This one's a lulu, but I noticed that my chapters seemed kind of short, so I wanted to give you all a nice, long read. It's a bit of a tear jerker; you may want to have the tissues handy. I do so hope you enjoy it. Leave some love, because I love you all for reading.

xo

A

-Charlie-

It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. Hell, it just hurt. But at least I was alive. I wasn't sure what that Cullen kid was hoping to prove by trying to kill me, but rest assured he was going to find out when I recovered. I was going to arrest his sorry ass and throw him in jail. Maybe that would teach him to mess with me and my daughter.

You'd have to catch him first, my brain chimed in. Remember? He's a vampire.

I groaned. I didn't want to believe it, but after seeing the look in his cold, dark eyes, I knew in my heart it was true. He and his family were the things nightmares were made of. They ruled the night, stalking the innocent and draining their blood. They could only be stopped by stakes and garlic and sunlight…

Stop being ridiculous. Dr. Cullen told you they don't do that.

That was right. Before I had stopped him, Dr. Cullen had explained their whole existence; feeding on animals and avoiding direct sunlight around humans. He said they would never harm a human, not deliberately anyway. I hadn't wanted to hear it, but I believed it. And I don't think Dr. Cullen had a malicious bone in his undead body, so why would he lie to me? The man was pure kindness and compassion, and his daughter…progeny…or whatever Alice was to him, was his mirror image. The little sprite could always make me smile. She laughed at my jokes, no matter how bad they were, and would eagerly listen if I had a bad day at the station. When she gazed at me with those big gold eyes of hers, I was a goner. It never occurred to me to ask her what happened to her real father. But then, would she even remember? How old was she anyway? Sweet Alice didn't look a day over sixteen, but for all I knew she could be hundreds of years old. That thought alone blew my mind. How long had the Cullen's been putting on this ruse? What were their intentions, really? And what did Emmett and Edward want from my daughter?

Edward was a nut job, that was for sure. I don't know what he wanted from Bella, but he was never going to see her again if I had any say in it. From the way things played out earlier, however, I didn't think that was going to be a problem. She had been positively furious at him, and when my girl gets mad, she doesn't let go of it easily. Knowing her she would probably kick his ass next time she saw him…if she ever saw him. And I wouldn't blame her.

Now Emmett I wasn't sure of. I hardly knew the boy…man…whatever he was. All I knew was what Edward told me, and I found that hard to swallow. In his ranting, he had said Emmett had slept with Bella. When had that happened? Where was I to stop it from happening? I was supposed to be there to protect my little girl from the raging hormones of teenage boys. But he wasn't a teenager. He was much, much older. Hell he was probably just as old if not older than Alice. He should have known better than to take advantage of a young woman like that. But it takes two. Bella was just as much at fault here as Emmett. As much as I wanted to see her as my little girl, she was anything but. She was a grown woman very capable of making her own decisions. I was going to have to have a conversation with the two of them when things settled down.

This sudden overload of information weighed heavily on my mind. I had told Dr. Cullen that I didn't want to hear it and would pretend like it never happened. But as I laid on the couch, unable to do much more than breathe, all I had the energy to do was think. And all I could think about, was all that had happened. I wearily opened my eyes.

"Bella?" I croaked. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton. I desperately needed some water. "Bella?"

Alice came rushing in with a glass of water in one hand and a cell phone glued to her ear. She was speaking too low for me to hear, but she looked worried. I had never seen her do anything but smile and laugh, and this fretful expression just didn't suit her. Something was up. And where was Bella? She held the straw to my lips and I took two long pulls before clearing my throat.

"Alice?" I tried to pull myself up, but groaned and immediately ceased my efforts. Laying down was good. I could still talk while laying down. She responded with a raised hand, signaling me to wait. I simply nodded and proceeded to watch her pace the room, her brow furrowed and her voice hushed. She stopped suddenly and went silent. Whomever she was speaking with had said something to frighten her, because her expression went from worried to scared in a matter of seconds.

