Chapter 13: Saying Goodbye

AN: Thank you to my reviewers/readers. I love you with all my heart. I seriously do.

APOV

I walked down the gangplank with David in my arms while Jasper was right behind me, holding Gisele. She still hadn't said anything and we were all very worried. What happened to make her stop talking? We hadn't been there with the kids on the island, so we didn't know what they had been subjected to. Maybe something happened to make her completely zone out from life.

"ALICE!" I heard my mother shriek. In front of us, she was standing next to my father, running towards me. She wrapped her arms around me and David, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, baby, we thought we lost you again!" She let go of me and took David from my arms. "Oh, David! Oh, your grandma missed you so much!" She lifted him in the air before she planted kisses on his face.

I looked over and saw Jasper with my dad. Both Jasper and Dad were looking down at Gisele. I saw Dr. Carlisle Cullen walking over to them. He was a doctor, after all, and she was his granddaughter.

"CYNTHIA!" my mother shrieked as Cynthia and Seth walked down the gangplank. Seth had Charlotte in his arms, who was sleeping after being sedated again below.

"Here," I said, walking up to him and holding out my arms. He put Charlotte in them as he and Cynthia greeted my hysterical mother, who was still holding David.

I looked up as Leah and Mike walked off the ship with their children to go greet Mike's family. His parents were there, along with his sister and her husband. I saw Evan look over at me holding Charlotte and he looked worried. I looked down and saw she was still sleeping.

I saw Edward and Emily over with his mother, but I didn't see Bella. I started scanning the crowd for her when I spotted someone else. I saw an older couple, both with dark hair, accompanied by a girl and boy, both about my age, with light hair I had only seen on one other person.

Rosalie. I knew who they were instantly.

Her family.

What were they doing here?

"Mr. and Mrs. Hale?" I asked, walking up to them with Charlotte in my arms.

"Who are you?" Mrs. Hale asked, looking at me with disgust.

"I'm Alice Whitlock. What are you doing here?"

"How are we supposed to know? Jefferson received a phone call yesterday from the army that we were needed in the Los Angeles Harbor today, so we came. I hope it's not about our nasty daughter. I haven't seen her in over 10 years, and I don't want to start now."

Charlotte stirred in my arms, but stayed sleeping. After meeting her mother, I could understand why Rosalie avoided them.

"Why haven't you seen Rose in all that time? I mean, she is your daughter."

"Rosalie married Royce King III, which was the happiest day of our lives. Emmeline and Franklin loved Royce, as did my husband and I. He was such a good and wonderful soul. Then, Rosalie just got up and left. It killed poor Royce—gave him a heart attack. I can't understand what would make a woman leave a man as terrific as Royce. We haven't seen her or spoken to her since she left, right, Jefferson?"

"That's right, Adele."

"Well, after she left, we heard from a close friend that our daughter, who we raised to be a lady, was being paid to pose in magazines—naked! It broke my heart when I heard it. Of course, then she married that superstar Emmett Cullen—probably because she was knocked up by him. I will never understand what happened to the sweet little girl I raised."

"That's a cute little girl," Emmeline said, pointing to Charlotte. "Is she your daughter?"

"Uh, no. She's my goddaughter."

"Well, she's absolutely gorgeous. Her hair is stunning—I wish mine was curly like that."

I laughed uncomfortably, trying not to reveal the fact that I was holding her niece. I knew Bella and Edward were going to take care of Charlotte and Gisele, so I didn't want the family Rosalie hated coming and trying to take her daughters away from us.

I looked over and saw Eva/Shauna walking up to me. "Is she still sleeping?" she muttered to me. I nodded. "Good. We wanted to bring the bodies out, but she can't be awake for that."

I cradled Charlotte to my chest while Eva/Shauna looked at the people I was standing with.

"You must be Rosalie's family," she said sadly.

"So?" her mother snapped.

