Thanks to AnnoymousAliceFan, divine divinity, sheeiur22, B-Ball Boy C, LindseyRae, and Jazmyn for reviewing!
FYI: Jake is supposed to look 25. In the book (at least I think so, please correct me if I'm wrong) it mentions that if he kept phasing that he would stay the way he was when he fully matured as a wolf which was 25.
Anywho, on with the story!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
RUN
*
She wasn't sure where she was going but she was going somewhere. Charlie was still asleep in the passenger side seat. They had passed by Seattle a long time ago. They might be in Idaho, they might be in Montana. She wasn't sure. She wasn't really paying attention. All she could think off was Carlisle and Edward. There also was Jacob, but she couldn't really remember anything too detailed about him.
"Bella," A voice said from the passenger side, "Where are we?"
Bella gasped startled, "I...I don't know".
Charlie raised his eyebrows. He looked around him at the passing scenery, then around the car they were in.
"Tell about Jacob dad".
"Jacob?" Charlie asked confused, "What about him?"
"I don't remember him".
"You don't?"
"My memory is still not completely back" Bella said.
Charlie was silent for a few moments.
"Jacob was a friend of yours," Charlie began, "He's the son of Billy Black and Billy and me-"
"You two were friends?" Bella asked.
"Yup, He came over quite a lot, you and Jacob got closer when you came beck here your junior year of high school".
"Were we...?" Bella left off.
Charlie's face grew darker.
"I'm not sure, but I think you were" he answered. "After Edward left-"
Bella's face was angry.
"-you went to Jacob" he said.
She was silent for a moment, calming herself down.
"Then what happened?" Bella asked.
"I think he left you".
"Like Edward?"
"I'm not sure" he sighed, "Bella. where are we going?"
"Away".
"Away from where?"
"Forks".
"What's wrong with Forks?" Charlie asked.
"I can't be there right now".
"So you're running?".
She looked over at Charlie. He looked tired and worn.
"Are you okay?"
He looked at the road ahead. "No better than yesterday"
There was silence in the car.
"The doctor said you only have a few weeks" Bella said.
"Bella..." he sighed, then started coughing.
She wanted to cry as she watched the coughs rack her fathers body.
Minutes later he stopped coughing.
The air in the car was tense and awkward. Bella hated this. If only a few weeks were all she she had left with her dad, then she was going to make that time the best she could possibly make it, especially for her dad. Forcing a smile on her face she put a CD on. Lively bluegrass music filled the air.
"Where do you want to go dad?" Bella asked.
Charlie looked at her like she had lost her mind.
"Isn't there anywhere you've ever wanted to see or visit? or even something you wanted to do?" she pressed.
He looked at her strangely and thought for a minute.
"Money is no problem" she added.
He hrumped.
"Dad, you should go out with a bang, not a whimper" she said, "Live it up while you still can".
Charlie looked at her for a moment thinking hard, then he nodded.
"Alright" he said reluctantly, "Makes sense".
Bella smiled.
"Where to?"
"How fast can you drive?" he said with a slightly mischievous grin.
She smiled back, "As fast as you want".
Over the next two weeks, the pair went to New York to see Time Square, Washington D.C. to see the White House, Florida to see the sun and beaches, Texas just for the sake of it, Arizona for the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas for the gambling, and now they were in Los Angeles sitting at the beach. Bella had rented out and large and luxurious beach house for them to stay in.
Over this time, Charlie's condition had slowly worsened. He needed help to walk long distances and had trouble eating certain foods. At times he would have difficulty breathing. The coughing had gotten worse. But Bella had vowed to smile through the whole thing for Charlie's sake and so smile she did.
"Bella?"
"Yup?"
The two were on their private beach lounging in beach chairs, drinks in hand, working on their tans, or at least trying to. It was actually quite comical to Bella.
"What are you going to do when I'm gone?" he asked.
Bella looked over at Charlie. He was staring at her intently, waiting for her answer.
"I...I don't know" she responded.
"You and Edward?"
She turned her head to side, as if to ask him if he was being serious.
He was.
She shook her head, "He left, remember?"
"So you haven't seen him since?"
She sighed. Then told him of her time with him when she didn't have her memories.