"She's…what?" Alice whispered hoarsely into the phone, her eyes meeting mine.

"Alice what is it?" I asked. She didn't answer, just listened to the person on the other line.

"Carlisle no…she can't…Emmett can't…" Alice's voice broke.

"What-"

"But what about…" she stopped when Carlisle cut her off. "Okay…okay, alright I'll bring him. We're leaving now. She's not going to…yes, yes, okay we're on our way."

She snapped the phone shut and slid it into her pocket.

"Where are your keys?" she asked abruptly.

"My keys? Why?" I forced myself into a sitting position, despite the searing pain it sent through my torso. "Where are you going?"

"Your keys, Charlie!" she pleaded.

"Kitchen counter!" I replied. "Alice, you're scaring me. What happened? Where are you going?"

She moved so swiftly I barely had time to take a breath. She threw my arm over her shoulder and hoisted me to my feet. She put her other arm around my waist and rushed me out the front door and into the passenger seat of my cruiser. She ran back inside and was out instantly and in the driver's seat with my keys.

"We'd get there faster if I ran, but in your condition, it's safer if we drive," she explained as she peeled out of the driveway and down the street.

"Damn it, Alice!" I shouted. "Answer me! Where are we going?"

"My house," she said without looking at me. She swerved expertly around a corner and up another winding road. The cop in me wanted to lecture her for speeding, the rest of me could give two shits and just wanted to know what was going on.

"Why?" I winced and gripped my bandaged ribs.

"It's Bella." she looked over at me, her face grim.

"What. Happened." I stated firmly.

"She's hurt, Charlie," her voice started to waver again. "Bad."

That was all I needed.

"Drive." I ordered.

She pressed the accelerator to the floor.

-Emmett-

I didn't get there in time. I dove for her, but didn't get there in time. She was clinging to life and I was going to lose the only woman I had ever loved because I was too goddamn slow. I paced the length of the hall outside Carlisle's office, growling and clenching my fists.

I burst through the door, clutching Bella's lifeless form to my chest.

"Emmett! What-?" Carlisle stopped when he saw her broken little body in my arms. "Put her on the couch. I'll start an IV. We have to get her cleaned up to see how bad the wounds really are."

"It's her head," I told him as I laid her out and he expertly hooked her up to a saline drip. "She took a nasty hit to the back of the head and it knocked her out. Is she going to be okay? Tell me, is she going to be alright?"

"Why don't you tell me how it happened, first, so I can get a better idea of how to treat her," he responded. I cast a desperate glance down at Bella, then recapped the events of the evening for him. He listened intently while setting up her heart monitor and cleaning the blood from the gash on the back of her head. He bandaged the wound and gingerly laid her back down. He examined the rest of her body for injuries, grimacing slightly when he prodded her chest. She never moved; didn't even flinch. I was beginning to worry. He sighed heavily and looked down at his hands when my story concluded.

"So Edward is…" he trailed off.

"Gone," I finished. "I'm sorry, Carlisle."

He didn't respond. He got up and walked slowly across the room, taking unnecessary deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. He reached his desk and stood for a moment, staring at the ceiling and continuing with the useless breathing. He slammed his fists down on the desk.

"Fuck!" he roared, "Fuck! You stupid, selfish asshole! How could you do this? Shit!" He hit the desk again, sending splinters flying in all directions.

I had never seen him angry, and seeing him lose his temper like this was frightening. I was grateful his rage wasn't aimed at me. I may be strong, but Carlisle had centuries on me. I wouldn't last ten seconds in a fight with him. He ran his fingers through his hair, took another deep , cleansing breath and hung his head for a moment longer. He turned and walked calmly back to where I sat, clutching Bella's tiny hand in my own. The beep of the heart monitor split the tension in the air.

"I can't tell much without the proper equipment," he said sadly, as if his outburst had never happened, "But going on past experience with this kind of injury, I can tell you that there is significant swelling around her brain."

