CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The night was quiet.

She didn't speak. She watched with tired eyes as he fluttered around them. He made sure the windows were shut tight. He made sure she was comfortable. He brought out another blanket and carefully laid it over her. He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully brushed away loose strands of hair.

She had been feeling very sick for the past week. Somehow, with a sense of knowing intuition, she knew it wouldn't be long now. She had come to terms with it. She had accepted it, but she wasn't sure he had.

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking a seat in the chair across the room. He sat and stared and she could see the irrepressible fear in his eyes. She wanted him, no needed him, next to her.

"Hey, you're really far away," she whispered. He didn't move. He only glanced at her before settling his eyes back to the window. He had been like this all week.

She tried again.

"You're too young to have that look on your face," she teased, but felt the words get caught in her throat. She coughed heavily and he looked at her worriedly. She sent him a smile and he huffed back in his seat.

"Yeah we'll you're too young to—" he stopped. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to think about it. He was still praying for his saving grace. He wanted a miracle. He wanted proof that the world couldn't possibly be this cruel. She was everything to him.

She softly patted the empty spot beside her.

"Come lay with me," she said. He hesitated for a moment before lifting himself from the chair and crawling into bed with her. He wrapped his arm around her. She felt so small, so fragile in his arms.

"I hate not being able to do anything," he whispered into her hair. She softly petted his soft copper hair and looked into his eyes.

"You can't protect me from everything. This journey I got to do on my own. There's nothing for you to do. We knew it was coming," she said. She wasn't afraid. She was ready. He buried himself in her hair again.

She felt the dampness in her hair before he started to shake.

"I'm not strong enough for this," he sobbed and held her tighter. This broke her heart. The sickness was nothing compared to having to hold him, to comfort him. She never wanted to break his heart and if love was enough…well if love was enough she'd be cured. If love was enough she would never leave him. But love was not enough. Not this time.

"Yes you are, Edward," she said and he shook his head. He refused to lift it.

"No. Bella, I'm not. I want forever, Bella. Please give me forever," he begged and lifted his head to stare at her. His bright eyes were coated with tears and she felt her own begin to brew.

"I wish I could," she said and softly stroked his cheek. The tears fell one by one down.

"I wanted to give you forever. I didn't do it," he said and she shook her head as she tried to sit up a bit. The effort was great. He rested his head against her chest and she held him the best she could.

"Don't tell yourself that. You gave me everything. You gave me adventure," she said and kissed his head. He held her tighter.

"I wanted to give you more," he said.

"What more could you give me. You gave me your heart. Edward, this was forever. You gave it to me. You have to understand that," she whispered and he shook his head.

"Yes, you did," she said again.

"This…time I've had with you was amazing. I wouldn't trade it for anything. My years with you were the time of my life, Edward. I've lived a lifetime of happiness and I've been loved. Everyone deserves to feel a love like ours before they die and I was lucky enough to have it. I can't ask for anything more," she said and felt the tears slide down.

"I could ask for a couple more years," he said and she laughed softly.

"They wouldn't be enough," she said and he knew she was right. She always was.

"My adventure is complete. I've fought my dragons and I made my kingdom, with you by my side. But you gotta go on, okay," she said and the words really hurt. Yet, she wanted it. She couldn't leave, without knowing he would be okay.

"How do I do that?" he asked and she lifted his chin. He looked up toward her.

"You do it. You move on. Edward, promise me I won't be your last adventure. Promise," she said and he pursed his lips.

There was silence between them. He didn't want to promise her this. He would promise her the world, but this…this would break him. He couldn't do it. How could he promise to love another, when he would never stop loving her? It was impossible.

"Edward!" she scolded and he looked away and sat up. He sat on the corner of the bed and buried his head in his hands. Please, he wanted to beg, please don't make me promise this.

"I know you'll always love me. I'll always be by your side, Edward. And you'll always be in my heart. But I need you to promise me this. I need you to do this for me. Please," she begged in a soft whisper. He turned slowly.

"You'll always be my queen," he said and she nodded. He would do this for her. He would do this because he loved her and she needed it.

"I promise," he said at last and she smiled.

"One more thing," she whispered. He nodded, a grim look on his features.

"Anything," he breathed against her and she held his arms around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and she thought over her words. She felt like she was asking too much from him.

He felt she wasn't asking enough.

"Don't forget me. No matter what. Don't lock me away in your heart because it hurts, because I know that sooner or later it'll stop hurting. And then…well then I would like to believe I'm still in your life," she whispered and soon felt the drowsiness take over her.

"I can't forget you. Ever," he promised.

He held her that night. Her friends came shortly after and then her family and then his.

He never let her go.

Alice came with an album of pictures. Her belly swollen with an unborn child. She snapped one last picture of them together with tears in her eyes. They looked at faded pictures from long ago. They laughed over forgotten memories. She laughed at a picture from their childhood. Edward with a twig made crown and a daisy chain on top of her brown locks. They were the prince and princess of Tiemp. She remembered her childhood kingdom and wished she could live there.

In that land, time did not exist. Forever was so real. She would never have to say goodbye.

She held it tightly to her chest, imagining the kingdom of clear blue skies and summer green grass. She imagined what it would be like to live there with Edward forever by her side.

The sun rose slowly that night. Her golden fingers sent ripples of pink and orange hues throughout the sky. The birds cawed softly and wind picked up.

Bella rested on the white sheets. Edward held onto her. When her eyes closed and her breath steadied, he held on. When her breath stuttered, he held on. When her breath stopped and her body relaxed, he held on. Tears sliding down his face as he cried silent tears. Their families there for support and casted their silent good-bye.

She looked so happy. Free of the sickness that had haunted her for years. Free of the pain of goodbye. She looked so far away from that tiny room.

And she was.

She was gone, in a world where forever existed.