"I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Loss?" Rose's sister asked. "What loss?"

"The loss of your sister," she said, looking at them confused. "Didn't Captain Michaels tell you why you were needed in LA?"

"No. And we lost my daughter 11 years ago when she left Royce King III and became a whore."

Eva/Shauna looked uncomfortable. "I don't know if I'm the one who should be telling you this, but your daughter is dead."

"Dead?"

Eva/Shauna nodded. "She was killed about a week ago. Dan!" she called. "Over here!"

Dan and Jason carried a simple coffin over to us and put it on the ground. They opened the lid to show the Hale's Rosalie was dead.

"No!" Emmeline cried. "I never got to apologize to her!" She laid her head on her brother's shoulder and started sobbing. Mrs. Hale looked at her daughter's body, too stunned to speak.

"Mommy!"

Charlotte was awake.

"Mommy!" she screamed, trying to crawl out of my arms and over to Rosalie. "Mommy! Wake up!"

"Mommy?" Mrs. Hale asked, looking from Rosalie's body to Charlotte. "You mean, this is Rosalie's daughter?"

I nodded.

She held out her arms. "Hand her over now!"

********

BPOV

"Charlie?" I asked, looking at my dad.

"Bells, it's so good to see you!" he said, smiling.

"Hold up a sec," I said, looking at him skeptically. "You don't speak to me for 8 years, and now you expect everything to be peachy keen? I don't think so!"

"Bells, I—"

"Don't call me Bells! You gave up that right when you called me a whore and stopped talking to me."

"Bella, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for cutting off contact with you and missing your wedding and never meeting my granddaughters." He smiled at Olivia in my arms, I hugged her close to my body. "What I'm saying is, when you went missing again, I realized how stupid I've been. I almost lost you. What if you had died and I'd never reconciled with you? I'd have never been able to live with myself."

I looked at him, not sure if I should believe him. Just then, Edward came over with Emily.

"What's he doing here?" Edward snarled with malice in his voice. I didn't blame him—he'd seen the amount of tears I'd shed over Charlie.

"I came to apologize to Bella. And to you, Edward," he added. "I've been a terrible person, and I want to make up for that. I don't want my granddaughters growing up, never knowing me. I want to be there for them. That is, if you'll let me."

I looked from Edward to Charlie, then back again. I looked down at Olivia and Emily. "Olivia, Emily, this is your Grandpa Charlie," I said, pointing to my father.

Charlie smiled his big smile that I always loved and gave me a hug. I hadn't totally forgiven him, but I would. Eventually.

"Hello beautiful girls," Charlie said, greeting my daughters. Edward and I put Olivia and Emily on the ground while Charlie sat down with them, talking with them.

Edward put his arm around my waist. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

I smiled at him before reaching up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Positive. After all, everyone deserves a second chance. You of all people should know that." He glared at me. "Don't look at me that way. You're the love of my life, don't forget that, okay? I'm glad I gave you another chance. I think Charlie deserves that, too. He is my father, after all."

He sighed as we looked down at Charlie. Olivia and Emily were both in his lap and it seemed like he was telling them a story. Edward leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I laced my fingers with his and leaned against his shoulder, inhaling his scent like I always did. Cleanly showered and shaved Edward was my favorite scent in the world. He bent his head down and gave me a deep kiss.

"Bella! Edward!" I looked over my shoulder, ready to kill whoever interrupted us, when I saw Alice. She looked terrified.

"Alice, what's the matter?" I asked.

"It's Charlotte!"

"What about Charlotte?" She was, after all, my responsibility now.

"They're taking her away!"

"What? Who?"

"The Hale's!"

"Rosalie's family?" I asked. Last time I checked, Rosalie wasn't speaking to her family. They had been estranged ever since she had come to California.

"Yes! Mrs. Hale took Charlotte from me. They want to take her and Gisele back to Rochester with them!"