"What does that mean?" I frowned. I had never bothered to pursue a medical degree like Jasper and Edward had. It just wasn't my thing.

"It means she's in a coma, son," he replied, resuming his seat in front of me. "The force of the blow jarred her brain, causing it to slam into the sides of her skull and bruising it severely."

"So will she wake up? Is she going to come out of this?" I looked desperately up at him. She couldn't leave me. Not now. Not like this.

"I can't say for sure," he said. "But it doesn't look good, Emmett. I'm sorry."

It was my turn to react. I placed Bella's hand back at her side, stood, and threw the chair across the room. It shattered on the far wall.

"No!" I shouted, dropping to my knees. "It can't happen this way! I can't lose her!"

I could feel my heart breaking. I dropped my head into my hands and sobbed, my frame shaking with every tearless cry. After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, I felt Carlisle's hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him.

"I'm afraid that's not all, son," he began, his eyes full of pity. "I managed to get an x-ray…"

"What? How?" I turned my head to see a portable machine set up near Bella, connected by wires to a computer monitor that rested on the table near her head. He beckoned me over, and I rose to my feet and followed him over to the screen.

"As you can see here," he circled a segment on the screen with his finger. "The fall also cracked her sternum. A fragment of bone broke off…and pierced her heart."

"But…but can't you just take it out?" I stammered.

"If I were to remove the fragment, it would more than likely cause her heart to stop. Why it's still beating, I'm not entirely sure. By rights, she should be dead." he ran his hand over his hair and shook his head.

"There's a chance, isn't there? There's a chance she could pull through, right?" I pleaded with him, looking for an answer I knew I wasn't going to get. He shook his head again and I felt the sorrow creep over me again.

"Carlisle, I…I can't…She can't…" I couldn't get the words out.

"I know son," he said gently. "But there is one solution I think you should consider."

I narrowed my eyes at him, unsure of where he was going. Hadn't he just told me that all hope was lost?

"Have you two discussed-"

"No," I cut him off. I suddenly knew exactly what he was implying. "Not an option."

"Emmett, it's the only way," he explained.

"Not going to happen," I took a step back, shaking my head.

"She won't survive this. The trauma is too severe," he continued.

"It's not my choice," I hissed.

"You can help her. You can make it so she'll never feel pain again."

"I won't take her life!" I yelled, turning my back on him.

"She's already dead!" he snapped. "If you don't change her, she'll die in a matter of days!"

"I won't. I just…I just can't," I stalked out the door, effectively ending the conversation.

I snarled again. I still couldn't believe he had asked me to do that. I couldn't take Bella's life. I couldn't force her into this existence; this endless night. She needed to live. She needed to get married, have children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. I wasn't going to take away her ability to do any of that. She would never forgive me if I did. I loved her, and I would always love her. But I wasn't selfish enough to take her life just to keep her with me. I heard Carlisle on the phone with Alice, asking her to bring Charlie as quickly as possible. Probably to say good bye. It was only a matter of minutes before I heard the screech of tires at the end of the drive way and the squeal of the brakes as Alice pulled the cruiser up in front of the house. She burst through the door with Charlie at her side. I met them at the top of the stairs.

"Where is she?" Charlie panted, still in visible amounts of pain. "Where's my daughter?"

I pointed wordlessly to the study, and Alice started to escort him in before he stopped her with a hand on her arm. He looked me dead in the eye.

"After this is over, you and I," he pointed between the two of us, "need to have words."

