Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun. –B
Chapter 30
(Bella's POV)
My eyes opened to a bright, white light. I was in an unfamiliar room, a white room. The wall beside me was covered in long vertical blinds; over my head, the glaring lights blinded me. I was propped up on a hard, uneven bed – a bed with rails. The pillows were flat and lumpy. There was an annoying beeping sound somewhere close by. I hoped that meant I was still alive. Death shouldn't be this comfortable.
My hands were all twisted up with clear tubes, and something was taped across my face, under my nose. I lifted my hand to rip it off.
"No, you don't." And cool fingers caught my hand.
"Edward?" I turned my head slightly, and his exquisite face was just inches from mine, his chin resting on the edge of my pillow. I realized again that I was alive, this time with gratitude and elation. "Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!"
"Shhhh," he shushed me. "Everything's all right now."
"What happened?" I couldn't remember clearly, and my mind rebelled against me as I tried to recall.
"I was almost too late. I could have been too late," he whispered, his voice tormented. "I could have lost both you and Lilly."
Lilly...
Panic welled up inside of me and worry about my friend was rising.
"Lilly? Is she okay? Where is she?" I rambled out trying to sit up as the beeping of my heart monitor began to speed up.
"Shhhh, calm down, love." He cooed and placed his cold hands on my shoulders and pushed me back in to the bed against the pillow. "Lilly is fine. She is back at the hotel with Jasper. He can't be around you in your condition, but he won't let Lilly out of his arms. They just left here maybe an hour or so ago. They just went to get changed in to a new set of clothes. Not to mention, if the nurses or your parents see that the lot of us are here constantly without sleeping or eating, it could raise suspicions. But don't worry, they should be back any minute."
"I was so stupid, Edward. I thought he had my mom. Jasper must hate me now for putting Lilly in such danger."
"He tricked us all. And don't worry, Jasper doesn't hate you." He tried to reassure me. "His thoughts about you only show that he hopes that you will be okay and that you get better soon."
"But still…I should apologize to him and Lilly."
"Let's worry about getting you better first." He gave me a small smile and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear affectionately.
"I need to call Charlie and my mom," I realized through the haze.
"Alice called her and Lilly called Charlie. Renée is here – well, here in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now."
"She's here?" I tried to sit up again, but the spinning in my head accelerated, and his hand pushed me gently down onto the pillows again. I glared at him, but he just gave me another one of his crooked smiles as he dazzled me.
"She'll be back soon," he promised. "And you need to stay still."
"But what did you tell her?" I panicked. I had no interest in being soothed. My mom was here and I was recovering from a vampire attack. "Why did you tell her I'm here?"
"You fell down two flights of stairs and through a window." He paused. "You have to admit, it could happen."
I sighed, and it hurt. I stared down at my body under the sheet, the huge lump that was my leg.
"How bad am I?" I asked.
"You have a broken leg, four broken ribs, some cracks in your skull, bruises covering every inch of your skin, and you've lost a lot of blood. They gave you a few transfusions. I didn't like it – it made you smell all wrong for a while." He said making a face. "It was the only time that Jasper could manage to come near you with Lilly's assistance."
"That must have been a nice change for you." I attempted to joke.
"No, I like how you smell."
"How did you do it?" I asked quietly. He knew what I meant at once.
"I'm not sure." He looked away from my wondering eyes, lifting my gauze-wrapped hand from the bed and holding it gently in his, careful not to disrupt the wire connecting me to one of the monitors.
I waited patiently for the rest.
He sighed without returning my gaze. "It was impossible… to stop," he whispered. "Impossible, but I did." He looked up finally, with half a smile. "I must love you."
"Don't I taste as good as I smell?" I smiled in response. That hurt my face.
"Even better – better than I'd imagined."
"I'm sorry," I apologized.
He raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Of all the things to apologize for."
"What should I apologize for?"
"For nearly taking yourself away from me forever."
"I'm sorry," I apologized again.
"I know why you did it." His voice was comforting. "It was still irrational, of course. You should have waited for me, you should have told me."
"You wouldn't have let me go."
"No," he agreed in a grim tone, "I wouldn't. And neither would Jasper. Lilly has been getting the same lectures. He thinks that she should have told him immediately and convinced you in whatever way she had to that it was best to wait for the rest of us to come up with a plan. He isn't a fan of impulse decisions, but will use them when he has to. That's his military upbringing for you."
