Chapter 22:

A/N: Sorry that they are both short chapters, but it was all I had time for. I promise to start giving lengthier chapters later.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"So you caught Max up on the gossip, then?"

I stared at the ceiling of my room as I laid on the floor. My legs were curled slightly to the side for my feet to rest behind my thighs. Tanya's head was next to mine, her hand holding mine near our heads with our fingers intertwined. Kate was in the same position as me with the top of her head almost touching mine and Irina on my right, her head almost touching the side of mine. Our bodies basically made a plus sign.

The Denali sisters had decided to pay me a surprise visit after they had finished hunting—after texting me first—in my room and had found me lying on the floor staring at the ceiling as I listened to my music. They had joined me on the floor—after making sure I wasn't dead—and we had been there since.

I nodded as the song switched to another in the background. "Yep," I said, popping the "p" at the end. "He was pretty interested in how it went from Charlie screaming at Kate in front of the café to Tanya and I walking in holding hands."

"I would be," Tanya said. "That was two extremes with about three days between them. People generally find that disorienting."

Irina cocked her head. "Did you tell him how Tanya almost tore that Frisbee apart for interrupting your first kiss?" she asked, tilting her head up slightly in a movement to look at me.

I smiled and Kate laughed. Tanya was grumbling something next to me while I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I also told him how I had to evacuate the two boys before Tanya went savage."

"I was not that bad," the blonde defended. "I was simply trying to get over the annoyance of being interrupted is all."

"By destroying the park," Kate said.

"Whatever."

The three of us laughed as Tanya pouted next to me just before I heard footsteps and my door opening. Charlie stuck his head in to find the four of us on the ground. "Oh, I thought I heard voices up here," he said. "It's nice to see you three again."

I lifted my head with the Denali sisters. "Hey, Dad."

"Nice to see you too, Charlie," Kate returned as she turned over onto her side to not be in such an awkward position while she talked to him. "How are you?"

He shrugged. "Alright, I suppose, nothing really happened today besides having to calm down an old woman who forgot where her car was," he said with a small smile at the end.

"I'm sure she appreciated the help," Irina chuckled.

He shrugged. "All in a day's work," he said. He cocked his head. "What about you four?"

I shrugged. "Just chilling."

"I can see that," he said. He began to back out of my room. "Anyway, I may be catching up with some friends from the station later, Bella, in case you come down and I'm not here."

I nodded with a thumbs-up. "Cool beans."

He grabbed the door. "Come and get me if you need anything."

"You got it."

The door closed and he walked away.

We returned to our original positions and began to stare up at the ceiling. Kate suddenly spoke up, "I believe that we are finally getting on Charlie's good side."

Irina and Tanya hummed in agreement. "I think so too," Tanya said. "He definitely doesn't look at me and imagine my head on fire anymore, so that's progress."

I chuckled. "He likes you guys," I said. "He hasn't stopped being suspicious of you, don't get me wrong as he is a father, but he is starting to like you more. I think you'll be in the clear after another month or so."

"That's comforting to know," Irina said. "I don't particularly like worrying about if my practical little sister's father doesn't like me or not. It's a little disturbing to think about."

I reached over and awkwardly patted her shoulder thanks to my angle. "Don't worry," I said, "you guys are far higher on his scale than the Cullens. So you always have that to be glad about."

Kate huffed. "I'd hope we are," she grumbled. "Otherwise I'd be pretty pissed off. Being seen as anywhere close to them in Charlie's mind is probably more insulting than a snide comment about my looks."

The other two sisters huffed in agreement, scowling towards the ceiling as they thought about it. I sighed. "You know they are still your family, guys. You can't resent them forever."

"Maybe," Tanya agreed. She tilted her head to get a better look at me. "But that doesn't mean we have to happy with them at the moment. They are family, yes, and we have known them for many years, but what they did to you was wrong. And, frankly, I think they will have a lot of groveling to do if they wish to make our beasts not flare every time they're mentioned."

Irina and Kate grumbled under their breath. "More like centuries of groveling," Kate snorted.

I leaned forward to kiss Tanya's forehead. "I appreciate that you care that way, and that your beasts care as much as well, but do remember that I've come to peace with it," I reminded.

