Hey everyone. So, I got a chapter finished! That's exciting to you I'm sure. Especially with not having been here to post for quite some time.

So things are getting steadily better. They're not 100% better yet, but I'm hoping something will be happening very soon to make it better, so please leave a few prayers for me! I'd really appreciate it.

Okay. We all know what you're here for. Just don't forget, I don't own the T-Saga. That's all SM. I just like to pretend!

See you at the bottom!

Chapter 19: Rude Awakening

I felt my forehead crease as the sounds penetrated my sleep-addled brain. Although there were many voices, I couldn't understand what they were saying. It was like my ears were under water. I could hear beeping behind all of those voices, loud and obnoxious. Where the hell was I? Someone was pulling my hand away from the warmth inside of it. When the heat disappeared I felt my eyes open. Everything was blurry and I ran my hands over my eyes. As my vision cleared I took in the room I was in.

It was daylight outside. And by the looks of it late in the day. I quickly looked at the clock. Holy shit. It's one in the afternoon. I guess that's what happens when you make yourself stay awake. I looked around bleary eyed. There were doctors and nurses everywhere. My father in the midst of it all, standing over a bed. Bella's bed. He was saying…. something? I shook my head to get rid of the cobwebs and was finally able to hear him. I felt like my heart was going to break right out of my chest.

"Look at me! Come on, look right in my eyes. I'm right here Bella. You need to calm down. I need you to stop trying to pull the tube out. Breathe around it Bella. Come on, slow breaths. In. Out. Good. Come on slower. That's right. It's me, Carlisle. You're fine. Just take really slow breaths and everything will be okay. That's my girl. Very good."

For the first time since waking up I looked at the bed. Bella. Her beautiful eyes were open and her hands were flailing around her throat. Carlisle grabbed a hold of her wrists and placed her palms against his face.

"Look at me, Bella." He spoke very commandingly and I saw her eyes follow towards him. I saw her chest slow its movement to a more calming breathing and the bells and whistles going off in the room started to slow down. The nurses were trying to keep the monitors in control or something, but I didn't really care so long as Bella was safe and okay. I let their presence fall into the background and focused all my attention on my father and my love.

He was staring at her with a bright smile on his face. I know if he wouldn't have been here in a professional capacity there would be tears running down his face, but as it was there was a slight glimpse of tears in his eyes. Bella had tears falling in rivulets down her eyes but I couldn't tell if it was due to pain, fear, or happiness to be awake. I know mine were in happiness.

I didn't want to get in the way of the doctors and nurses running around the room, so I stayed in the corner where I had been pushed against when I first awoke and watched as my Bella ran her fingers over my father's cheeks and jaw. There wasn't a more defining moment than seeing her wake from her coma and having my father be there to show her she was safe.

"Alright Bella, listen to the sound of my voice. I want to try to ask you some questions. Can you squeeze once for yes, and two for no?"

He took one hand off his face and held it within his own. After a moment I saw my father's smile light the room. I tried to be quiet, to keep the moment about her, but the sobs that were leaving my chest erupted loudly in my own ears but were probably just above a quiet speaking tone. I watched as Bella's eyes darted toward the sound and look in my general direction. I saw her squeeze my father's hand repeatedly. Over and over and over again, like she was trying to get some type of question out to him, she squeezed his hand.

"Yes. Yes, Bella, it's Edward. He's sitting in the corner of the room. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

One squeeze!

"Very good, Bella. You're doing wonderfully. I need you to keep fighting through the fog right now and breathing slowly or else I'm going to have to put you back under."

Two squeezes. Two very hard squeezes if any indication from the grimace on my father's face.

"Okay, Bella. I know, you don't want to go back under, so I need you to keep breathing slowly okay?

One squeeze.

"Good girl. Now I need you to tell me how bad your pain is. Is it really bad?

Slight pause. Two squeezes.

"Is it slightly okay?"

One squeeze.

At this point even I knew she was lying. The pain she has to be feeling right now must be extraordinary. I knew she didn't want to go back to sleep, but she would need to get the rest she required if she was going to get any better. I motioned to my father who turned towards me and nodded. He understood what I was asking and I hobbled over to Bella's bed. I took hold of her hand from my father and she squeezed so tightly I thought she'd break it.

"Bella baby, it's me. The doctors need to be able to take care of you properly so we can get you better. You need to tell Dad how your pain is. Please baby, I know it hurts. Tell them."

