Hey guys, another update. This one isn't as bad as the last SGMW update, just a few bumps. This update is another present for the birthday girl from me. So, if you haven't, please wish Mina a happy birthday!

A huge thank you to kyla713 for putting up with me and going through this as well as packy.

I'll leave you all to it.

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Chapter 18-

It took a few days, but I'd slowly become used to sleeping with a fan on right beside the bed. After her first high dose of chemotherapy, Bella didn't seem to have many side effects. We all expected her to be sick, tired and not want to eat much. But as usual, our expectations were torn to pieces. Instead, Bella began to have hot flashes, but no fever. Hence the reason for the fan near our bed, downstairs and a small portable fan everywhere that Bella went.

It seemed that insomnia had taken hold of her. She slept maybe three or four hours at the most. I'd woken the past few nights to find her downstairs, trying to write, but only growing frustrated. So, I'd stay up with her and talk until sunrise. She'd usually fall asleep, wrapped up in my arms. My mom or dad would come downstairs and find us, and let us be while they started their morning. Mom had begun a routine of making Bella tea and a smoothie. She had yet to really eat a huge meal since chemo, but she hadn't lost her appetite.

The night before the second chemo appointment, Charlie had called to tell us he was boarding a flight and would be getting in late. He planned to check into a hotel near the cancer treatment center for her second dose. I had a churning feeling in my stomach that the second dose, only four days after the last one, was going to be a lot harder on Bella that go around. She'd definitely need her dad. He'd give her comfort that I couldn't.

Bella was asleep. She had refused lunch and had all of us worrying over her. My dad said it was most likely nerves, and the doctor in me knew that was highly possible. She had continued the premeds all week in preparation for the second dose. She hardly grumbled that time; just took pills and went about it. I was sure she saw there was no use in complaining, or maybe she just didn't have the energy to.

My mom walked in to where I was sitting in the living room, and tapped me on the shoulder. "I think you should try and wake her up so we can try and get some something into her before she sleeps through the night. I have a smoothie waiting for her, as well as some soup."

"Okay. Though, I bet she'll be grumpy with me. She threw a pillow at me last night." I laughed, shaking my head. "But I will go and wake her up. I should probably tell her that Charlie is on his way."

I made my way to our room and slowly opened the door. She looked so innocent, and entirely too still in her sleep. I hated having to wake her up, but she needed meds. Softly, I sat down on the bed and placed my hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her.

"Edward. You disrupt this dream, I will end you," she said, pulling up the blanket up and over her head.

"Come on, silly girl. I hate to wake you, but you need to get up. You've been napping for the whole afternoon." I pulled the blankets back off of her; that time, making it so that she couldn't pull them back up. I kissed her softly, causing her to giggle.

"Okay. Okay. I'm up. You happy now?"

"I knew you'd be a grump."

"You don't know just how grumpy me being a grump can get." She mock glared at me, before sitting up and trying to tame her bed head.

"Well, Mom has a smoothie for you and some soup, if you're up to eating, and your dad is on his way. You'll see him when we pick him up before you go to the clinic tomorrow," I said before helping her up off the bed and held her hand in mine as we made our way out to the living room.

My dad was waiting at the end of the hall, Bella's smoothie in hand. "Strawberry-banana this time, sweetheart," he said, smiling as he began to fuss over her. His hands passing over her forehead, checking her eyes, and then her pulse. "Why don't you come and sit down? Esme will bring in your soup. How do you feel? Are you up to a movie? You pick? I'll even sit through that dystopian movie you say I should watch, even though you still refuse to read the last book in the series."

Bella laughed and smiled as she looked up at my dad. "Sounds good. And please, don't be like Edward when he asks a gazillion questions while the movie airs."

"I solemnly swear..." my dad said, but was interrupted.

"Carlisle, Edward is a product of you, I'm anticipating you'll ask a million questions, doesn't mean I'll answer." She winked, before walking to go sit down.

"Here you go, Bella. I made your favorite cheddar broccoli soup, and Carlisle picked up some soft bread." My mom set it down in front of her, then handed Bella her medicine for the last dose of the night.

She didn't eat much, nor was she very talkative. She fell asleep halfway through the movie, with her head lying on my dad's shoulder, which then caused him to wrap his arms around her. I doubted he would move anytime soon. I looked over at him, watching him with my girl, noticing how much he was actually watching her. I couldn't help but smile when he softly kissed the top of her head before turning back and watching the rest of the movie.

"Carlisle, I think you and Edward should get her to bed. We have to come back early tomorrow to get them for the appointment."

"No, why don't you and Edward go on. I don't want to move her, she's too comfortable. I want her to get as much sleep as she can. I'll stay here. I'm sure my body will protest sleeping this way, but anything that will allow her to get more sleep is worth it."