"Yes sir," was all I could say. He held my stare for a moment longer before leaning heavily on Alice and walking into the study. I watched her ease him into an arm chair take a seat on the floor next to him. Carlisle began to retell the sequence of events and I was unable to listen further. I turned on my heel and trudged slowly to my room at the end of the hall. I avoided my couch to the left and my king sized bed in the center and went straight for my balcony. The atmosphere in the house was choking me, I needed to be outside. I stepped out and leaned my hands on the railing, inhaling the mossy, woodsy scent that filled the night air. I chuckled, remembering how much Bella hated that smell. She said it reminded her of mold and made her nauseous. Hell, everything made her nauseous. I laughed out loud at her quirkiness, my laughter quickly fading into gut wrenching sobs. I screamed into the night, knowing that she would never feel that way again. She wasn't coming out of the coma, and even if she did she wouldn't last a day with that bone fragment lodged in her heart. Her little body just wasn't strong enough. And it was all Edward's fault. He took her away. From me. From all of us.

"Coward!" I cried. "You did this! You took her from us! You were supposed to love her, How could you do this to her? You stole her life, you stupid, selfish coward!" My voice echoed through the thick fog that had settled over the forest, falling only on the ears of the animals scampering through the leaves. I hung my head and sobbed, praying for the tears I knew wouldn't fall.

"What do you want, Alice?" I asked after a while. I don't know when she had appeared, or how much she had heard, but I knew she was there.

"It's Charlie," she answered quietly. "He wants to speak with you."

I turned to face her and immediately regretted my harsh tone. She stared at the ground, her shoulders slumped in grief. This was just as hard for her as it was for me. I had to remember that she loved Bella as well. To her, it was like losing a sister. I took her in my arms and held her.

"It isn't fair, Em," she mumbled into my chest. "I lost a brother."

"And a sister, I know," I sighed.

"But I don't have to," she said, wriggling out of my arms. "Lose a sister you, know."

"Oh Al, not you too," I growled, throwing my hands up and returning to the balcony.

"Just hear me out, would you?" she asked. She joined me by the railing, leaning back on it and folding her arms. I looked the other way. "Em, please."

"I'm listening," I muttered.

"You were different," she began. "Before Bella came, you were different. You were cold and distant. You isolated yourself from the rest of us, locking yourself in your room for hours. But when she showed up, it was like someone lit a fire. Her presence pulled you out of your shell and you were alive with emotion, even if it was negative at first. And I remember when you fell in love with her," she wagged her finger at me. "Don't think I didn't notice that day when she fainted, how you held her in your arms. You had that look. The same one you have now."

I chuckled and turned my head to her, smirking. She laughed.

"See? I'm right!" she crowed. "And you've only gotten brighter since then. You're a better person because of her, Brother Bear. And as much as I don't want to lose her," she reached out and laid a tiny hand on my face. "I don't want to lose you either. If you change her, I won't have to lose either of you."

I studied her face for a moment. Her eyes were full of hope and I hated to take that away from her.

"I'm sorry, Al," I whispered, and she dropped her hand. "I can't make that choice for her, and I can't take her life. It just wouldn't be fair."

"I understand," she conceded sadly. She pushed herself up off the rail and held out her hand to me. "Come on. Charlie's waiting for you."

I took her hand in mine and walked with her back to the study. Bella was in the same position, eyes still closed, heart monitor beeping slowly, IV drip ticking away. Carlisle had covered her with an afghan, though I wasn't quite sure why. I tore my eyes away from her to look at Charlie, who sat at her side, clutching her hand. Carlisle stood behind them both, and cleared his throat when we entered. Charlie looked up at us and I felt my gut clench. His eyes were red and swollen, and his cheeks tear stained.

"Sit down, boy," he ordered hoarsely and inclined his head toward a nearby ottoman. I squeezed Alice's hand and released it, then hastily took a seat near Bella's father. He had turned his attention back to his daughter. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, then placed on her stomach. He stared helplessly at her.

"Do you love her?" he asked, keeping his eyes on Bella

"Yes sir," I answered.

"Would you ever intentionally hurt her?"

"What? No! No of course not!" I tried not to sound offended.

"Good," he cleared his throat. "Now that that's out of the way, you can help me."

He finally turned to face me, his face haggard but his eyes fierce with emotion. I couldn't turn away and swallowed hard.