I saw her eyes look at me and the tears continued falling as she squeezed my hand over and over and over. Then she'd stop and squeeze again. Three times. She would squeeze my hand three times and then stop. Like she was waiting for me to reply. A memory came to me quickly as she continued doing this.

Bella and I at her home watching movies and snuggling on the couch, her back to my front. My arm was wrapped around her waist, our fingers entwined close to her lips. I felt her squeeze my hand three times and I smiled. It was a sweet moment where it was something we did by ourselves. A special little moment that only we understood. I squeezed her hand back four times and felt her giggling against me. I turned her body towards mine and leaned in for a kiss. Right before I did I spoke the words back to her…

"I love you too, baby. God I love you so fucking much Bella. Please baby. Tell Carlisle."

I looked back to my father and he nodded at me while looking at Bella. "Okay Bella, now tell me. Are you in a lot of pain?"

She looked back over to me and then squeezed once. I nodded to my father.

My dad smiled. "Good girl. I know you're in a lot of pain. We're going to put you back under shortly. I just need you to hold out for a little longer. When you wake up, we're going to take the tube out. Do you understand."

She squeezed once. I nodded again.

"You're doing beautifully, baby." I kissed the back of her hand while the tears continued running down my face. She ran the back of her pointer finger across my cheek, taking the tears away as it passed.

A few moments late dad spoke again, "Bella we're going to let you go back to sleep now, okay? You try to get some rest. We'll see you in a little while," my father kissed his fingertip and brought it to her forehead. He turned to a nurse that stood by her IV and she took a syringe full of, what I assume are pain meds, and added it to the tube in her IV. I turned to look back at Bella and kissed the back of her hand again.

"Don't worry I'll be here when you wake up, Baby. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

I watched her eyes start to close, but before they closed completely I felt four soft squeezes against my skin.

I love you more…

~*~*LLNO*~*~

Bella slept the rest of the day and night through. Dad said she had woken prematurely but that it was a good sign that she was trying to get to us. I just wanted her to wake back up again so I could see her beautiful eyes. I knew it was for the best that she sleep. She was still in so much pain, though a portion of that was probably the tubes down her throat.

I called Charlie, letting him know Bella woke up and had been coherent. We sat on the phone together and cried for a solid ten minutes. I listened to him thank God over and over again as I heard him sob harder and harder. I heard Alice in the background when she first arrived and I heard her freaking out at first, thinking the worst, when it was actually the best news we had received in a long time. Charlie quickly quieted her fears and I told Charlie I would see him later when he showed up at the hospital.

I quickly called my mother, letting her know everything as well. She had already spoken to my father and told me how happy she was for us. I knew she'd call Rose and Emmett, who I believed had Alyssa (quite honestly I was so dead tired, I wasn't sure who had her at that point… don't judge…) but I made sure to let her know I wanted to tell Alyssa. She agreed and we hung up.

Bella was still asleep at ten the next morning when Rose and Emmett showed up in the waiting room. Alyssa was in Rose's arms and I took her from Rose, stating we'd be out in the garden. We walked (well, she walked, I hobbled…) outside where I let her run her fingers over the petals of the flowers. Alyssa hadn't said anything the entire time. I sat on one of the benches and laid my crutch beside me.

"Honey, I wanted to tell you something, okay? Can we talk really quick?"

She nodded her head and I heard her sniffle. "Is mommy in Heaven now too?"

I quickly pulled her against me, and took her face in mine so she would see I was being truthful.

"No, baby. Mommy isn't in Heaven. She didn't die. Mommy woke up last night."

Her eyes turned hopeful and I saw the tears glimmering in her eyes. "Really?"

I nodded my head and her smile took my breath away. She wrapped her little arms around my neck so tightly. I curled my arms around her and just breathed her in. This little girl was just so precious to me. I needed to keep her safe forever. I hate that all these bad things have been happening to her lately. She needed her mommy back… she needed her mommy and daddy back home with her.

"I wanna go see her, daddy."

I cringed slightly and it made her pull back. She looked at me confused. "Daddy, I wanna go see my mommy. Why can't I?"

I took a deep breath. "Baby, mommy still has a lot of ouchies on her, that she needs to heal from before you can go in. I know you want to see your mommy and I promise the moment the doctor says it is okay, I will come and get you, and bring you in to see her."

She looked at me for a long moment. She then held up her pinky. "Promise?"

I took her pinky in my mine and kissed it. "I promise. The very moment the doctor says you can go see her, I will come and get you."

