

"Dad you don't underst –"

"You're right, I don't understand! My only daughter has cancer and she's refusing the only thing that could help her?! You think I would understand the convoluted logic of a teenager?"

"I understand," Leo said so quietly it was almost a whisper. I was relieved at this, after all me and Leo always seemed to know what the other was thinking – we were just that in sync.

"What? I don't want to hear it Leonard. This is insane," my dad was almost yelling again.

"I'm not saying it isn't. I'm simply saying that I understand what Bella is thinking, but I never said that I agree with it."

"What?" I asked shocked. "But Leo –"

"Isabella." He had my attention now – he never used my full name unless it was serious. "This could help you. A year? No. I won't let that happen. If you did the chemo you might get more time. You have to see this." His expression was serious but the look in his eyes was pleading.

I felt my will start to crumble under those eyes.

"Isabella Marie Swan." I broke away from Leo's gaze to look at my dad. "If you want to live in this house you will get the chemo and I will not hear one complaint about it from you. You understand?" He was the same as Leo – his face was etched with lines of anger but his eyes were pleading with me to just agree to his terms.

Why did these two have so much more power over me than my mother?

Burying my face in Leo's chest I nodded once. In all honesty it probably looked like I was twitching.

Again, time passed by in a blur...or was a F5 tornado more correct? Charlie found this really good doctor that specialized in chemotherapy in Seattle, Leonard helped me enroll into Forks High – making fun of me the whole time – and then he took me to some stores in Port Angeles to upgrade my wardrobe – apparently it didn't meet his "B.A. factor" – but I didn't mind it too much. Leo always made shopping fun.

Through all this I was glad that they were still treating me the same. Like nothing was wrong. Like I didn't have cancer. When I was with my mom she hardly let me do anything, but Leo and Charlie acted the same – though they didn't quite laugh as much when I tripped or walked into a wall, but for that I was thankful.

But like I said, time passed in a blur, and I was soon met with the horrors of being a teenager.

˳̊

First day of school. In the middle of the trimester. In a small school.

Yummy.

Come on! Quit being a baby and open the door. Just breathe. Hold your chin high. After all, the sooner you get in there the sooner the school day ends, and that means the sooner you can go home.

Taking a deep breath I squared my shoulders, and pushed open the dented brown metal door to the cafeteria.

Almost instantly all conversation stopped.

I guess that doesn't just happen in the movies...

I was never one for attention, so I was more than terrified at having all these people staring at me.

Just like dad always says: never let them see you sweat.

I spotted the food bar on the opposite end of the room and told my muscles to stop their frantic bitching and move. Every one stared and whispered as I passed, but none of them came up and actually talked to me.

I really hated small towns...

There were all your typical school cafeteria foods being served, no surprise. I just about to grab a slice of pepperoni pizza when I saw it. My favorite lunch that I usually got every day back in Phoenix. Smucker's Uncrustables. And not those gross grape jelly ones, but the heavenly sent strawberry ones. Oh, and don't even get me started on the honey and peanut butter ones. Seriously? That's just gross. I tried one once and it was sticky and messy and the sweetness of the honey clashed with the smooth thick peanut butter taste...it was a bad experience. But my friends did get great pictures of the fiasco – wink, wink.

The bastards wouldn't let me burn them.

I made my way through the rest of the line after finding an Uncrustables with soft bread and ended up snagging a strawberry milk and mozzarella cheese stick. Who knew I could get the exact same meal I got in Phoenix up here in Forks. Maybe this school wasn't so bad after all.

After paying I looked around and I realized there weren't any empty tables, so I just ventured to the one with the least people – after all you take what you can get. Though if I may add this little bit of Bellaosophy when life gives me lemons I don't make lemonade – I throw them at the person annoying me. It's much more satisfying. Anyway only half the table was deserted so I sat farthest from the others – not wanting to be rude by seeming as if I was trying to force myself into their group.

I was too engrossed in my sandwich – I liked to squeeze the jelly to the front, spreading it out so to speak – that I didn't really take notice to the people I was sharing a table with until I heard one of them laughing.

Peeling off the "crust" I looked up and what I saw left me stunned.

There sitting on the opposite end of the table from me where the five most beautiful people I had ever seen.

And they were all staring at me – well some were staring...

I'm going to be selfish and wish for 7 reviews :) You know what they say: The more reviews the faster the update ;) So screw the Yellow Brick Road and follow my pretty little arrow – it'll bring you joy in the form of the next installment...

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