BPOV
The incessant beeping was driving me insane.
"Will someone please turn that fucking thing off." I croaked.
I could hear shuffling off to my side, but couldn't place where I was. The fogginess in my head continued to keep me in that state of limbo, between asleep and awake. If I could just open my eyes, then I could get some answers. My last memory was of Edward slumping under the peach tree, calling me brave Bella and suddenly falling silent. I had no idea where I was now. Had more come and taken me back to that horrible place again. Was Edward even alive? I couldn't think like that, I had to stay focussed so I could get out of where ever I was. I sure as shit wasn't under that tree anymore.
"Bella, baby, wake up sweetheart." I know that voice.
"I thought she was waking up, why hasn't she woken up?"
There were two voices now, they seem to have moved away from me, they were still talking, but it was muffled. I just wanted to open my eyes and see who was there, but I couldn't, well no I could but I was afraid of what I would find. I hoped for all I was worth that they hadn't caught me, but that was the only explanation I could come up with. I guess we wouldn't be seeing home again after all.
I let the fogginess take over once more, sleep seemed like a reasonable way of shutting it all out. My dreams were crazy, haunted by faces and voices, some I recognised from, that place, others were oddly familiar in a comforting sort of way. The one thing that joined them together was the constant feeling of dread and pain; oh the pain was unbearable, like nothing I'd experienced before. I sobbed, the emotion from the images flickering before my eyes overwhelming me. Then I felt it, a soothing sort of warmth spreading up my arm.
"Sshh Bella, it's ok, you're safe sweetheart." A gruff familiar voice said from beside me.
I blinked; the lights stinging my eyes making me wince. When I finally opened my eyes fully, I was met with a pair of penetrating brown orbs looking sadly into my own.
"Daddy?" I croaked out, my throat raspy and dry.
"Hey there sweet girl." he responded stroking my hair lightly, his moustache twitching above his slightly curving lip.
"H-h-how?" I said uncomprehendingly.
"We'll talk about it later sweetheart, you need all the rest you can get. You're safe baby." he cooed.
I slumped under his gaze, feeling the warmth of the comforter spread around me.
"Oh! Edward!" I said shooting up suddenly in realisation. Pain shot through my torso at the sudden movement and I wrapped my arms around myself in order to hold the pain at bay.
Charlie gently pushed me back down with a light touch to my shoulder.
"He's doing better Bella; he's laid up just across the hall. I can't even begin to grasp what you've both been through, but I'm glad you had each other baby girl."
"He's okay, he's alive, and he’s safe." I chanted mostly to myself.
I settled back down into what I now realised was a hospital bed, someone had kindly silenced the heart monitor and its annoying beep. While the bed was more comfortable than what I had had to endure over the past however many days, it held no candle to the feel of being held by Edward. I felt safe in his arms. While logically I should feel a sense of safety being here with my father, I still felt a tingle of something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I should've been able to settle and rest like I'd been told to, but I just couldn't shut down now, my synapses were back on alert and there was just no flipping the switch. It's almost like it was in Spetses, when Edward had fought that final man, while I knew they weren't here to get me now, I kept myself on guard to protect us should they come back. I didn't know how badly hurt Edward was, but I could feel it inside that he was worse than me. I couldn't explain it to myself, so there was no chance of doing it to my father, during our time together Edward and I had formed such a bond that we could feel when the other was in trouble, or pain, or just needed the other. Right now the alarm bells on my Ed-dar were clanging in my head and I couldn't understand why.
"Daddy?" I murmured restlessly.
"Yes honey?"
"Can you go see that he's alright, I just want to know that he's doing okay."
"Ugh, umm okay baby girl. You just rest up and I'll be right back." he said kissing my forehead and walking to my door.
I heard the soft click of the door and some murmuring on the other side. Followed by a loud thudding, a bang, a crash and a series of shouts. An alarm sounded nearby and my father swiftly joined me at my bedside, looking flushed and a little bedraggled. His plaid shirt ruffled and torn on one side. He seemed a little out of breath also. Agitation swept through me, amped up with a good dose of fear and anxiety. What the hell had happened since he walked across the hall?
"Dad, Dad? What’s going on? What happened to your shirt?" I called out, trying to push myself up my bed.
He stroked my hair trying to calm me, but it was doing nothing to quell the fear coursing through me.
