All characters are Stephenie Meyers. I don't own them I wish I did ;o)

Here is my treat day! I will have a couple of chapters for you today! Hope you like them. Enjoy this next chapter!

Here is the last little bit from the previous chapter.

I got to the border first and waited for the others to catch up. I was only there a few minutes when Carlisle and Esme followed by Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. The seven of us stood and waited as the wolves appeared one by one. They emerged in a line and from the last time I had heard that they had reformed the pack there was a lot more of them. The one dog I'd come in contact with earlier was at the front with the leader. He growled at me being here and I felt the mood shift all around. I picked up their minds as they were speaking with one another. I heard Jacob as the most pronounced. I was told that I would have to translate, they would not change.

"I'll have to translate. They will not change."

"Why do you wish to re-write the treaty now? It still stands. We have not broken it." Carlisle asked.

"We feel that the humans that you are conversing with are in danger. We need to know that you mean them no harm."

"They will not come to any harm from us. Charlie is being looked after by two doctors. Myself and Carlisle." I said to them my mood blackening again. They know we don't hunt humans. If they thought we would hurt Bella and Charlie then they are in for a rude awakening.

If this is how they wanted to do this it was going to be a long moody process.

~munchkin1978



Why?

Chapter 7

We bantered back and forth for an hour before a decision was made. A new treaty was signed. It was not the way we wanted it to go but it was done. We got to stay until Charlie passes and then we had to leave not to return for less than 40 years. It was not a treaty that was in our favor but it was still the same border lines. They would never change. It was my turn to sign and I hesitated. I wouldn't leave Bella again. I promised her. She would come with me. I love her too much to loose her. I wanted her by my side always. I signed on the dotted line beside Carlisle and Esme. Everyone else signed after me and they watched my mood shift yet again from black to blacker. They didn't say anything they just left me when I slowed to a walk. They were headed to the house. I would calm down first. With the way I was feeling at that particular moment I would most likely break the house and everything in it.

I made my way to the house after hunting a few deer on the way home. I was always calmer after I hunted. I realized we had a visitor and headed up to the porch in a hurry. I didn't have to hurry because the visitor was standing in the doorway waiting for me.

"Bella, I thought you were spending time with Charlie?"

"He's gone for a rest. I thought I'd come to see the others while he slept. Everyone is in quite a mood I see."

"Yes we just re-signed the treaty. It is not in our favor Bella." I said containing my mood on the subject.

She was watching me. She backed up out of the door way and put her hands at her sides. Her face told me what she was thinking. It wasn't good.

"Your leaving again aren't you?" She paused trying to contain her emotions. "I knew I shouldn't have come back here." She tried to get around me and out of the doorway entirely. She finally reached the front step before I stopped her.

"I'm not leaving with out you Bella." I told her.

"Well I am not leaving Forks Edward. I can't leave Charlie." She cried out.

"I know that." I said quietly. She moved down another step before she turned around again.

"I told you I couldn't do this again. I knew. I knew this wasn't going to be true." I watched as the tears started to fall again. "I won't do this again Edward. I will not fall apart over you. I'd better get back to Charlie." She headed down the front porch only to be stopped by me again. I wasn't going to let her go.

"Bella, I wasn't leaving with out you anyway. I love you too much to let you go. I want you. You're more important than the treaty and my life combined."

I watched her turn and face me again her cheeks red and tear stained again.

"I'm not leaving Forks Edward. I can't. Charlie is here. I won't do this again. I won't fall into this trap. I knew. I knew this would happen. I told myself not to get involved again."

"Bella wait, you need to hear the whole thing." I said pleading with her to stay put.

"Why Edward? So you can leave me like you did last time?"

"No Bella." Tears where streaming down her face as she turned and reached her car. She was about to get in when her cell phone rang in her hand. She wiped the tears and answered the call.

"Hello….. Yes this is Bella Swan…. He's what?.... No, no not yet…." The phone fell from her hands as she collapsed onto the ground. The tears streaming down her face again. "He's… he's…." She was trying to say something but the sob was getting in the way. Something was wrong with Charlie. I leaned down to pick Bella up off the ground as Carlisle confirmed my thoughts.

"Edward, we have to go now." His face was grim as he headed to his car.

"Come on Bella get in. I'm driving." She was blank. Numb and blank. Alice was on the porch and decided to come with us for Bella. I got in the driver side and Carlisle was in the Mercedes pulling out already. I threw the vehicle in drive and sped down the drive before Carlisle and headed to the hospital. "I'm not leaving you Bella. I will never leave you." I said speeding forward.