"Over my dead body!" I hissed, marching over towards Mrs. Hale, who was trying to put the struggling six-year-old in her car.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked, glaring at Rosalie's bitch of a mother. She looked up at me, curious as to who would dare to speak to her like that. "Take your filthy hands off of my niece!"

"This is my granddaughter, so back off!" She stood up and poked me with her index finger.

"Excuse you!" I said, shocked. "Rosalie and Emmett wanted their daughters to be raised by me and my husband should anything happen to them. Hand her over now before I call the police and have you charged with attempted kidnapping."

Mrs. Hale glared at me. She looked from me to Edward to Alice, and finally back to me. "Here," she said, shoving Charlotte, who was still screaming, into my arms. Then, she climbed in the car and drove away with her family, still giving me a dirty look.

"What's with her?" I asked. I had never met someone so unpleasant in my entire life.

"I guess she wants Rose's kids."

"She'll never get them," I growled, holding onto Charlotte who was still screaming.

"I don't know, Bella," Alice said. "She seemed pretty serious about getting her. I'd look out if I were you."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, trying to quiet Charlotte, "But I think that's the last we'll hear from that bitch."

********

The next few days were hectic. I was watching three young girls while trying to plan a funeral that hundreds of people planned on attending and was being televised.

The phone was ringing off the hook with different papers and magazines trying to set up an interview with me.

I was also trying to set up a press conference for next week so we could talk about what really happened on the island.

I didn't even have Edward to help—he was spending all his time at the hospital, never leaving Gisele's side. Charlie kept calling with questions since he decided to move to Los Angeles to be close to his granddaughters.

Thursday morning, I woke up, showered, did my hair and makeup, and got dressed for Rosalie and Emmett's funeral. I made sure to put on waterproof mascara and eyeliner since I knew I wasn't going to make it through the ceremony without crying.

I went into my closet and pulled out a knee length black dress and a matching black sweater. I put on a pearl necklace with match earrings that Edward had given me last Christmas. I carried my black heels downstairs with me and sat at the kitchen table.

Edward was already sitting there in a black suit, reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning, darling," he greeted me.

"Hi, baby," I said, kissing him lightly on the lips. "What are we doing about Gisele?" I asked. Doctor Snow had diagnosed her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They had sent in a counselor to talk with her, but were also giving her medication to try to get her to start talking.

"I'm going to go pick her up now to bring her. She's doing better—she started talking to the counselor last time."

"What was she talking about?"

"Rosalie, Emmett, and Charlotte. She mentioned us, but very briefly."

"This is going to be very hard for both her and Charlotte."

"I know," he said. "Bella, if Charlotte starts going into hysterics in the middle of the funeral, you're going to have to take her out of the church." I nodded and understood. We didn't need the entire country to see Charlotte break down in front of her parent's bodies.

"Well, I'm going to go pick up Gisele while you get everyone ready."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "I get to spend all morning trying to get three little girls to put on fancy dresses and brush their hair when all they really want to do is watch a Disney movie."

He smiled and kissed me on the forehead before grabbing the keys to his Volvo and heading outside. I sighed as I heard his car pull away and headed upstairs.

I walked into Olivia and Emily's pink room. Both girls were sleeping soundly in their princess beds. I walked over to Olivia first and gently shook her awake.

"Mommy?" she asked sleepily.

"Wake up, sleepy head," I whispered. "It's time to get dressed."

"But I don't want to," she whined.

"I know," I sighed. "How about I make you a deal. If you get up and get dresses, I'll let you put on a movie downstairs while Charlotte and Emily get ready."

"Can I watch The Wizard of Oz?" she asked, looking at me with her brown eyes.

"You can."

"Yay!" she squealed. I went over to her closet and pulled out her black dress, white tights, and black shoes. I carried them into my room with her following me.

Once she was dressed, I combed through her hair, making sure to keep her curls intact. I pulled the top layer back and tied it up with a black ribbon.