"Ssh baby, sshh it's okay, you're safe, someone will be along to move us shortly." he replied cryptically.
"Move? But why, what happened, is Edward okay, he has to be okay Dad." I sputtered, adrenalin replacing everything I was feeling, as I finally pushed myself up against the pillows and attempted to swing my legs out to get off the bed.
"Bella, sit back, you can't do anything right now, you need to sit back sweetheart." He responded trying to push me back down on the bed.
"Tell me what's happening, I'm not a child." I growled anger firing up inside of me.
"I went over to Edwards room, the guards who are usually here weren't around and his parents must've gone to get something to eat, I popped my head in his room and there was a doctor beside his bed, well I guess she was, she was behaving strangely, I didn't recognise her as any I'd seen around here. When I asked her how Edward was doing, she seemed off about answering. She couldn't tell me where the guards were so I suggested she come back when they were around. It was then that I noticed the syringe in her hand. As I asked her more questions the guards returned and the surgeon was with them. The woman wasn't a doctor, she was trying to kill him." he finished.
I blanched; we're not even safe in hospital.
"She didn't succeed sweetheart, we managed to stop her." he said reassuringly patting my shoulder lightly.
"You said something about moving?"
"Oh ugh yeah, they're going to move you both to a more secure location, I don't know if we'll be able to visit you or if we'll be with you or what, it's all last minute sweetheart." he said a worried frown spreading across his face.
"Oh Dad," I didn't know what else to say, so I pulled him to me and hugged him fiercely.
"Sweetheart, I don't know how you knew there was something wrong, but I'm glad for whatever connection you two have. It would've been you next I have no doubt in my mind, someone wants you both silenced." he said into my hair.
We remained like that until there was a sharp knock on the door and a tall dark haired man put his head through the door.
"Mr Swan, Miss Swan, everything okay in here?" he asked from the door.
"Yes we're okay; just a little anxious to find out what's going on now." Charlie replied.
"Miss Swan, I've been sent to accompany you both across the hall to the Master Chiefs room, Lieutenant Whitlock suggested we do this in one go. If you're okay with that of course."
"Oh um okay, er?"
"Seaman Clearwater miss, or Seth if you prefer, I was part of the team that bought you home. Do you think you can manage to get into a wheelchair if I get one?" he asked, his large brown eyes glistening with kindness.
I nodded to him and looked at my father to see him grabbing a few items he'd obviously bought with him when we arrived.
"I'll be right back, don't move." he said before his head dropped out of sight.
"They sure make them seal fellas big, Bells." Dad mumbled.
"Yeah, they do don't they." I said with a slight smile.
The large man er Seth, reappeared moments later with a wheelchair in front of him. He smiled as he pushed it into the room. "Okay Miss Swan, how we going to do this? Would you be okay with me lifting you?" he asked.
"That would be fine, um Seth and please call me Bella, Miss Swan makes me feel old." I said.
"Sure thing, just tell me if I hurt you okay." he said calmly as he moved to the side of the bed and lifted me bridal style, still wrapped in my blanket and gently placed me into the wheelchair, he then turned and unhooked the machines and grabbed my IV before placing it on a hook that fitted to a pole that he pulled from the back of the chair. He then fixed a mask to the oxygen tank attached to the back and handed it to me. I glared at it before fitting it over my face.
"Got everything?" he said to my father, before turning the chair and wheeling us quickly across the hall to Edwards’ room.
The room fell silent as we entered, all eyes appeared to be on me, I guess I was a bit of a mess. Dad strode in behind us closing the door as he went.
"Charlie." A large familiar looking man nodded.
"Emmett, good to see you son." Dad replied.
Seth pushed me up beside Edwards bed and I finally got a look at him, his face was as bruised as mine, he didn't have a top on and his chest was covered in a large bandage, wires and tubes trailed all over the place. His arm was set in a blue cast, only his fingers poked out. I leant up against the bed and trailed my fingers over his and they curled over my own.
"Oh Edward, I'm so sorry, it should be me laying there, not you." I whispered to him.
I hadn't noticed the rest of the room had gone silent and was watching our interaction acutely. I flushed when I turned back and saw their gazes on me.
"Oh sorry," I mumbled in embarrassment.
A petite woman with Edwards’ hair approached me, dropping to her knees at my side. Her bright green eyes flashed with something, I couldn't tell what as she gently wrapped her arms around me.