I gave him a small smile before I was bombarded with some very unpleasant memories that were beginning to come back to me. I shuddered, and then winced.
He was instantly anxious. "Bella, what's wrong?"
"What happened to James and Gillian?"
"A few seconds after I arrived, Jasper followed suite. He stopped in front of Gillian who was holding Lilly as a shield. He knew that there was no way out for him, so he threw Lilly at Jasper hard and knocked them down and across the room. By the time they were on their feet, Gillian was gone and with no scent to follow, we didn't know where he went; he vanished."
He paused and shook his head before continuing.
"After I pulled James off you the final time during out fight, Emmett and Jasper took care of him." There was a fierce note of regret in his voice.
This confused me. "I didn't see Emmett or Jasper there."
"No, you wouldn't have. Emmett and Jasper were near the fire on the other end of the room making sure that all of the body parts were burnt and by the time the approached, the morphine was well in to your system and combined with the amount of blood you lost…you were really out of it."
"How was Jasper able to be around me then, but not now?"
"At the time, he was holding his breath and wasn't concerned about anything or anyone but Lilly. Once James was destroyed, he was running completely on instinct and his instinct at the time was telling him to protect Lilly and to keep her with him. He wouldn't have been able to focus on anything but her. By the time he was lucid enough to realize what was happening, we were moving you."
"Oh," I nodded absentmindedly. "Who else was there?"
"Alice and Carlisle."
A flash of painful images from the last time I'd seen Alice reminded me of something. "Did Alice see the tape?" I asked anxiously.
"Yes." A new sound darkened in his voice, a tone of sheer hatred. "They watched it a few days ago, hence why Jasper hasn't been able to leave Lilly even after all this time, because their connection is stronger than a normal mated pair. After watching it… well, it took some time for her to calm him down. Lilly didn't want Jasper to see it, but Alice asked that they be there with her while she watched it and Lilly knew that this would be hard for Alice and would need all the support that she could get from those closest to her. I got a re-run of it through their thoughts."
"She was always in the dark, that's why she didn't remember."
"I know. She understands now." His voice was even, but his face was black with fury.
I tried to reach his face with my free hand, but something stopped me. I glanced down to see the IV pulling at my hand.
"Ugh." I winced.
"What is it?" he asked anxiously – distracted, but not enough. The bleakness did not entirely leave his eyes.
"Needles," I explained, looking away from the one in my hand. I concentrated on a warped ceiling tile and tried to breathe deeply despite the ache in my ribs.
"Afraid of a needle," he muttered to himself under his breath, shaking his head. "Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off with her best friend to meet him. An IV, on the other hand…"
I rolled my eyes. I was pleased to discover that this reaction, at least, was pain-free. I decided to change the subject.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
He stared at me, first confusion and then hurt touching his eyes. His brows pulled together as he frowned. "Do you want me to leave?"
"No!" I protested, horrified by the thought. "No, I meant, why does my mother think you're here? I need to have my story straight before she gets back."
"Oh," he said, and his forehead smoothed back into marble. "I came to Phoenix with Carlisle, Alice and Jasper when they came to pick Lilly up, because she drove with you to make sure you got here safely. I wanted to talk some sense in to you, to convince you to come back to Forks with us." His wide eyes were so earnest and sincere, I almost believed him myself. "You agreed to see me when you dropped Lilly off, and you drove out to the hotel where I was staying, but you tripped on the stairs on the way to my room and… well, you know the rest. You don't need to remember any details, though; you have a good excuse to be a little muddled about the finer points."
I thought about it for a moment. "There are a few flaws with that story. Like no broken windows."
"Not really," he said. "Alice had a little bit too much fun fabricating evidence. It's all been taken care of very convincingly – you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to. You have nothing to worry about," he promised, stroking my cheek with the lightest of touches. "Your only job now is to heal."
I wasn't so lost to the soreness or the fog of medication that I didn't respond to his touch. The beeping of the monitor from earlier jumped around erratically again – now he wasn't the only one who could hear my heart misbehave.
"That's going to be so embarrassing," I mutter to myself.
He chuckled, and a speculative look came into his eye. "Hmmm, I wonder…"
He leaned in slowly; the beeping noise accelerated wildly before his lips even touched me. But when they did, though with the most gentle of pressure, the beeping stopped all together.
He pulled back abruptly, his anxious expression turning to relief as the monitor reported the restarting of my heart.
"It seems that I'm going to have to be even more careful with you than usual." He frowned.