"You look beautiful," I said, kissing her cheek.

"Mommy, can I wear some lipstick too?" she asked. I laughed and got mu lightest pick lipstick from the bathroom. I put a very thin layer on her lips before bringing her downstairs and putting The Wizard of Oz DVD in for her to watch. Once she was settled with her movie and her bowl of Lucky Charms, I went back upstairs to get Charlotte and Emily ready.

The rest of the morning went smoothly. Both Charlotte and Emily got dressed quickly. Once they were done, they both sat with Olivia, watching The Wizard of Oz. I got them each a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. By the time Dorothy was back in Kansas, Edward was home from the hospital with Gisele.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. I nodded and brought the three girls out to the Volvo while Edward carried Gisele. I buckled Charlotte, Olivia, and Emily in the back and put Gisele on my lap as we drove to St. Anthony's church. Edward and I had decided the ceremony should be at St. Anthony's since that was where Emmett and Rosalie were married.

Along the way, I saw police setting up roadblocks for when we transported the bodies to the Calvary Cemetery, where Rosalie and Emmett were going to be buried.

Edward pulled into a space in the church parking lot reserved for us. It was good it was reserved because the entire lot was filled with cars. Many people were coming to pay their respects to both Emmett and Rosalie, including the entire New York Giants, many football players, everyone from the Playboy mansion, actors, actresses, and other celebrities. Rosalie and Emmett were both well loved.

I spotted Carlisle and Esme's car next to ours, so I knew they were already here. The funeral didn't start until 11, so we still had plenty of time to get into the church. We walked in and I looked around. I loved St. Anthony's church—it was so beautiful. People were milling around the back, talking and greeting each other. Carlisle and Esme were seated in the front row, waiting for us. I sat Charlotte next to Esme, then sat next to her with Olivia on my lap. Emily sat on my other side with Edward and Gisele on the end.

At the other end of the pew, I saw Rosalie's true family, Bridgette, Kendra, Hef (with his newest group of blondes), and the other members of the mansion staff. Her biological family was sitting towards the back (I had seen them when I walked in).

At 11, the ceremony started. We all stood to sing the processional hymn as the priest came in and took a seat in his chair behind the two caskets. Both of them were adorned with beautiful roses. On top of Rosalie's, there was a picture of her, and the same with Emmett's. In the back of the church, we had made posters with pictures of the two of them. Mostly, they were of Rosalie and Emmett together with their children instead of them alone.

The priest, Father Neil, greeted everyone, then asked Edward to some up to give the eulogy. Edward handed Carlisle Gisele, then walked up to the front. He put his hand on Emmett's casket before walking up to the microphone. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at everyone in the audience.

********

EPOV

"Good morning," I greeted the church. Everyone looked at me with somber eyes. I could feel everyone here pitying me. Here I was, a 31-year-old man who had just lost his brother. I could feel my hands shaking as I picked up my notes to look at them.

"I'm Edward Cullen, and Emmett Cullen was my big brother. He was the best brother anyone could ask for. He always knew how to make me laugh when I was sad, make me see the good in everything, and gave me courage when I was afraid. I remember him telling me the night before my wedding to my wife, 'Live each day as if it's your last and each morning as if it's your first.' Emmett was always there to give me advice, even if I thought I didn't need it.

"Esme and Carlisle always knew Emmett was destined for great things. For his 5th birthday, he got a football. I got piano lessons." Everyone laughed at that. "We always knew Emmett was going to be famous. He was funny, handsome, popular, and liked by everyone, even the Philadelphia Eagles." All the football players in the room roared with laughter.

" I always knew Emmett was a great player, but I never thought he was going to find someone to settle down with and start a family. I married young while Emmett stayed single and partied. Then, we were on a plane crash that changed our lives forever. Here, Emmett met his other half, his soul mate, the love of his life, Rosalie Hale. I remember getting on the plane. When Emmett realized he was sitting next to her, he was on cloud 9. Then we crashed, and I thought Emmett would be furious. After all, he was missing football season. Instead, he spent his time getting to know Rosalie. Making her laugh, making her cry, and getting her to fall in love with him."