"Sweetheart, don't say that, he would fight for you a million times over regardless of the consequences I'm sure." she said with certainty.
Tears sprang to my eyes and I had to hold back the sob that was pushing its way up my throat.
"Him grasping your fingers is the only movement he's made since he arrived here. It gives us hope that he's in there fighting." a tall blonde haired man said from behind her. I recognised him as the Doctor that had treated me in Arlington what seems like a life time ago.
The large man Emmett coughed at that moment, effectively breaking the tension in the room, "So um we've got some things to discuss." he said.
I settled back in the chair, my hand drifting to Edwards once more, as another blonde man began to speak.
"I don't know if you remember me and Emmett, Miss Swan, we met at Mclean before all this happened. I'm Jasper, this is our team" he said motioning to the large men stationed around the room, naming them as he went.
"Thank you Jasper, please can we quit with the Miss Swan and call me Bella, I'm sure we're past formalities now." I said smiling at him.
"Sure thing, okay, this is what we've come up with, I'm afraid it may be a little er upsetting, but if it keeps you both alive then I think it'll be a small sacrifice." He said switching to a more professional manner.
We sat in silence as Jasper detailed his plan, stating that the only people who would know of our location would be he and Emmett. After tonight Bella Swan and Edward Cullen would be listed as deceased on our hospital paper work and our families would go through the motions of 'grieving'. Once everything was settled and they had gotten to the bottom of what was going on, then we could come back, but until then it would be like we no longer existed.
Once he was finished no body spoke, it was as if the air had been sucked from the room. Even Charlie looked shell shocked.
"I don't like it, I need to be able to contribute," I said.
"Miss Swa... Bella," Jasper said.
I held up my hand to stop him.
"Not the going into hiding, I can cope with that, but the twiddling my thumbs thing, I can't, I need to do something, all I need is a secure internet connection, I can still collect intel." I said crossing my arms across my chest.
"Okay I think we can handle that. Edward had a re-enforced notepad we used on missions, I'm sure I can get that for you from Little Creek, but you won't be able to use his or your own logins." he responded.
"That won't be a problem." I said, cocking an eyebrow his way.
He looked at me for a moment before it dawned on him what I'd said. "Oh, of course!" he said with a chuckle.
"So er how do we do this?" Charlie cut in.
"We can't exactly have medical staff and every man and his dog in on this, so it stays in the room. So when I've finished talking I'll have Seth take you and Bella back to her room, we'll head down to the waiting area, they're used to seeing us hanging around these last few days. After a while I want Carlisle and Esme to come join us in the waiting room, you need to seem visibly upset and break the news that Edward is gone. Jake will escort you home and we'll deal with the rest. Charlie, while this is happening you need to remain with Bella."
"Okay, how do you plan on getting them out and erm forgive me for being dumb, but how do you plan on killing them?" Charlie asked.
"If I might suggest, pentobarbital, it's used to induce coma, Edward is already under, so it'll just be a case of unhooking a few machines. If we administer it to Bella, she'll just slip into a 'sleep'. Once they're out of here and where ever the guys plan on taking them, you just reduce the dosage until Bella wakes." Carlisle suggested.
"Yeah I know all about that, that's what they did to me the first time." I added.
"Charlie, Carlisle, we need you to sign DNR's for them, so that it'll look more kosher on the paper work." Jasper added. "When Esme and Carlisle have left, Em will head back and hook you up and you'll just go to sleep. Everyone Okay?"
"Yeah, I guess that's it then." I said looking at Charlie.
"It's for the best sweetheart and when it's all over, I'll see you again okay." he said squeezing my shoulder.
"Oh Jasper, what about the paperwork, surely you need a Doctor to call it and sign us off." I asked suddenly finding the one big flaw in the plan.
"I have a friend." he said cryptically.
I didn't question him; he seemed to know what he was doing, almost as if this was something he would do any day of the week. Not exactly something I wanted to consider.
"Let's do this then, sooner it's done, the sooner I can get to work and find out who's behind all this crap." I said.
The guys slowly left the room, murmuring good byes and good luck all round leaving Esme, Carlisle, Charlie, Seth and I with Edward.
"I'm sorry Mr & Mrs Cullen, I feel kind of responsible for this mess we're in." I said sadly.
