I talked with Ana for a long time, filling her in on everything that she missed. Of course there were a lot of details I couldn't give. I had to be careful how I worded things. I told her about Edward's promotion, my doctor's appointment and showed her the engagement ring. Of course she was thrilled about everything, but I wasn't sure if she even had the energy to truly offer a reaction. She began to nod off after a while, I held her close, allowing her to sleep. Her head was on my shoulder. Her breathing was very shallow. I knew something just wasn't right. She felt so cold. I carefully moved the blankets around us, attempting to give her as much warmth as possible.

In the kitchen, I heard Edward on the phone and could smell the start of coffee being brewed. He had been giving us some privacy for a while now. I wasn't sure what was going on in his mind. But I had a suspicion that he was avoiding us. Even as he came into the living room, he kept his eyes away from us.

There was a quiet knock on the door. Edward immediately went to it, wordlessly. I watched as many people came walking in, each with a glum look on their faces. There was Emmett, Jacob and Katlyn.

My heart fell into the pit of my stomach. What was going on? Why was everyone so sad? Did something happen?

Everyone filled into the living room, taking seats on the couches, surrounding me and Ana. Edward finally returned to my side, moving his arm to lay around my shoulders. I couldn't read his expression, but I could feel his emotions raging war within him. There was sorrow, guilt and high amounts of anxiety.

"What's going on?" I asked looking around to each person.

At first no one spoke. The atmosphere was growing grim. The only thing I could hear was the rapid beating of my own heart.

"There is an update on my reaping list. That's… why I am here…" Jacob said, not meeting my eye contact. He looked at the floor, his face, empty.

I swallowed hard, letting his words sink in. "No,"

"It's the truth," Katlyn said, looking towards Ana. "Her time… is approaching quickly."

"No," I responded more forcefully.

This can't be happening. No. I can't allow this. Not Ana. Not when she has a chance to survive. The surgery. It can save her. We just needed to get her to a hospital.

"This is completely my fault. That curse, that was placed on her… the coma… had taken too massive of a toll on her body. It didn't allow her cancer medication to work effectively." Emmett said with a look of absolute anguish. "I'm… so sorry Bella. I didn't know… this would happen. I thought… I could have saved her from this fate. But it really is… all my fault."

I glared openly at Emmett, tears sliding hot down my cheeks. "No, you're lying."

"He isn't lying Bella. Ana's name has appeared on Jacob's reaping list. The cause of death is noted to being cancer spread to vital organs." Katlyn said calmly.

I held Ana even tighter to me as I quietly sobbed. My heart ached with a pain I never experienced before. I felt so guilty. My sister has been through so much and it felt like I totally failed her. The whole reason I came to this city was to save her from this cancer. Instead… because of me, she was dying. If she had never been allowed into this supernatural world, she wouldn't have become a target. If I would sent her to live with Uncle Charlie, none of this would have happened.

The others allowed me to grief for a while in silence. Edward remained close, his arm still around my shoulders, offering me a bit of comfort. He didn't say anything, but by him being here, was all the support I needed. I was a mess of emotions and heartache. I couldn't imagine going on through life, without my sister.

This couldn't be happening. She was only sixteen. She hasn't even experienced life yet. It was just so… unfair.

"Is there… nothing we can do to prevent this?" I wept as I looked among the others.

"No, at this point, all we can do is spend these last few moments with her." Katlyn said wiping her own face. Her shoulders trembled. I could see this was painful for her as well. Katlyn and Ana had spent a lot of time together since Ana moved in. In fact, she had been partially a caretaker to Ana for a while now.

"H-how much time do I have?" I stuttered.

Jacob cleared his throat. "The list says, she will be passing in five minutes." He still wouldn't look at anyone. He kept his head down.

Five minutes. That's all I had with her. I can't believe this. There was so much I wanted to say. Five minutes wasn't enough to say it all.

"Could… everyone leave the room… until it's time… I'd like… to be alone with her." I couldn't stop my tears. The agony of this moment was more than I could describe with words.

"Of course, we are all very sorry… for your loss…" Katlyn said as she stood up. Jacob and Emmett followed her to the kitchen. I reached out and stopped Edward from moving when he stood as well.

"Not you, please stay…"

Edward nodded but took a seat on the couch opposite us. He watched me closely, there was pain reflecting in his eyes. There were no words exchanged.

Softly, I shook Ana a little. "Hey, Ana, are you awake?"

Ana lightly opened her eyes, appearing dazed. A faint smile touched her lips. "Y-yeah... but I don't think I can stay awake much longer."

"Please try to stay awake for me okay. You said you wanted to talk with mom. Well, I wanted to know what you were going to say to her." I said quietly.

I knew there was no way I would be able to get in contact with mom in time. So, anything she wanted to say, I hoped she would be able to tell me, so I could pass along the message.

Ana's breathing was uneven, her eyes closed again, but she spoke softly. "Mom, you weren't a good mother. Most of the time… I hated you. But I realized, somewhere a long the way… you were doing the best you could… when you lost dad… you lost yourself as well. It was hard for you to keep living your life… and I guess I understand. I forgive you mom. I hope you get better. I hope we can all be a family again. I love you."