I wiped a tear from my eye and continued. "Once we were rescued, I knew Emmett was going to marry her. They may have only known each other for a few months, but their love was as strong as two people who had known each other for years. They got married less than a year after we returned.

"Emmett and Rosalie cared for everyone around them. I'm sure you all remember their wedding—the one where Leah went into labor in the middle of the ceremony. I remember Emmett and Rosalie would have rather stayed at the hospital with Leah than gone to their reception. They put others needs in front of their own."

I pulled the tissue out of my pocket and wiped away my tears before continuing.

"Rosalie was an amazing woman. When I met her, I had never met someone so sure of herself in my entire life. She told me how she hadn't spoken to her family in years. I admired her. I could never go that long without seeing or speaking to Carlisle, Esme, or Emmett, but she was okay with it. She said she had found a new family out here in California. Bridgette, Kendra, Hef, and all the staff at the mansion was her real family.

"From the time they got married, I knew Emmett and Rosalie would be the world's best parents. Charlotte and Gisele had the best people watching over them. I remember Emmett groaning when he found out Rosalie was pregnant with a girl. There went his dreams of raising a future football star. Even though Charlotte wasn't the football star he dreamed of raising, she became Daddy's Little Angel. She was the spitting image of her mother, in both looks and personality. Charlotte is the bravest and most independent six-year-old I have ever met. I have no doubt in saying that, even without the guidance of her wonderful parents, she will grow up to be a wonderful person." I took a drink from my bottle of water before continuing.

"Emmett and Rosalie may be physically gone, but their spirits will never leave us. As long as we remember them in our hearts, they can never truly leave us. To quote Harry Potter, 'He will only be gone when none here are loyal to him.' That same statement can be applied to Emmett and Rosalie Cullen. They will only truly leave us when we no longer remember them. So remember Emmett. Remember Rosalie. Remember two of the most wonderful people who ever lived on this earth. Thank you."

I walked back to my seat. I wiped my eyes while Bella rubbed my shoulder. The priest continued the rest of the mass with the readings being read by our friends and family. Cynthia led the choir in a lovely rendition of "Ave Maria," when the caskets were carried out of the church.

Bella and I led our crew into the car and drove to the cemetery. All the roads were blocked off to allow the large party to get there in as short of time as possible. When we arrived at the cemetery, the priest was already there with the caskets by the graves.

Bella was sobbing quietly when we got there. The caskets were lowered into the tombs. I felt the tears falling down my face but didn't bother stopping them.

My brother was gone. He was never coming back. He was never going to joke around with me again or throw a bucket of cold water on me to wake me up. He was never going to make gagging noises like a three-year-old when I kissed Bella in front of him.

"Baby, it's okay," Bella whispered to me. "Let it all out." I leaned on her shoulder as the sobs heaved out of my chest. I felt foolish, but I couldn't control myself. Emmett and Rosalie were gone. I would never get to tell them how much I loved them, how important to me they were.

Once Emmett and Rosalie were buried, Bella and I walked back to the car with our kids. Gisele was in Bella's arms while I carried Charlotte, who was screaming for her parents. When we got to the car, we saw a man in a grey suit standing next to it with a large envelope.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Are you Edward and Isabella Cullen?" he asked.

"We are," Bella answered.

He handed her the envelope. "You've been served." He walked away from us while we looked after him, confused.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said, shifting Gisele in her arms so she could open the envelope. She pulled out a packet of paper and read it, her eyes getting wider and wider with each word. "That bitch," she muttered.

"What is it?" I asked again.

"The Hales," she said through clenched teeth, "Are suing us."

"For what?" I asked, though I already knew.

"For custody of Charlotte and Gisele."