"I was not finished kissing you," I complained. "Don't make me come over there."
He grinned and bent to press his lips lightly to mine. The monitor went wild. But then his lips were taut. He pulled away.
"I think I hear your mother," he said, grinning again.
"Don't leave me," I cried, an irrational surge of panic flooding through me. I couldn't let him go – he might disappear from me again.
He read the terror in my eyes for a short second. "I won't," he promised solemnly, and then he smiled. "I'll take a nap."
He moved from the plastic chair by my side to the turquoise faux-leather recliner at the foot of my bed, leaning it all the way back, and closing his eyes. He was perfectly still.
"Don't forget to breathe," I whispered sarcastically.
He took a deep breath, his eyes still closed.
I could hear my mother now. She was talking to someone, maybe a nurse, and she sounded tired and upset. I wanted to jump out of the bed and run to her, to calm her, promise that everything was fine. But I wasn't in any sort of shape for jumping, so I waited impatiently.
The door opened a crack and she peeked through.
"Mom!" I whispered, my voice full of love and relief.
She took in Edward's still form on the recliner and tiptoed to my bedside.
"He never leaves, does he?" she mumbled to herself.
"Mom, I'm so glad to see you!"
She bent down to hug me gently, and I felt warm tears falling on my cheeks.
"Bella, I was so upset!"
"I'm sorry, Mom. But everything's fine now, it's okay," I comforted her.
"I'm just glad to finally see your eyes open." She sat on the edge of my bed.
I suddenly realized I didn't have any idea when it was. "How long have they been closed?"
"It's Friday, hon, you've been out for a while."
"Friday?" I was shocked. I tried to remember what day it had been when…but I didn't want to think about that.
"They had to keep you sedated for a while, honey – you've got a lot of injuries."
"I know." I could feel them.
"You're lucky Dr. Cullen was there. He's such a nice man… very young, though. And he looks more like a model than a doctor…"
"You met Carlisle?"
"And I also finally met your best friend Lilly. She's such a lovely girl. Very beautiful, as well."
"She is," I agreed whole heartedly.
"Her boyfriend Jasper, Edward's brother," she paused uncertainly as she looked for confirmation. I nodded and she continued, "he was with her when I met her. Very clingy, that one, but it was obvious that Lilly didn't mind in the least. Not that I would either. He is very charming and amazingly handsome for someone his age. It is clear very clear that they are head over heels for each other."
I held in a laugh as I nodded.
"And I also met Edward's sister, Alice. She's very sweet and quite the energy ball, isn't she?"
I grinned as I continued to nod.
She glanced over her shoulder at Edward, lying with his eyes closed in the chair. "Aside from Lilly, you didn't tell me you had such good friends in Forks."
I cringed, and then moaned.
"What hurts?" she demanded anxiously, turning back to me. Edward's eyes flashed to my face.
"It's fine," I assured them. "I just have to remember not to move." He lapsed back into his phony slumber.
I took advantage of my mother's momentary distraction to keep the subject from returning to my less-than-candid behavior. "Where's Phil?" I asked quickly.
"Florida – oh, Bella! You'll never guess! Just when we were about to leave, the best news!"
"Phil got signed?" I guessed.
"Yes! How did you guess? The Suns, can you believe it?"
"That's great, Mom," I said as enthusiastically as I could manage, though I had little idea what that meant.
"And you'll like Jacksonville so much," she gushed while I stared at her vacantly. "I was a little bit worried when Phil started talking about Akron, what with the snow and everything, because you know how I hate the cold, but now Jacksonville! It's always sunny, and the humidity really isn't that bad. We found the cutest house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean, and you'll have your own bathroom – "
"Wait, Mom!" I interrupted. Edward still had his eyes closed, but he looked too tense to pass as asleep. "What are you talking about? I'm not going to Florida. I live in Forks."
"But you don't have to anymore, silly." She laughed.
"Phil will be able to be around so much more now… we've talked about it a lot, and what I'm going to do is trade off on the away games, half the time with you, half the time with him."
"Mom," I hesitated, wondering how best to be diplomatic about this. "I want to live in Forks. I'm already settled in at school, and I have Lilly, along with a couple of girlfriends" – she glanced toward Edward again when I reminded her or friends, so I tried another direction – "and Charlie needs me. He's just all alone up there, and he can't cook at all."
"You want to stay in Forks?" she asked bewildered. The idea was inconceivable to her. And then her eyes flickered back toward Edward. "Why?"