Even in the end, she couldn't turn her back on our mother… why? She had such a pure heart. I could never hope to be that kind of person. She was just too kind. I wished that she would have been like me and cut ties with that woman. But that's just who Ana was.

"You are such a good person Ana; I hope you know how much I love you." I said quietly, hugging her a little closer. Her body felt so stiff, and I couldn't seem to get her any warmer. It was like holding onto a statue.

"Bella, I really don't feel well… I think I should take… a nap." Ana sighed; her body had begun to tremble. She was breaking down, right before my eyes.

"No, not yet please," I begged her. "There are still things I'd like to talk about…"

"I'm just… so tired." Ana muttered softly. "I wish dad was here." Tears slid down her cheeks now. She didn't open her eyes. I could see that she was scared. Did she realize what was happening?

"I wish he was here too." I cried along with her.

"I'm starting to think… I might die soon… I'm… so scared Bella."

"Don't be scared, I'm right here," I took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm right by your side." I reassured her.

"Well, just in case… I must tell you something. A secret. I just hope you won't be angry with me." Her voice sounded even weaker now. It felt like she was forcing herself to stay alert.

"I would never be angry with you. You can tell me anything."

"Mom got drunk, the night you moved out of the house. She mentioned to me that you had been adopted. She told me to never tell you. Mom and dad had planned on telling you when you got older, but when dad passed away, mom lost the courage to tell you." Ana said, just for a moment, she opened her eyes. "But I never cared about that. Blood or not, we are sisters. Okay?"

Surprise rattled through my body. I felt myself freeze. There were many emotions that came. But I pushed all of that back. Now wasn't the time to focus on this new information. There would be time later to process all that. Right now, I had to be here for Ana. Just her.

"It's okay, is there anything else… you need to tell me?"

Ana shook her head slightly. "That's all. I think… I'm going to take a nap. I can't… stay awake anymore." Her head now shifted to lean against my shoulder. At the same moment, Jacob entered the room.

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach. He was dressed in his full reaper attire. A black cloak. He appeared completely skeletal. But I could still tell it was him. The sight of him was frightening. But as he moved into the room, there was a gentleness to his movements.

"No," I cried heavily as I looked down at Ana's lifeless body. "Please don't go." She didn't have a pulse. She wasn't breathing anymore. She was gone. Only a faint smile remained on her face.

"I'm sorry Bella, please… stand aside. I need room to do this." Jacob said without any hint of emotion in his tone. He still wouldn't look at me.

I couldn't move. I didn't want to. Edward had to come over and physically move me away. He carried me bridal-style away from Ana. He held me on the other side of the living room.

Jacob lightly positioned Ana's body, so she was lying on her back on the couch. Then, he held his hand over the area of her heart. There was a long pause. I watched, shaking with breathless sobs.

Suddenly I watched as intricate designs began etching into her skin, it started from where his hand was hovering, deep black tattoos covered her from her chest, down to her arms. At the same time, I watched as a flicker of light emanated from Ana's body. The light slowly moved upwards from her, and into Jacob's hand. From his skeletal hand, it disappeared.

"W-what just happened… that marking… it looks like…the eternal marking." I stuttered, turning to Edward, still in anguish.

Edward nodded with a hint of a smile. "Yes, it turns out… Jacob found his life partner in Ana…"

Jacob stood over Ana's body, frozen. There was a shift, grey dust busted around him, flesh began to form back on his arms and face. Soon, he was back in his human form. Tears were streaming down his face. Lightly, he reached out, lightly stroking Ana's cheek.

"So, I finally found you huh…" I heard him whisper.

"Well, what does this mean? She is… gone… what will he do now?" I asked, wiping at my tears. I wanted to go over to Ana, but I couldn't. Not when I knew what was happening. She wasn't there anymore. Her soul was gone. Reaped by Jacob. All that remained was her empty body.

"It means, Ana will be reborn as a reaper. Now that she received the eternal mark, her soul can't truly become reaped." Edward said softly.

"B-but… I mean, how? What is the process of that. I thought I just saw her soul… getting taken. That light. Didn't Jacob take it?"

"Since the marking happened after her death, she will be reincarnated, formed into the vessel of a true reaper. The grim creates these vessels, once her soul has reached him, he will place her soul into the vessel, and she will be brought back to this plane of existence." Edward explained.

"So, her soul is gone. This body left behind… can be buried. She won't return to her old body." I asked as Edward gently placed me back to my feet.

Jacob turned to look at me. "That body is meaningless. It's her soul that matters. Once the grim places her soul into a new vessel, she essentially will be back, as if nothing happened."

"So, she will look different. But it will still be her? She will have all her memories… I mean… she will know who she is… she won't forget us?"

"Exactly, her soul contains all her memories and her sense of self. There is nothing to worry about. Now, we just have to wait for her return." Jacob said with a grin.