We reached the hospital as the ambulance that carried Charlie was arriving. Carlisle raced forward in a human pace as much as possible. I had to go with him. I had to leave Bella with Alice.

"Alice look after her. I have to look after Charlie for her."

"Go Edward. Leave Bella with me."

I silently thanked Alice for coming. Bella was in shock. The tears were still coming down her face but she was blank. I kissed her head and dashed off towards Carlisle. I wouldn't let this be the last time Bella sees her father.

Two hours later we had Charlie stabilized but he was not in good shape. He wouldn't make it much longer unless something changed. I went to go get Bella. I walked into the waiting room. Her head was on Alice's shoulder with tears still streaming down her face. They were the only ones in the waiting room beside the rest of the Cullen family. I went directly to Bella and kneeled in front of her. I needed her to understand as much as she could.

"I'm not leaving you Bella. Not now, not ever. Charlie is stable but you need to see him."

She was starring off at the wall. She turned her tear stained face to mine and finally spoke. "He's not…"

"No, not yet. He's fighting."

She stood gingerly. She didn't trust herself to not collapse again. She looked as if she was going to. Esme came and stood behind her just incase. I pulled her forward holding her close. I didn't care at this point. I didn't care if the entire hospital was on display and watching. She needed this. She needed help. I helped her through the door of Charlie's room. He was barely awake and Bella perked up when she saw her father was awake.

"Bella it's…. its okay honey… don't cry" Charlie said through broken words.

"Dad it's not okay." The tears were coming down her face and dropping on the bed sheets with a deafening thud.

"I want you to do something for me." He asked quietly trying to keep his words together.

"Anything dad."

"Remember me often." He paused making her look up. "Edward look after her. She's going to need you now more than ever."

"Yes sir. I will." I said staying where I was. If I could cry I probably would be. My cold dead heart was aching to make the hurt go away for Bella and for Charlie. I couldn't bear to see them in pain.

"Bells?" He said quietly.

"No, not yet."

"No it's not yet Bells."

I removed myself from the room as they continued to talk quietly. I tried not to listen as Charlie spoke to his daughter. Carlisle was waiting outside as well as I exited.

"It will be rough for her. He's only got a few hours Edward."

"I'll be there for her. That is all I can do."

"No one enters this room but family."

I listened as Charlie continued to tell her where everything was in the house. She tried to act calm but her tears were too much to convey that. Each time a tear fell from her cheek I heard the plunk on the sheet and a few hit the floor with a thud. She must have laid her head down because I heard Charlie stroking her hair. They were both quiet for a long time before I checked on them.

I entered the room and found Charlie trying to stay awake. His heart was slow. The blood slowing down. He didn't have a lot of time left.

"Edward she is so upset. You need to look after her so she doesn't slip into the way she was before. Promise me you will look after her."

"I will look after her for eternity Charlie." He didn't know how right that would be.

"I can see it in your face every time you look at her that you still love her. I give you… I give you permission to marry her if that is what you kids want to do in the future." Charlie took a breath that was starting to get extremely labored.

"Thank you Charlie. I will look after her." I checked his vitals again and went and helped Bella into a better position. When I turned back Charlie's eyes were closed. I listened for the heart beats of Bella and Charlie and I only heard one. One heart beat that was Bella's. Charlie was gone.

I felt Bella stir under my hands as I lifted her head. She opened her eyes and saw me starring at Charlie and her.

"No…… He's." She cried out groggy with sleep.

"I'm sorry Bella. He is. Just a moment ago." I am so sorry Bella my love. If I could have stopped it I would have.

"No…..no." She cried out.

She burst into tears as I took her in my arms. Carlisle came in and pronounced Charlie's time of death as I held the crying Bella in my arms. She collapsed on the floor and took me with her. I wasn't going to let her go. I wouldn't let her go for anything in the world. I would keep my promise to Charlie. It was his dying wish that I look out for her. I would not break that.

"Bella love, I am so sorry." I said over and over to her as I rocked her. She just cried harder. I didn't want to let her go she was too fragile, too upset. I didn't know how long we'd been on the floor for but I had watched Carlisle come and go a few times.

"Edward they need to come and move the body."

"I know." I said holding onto Bella still.

"I've done the paper work. Take the time she needs." He paused bending down to face Bella and I on the floor. "Bella, its Carlisle you are like a daughter to me. I'm so sorry." He helped me pick her up from the floor as he spoke to her. "My dear you have to be strong and keep your strength up."

She didn't say anything. She didn't nod her head that she understood. She just cried and pulled herself into my side.

"Carlisle tell the others to head home. I'll be bringing Bella home with me."