"Okay," I replied. "I'm with you on her getting as much sleep as she can. I'll go get you guys a blanket and pillow if you need it."

I came back to find my mom curled up on the other end of the couch. I went and grabbed another blanket and covered them all up and turned off the lights.

It felt odd going back to our room without her, and something hit me deep in my chest. What if I had to, in the future, come back to an empty room, empty apartment and no Bella? Why does anxiety and stress have to hit you so hard at night?

It took me ages to fall asleep, thoughts and worries plaguing me through the night. I felt myself nodding off at about three in the morning, and was soon woken up by my alarm going off at seven. I got up, took a shower, and dressed. I made my way to the living room, finding my mom up and making breakfast.

"I went home for fresh clothes, and Charlie called ten minutes ago. I think he's anxious to see Bella, so we need to wake up the sleepyheads," my mom told me, before handing me a cup of coffee.

"Dad. Bella. Wake up." My dad woke first, and kissed Bella's head before softly jostling her awake. She smiled at my dad, hugging him before standing up off the couch and stretching. She was still a bit sleepy when we got her up and guided her toward the bathroom. She came down a short while later, drank a smoothie, and grabbed a to-go cup of tea, but ate nothing substantial. She took her meds, almost choking on the biggest one due to nerves.

Bella was silent on the way to her dad's hotel, her hands shaking. "You'll do great, love. You're doing so good, being so strong." I kissed her softly, holding her to me. We pulled up to the hotel, and Charlie climbed in soon after. He immediately hugged Bella to him, and refused to let go until we reached the clinic.

Her doctor wasn't there that time, most likely anticipating no problems. They called her back and hooked her up to the IV machine again. Once more, she had no problems, but complained of a strong metallic taste. She tried to suck on ice cubes, but ended up gagging.

Charlie was telling her about things back home to try and get her mind off things, but it didn't seem like she was completely into it. She'd nod and say the occasional yes, but I could tell that despite the anti-nausea meds they gave her, she was fighting the need to throw up. After all, chemo was poison; her body was bound to reject it, especially at such high doses.

"You okay, Bella?" Charlie asked and squeezed her hand.

She looked pale, sweaty. "Did we bring my fan? Really need my fan." I fished it out of the bag we had and handed it off to her. She then clicked it on to high and waved it around in front of her face.

"When did she start needing that? Is that normal?" Charlie asked, the worry evident in his voice.

"Not usual, but they did remove part of her uterus. And we are essentially poisoning her body. She's most likely going into early menopause. It's possible, I've heard of patients going through this, even in partial hysterectomies."

Charlie remained silent after that, his eyes shiny with unshed tears as Bella continued through her treatment. Once finished, she was entirely too weak; a lot weaker than the days before on her first dose. It broke my heart that she even had to go through it at all.

Charlie picked her up and carried her out, forgoing the wheelchair, while I stayed back and made her next appointment. She'd get a bit of a break after that treatment. She wouldn't have to come back until the following week on Tuesday. I made it for later in the afternoon the next time, to give her some reprieve. Especially if she ended up having setbacks from this dose.

I began to walk out to meet my family and go home, when Rosalie stopped me. "I forgot, her doctor wants to schedule her for a scan next Friday. We can do that here, if you'll come back with me and make an appointment." I followed her back and made appointment for earlier in the morning. I'm sure she'll be a fan of that, I thought sarcastically.

Once back in the car, I could see my dad and Charlie sitting in the back with her. They had their arms around her, so I sat in the front.

"You okay, love?" I asked, and she just nodded at me. I wanted nothing but to sit back there and hold her myself. "I'm sorry it took me so long, I had to schedule your next dose and a scan. I'm surprised the doctor wants one this early. So you have your next dose Tuesday in the afternoon, and your scan that Friday."

She let out a meek okay in reply.

We set her up in the living room with pillows and blankets. We could all tell that time was tougher than the last one. About a hour after her appointment, she threw off all her covers and bolted to the bathroom, and began throwing up. I rushed to her and held her hair back while I gently rubbed her back.

She continued to be sick, and I quickly learned that when she was throwing up, she'd cry. Each new sob of hers broke apart something inside of me as I tried to hold back my own tears.

Some time later, my dad came in with a glass of cold water and handed it off to me. He then got a wet washcloth so I could clean her up. She was so exhausted from being sick, that she was quickly falling asleep on the floor of the bathroom. It took both of us to help her get back out to the couch.

We let her be to sleep, and congregated back in the kitchen. Charlie sat down next to me, coffee in his hands. "She'd always cry when she was sick, and I wanted to be in there with her, but I know that is your place now. God, if I could trade places with her, I would in a heartbeat."

I didn't know what to say. All I could do was give him a half hug and try to reassure him. We were in the beginning phases of hard fought battle; I only hoped that this would be the worse part of the war.

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