"We do," Irina assured, "we definitely remember that you are at peace with it, but that makes it much harder for us."

I furrowed my brow as I turned my head to face the dirty blonde. "What do you mean?" I asked, arching a brow.

Irina turned her head before she turned to by lying on her stomach to face me. I did the same, causing Tanya to release my hand before I gave her the other to hold when I faced Irina. "While you are at peace with it," she started, "and we are glad you are good enough to not be so resentful towards them, it makes us…feel like you are vulnerable to be broken again."

"Vulnerable?"

Kate nodded as she turned to join the conversation. "Yes," she said. "You forgiving the Cullens would leave a door open for them to enter your life again. To us, that is an invitation for your heart to be broken again, and with everything you have already been put through, it is the last thing we wish to allow. Our instincts are basically telling us to not let the Cullens anywhere around you and to keep any form of heartbreak from happening."

"So…You are kind of going through what Charlie did with me earlier when we first met you?" I asked, trying to make sure I had a good idea of it.

Tanya nodded, turning over to join us. "More or less," she said as she switched our hands again. "However, this is slightly more different as well, you know."

I nodded, stroking the pad of my thumb on the back of her hand. "Yeah, I get it," I agreed. I cocked my head to the side. "I haven't necessarily forgiven them, though."

"You haven't?" Irina asked.

I shook my head. "Not really, no," I said. "I am mad at them for leaving me still, for breaking my heart and not really giving me any form of closure besides a cowardly goodbye." I sighed. "But, I have come to accept the fact that it happened. It's a part of my life and it is a part of me now; just as much as it is a part of them. I can't change it, nor would I because it gave me—in a strange way—a life I never would have had without them leaving. I wouldn't be so close to the Pack or Charlie." I looked up. "I wouldn't be here in Alaska now with you. So, I guess you could say that I'm mad at the persons, but not the moment itself."

Tanya scooted closer to me, pressing more into my side as Irina and Kate smiled. "I am glad you are here with us," Kate said, "even if it did have to come out of a sucky reason, but still. You're like the sister we never got to have."

I smiled at her. "And you guys are…Well, the vampire family of every person's dream."

The three chuckled and leaned forward to give my head small pecks. Tanya, of course, was on the corner of my mouth while Kate kissed my forehead and Irina my cheek. The two latter gave my skin small nuzzles with their noses before they pulled away while Tanya kept herself practically buried in my hair, inhaling my scent.

I wasn't complaining, though.

I rested my head on my arm. "So," I said, "what is the plan exactly for my next chemo? Are you all coming or just some of you?"

"I'm pretty sure we're all attending," Tanya said in my hair. "At least, that was the plan when we last talked about it at the house."

Kate cocked her head. "Of course, we don't all have to go if that will make you uncomfortable," she said. "I'm sure we can split it up and stuff if needed."

I shook my head. "No, it's fine, I was just wondering." I smiled, giving a small shrug. "Really, more people are probably better—that way I get to have more entertainment."

Irina snorted. "Well, I can assure you that entertainment will not be a problem with this bunch." She motioned with her hand around the group, starting with Kate. "We have the child—"

"Hey."

"—the teenager," Irina continued, "the cancer patient and the crazy girlfriend. And, on the side, two semi-adults that have mood swings between parent and sibling. What's not to like?"

I grinned at her and Tanya glared. "I am not a crazy girlfriend."

Kate snorted. "You practically threw me through a wall after I accidently punched her too hard in the arm," she said.

I mentally sniggered. It was after the check-up appointment when we went back to their house. We had been gathered in the living room with Kate and me versing each other in Mario Cart. We were so into the game we were screaming and moving with our characters until I won.

I was throwing my arms up in victory as Kate suffered from the sting of losing to me, and, well, she punched me in the arm. It wasn't hard, just joking in a way that usually wouldn't hurt someone, but it was hard enough to make me grunt a little.

Tanya had been on the couch the entire time, reading a magazine, but as soon as Kate hit my arm and the grunt left my mouth, she was in action. In a blur, Kate was thrown into the wall with Tanya kneeling next to me and a protective arm around my shoulders.