"I-"

"Don't say a word until I'm finished," he held up his hand. "You can help me. I don't like what you are, I don't like what you do. But it's because of what you are, that my little girl is where she is. And it's because of what you are, that makes you able to help me. You can save her. You can make her one of you and she doesn't have to die."

"Sir, I don't think you know what you're asking," I stated slowly. "I can't do that."

"I know exactly what I'm asking," he snapped. "And you will do it."

"I won't take her life," I stated for the umpteenth time that night.

"And I won't sit back and watch my daughter die!" he shouted. "Not when something can be done to stop it."

"I can't make that choice for her," I tried to keep my voice level, but my resolve was cracking.

"Well I can," he grimaced as he sat up straight. "As her father, I can make that choice."

"You don't understand, sir," I held his stare. "You won't be able to see her after she's changed. The thirst alone will be too much for her to handle and she'd kill you as soon as look at you. You'd have to say good bye to her tonight, on the off chance that it may be years before you could see her again."

"I'm willing to accept that," he sniffed. "I'll stay away as long as it takes for her to recover. But God damn it, I won't lose my daughter!" He looked down at her again and took a deep, labored breath before he continued.

"You told me you loved her."

"I do, sir. More than anything, but-"

"Then forget about me. Do this for her. Save her and you can love her forever. Please Emmett. I'm begging you. Don't let my little girl die." He reached out and grabbed my hand, his grip surprisingly strong for someone who had taken a beating just hours before. I swallowed hard. As much as I didn't want to take her life, I didn't want Charlie to watch her wither away either. What choice did I have left?

"Okay," I conceded as I stood.

Charlie smiled weakly and his eyes glazed over.

"I'm eternally grateful to you, son," he released my hand as fresh tears spilled onto his cheeks. "Thank you."

I nodded and followed Alice and Carlisle out of the room to give Charlie time to say good bye to his only child. I hung my head as I closed the door.

"Do you know what to do?" Carlisle asked, touching my shoulder. I could only nod a second time. I was unable to speak, the weight of what I was about to do pressing down on me and rendering me silent. He inclined his head in assent. "I know it's hard, son, but you're doing the right thing. Just call if you need anything. Alice will you take Charlie home?"

"Of course," she said meekly. She touched my face and gave me an encouraging look, then knocked on the study door and entered. She returned mere moments later, her arm around Charlie's waist, holding him steady. He reached out and gripped my forearm.

"Take care of my girl," he said sadly.

"I will," I whispered, gently returning the gesture.

He smiled through his tears and released my arm. Alice guided him down the stairs and out the door. Carlisle and I stood in silence as she loaded him in the car and pulled out of the drive. We listened until the dull roar of the engine faded into the distance. I looked up at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Can you ever be ready to kill the one that you love the most?" I answered.

"You're not killing her Emmett," he shook his head. "You're just giving her new life."

With that statement he left me to what would be the hardest thing I would ever have to do. I took a deep, worthless breath and returned to where Bella lay in the study. I sat down in the unoccupied seat next to the couch. She looked so peaceful, almost as if she were asleep. I wished she were, because then she would be able to wake up. She would smile up at me and tell me she loved me. I would hold her in my arms and she would laugh at me and tell me to put her down so she could breathe. She would press her warm, sweet lips against mine and promise to never let me go. And she would be alive. I swept her hair from her face and caressed her warm, rosy cheek. She didn't move. She'd never move again if I didn't do this. I picked up her hand from her stomach and turned it palm side up. I could see the blood pumping through her delicate veins and smell the salty sweet aroma. I traced the pulse point lightly, feeling the light flutter of the blood move under my fingers. I brought her hand to my mouth and tenderly kissed her palm.

"I promise, this will only hurt for a minute," I murmured. I gazed once more at her face. "I'm so sorry, baby. Please forgive me. "

I closed my eyes and sank my teeth into her wrist.