"I don't know what to say" he said, "I want to-"
"Dad, you couldn't do anything if you tried" she said.
"You don't deserve that" Charlie said resolutely, "Not from Edward, not from Jacob"
Bella looked to the sky. She wished she could remember what the big deal was with Jacob, but what ever it was it must have been either too painful or not relevant enough to warrant remembering.
"So" Charlie said brightly, changing the subject, "An actress?"
"Who would've known" Bella said with a light laugh.
"Dare I ask if you were anything else?"
She smiled, then told him of her time as a figure skater, model, and singer.
He was dumbfounded.
"My little Bella" he said proudly.
"Daaaaaaad" Bella whined.
He smiled back and closed his eyes, basking in the sunlight. Bella smiled too and relaxed.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in companionable silence.
Later that evening, Bella found herself walking alone on the beach. The moon was lighting her way. It was breathtaking. She wrapped her arms around her as she walked in silence, only the sound of waves keeping her company.
Naturally, her thoughts were on her Father. She had left him back at the house to sleep. He slept much more often these days, getting tired easily. Carlisle's words came to her mind. It was an option. One that she would rather not have to take. She now understood Edward's reluctance to turn her. One life was enough for her, what would she do for eternity? How could she curse someone to this for eternity?
They would have each other though, she argued. But what would they do? There was only so much one could do. When she thought about the Cullen's and how they kept repeating high school, she cringed. How could someone keep doing that? Without anyone to live for, Bella was finding herself longing for the sweet unconsciousness of death.
She turned around. It was time she headed back to Charlie to check on him.
As she walked she thought of what would happen if she did turn Charlie. But she couldn't imagine it. However, at the same time, she couldn't imagine life without him, an eternity without him. Her father was all she had in this world.
Suddenly, a barrage of memories bombarded her mind. She fell to the ground holding her head, letting the memories wash over her like the water that was lapping against her. After a few minutes, she let out a cry of absolute pain.
She remembered everything now.
"Jasper" Alice said bursting into their room. "I can see her!"
Jasper turned from the book he was reading.
"Bella?"
Alice nodded.
"She's on a beach somewhere, California I think".
"What is she doing?" he asked curiously.
Alice shook her head.
"I don't know, it's still blurry" she said,"I can see her, but I can't see what she's planning next".
"Wait" Jasper said, his face thoughtful, "How come you can see her now and not before?"
ALice shook her head, "I don't know, I'll think about it"
"We should tell Carlisle" Jasper suggested, "Maybe with this, he can convince Edward to come back"
Alice grabbed his hand and pulled him up off the couch and then the two left the room and headed downstairs.
Hours later, Bella came back into the house she was sharing with Charlie. As quietly as she could, she crept up the stairs and peaked in on her father. He was sleeping soundly. Sighing in relief, she headed over to her room and changed into some pajamas. She was grateful she could still experience the bliss that was sleep. She pulled her covers up and over herself and settled in for the night. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard her father's racking coughs.
She sighed, waiting for him to stop, but he didn't. Minutes later, worried out of her mind, she got up and made her way over to her father's room where he was coughing and gasping for air, a pained look on his face. Quickly she grabbed a glass of water and helped him to drink it. She pulled out his medication and gave him another dose.
"Did you eat?" she asked him. The medication worked better on a full stomach.
He shook his head.
"Dad" she said shaking her head. She had forgotten to make sure he ate today. His appetite had been slowly disappearing the past few weeks.
With gentile care, she helped him back into bed and tuck him in. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she turned off the light and turned to leave him in peace.
"Bells?" he gasped out.
"Yeah?" Bella said quietly. The nights events were wearing on her.
"Can we go home?" he whispered.
She frowned in sadness. "Of course dad" she said, "Whatever you want"
"Come here" he said softly.
She obeyed and got into the bed, staying on the top of the blankets. She didn't think her cold skin would help anything.
"I love you, you know" he said stroking her hair in the darkness. It was like when he and Renee would comfort her after waking from a bad dream when she was little, back before the divorce. "I don't say it often, but I want you to know that"
She smiled, "I know dad, I love you too"
Within minutes, the medication kicked in and Charlie was out like a log.
Bella sighed, he was fading fast and there was nothing she could do about it.
Except one thing.
Three more chapters to go...