"I told you – Lilly, friends, school, Charlie – ouch!" I shrugged. Not a good idea.
Her hands fluttered helplessly over me, trying to find a safe place to pat. She made do with my forehead; it was un-bandaged.
"Bella, honey, you hate Forks," she reminded me.
"It's not so bad."
She frowned and looked back and forth between Edward and me, this time very deliberately.
"Is it this boy?" she whispered.
I opened my mouth to lie, but her eyes were scrutinizing my face, and I knew she would see through that.
"He's part of it," I admitted. No need to confess how big a part. "So, have you had a chance to talk with Edward?" I asked.
"Yes." She hesitated, looking at his perfectly still form. "And I want to talk to you about that."
Uh-oh. "What about?" I asked.
"I think that boy is in love with you." She accused, keeping her voice low.
"I think so, too," I confided as a blush filled my cheeks.
"And how do you feel about him?" She only poorly concealed the raging curiosity in her voice.
I sighed, looking away. As much as I loved my mom, this was not a conversation I wanted to have with her. "I'm pretty crazy about him." There - that sounded like something a teenager with her first boyfriend might say.
"Well, he seems very nice, and my goodness, he's incredibly good-looking like the rest of his family is, but you're so young, Bella…" Her voice was unsure; as far as I could remember, this was the first time since I was eight that she'd come close to trying to sound like a parental authority. I recognized the reasonable-but-firm tone of voice from talks I'd had with her about men.
"I know that, Mom. Don't worry about it. It's just a crush." I soother her with a lie.
Then she sighed and glanced guiltily over her shoulder at the big, round clock on the wall.
"Do you need to go?"
She bit her lip. "Phil's supposed to call in a little while… I didn't know you were going to wake up… "
"No problem, Mom." I tried to tone down the relief so she wouldn't get her feelings hurt. "I won't be alone."
"I'll be back soon. I've been sleeping here, you know?" she announced, proud of herself.
"Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that! You can sleep at home – I'll never notice." The swirl of painkillers in my brain was making it hard to concentrate even now, though, apparently, I'd been sleeping for days.
"I was too nervous," she admitted sheepishly. "There's been some crime in the neighborhood, and I don't like being there alone."
"Crime?" I asked in alarm.
"Someone broke into that dance studio around the corner from the house and burned it to the ground – there's nothing left at all! And they left a stolen car right out front. Do you remember when you used to dance there, honey?"
"I remember." I shivered, and winced.
"I can stay, baby, if you need me."
"No, Mom, I'll be fine. Edward will be with me, and I'm sure Lilly and the rest of Edward's family that is here will be dropping in and out too."
She looked like that might be why she wanted to stay when she heard me mention Edward. "I'll be back tonight." It sounded as much like a warning as it sounded like a promise, and she glanced at Edward again as she said it.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, Bella. Try to be more careful when you walk, honey, I don't want to lose you."
Edward's eyes stayed closed, but a wide grin flashed across his face. I was highly tempted to throw my pillow at him.
A nurse came bustling in then to check all my tubes and wires. My mother kissed my forehead, patted my gauze-wrapped head and left.
The nurse was checking the paper readout on my heart monitor.
"Are you feeling anxious, honey? Your heart rate got a little high there."
"I'm fine," I assured her as I tried to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling.
"I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute."
As soon as she closed the door, Edward was at my side.
"You stole a car?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Emmett did before he left to head back to Forks. Rose was missing him." He then smiled unrepentant. "It was a good car, very fast."
"How was your nap?" I asked.
"Interesting." His eyes narrowed.
"What?"
He looked down while he answered. "I'm surprised. I thought Florida… and your mother… well, I thought that's what you would want."
I stared at him uncomprehendingly. "But you'd be stuck inside all day in Florida. You'd only be able to come out at night, just like a real vampire."
He almost smiled, but not quite. And then his face was grave. "I would stay in Forks, Bella. Or somewhere like it." He explained. "Someplace where I couldn't hurt you anymore."
It didn't sink in at first.
I continued to stare at him blankly as the words one by one clicked into place in my head like a ghastly puzzle. I was barely conscious of the sound of my heart accelerating, though, as my breathing became hyperventilation, I was aware of the sharp aching in my protesting ribs.
He didn't say anything; he watched my face warily as the pain that had nothing to do with broken bones, pain that was infinitely worse, threatened to crush me.
