BPOV

Carlisle found Rose battered and seizing in her apartment this morning. It was when he saw Royce huffing his way through the lobby after his trip to Whole Foods that Carlisle knew something wasn't right.

The paramedics told him if he hadn't found her when he did that it would have been too late for her.

That's all we know for now is that she had been admitted.

Edward being the father that he was, put all his issues with Rose aside to meet Carlisle at the hospital.

I wanted to go with him but he asked me to stay with Hadley, which felt like an important role to be bestowed on me at the moment.

Charlie being here was my problem, so he was stuck here for the time being. He was in a strange city and I didn't feel right sending him back to my apartment.

Esme had all the food already started and Carlisle insisted he wanted her to stay with us at the house.

I might have also sent Emmett with Edward to keep an eye on him, though I think Em went more to feel the situation out. He was worried for Hadley but also his mother was a recovering alcoholic. She got sober when Em was taken by the state when he was little.

I'd always known Em to be a mama's boy since he talks to her at least once a day. When I told him a little more about Rose it was when he told me about his Mama.

Em's dad split much like Renee did, but they didn't have much. Em was born in the Tennessee mountains. His dad worked for a lumber company fresh out of high school and that is when Em's mama found out she was pregnant.

He was gone a week later.

Em's mom was still in school with only her senior year left so when she graduated she had Em almost a month later. She struggled working nights at the diner in town and during the day answering phones at the lumber company.

I think Edward was confused as to why I suggested Em, but if anything, he could make a dark situation light.

Edward hadn't gone into details on why they were leaving because he needed to know more from Carlisle and the doctors before he even told Hadley.

So here I am snuggling with Hadley on the couch and my dad sits petulantly brooding in the chair next to us while Esme is probably drowning the turkey in her tears.

"Bella?" Hadley asks, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, sweets?"

"Do you think Dad and Em will be back for dinner?"

Charlie's displeased grunt doesn't go unnoticed by me.

"Your dad said he's going to try to get back in time," I say, trying to reassure her again.

"I'm going to check on your auntie so keep Chuck in line," I tease, while Charlie glares daggers my way.

I maneuver my way around Hadley and make my way to the kitchen.

When I see Esme, she's checking on the turkey and only has remnants of tear tracks down her cheeks.

"How are you holding up in here?" I ask.

"I'm fine and then I cry," she huffs out a laugh through her nose, nostrils flaring much like her brother's do when he's frustrated.

"It's okay to cry, you've known her since she was little," I rationalize.

"Maybe that's some of it but it's more so for Hadley and Edward. Hadley because this is her mother, a mother who she loves unconditionally. Edward because he's always having to be the parent who steps up, he has to clean up her messes all for keeping up the appearance of Rose being a good mother in her daughter's eyes," she gets out before she lets a sob rip out.

The only thing I can do is hug her.

"Sorry," she apologizes once she pulls back.

"No need to apologize, the whole situation is sad for everyone involved," I say honestly.

I might not be Rose's biggest fan, but I wish her no ill will.

I wasn't naïve about the fact that she'd be staying away for a long time, but I wanted her to be a great mother to Hadley because Hadley deserved to have both her parents in her life. I just hope that Rose is okay and can survive this.

Esme looks at me and her face softens, again she looks so much like her brother right now.

"I know your dad is giving you guys a hard time right now, but I am glad you're here with us," she says, giving my hand a squeeze.

"My dad will get over it," I say, but if I'm being honest, this is the first time he's given me pushback on anything like this.

At first, in the back of my head I wondered why, but the more of a fight he put up in Edward's office, I wondered if he was finally feeling the impact of my move to New York. Like he realized that I was actually building my life here.

I was building my life here, I had my friends and work but most importantly I had something really special going on with Edward. Hadley also was something I hadn't expected but knew I couldn't live without her in my life.

So maybe Charlie was scared he was losing me, but he needed to realize he'd always be my dad and I need him in my life in some capacity for the rest of my days. I was going back for Christmas even though I no longer had a room and would have to sleep on his shitty couch in the finished basement-turned-man cave.

When I get Charlie back to my place he's definitely getting a talking-to for how he's behaved in front of Edward. I can handle my dad but the way Edward stood up for me was hot.

"You're one tough cookie," is all she says before she gives me a hug.

I hug her back.