Esme bent down beside me, placing a hand on mine, her green eye's so much like Edwards looked into mine, almost like she was reading the inner workings of my soul.
"Dear, he's my son, but more than that he's a Navy Seal and even if he wasn't involved in what was happening with you, there would be something else. He knew what he was signing up for and I couldn't be more proud of him. So don't ever feel you need to take the blame for something that my son took on willingly. I want you to take care of each other and come back home to us when it's safe."
"Yes ma'am." I said, sniffing back tears.
She squeezed my hand once more before standing and joining her husband beside Edwards’ bed. "Take care of yourself Bella." he said with a tight smile.
I nodded, no longer able to talk. Seth came beside me and took the handles on the chair and we headed back over to my room. An uneasy chill spread down my back, knowing that tonight may be the last night I get to see my Dad. Seth picked me up and placed me back on the bed, before saying his good byes and heading back to join the others in the waiting room. Charlie came to my side, his shoulders slumped his head held low. His hand instinctively finding mine, he began to rub calming circles in the crevice between my thumb and forefinger.
"You okay there kiddo?"
"Yeah, just thinking." I said in a bit of a daze.
"Live one day at a time baby girl and when it calms back down and you can come home, I'll be there waiting for you."
"Love you Dad."
"Love you too kiddo."
I nestled into the pillows on the bed and drifted between awake and sleep. Dad stayed at my side, rubbing lazy circles in my hand memorising the feel of my skin against his own callused hands. It was both relaxing and a necessary torment. Days from now I expect I would relish these last few hours together. Where ever we end up.
"Dad?"
"Yes sweetheart?"
"When I'm gone, can you check on Angela, make sure she's okay, and tell her I love her."
"Of course kiddo." he said rubbing my hand.
We settled into a comfortable silence, this is what me and Charlie did, we didn't talk much, but it didn't make us any less close. We took solace in being in each other’s presence more than the need to talk incessantly. It was never strained between us, a bit like how things were with Edward and I. What we'd been through had bonded us in a way and we didn't need to fill our time with unnecessary chatter. Thinking back on the day we first met, well face to face at least, I laugh a little that I thought of him as an asshole jarhead. I didn't even have the right branch of the military, I'm sure he would've been offended by me likening him to a marine. During our time at Bourtzi he'd proven himself to be a deeper, caring and brilliant man. He wasn't just some muscle bound sailor, he was more than that and I felt that I could now count him as a good friend, no even that felt like the wrong words, he was family. I would trust him with my life.
****
It was almost 10.30 when Emmett came to the room, followed by an unfamiliar Doctor. The man was small in stature, well compared to Emmett and was balding and had half moon glasses perched on his nose. He was stoic yet not unapproachable. No pleasantries were exchanged, he just set to work, changing my IV and signing off on my paper work.
"Okay Bella, time to go to sleep. Charlie if there's anything you want to say, I'd do it now, because she'll be snoozing soon." Emmett said in a whisper yell.
"Bells, you stay safe and come home to me okay baby, you come home to me." Charlie said, choking slightly.
"Love you Daddy, I'll see you soon, we'll go fishing." I said trying not to sob.
"You hate fishing baby." He said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, but I'd do it to be with you Dad. Keep yourself safe and tell Sue I love her."
"Will do kiddo. I er guess it's time huh?" he said looking at Emmett.
"We'll keep her safe Charlie; she'll be home in no time." Emmett said patting his back.
"If you don't you'll have me to deal with son, I might not be some big ass Navy Seal, but I still have a gun." Charlie said, his moustache twitching.
"I promise sir, nothing will happen to her on my watch." he said.
"When you've finished your pissing contest, can we get this done already?" I said, feeling exasperated.
The Doctor chuckled from beside me; he was preparing to set the IV/Drug concoction to drip. I looked at him waiting for him to set the drip feed, but he did nothing, almost as if he was waiting to be told. I looked at Emmett and my father; I guess they were waiting on me.
"Well ugh I guess it’s good night then dad, love you." I said settling into the pillow and closing my eyes.
"Stay safe Bells." he said kissing my forehead lightly.
Numbness settled over me, darkness swallowed me whole, wrapping me in its comforting embrace. I felt warmth, security, and comfort. As my body succumbed to the drugs flowing through the IV, I felt like I didn't have a care in the world. I let go of my worries and let the dreamless sleep take me.
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