Chapter 5

"I'm gonna' kill him," Seth said. My bed sprang up as he jumped to his feet.

"No, you're not. I mean, I did have a part in this. He'll come around…" I hope. "Anyway, if what you told me about the imprint is true, then we won't be able to stay away from each other long." Even though I'd said that, I knew what he'd said was true. My chest was starting to ache. It had started up as soon as I had ran away from Jacob. After Seth had told me some things about imprinting, I had tied that with my aches. But I think it was starting to get worse...

All of a sudden I heard a howl coming from the woods. Seth must of heard it, too, because his head snapped towards my window.

"Crap. Patrol," he looked at me. "...With Jake." I sighed and shook my head.

"Oh, well. Can't disobey your wolfy duties. Try not to kill him too badly!" Seth jumped out my window.

"No promises!" he yelled. I giggled in spite of myself and sat back on my pillows.

I took the time to look around. Everything was just as I'd left it a year ago. I picked up a book, then set it back down on my nightstand. Then I picked up the stuffed bunny I'd had since I was five. I hugged it, then set carefully against my pillows. Then I got up and went to my vanity. I sat down and looked at my reflection in my mirror. All of a sudden, something sparkly caught my eye. It was lying on the window seat.

I stood up, sat down, and picked it up. It was the crown that I had worn on my fourth birthday. Oh, I remember that! I had insisted on wearing it since I was the 'birthday girl,' and had convinced all my friends and cousins that it was made of real diamonds. Only one person didn't believe it...

Jacob.

I had spent practically the whole party trying to explain to him that the shiny little hearts and sequins were 'real.' We had argued for a long time before I'd had enough. I took my new painting set-which my parents had almost passed out over-and painted a giant blue blob across his face. He was so shocked, he stood there for a few seconds, before taking the second brush and painting a red glob across my green party dress. Which, by the way, was brand new! I had screamed so loud, I swore the windows quivered. It attracted the attention of the grownups, who put us both in timeout for fifteen minutes. Which, if you were an impatient four year old, was a whole lifetime. And...Well, the rest was history...

I smiled, closed my eyes, and put the crown on top of my head. Hold on, I think I still had that dress...I made my way to the closet and smiled when I saw it. There it was; red smear and all. I stood in front of the vanity mirror and twirled around. It took me back to that time and I laughed. I didn't notice my mom standing at the doorway.

"I never did find the time to wash that..." she said, and took it from me. I giggled.

"Now I never want to!" I looked at it again. Then looked at my mom. "Do you think...That things will go back to the way they were? You know, when Jake and I were friends and everything was perfect?" She was silent for a minute.

"You know, honey-" she was interrupted by the phone. Mom fled out of the room to pick it up. After taking off my crown, I followed her. She was already talking when I got to her, hand clamped to her mouth. "Yes, I...Okay. We'll be there soon,"

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked worriedly. She shook her head and punched in a new number.

"Hello? Emily?" I mentally cringed. "Seth's coming over there when he's done with patrol right...? Okay, tell him to meet Leah and I at the hospital...No, it's not me...It's...I have no time to explain. I'll see you later, okay, honey? Bye." she hung up the phone and grabbed her jacket and keys. I grabbed her shoulder.

"Answer me, Mom. What's wrong?"

"You're dad..." she took a deep breath. "His heart is getting weaker. He's flat-lined twice in the past two hours. They think today..." she didn't finish her sentence and started to sob. I snatched the keys from her.

"I'm driving."

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The car ride to the hospital was silent. Before we got out, my mom placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Leah. You've just gotten back and so much has already been thrown on you," she was still crying. I just nodded my head. "But please, Lee-lah, please, try and be strong." Then she laughed half-heartedly. "But I don't have to tell you that. You're so strong already!" she sniffed. When we finally got out, I linked my arm in hers. We were going to go through this together.

Finally we were arrived.

Room 304. The name plate next to it read Clearwater, Harry. All of a sudden, my mom's breathing got heavy.

"I'm s-sorry, Leah. I can't go in...Not yet. You. You go in. Talk to him. I'll come in ten minutes," she didn't give time for me to respond and hurried down the other direction towards the waiting room.

So much for doing it together.

I looked at the door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. A sickly sweet smell bombarded me as soon as I walked in.

Vampire.

When he turned around, I saw his name tag. Dr. Cullen. The doctor-vamp smiled sadly at me, and looked at my dad. "Harry? You have a visitor." he said quietly. Then he walked out to give us some privacy. I hurried over to his bed side just as his eyes opened. I could tell he was trying to smile, but it looked like he was having a hard time doing it.

"L-Lee..." his breathing was shaky and shallow, but it was there. I rubbed my hand against his cheek. Back and forth...Back and forth...Just like he did when I was little. Dad leaned into the gesture.

"Yeah, Dad. It's me," I whispered, my voice shaking. And just like that, the dam broke. Fresh tears flooded down my cheeks. Dad's hands moved up a little, as if he was trying to brush them off my face. I smiled and put my small hands on his big ones. "It's okay. You don't have to." He relaxed.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"Mom's outside. Seth will be here soon. We're all here."

Silence...

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I'm so, so sorry." I was crying harder now.

"For what?"

"I left. Without the slightest explanation as to why. I got scared, and I left. But most importantly..." I laid my head on his stomach, my sobs becoming uncontrollable. "...most importantly, I left you. And Mom and Seth. I let all of you guys down for the most selfish reason. And I wish that with all my heart I could go back in time and turn things around. I'm just...I-I'm so..." I couldn't finish. It was the first time I'd cried in a year and a half, let alone in front of someone, and the tears were coming back with a vengeance. My dad stroked my hair.

"It's...Okay..." I sat up and hugged him. I pulled back and grabbed his hand.

"I'm going to miss you."

"Me too..." his fell limp in mine. I looked at his face and his eyes began to droop. The beep from the heart monitor was getting slower with every passing second.

"No...No! Dad? Daddy! Stay...No! I need you! No, Daddy, please! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! Don't leave me! Stay. With. ME!" Seth and my mom flew to the other side of the bed just as he opened his eyes once more. I'd been so caught up in my little speech, I hadn't seen them come in. Both were crying silently.

"L...eah..." he closed his eyes and didn't move. The continuous sound from the heart monitor explained it all.

Daddy was gone.

And I hadn't had the chance to tell him...

To tell him that...

"I love you..." But my words were drowned out by the sounds of my mother's sobs.