She nodded and wrapped herself back around me. We stood, her hand in mine, as we went back to the waiting room. Emmett and Rosalie were standing there talking to Jasper and Alice, who I learned had just left Bella's room.

"She hasn't woken up yet, but dad's in there now."

I nodded and we sat in the waiting room waiting for Charlie. Alyssa had wrapped her fingers in my hair, playing with the strands, while sitting on my knee. The others were talking to each other softly, but I couldn't bring myself to add to the conversation. I was too wrapped up in the little girl… my daughter… on my knee. God, it felt amazing to say that. My daughter…

I didn't notice the quick steps coming toward us until Charlie was standing in front of me. I looked up and saw him wiping the tears from his face. I handed Alyssa over to Rose and stood up. I got a little worried.

"Charlie?"

He shook his head and a blinding smile lit his face. He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed slightly. "She's awake. She was looking for you. I told her I'd come find you."

We quickly moved back into Bella's room and I saw her looking around for me. When her eyes passed Charlie to me as we entered I watched her reach her hand towards me, and her eyes start to tear up again. Faster than I thought possible I was beside her, her hand in mine, my other hand on her forehead.

"It's okay, baby. I'm right here. No tears."

She squeezed my hand three times. I squeezed hers four. The tears in her eyes fell towards her hair and I quickly wiped them away.

"You're alright Bella. I'm here. We're both here. I love you, so much baby; so, so much."

She let my hand go and motioned towards the tube in her throat. I knew she wanted that thing out, and out right now.

"Okay, baby, I'll call for dad and we'll see what he wants to do."

Charlie left to go get the nurse and inform them to get my dad. Bella and I stayed staring at each other. She kept looking all over my face, like she was trying to memorize it or something. I watched her eyes lead to the hand on her forehead, covered in the cast. She then started looking at my chest and further down to my leg. I realized then she was taking inventory of my injuries. I took my thumb and tapped it against her hand. Her eyes rose back up to meet mine and I smiled down at her.

"I'm fine."

She rolled her eyes at me and I could practically hear her in my head.

"Tell that to the casts and bandages on your body."

"Okay, so I've got a couple of booboos, but I'm fine, really love, I'm fine."

Her eyes widened at what I said. I could hear the beeps on the heart monitor getting louder and I couldn't understand what was causing her to freak.

"Bella, honey, try to get me to understand what you're asking. I'm okay. Is it about me?"

She squeezed my hand twice. No. I moved my eyes away from hers to look around. There wasn't anything there except a few get well cards and a teddy bear from Alyssa… Alyssa.

"Honey, is it Alyssa? She's fine. She's here in the waiting room. She's just fine. She wasn't with us. Do you remember?"

I heard her monitor start to slow down. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was deep. She opened her eyes back up and looked at me and with a slightly shaking hand she squeezed once.

"That's good baby. That's really good. Alyssa's fine, she's been hanging out with Rosalie and Emmett. They're really getting attached to her. We might have some competition with them." I tried to joke and I felt her squeeze my hand tightly.

My father walked into the room with another nurse. I tried to move away but she held tightly to my hand. Dad nodded his okay and moved a chair behind me so I could sit beside her. He then walked around to the other side of the bed and leaned over her.

"It's so good to see you awake again, sweetheart. I talked to your other doctors and they said it was okay to take the breathing tube out now. We're going to set it up and on the count of three you're going to cough hard. Do you understand?"

She squeezed my hand once and I nodded to my dad.

They started to wipe some liquid around the tape of the tube on Bella's face, to help the tape to come off easily. Slowly they pulled the tape away from her cheeks, keeping the tube steady against her mouth. When all the tape was gone dad counted to three and told Bella to cough. When she did he pulled the tube out quickly, causing her to cough harder. I cringed because it just looked so damn painful. My poor Angel.

"That's good Bella, you did wonderfully. He held a Styrofoam cup to her lips to which she took slow pulls from. When they pulled it away from her lips I heard her sigh. She looked over at me and the most beautiful sound I ever heard came from her lips.

"Eh-wa."

Alright! So. There's Chapter 19. I don't have Chapter 20 written. Yes, I know, I'm mean. I am trying to get back on track here..

So don't forget to review everyone. I miss seeing my inbox light up with reviews...

I don't know how much longer the story will be going, but it won't be much longer. I do have another story idea in mind... and I'm going to try to plan it better than this one, so that I get the chapters through faster. So don't forget to add me to your author list. Until then..

See you next time!