CHAPTER 2: HEARTFAIL

"Edward!" Bella called as she ran across the yard towards the Cullen house. "Edward! You're home! You're really home!"

"Bella!" Carlisle said, grabbing the young girl around the waist before she could climb the front stairs. "Bella, no!"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked. "Where is Edward? Is he here?"

"Bella..."

"I missed him so much. Did he miss me?" Bella asked looking at Carlisle expectantly.

"Bella, I need you to come and sit on the porch with me," Carlisle said, looking fearfully at the door.

"Okay," Bella said.

"Bella... Edward... he isn't here," Carlisle said.

"Where is he? Is he coming later?" Bella asked.

"No," Carlisle said, his eyes filling with tears.

Bella could sense that whatever Carlisle wanted to say wasn't good. She began to shake her head, her own eyes watering.

"It happened last spring," Carlisle said. "A little over nine months after we arrived. He got a fever... but no matter what we did, he just got sicker and sicker. He didn't make it. Edward isn't coming home, Bella. He can't."

"No!" Bella cried. "He has to come home. I need him to come home."

"He died Bella," Carlisle choked out; the words were like a knife to his heart every time he spoke them. "He wanted to come home to you so much but he just wasn't strong enough to beat it."

"No!" Bella cried, balling her hands into fists. "I need him! We need him!"

"Shhh!" Carlisle whispered, pulling her into his arms. "I know we need him. We all did. He fought so hard but it was too much. But we'll make it. We'll carry on for him."

"You don't understand," Bella cried. "You don't know..."

"Shhh!" Carlisle soothed again.

"He has to come home," Bella cried. "He can't be dead. I need him... Tony needs him."

"Tony?" Carlisle asked.

"Tell me you're lying, Carlisle! Tell me that Edward is here! That this is all a mean trick. Tell me, please. TELL ME!"

"Who is Tony, Bella?" Carlisle said calmly.

"Tony…" Bella said, looking up at Carlisle with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Anthony Edward Cullen is my son… Edward's son."

"A baby..." Carlisle gasped! "Edward's baby! You're sure? You are certain?"

"You only have to look at him to know," Bella said. "He's 15 months old now."

"I need to see him," Carlisle said in a rush. "Bring me to him."

"He's sleeping," Bella said. "He's just inside..."

"Please," Carlisle begged. "I need to know. I need to see with my own eyes!"

Bella just nodded, unable to speak. The walk back to her home seemed surreal. She had gone over with such hope and was coming back with crushing grief.

"You need to be quiet," Bella said. "Charlie's asleep. He has the early shift tomorrow and Anthony gets really cranky if he gets woken."

They climbed the stairs slowly and went to the small bedroom at the end of the hall that had always been Bella's. She opened the door quietly and tiptoed in with Carlisle right on her heels. The room, which he remembered helping Charlie paint for Bella when she was young had been transformed. Gone were the pink walls and butterfly wallpaper, replaced with blue walls and a border featuring baseball-playing teddy bears. Carlisle swallowed thickly before looking into the crib.

The baby that slept there was completely at peace, lying on his tummy with his little diapered butt in the air. He had messy copper colored curls and Carlisle knew without a doubt he was looking at his grandson for the first time. He put his hand to his mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to break free, and allowed Bella to lead him from the room as the tears coursed down his cheeks.

He followed her down the stairs into the living room and he looked at the walls that were covered in pictures of the little guy.

"He looks just like Edward," Carlisle noted, touching a more recent picture. "I'm so sorry Bella. We never should have gone. I never should have taken them to Africa. If I didn't, he wouldn't be gone. We'd have our son and Tony would have had his father."

Bella held onto herself as she cried. Carlisle was so lost in his own grief that he couldn't offer her any comfort. As they both calmed down, Bella asked the question that was bubbling in her mind since Carlisle had mentioned the spring.

"When?" she asked quietly, tears still falling unendingly down her cheeks. "When did it happen?"

As Carlisle stammered out the date, Bella's eye popped wide and she began sobbing even harder. Carlisle stopped his pacing and went to soothe the girl that had meant everything to his son. When Bella slowed her crying, she allowed Carlisle to continue holding her.

"That's his birthday," Bella finally sniffled. "Anthony was born when... on the day... on the day his daddy died."

Carlisle and Bella spoke, and cried, for the rest of the night. He explained that Esme was really struggling right now. Right after Edward died, they found that it was impossible to have his body shipped home with them, so they had stayed, needing to be close to their only child. But their visa had expired now, forcing them to return home; forcing Esme to leave Edward behind in Africa. She couldn't bear it, and the whole trip home had been devastating to her.

"I don't know how she'll deal with Tony... I think she'll feel like I do... so grateful that there is a small piece of Edward left in the world... but I don't know," Carlisle said as they heard Charlie move around upstairs getting ready.