And then another nurse walked in purposefully into the room. Edward sat still as stone as she took in my expression with a practiced eye before turning to the monitors.
"Time for more pain meds, sweetheart?" she asked kindly, tapping the IV feed.
"No, no," I mumbled, trying to keep the agony out of my voice. "I don't need anything." I couldn't afford to close my eyes now.
"No need to be brave, honey. It's better if you don't get too stressed out; you need to rest." She waited, but I just shook my head.
"Okay," she sighed. "Hit the all button when you're ready."
She gave Edward a stern look, and threw one more anxious glance at the machinery, before leaving.
His cool hands were on my face; I stared at him with wild eyes.
"Shhh, Bella, calm down."
"Don't leave me," I begged in a broken voice.
"I won't," he promised. "Now relax before I call the nurse back to sedate you."
But my heart couldn't slow.
"Bella." He stroked my face anxiously. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here as long as you need me."
"Do you swear you won't leave me?" I whispered. I tried to control the gasping, at least. My ribs were throbbing.
He put his hands on either side of my face and brought his face close to mine. His eyes were wide and serious. "I swear."
The smell of his breath was soothing. It seemed to ease the ache of my breathing. He continued to hold my gaze while my body slowly relaxed and the beeping returned to a normal pace. His eyes were dark, closer to black than gold today.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yes," I said cautiously.
He shook his head and muttered something unintelligible. I thought I picked out the word 'overreaction.'
"Why did you say that?" I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Are you tired of having to save me all the time? Do you want me to go away?"
"No, I don't want to be without you, Bella, of course not. Be rational. And I have no problem with saving you, either – if it weren't for the fact that I was the one putting you in danger… that I'm the reason that you're here."
"Yes, you are the reason." I frowned. "The reason I'm here – alive."
"Barely." His voice was just a whisper. "Covered in gauze and plaster and hardly able to move."
"I wasn't referring to my most recent near-death experience," I said, growing irritated. "I was thinking of the others – you can take your pick. If it weren't for you, I'd be rotting away in the Forks cemetery."
He winced at my words, but the haunted look didn't leave his eyes.
"That's not the worst part, though," he continued to whisper. He acted as if I hadn't spoken. "Not seeing you there on the floor…crumpled and broken." His voice was choked. "Not thinking I was too late. Not even hearing you scream in pain – all those unbearable memories that I'll carry with me for the rest of eternity. No, the very worst was feeling…knowing that I couldn't stop. Believing that I was going to be the one to kill you myself."
"But you didn't."
"I could have. So easily."
I knew I needed to stay calm… but he was trying to talk himself into leaving me, and the panic fluttered in my lungs, trying to get out.
"I thought that mates couldn't leave each other?" I whispered out.
"When the mates are both vampires they can't or in cases like Lilly and Jasper's it's even worse than that. But our situation isn't so…binding. I proved that when I left after the first time I met you when I went to Alaska." He paused as he took in my reaction and waited for me to object. When I didn't he continued. "You can have that chance at a normal human life without me there to constantly put your life at risk. I love you enough to want that for you no matter how much of me wants to be selfish." He argued.
"I don't care. I'll risk it." I shook my head as I spoke.
"You shouldn't have to." I murmured.
"Promise me," I whispered.
"What?"
"You know what." I was starting to get angry now. He was so stubbornly determined to dwell on the negative.
He heard the change in my tone. His eyes tightened. "I don't seem to be strong enough to stay away from you; so I suppose that you'll get your way… whether it kills you or not," he added roughly.
"Good." He hadn't promised, though – a fact that I had not missed. The panic was only barely contained; I had no strength left to control the anger. "You told me how you stopped…now I want to know why," I demanded.
"Why?" he repeated warily.
"Why you did it. Why you didn't just let the venom spread. By now I would be just like you."
Edward's eyes seemed to turn flat black, and I remembered that this was something he'd never intended me to know. Jasper and Lilly must have been too immersed in each other to even weigh that conversation as important enough to slip through their minds since the fight and Alice must have been preoccupied by the things she'd learned about herself… or she'd been very careful with her thoughts around him – clearly, he'd had no idea that she'd filled me in on the mechanics of vampire conversions. He was surprised and infuriated. His nostrils flared, his mouth looked as if it was chiseled from stone.
He folded his arms on the side of my bed and rested his chin on his arms. His expression was smooth, the anger reined in. Evidently he'd decided he wasn't angry with me. I hoped I'd get a chance to warn Alice and the others before he caught up with them.