Finally, I was able to breathe out a sigh of relief. For a second, I really thought this was it. I thought I was going to lose my sister forever. Instead, she was now going to be fully integrated in all aspects of my life. And even better, in a new body that's free of cancer. No more pain or torment. It was truly the best scenario possible. Now I just had to deal with the aftermath of all of this. The rest of the world considers Ana deceased. I had to call the police. Arrange a funeral. Tell my entire family. This news would surely devastate my mother. There was a lot to be done.

"So, when will she return?" I asked.

"The whole process takes about three days. Then, the grim will place her in the grand hall, for us to train her for her new duties. She will officially be a Boswell reaper now." Edward explained.

Jacob nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "With your permission, would it be alright if I'm there… when she returns." He asked coyly.

"Well, if it wasn't for you, I would have lost her forever, so of course you can be there. I can't thank you enough for this…" I paused, wiping my face. "I wouldn't have picked you as a potential romantic partner for my sister. But you aren't the worst choice."

"I'll take that as a compliment, I guess." He chuckled, relaxing his stance a little. "At least now I don't have to keep being an asshole to you all the time. Edward knows I'm a taken and committed man to someone else. So, no worries."

Edward made a face, clicking his tongue in displeasure. "Don't make assumptions." Was all he said, before turning fully in my direction. "Bella, you've been through a lot, I'm sure this was all extremely stressful. Allow me to clean up some of this hassle. I'll contact the authorities and make arrangements for the funeral. As for letting her friends and family know, unfortunately that's something only you can do. It won't be right coming from anyone else."

I nodded. "I really appreciate that. I'll make the announcement tomorrow. It is getting… late. And I'm just not in the head space to have this conversation with the rest of the family. Especially my mother. I hadn't planned on talking to her ever again. But it can't be helped. I'll start calling everyone tomorrow."

"Sounds good. For now, why don't you go lay down and rest." Edward said leaning in to plant a tender kiss on my forehead.

I nodded, feeling the events of today really hit. I felt exhausted. Emotionally drained. But my hopes were high. Ana would return to me. With a new life and new potential love. This could really change everything. Aro has lost this battle.

Katlyn scurried into the room with a huge smile. She came to my side, pulling me in for a hug. "I'm so relieved. Come, I'll start a bath for you."

I hugged her tightly, truly appreciating her friendship at this moment. "Alright, thanks a lot. That might be just want I need. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Emmett come into the room as well. He walked with his shoulders slumped as he moved to speak with Edward privately. Jacob watched him with narrowed eyes.

I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but at the moment I couldn't care less. I just needed a moment to myself. So much has happened. The stress I had been carrying in the last hour was unimaginable. I'm glad that it is over. I just hoped that everything would end up working out.

The Grim's Point of View

I felt it, a soul had just entered my realm. Although it was different than the others. This one received an eternal marking. This wasn't very common. So, of course, I instantly drew in a deep breath and forced the soul into my direction. A burst of light came flying forward, illuminating the darkness as it paused to sit within my hand.

The light felt warm and gentle. I'm certain I've felt another soul similar to this one. Perhaps it had been a relative. Closing my eyes, I allowed my abilities to enter the soul so I could see who this was.

Anabel. A sweet, young lady. Struggling against cancer for a long time now. She lived a life of many pains. Yet, she remained so innocent and pure. It was clear where her soul would be going, if that had still been an option for her.

"She has been by her side. Hasn't she?" My beautiful wife spoke from her seat on my lap.

I nodded. "Yes, they were raised together. Siblings in a way."

"I'm so glad our precious child had such a lovely sister."

"Yes, quite a relief. I was sure I had provided our little girl with the best possible human family to be raised in. Well, I was confident in the man. I had doubts that the woman would be fit. Unfortunately, that looks to be the truth as well."

It has been agony. For a very long time. It was like a breath of fresh air, getting to see my last daughter again. And she found a very respectable reaper as her life partner. I was certain Edward would take good care of her from now on. Now that her younger sister was here with me, I would be sure to give her the best possible vessel possible.

"How should we make her appearance?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Well, when our child is fully awakened, her appearance will change drastically. She will truly look like the both of us. So, perhaps we should make her little sister look similar to us as well. Their bond is strong."

"Wonderful idea my love. Let's give her my hair color." She spoke, removing a single strand of her soft white locks of hair.

"And my eyes," I continued as I reached inward to remove my left eye. There was no pain. Just pressure. It was no matter; it would grow back in a few hours.

Not all vessels were created this way. Usually, they were made by mere clippings of my bone and flesh. My dear wife never included pieces of herself. But this was a special situation. We wanted this vessel to be as closely related to our daughter as possible. This would create an extremely powerful reaper.

A human-like body had come into existence because of our combined power. She would be a woman, with the body of a sixteen-year-old. With hair as white as snow. Eyes of violet. Skin, pale and delicate, like porcelain. She was beautiful of course. And strong. Within her. I blessed her soul with the ability to heal those around her. Never would sickness stand in this woman's way. This would also aid in keeping my daughter safe. This would be necessary in aiding in the birth of my first grandchild in hundreds of years.

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you all think of this so far. If you have any questions, you can reach out to me! I know this might be a bit of a crazy chapter. So, if you got lost, let me know. Thanks again!