When Charlie finally trudged down the stairs, he was surprised to see Bella and Carlisle in the living room.

"Good to see you, Carlisle," Charlie said, curious as to why it was the elder Cullen in his living room and not Edward.

"You too, Charlie," Carlisle said. "I'm so sorry we weren't in touch. We should have found a way..."

"Mmmm," Charlie grumbled, agreeing with Carlisle. "Where is..."

"Edward died," Bella blurted, not wanting her father to finish asking his question. "He died the day Tony was born..."

Charlie's eyes went wide as he stared between his daughter and his long time friend. Then the tear formed in his eye and he rounded the sofa and wrapped Carlisle in a man hug. By the time both of them let go, they were both wiping their eyes discreetly.

"I'd better go," Carlisle said. "Esme will be awake soon. I need to tell her about Tony."

"Can I?" Bella asked, uncertain where the words were coming from. "Maybe I can tell her..."

"If you want to try," Carlisle agreed.

"I'll call in and stick around here then. Carlisle and I can handle getting Tony up and dressed," Charlie said.

Bella got dressed in fresh clothes and walked the path back to the Cullen house. She had walked it thousands of times to see Edward through their lives and the tears started again, knowing that she would never walk it to see him again.

"Esme," Bella called, opening the front door.

"Bella?" Esme asked, appearing at the top of the stairs. "Oh Bella!" Esme practically threw herself down the stairs in her haste to get to the girl she had always dreamed would be her daughter-in-law. She was a sobbing mess by the time she reached Bella, but that matched Bella's sobs. They crumpled to the floor together, hugging, and crying.

When both women had finally regained some composure, Bella pulled the small framed photo of Anthony from the small bag she brought.

"Who is this?" Esme asked, practically ripping the picture from her hands. "Who is this baby?"

"That's Anthony," Bella said calmly. "Anthony Edward Cullen. My son."

"Oh..." Esme cried, staring at the picture. "A baby. Your baby... Edward's... Oh Edward!"

Esme sobbed again and allowed Bella to wrap her arms around her. They sobbed until there were no more tears.

"He won't ever meet his daddy..." Esme sniffled. "It's not right."

"But he will know you guys, right. We can tell him all about Edward... How much Edward would have loved him..." Bella said, still coming to terms with her own grief.

After Esme and Bella had regained some composure they made the slow trek back to Bella's home. Esme was anxious, yet apprehensive to meet Tony. She worried that she would burst into tears at the sight of him and scare him. Bella knew how sensitive Tony was, noting that he was more likely to give his nana 'ississ' rather than run away scared. When they arrived, Tony's happy giggles filled the room. Esme's heart jumped to her throat as the little man toddled up to Bella as fast as his little legs could take him.

"Mama! Mama," he squealed, happy to see his most favorite person in the whole world.

"It's my TONY," Bella cheered, as she always did when she saw him. He lifted his arms to her and moved his fingers frantically before beginning to chant, "Upupupupup." Bella granted his request and picked him up, smothering his chubby baby cheeks with kisses as he laughed delightedly.

Carlisle stepped towards his wife and wrapped her in his arms as she looked at mother and son; delighted that there was a piece of Edward left in the world. She was also sad at the same time, sad because her son who would never hug her again, her son would never know the little boy that was currently being loved on by his own mother.

"Tony," Bella said, getting her son's attention. "Come see your Nana."

"Nana?" Tony asked. The only Nana he had ever seen was in a book of pictures with his Dada and Ampa.

"This is Nana," Bella said, drawing the toddler's attention to Esme.

"Nana?" Tony asked, looking between his mom and the crying woman next to them.

"That's your Nana," Bella said.

Tony looked at Esme and frowned, before holding his arms out to her, demanding to be held by her. "ississ" he said, wanting to offer some warm wet baby slobbered kisses to try to make her feel better.

Little did he know then, but baby kisses were the best balm in the world for soothing broken hearts.

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER:

"GO TONY!" Esme cheered from the stands as Tony Cullen took the field. He was tall and lanky like his father had been, and just as athletic. He was a smart, good-natured boy that grew up surrounded by love.

No, he had never met his father, who had died the day he was born, but his was loved. He had his Papa Charlie and Nana and Grandpa Cullen. He also had his McCarty grandparents, Stella and Nolan; his stepfather's parents. He had his Mom, and step-dad, Emmett, as well as his two little sisters who adored him completely; Emma and Carlie. The two girls were currently perched on Nana Esme and Grandpa Carlisle's laps.

As he launched the ball down field to his best friend Jake, he knew that his life was perfect, just the way it was meant to be.

THE END!

DO NOT READ ANY FARTHER unless you want to be confused! If you want to read another ending, return to chapter 1, peruse it again then choose a different path. Please review and tell me what you think. Your opinions matter to me!