"Wise decision Edward. We will help take care of her."

I let Bella dictate where she wanted to go. She stood beside me watching Charlie lying lifeless on the bed before her. The blood was slowly dying out as the heart had stopped pumping it. The blood was still going through the veins but nothing was coming from the heart. I felt her stiffen moments later and her balance going again. She collapsed and I held her up letting her stand against me.

"I need to say something don't I?" She said through sobs.

"If you want to." I wasn't going to push her.

"Stay here with me." She asked.

"I'm not going anywhere Bella. I will never go anywhere with out you."

I watched her gingerly go to the bedside where she was sitting and hour or so ago. She didn't say anything out loud. She was thinking and crying. It was hard for her to move closer. She didn't know what to do. She had not come in contact with a dead body before. Let alone one that was a family member.

"Edward?"

"Yes."

"Can I touch him?"

"Of course if you want to. He is your father Bella."

She went to his face and kissed his cheek. I heard the final words come out of her mouth as the finality of it set in. "Good night Dad. Sleep well. I love you."

She turned wiped the tears from her eyes and when she got to me she collapsed into my arms again. I lifted her up and pulled her to my chest. I headed out of the room and nodded my head to the hospital staff that were waiting. I took her down the hallway and passed the waiting room. Esme was still here with Carlisle and she pointed us out. I didn't need to speak as Carlisle sent Esme with me. She followed beside me by Bella's head.

"Esme can you get Bella some clothes from the house? I'd go myself but I don't want to leave her like this."

"Of course Edward."

"What ever you find will be alright. What ever is not there then I'm sure Alice will lend her."

"I'll get what I can." She paused. "I'll drive if you want to stay in the back with her."

"Thanks." This is one time I was glad I wasn't driving.

Esme took the keys from me and I put Bella in the back seat and got in beside her. Just incase she woke up. She had cried herself into a sleep as I put her in the car. I held her close and listened to her heart beat for a while.

"Edward she'll be okay. It will be tough on her for a little while. Her memories will be fresh of just before. She will try and blame herself for not being there when he was taken to the hospital. Don't let her."

"I won't Esme." I knew she would blame herself. I wouldn't let her. She had no idea this would happen so quickly.

"She may not have told you yet but she does still trust you. I can see it in her face beyond the tears. I can see she still loves you too."

I watched as Esme pulled into our drive and sped down the drive coming to a halt outside the house. She stayed in the car and waited till I was out carrying Bella up the stairs. I entered the door to see my family waiting for us. I didn't say anything. I looked at each of them and walked past them. There was nothing to be said right now. I headed for my room and opened the door. Alice had placed a bed in the room for me. I placed Bella on the bed and started to cover her up when she finally stirred awake.

"Edward?"

"I'm right here love. I brought you home. I didn't think sleeping at the house was a good idea."

"He is really gone isn't he?" She asked quietly, her somber tone coming through.

"I'm afraid so my love."

"I wish I'd never left Forks all those years ago. I shouldn't have left him."

"Don't blame yourself Bella. There was nothing you did that caused this. Please, please don't blame yourself."

"If I hadn't left Edward then I would have known my father better."

"I know but please don't think that way love. This was not your fault. It could have happened at anytime."

"Edward, my father told me something before he died."

"Told you what?"

"He told me what you said to prove to him that you still cared for me." She said quietly.

"What did he say to you?"

"He said that when you approached him at first he was angry and upset but when he let you talk he said he noticed your eyes. Your eyes gave you away on how you really felt. He took what you had said that day and matched it with your eyes and that was why he forgave you. You dazzled him but not in the same way you did me. He told me to trust you and that you were a good person. He told me it was alright to fall in love with you again."

"He did." I was playing dumb. I knew some what of what Charlie was telling Bella. I had tried to tune it out.

"I do trust you. I do still love you. I don't think I really ever stopped." She said quietly.

Wait did she just say what I think she just said? It has to be the grief talking. She was so upset and so angry before.

"Bella you're grieving. We can talk about this later."

"I know you love me Edward."

"I do. I always will Bella.'

"Please don't leave me again."

"I promise never to leave you."

From now on I wouldn't leave her. I would be here for her through anything and everything that the future would hold. I watched as she lay on the pillow and started to cry again.


Well what did you think?

So Charlie passed. I need a tissue. Wait I need two. I know it's sad. I was listening to Apocalyptica's- Hope volume 2 – I like that song as well as Breaking Benjamin's- Anthem for the angels. Two beautiful songs. Please read and review. Let me know what you think!

~munchkin1978~