"You have saved me," he said quietly.
"I can't always be Lois Lane," I insisted. "I want to be Superman, too."
"You don't know what you're asking." His voice was soft; he stared intently at the edge of the pillowcase.
"I think I do."
"Bella, you don't know. I've had almost ninety years to think about this, and I'm still not sure."
"Do you wish that Carlisle hadn't saved you?"
"No, I don't wish that." He paused before continuing. "But my life was over. I wasn't giving anything up."
"You are my life. You're the only thing it would hurt me to lose." I was getting better at this. It was easy to admit how much I needed him.
He was very calm, though. Decided.
"I can't do it, Bella. I won't do that to you."
"Why not?" My throat rasped and the words weren't as loud as I'd meant them to be. "Don't tell me it's too hard! After today, or I guess it was a few days ago… anyway, after that, it should be nothing!"
He glared at me.
"And the pain?" he asked.
I blanched. I couldn't help it. But I tried to keep my expression from showing how clearly I remembered the feeling… the fire in my veins.
"That's my problem," I said. "I can handle it."
"It's possible to take bravery to the point where it becomes insanity."
"It's not an issue! Three days. Big deal."
Edward grimaced again as my words reminded him that I was more informed than he had ever intended me to be. I didn't understand why he was so adamant on me not knowing. I watched him repress that anger, watched as his eyes grew speculative.
"Charlie?" he asked curtly. "Renée?"
"Lilly was able to keep both her parents in her life!" I pressed on.
"Lilly was adopted by John and Anne! You don't know her full story and until you do, don't use Lilly as your answer for everything!" He growled and I looked at him in surprise. I had no idea that John and Anne weren't Lilly's biological parents. I wonder why she didn't tell me. I knew that I had yet to learn her story, but still…I thought that she would have at least told me that?
Minutes passed in silence as I struggled to answer his question. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I closed it again. He waited, and his expression became triumphant because he knew I had no true answer.
"Look, that's not an issue either," I finally muttered; my voice was unconvincing as it always was when I lied. "Renée has always made the choices that work for her – she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient; he's used to being on his own. I can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live."
"Exactly," he snapped. "And I won't end it for you."
"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!"
"You're going to recover," he reminded me.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, ignoring the spasm of pain it triggered. I stared at him, and he stared back. There was to compromise in his face.
"No," I said slowly. "I'm not."
His forehead creased. "Of course you are. You may have a scar or two…"
"You're wrong," I insisted. "I'm going to die."
"Really, Bella?" He was anxious now. "You'll be out of here in a few days. Two weeks at most."
I glared at him. "I may not die now… but I'm going to die sometime. Every minute of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get old."
He frowned as what I was saying sunk in, pressing his long fingers to his temples and closing his eyes. "That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist – and I shouldn't exist."
I snorted. He opened his eyes in surprise. "That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, 'Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it."
"I'm hardly a lottery prize," he growled.
"That's right. You're much better."
He rolled his eyes and set his lips "Bella, we're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn you to an eternity of night and that's the end of it."
"If you think that's the end of it, then you don't know me very well," I warned him. "You're not the only vampire I know."
His eyes went black again. "Alice wouldn't dare and there is no way that Jasper would let Lilly do it."
And for a moment, he looked so frightening that I couldn't help but believe it – I couldn't imagine someone brave enough to cross him.
"Alice already saw it, didn't she?" I guessed. "That's why the things she says upset you. She knows I'm going to be like you…someday."
"She's wrong." He shook his head in denial. "She also saw you dead, but that didn't happen, either."
"You'll never catch me betting against Alice."
We stared at each other for a very long time. It was quiet for the whirring of the machines, the beeping, the dripping, the ticking of the big clock on the wall. Finally, his expression softened.
"So where does that leave us?" I wondered/
He chuckled humorlessly. "I believe it's called an impasse."
I sighed. "Ouch," I muttered.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyeing the button for the nurse.
"I'm fine." I lied.
"I don't believe you," he said gently.
"I'm not going back to sleep."
"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you."
"So give in," I hinted.
"Nice try." He reached for the button.
"No!"
He ignored me.
"Yes?" the speaker on the wall squawked.
"I think we're ready for more pain medication," he said calmly, ignoring my furious expression.
"I'll send in the nurse." The voice sounded very bored.
"I won't take it." I promised.