Now, while everyone would generally be concerned for Kate having been thrown into a wall—hard enough to leave cracks in it—the scene was pretty hilarious since Tanya wouldn't stop fretting over me after it happened. Besides, Kate was fine, and, by her words, "had been through more than a simple wall" in her time.

The blonde next to me slipped her arm through mine to pull our bodies closer together; if that were even possible. "I was simply trying to get you back before you could do any damage to her," she clarified.

"Uh-huh," Kate said suspiciously.

Tanya huffed, not replying, and her chin rested on my shoulder. I could almost feel her mind thinking of all the curse words she was mentally throwing at Kate right now. I couldn't stop my small chuckle from her poutiness as she held onto me like a little girl being told something she knew was right, but still denied the fact it was.

It was cute.

"So," Irina continued, "what exactly is the plan for the treatment? What time do we need to get you there and everything?"

I thought. "Pick me up around six thirty in the morning or so. My appointment is scheduled for seven, so getting there a little earlier would be a good idea in case anything else is needed. Not to mention it gives the rest of the day to relax afterwards," I said.

"Is there anything else we should know?" Kate asked. "Perhaps like things to bring or the food?"

I shook my head. "Bring a book or some kind of game for us to play, if you want. The food I'll let you know about when we get there and the rest of it is pretty laid back. You'll figure it out as we go along, don't worry."

"You sure?" Tanya checked.

I nodded, smiling a little as I turned to look at her. "I'm sure, Tanya. I'm seasoned in this, trust me." I gave her forehead a small kiss to assure her, but when I pulled away I saw the smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

…

"Oh my god."

"What?" Charlie asked, looking up over the top of his newspaper at the kitchen counter. It was currently dinner time at the Swan residence and we had just finished as Charlie caught up on his sport's section.

I shook my head with a sigh. "They are starting to drive me crazy," I said as I texted back with the answer to the question Carmen asked.

He immediately began chuckling. "Oh, the Denalis and the chemo?"

I nodded, looking up after I sent the message. "I swear, it's like just because it's tomorrow a switch in their heads has flipped for them to panic."

He shrugged. "You can't really blame them," he said. "It is their first time taking you to chemo after all, and probably their first time ever being in a chemo room. They're just stressed about what to do and what not to do—it probably seems more real since it's the eve of the first day."

I sighed. "I suppose so, but I've answered the same questions that I have been asked by the Pack or anyone else about fifty times in the past two weeks in contrast to the ten over the past two years."

Charlie laughed as he folded up the paper. He set it down and grabbed our plates. "Ah, don't worry. After tomorrow they'll be totally fine with the next time they take you. The first one is just the way to break the ice is all," he said as he walked to the sink.

I got up to help clean the counter off by grabbing the cups and silverware. "I suppose," I sighed. "It's just a little annoying being asked fifty times a day what to do."

"We were like that to with the doctors, you know."

"True."

I dropped the cups and silverware into the sink before I went back and grabbed the napkins to dump in the trash. My phone went off as he continued, "Try to think of it in a positive way."

"What positive way?" I asked as I headed for the trash.

He shrugged. "Well, perhaps think of it as grooming another set of personal slaves to wait on you hand and foot. That's pretty much what the rest of us do, and if Tanya is as committed as she seems to be in making sure not a hair on you is harmed, she'll be walking on egg shells."

I snorted, getting a mental image. "Probably, though she would resort to placing a neon sign above my head that said 'No Touchy' with bodyguards."

He chuckled. "That is a far more amusing image I'll admit." He began to rinse off the silverware. "However, I think that the rest of the Denalis would be the bodyguards since I've seen Kate practically tear a guy's heart out for bumping into you. She can be…convincing at times."

He shivered slightly as I held back a smirk, remembering when she and Irina came to "kidnap" me. Charlie looked ready to piss his pants after Kate growled at him, and now it was a pretty hilarious image to have in my head when I wasn't pissed at him.

I smiled when my phone went off again. I pulled it out of my pocket as he continued, "Anyway, my point is you'll be fine tomorrow. And, another good point is that after these fifty questions they will be greatly prepared for it."

"Fifty-one. Kate just asked me if she needed to bring a guitar."