When I pull away I move to the door not intending to go back out there, but when I hear light chatter in the living room my interest is piqued.

"Bella," Esme admonishes with a laugh.

I hold my finger to my lips before opening the door only slightly.

"Bella and I watch this after school sometimes," I hear Hadley explain.

"Does Bella watch you a lot after school?" Charlie asks, but I can hear annoyance etching his tone.

"Not really," Hadley answers. "When she hurt her hand she would hang out with me. My dad wanted to pay her because she wasn't working but she refused."

"That's when she started dating your dad?"

Jesus' way to interrogate a nine-year-old, Chuck.

Hadley's answer is cautious. "No, Bella was still giving him a hard time then."

I want to snort because Edward would say that.

"So Bella gives your dad a hard time?"

"She loves giving Dad a hard time," she says with a giggle.

I do love busting Edward's balls, but I have slowly stepped back on busting said balls. Love makes us do crazy things.

There is silence and I'm worried I've been caught but Charlie starts to speak again.

"Uh, has Bella met your mom?" he asks.

I almost put the kibosh on the whole conversation but Hadley can hold her own.

"My mom was mean to Bella at the restaurant. My aunt and uncle took care of it, but sometimes my mom isn't nice and she disappoints all of us," she says wisely.

This kid guts me.

I'm holding my hand to my chest and Esme mouths 'What?', to me.

I retreat from the door.

"You're niece is so compassionate and observant. I pray to God that Rose survives this because if not, Hadley will be the one that suffers," I say with a sigh.

"What did she say to him?"

"He was interrogating her like a perp and she said that her mom was mean to me and that her aunt and uncle took care of it, but sometimes her mom isn't nice and she disappoints all of you," I repeat with my voice cracking at the end.

"That girl is Edward made over," Esme says with a sniffle.

I cock my head in curiosity.

I know that Edward lost his parents when he was Hadley's age, but that's the most he's said about them, not talking about them otherwise.

Their deaths' had to have taken a toll on him.

"What was he like when he was younger?" I ask her.

"When he was little he was the sweetest, our mom had him in piano lessons which he took very seriously. His instructor told her that he was a prodigy. They were coming back from a recital he had outside the city when the accident happened. He never played again," she says with a sigh.

"He blamed himself and I spent years trying to convince him otherwise. As time passed, he stopped talking about mom and dad. I had a full twenty years with them and was starting my adult life but Edward was still so young."

I know how that feels because even though Renee was probably very much alive, she left me when I was six. My memories of her get fuzzier as time passes.

I know we both don't want that for Hadley.

"They had me young and Edward had been a total surprise to us all. I lived my life as an only child until I was ten," she explains. "But when Edward came, he had our mother wrapped around her finger. I remember always feeling like they had all these rules for me but he had none."

"Classic youngest child," I pipe up.

She laughs before squinting at me.

"Says the only child," she teases.

I stick my tongue out.

"Our parents were so in love, like I always said, I wanted a marriage like theirs'… Carlisle and I came pretty damn close," she sighs.

"I think yours is still pretty great, all this messiness with Rose seems to be the only bump," I tell her honestly.

The way Carlisle looks at her tells me all I need to know about how much he loves her, but Rose has made everyone choose a side. To be fair, he is her uncle and I'm sure he feels responsible for her to some extent or maybe he's just feeling guilty.

Even some of our coworkers won't talk to me out of solidarity for Rose.

I get it.

I'm not for everyone.

"Carlisle is always trying to save people," she muses. "Rose isn't the first and certainly won't be the last he tries to save."

"Who was the first?"

"Me," she says simply.

I look at her questionably.

"I lost my parents and suddenly had a little boy that depended on me, not to mention I wasn't even out of college yet. That first year was a nightmare for me, but then I met Carlisle and he was just there all the time. I kept him away from the house because I was afraid he'd be chased off—"

"He wasn't." I smile.

"No, he wasn't," she smiles in return. "He wanted to meet Edward and from the moment they met Edward worshiped the ground he walked on. Until recently, I thought nothing could change that," she says while her eyes grow distant.

"Were they close after Hadley was born?"

She nods.

"I think the reason this time is different is that Carlisle realizes that she might be too far gone. He's trying to fight for her soul," she murmurs.

I feel the lump in my throat form.

I silently pray to God that Rose survives this.