He looked toward the sack of fluids hanging beside my bed. "I don't think they're going to ask you to swallow anything."
My heart rate started to climb. He read the fear in my eyes and sighed in frustration.
"Bella, you're in pain. You need to relax so you can heal. Why are you being so difficult? They're not going to put any more needles in you now."
"I'm not afraid of the needles," I mumbled. "I'm afraid to close my eyes."
Then he smiled his crooked smile, and took my face between his hands. "I told you I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes you happy, I'll be here."
I smiled back, ignoring the ache in my cheeks. "You're talking about forever, you know."
"Oh, you'll get over it – it's just a crush."
I shook my head in disbelief – it made me dizzy. "I was shocked when Renée swallowed that one. I know you better."
"That's the beautiful thing about being human," he told me. "Things change."
My eyes narrowed. "Don't hold your breath."
He was laughing when the nurse came in, brandishing a syringe.
"Excuse me," she said brusquely to Edward.
He got up and crossed to the end of the small room, leaning against the wall. He folded his arms and waited. I kept my eyes on him, still apprehensive. He met my gaze calmly.
"Here you go, honey." The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine into my tub. "You'll feel better now."
"Thanks," I mumbled, unenthusiastic. It didn't take long. I could feel the drowsiness trickling through my bloodstream almost immediately.
"That ought to do it," she muttered as my eyelids drooped.
She must have left the room, because something cold and smooth touched my face.
"Stay." The word was slurred.
"I will," he promised. His voice was beautiful, like a lullaby. "Like I said, as long as it makes you happy…as long as it's what's best for you."
I tried to shake my head, but it was too heavy. "'S not the same thing," I mumbled.
He laughed. "Don't worry about that now, Bella. You can argue with me when you wake up."
I think I smiled. "Kay."
I could feel his lips at my ear.
"I love you," he whispered.
"Me, too."
"I know," he laughed quietly.
I turned my head slightly… searching. He knew what I was after. His lips touched mine gently.
"Thanks," I sighed.
"Anytime."
I wasn't really there at all anymore. But I fought against the stupor weakly. There was just one more thing I wanted to tell him.
"Edward?" I struggled to pronounce his name clearly.
"Yes?"
"I'm betting on Alice," I mumbled.
And then the night closed over me.
A/N: I know it's long, but it had to be done. I had to have this chapter featuring Bella and Edward. It's an important chapter that allows the other chapters in future sequels make sense. What did you guys think? Read and Review!
Up Next:Lilly and Jasper's POV's while Bella is in the hospital and Edward's confrontation with them about Alice telling Bella about how humans are changed. Then, if there is time at the end, Lilly, Jasper and Alice visit Bella at the hospital.
Guest: So I have a question, but I am not trying to be rude. Why is the James' sire's name Gillian? Did you also realize that it rhymes with Lillian? Other than that, I love your fanfic. Ive read a whole lot and yours is one of my top 5 favorites! Please update soon!
LOL, until you pointed the Gillian Lillian thing out to me, it had slipped my notice. I usually call her Lilly, unless it is the Major or one of the bad guys who don't shorten names calls her by Lillian. There is no reason why I chose the name Gillian, it just came in to my mind and I thought that it sounded right for a bad guy. Thanks so much for your support and I am glad that you like my story! Keep reading! – Bella'Xo
Lily Ann Cullen: This story is amazing! When will you be updating again? Can you recommend any good Jasper/OC or Jasper/Bella stories?
Thanks for your praises of my story! I don't have an exact day to day schedule of when I update, but the Dhampir series is the story that I work on the most. So it won't be too long. As for any recommendations, look at my fav stories. The majority of them are exactly what you're looking for. There are over 1,000 J/B or J/OC stories saved on there. He's my favorite Twilight character in case you couldn't tell by my stories! Keep reading! – Bella'Xo
Also, if you have anyone has any more questions at this point in the story, feel free to post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!
Check out my other stories!
'Attempting to Covet'
'Dhampir'
'Far Fetched Realities'
'Mirror Image'
'Other Worldly Beauty'
'Perplexing Revelations'
'Pretexting'
'The Heart's Desire' NEW!
'The Major'
'Twilight ReVAMPed'
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot. I am also now accepting Phantom of the Opera FanFictions that include Erik! I will also be accepting Titanic FanFictions featuring Jack, and Law and Order SVU that feature Elliot. PM me for details!
- Bella'Xo
Xo BellaItalia oX