Chapter Thirteen
The Dance
Grace Cullen

I don't know how it happened, but one moment I was telling Charlie why it was a bad idea for him to go with the other Cullens to get Bella and the next thing I knew he had managed to slip away and disappear from sight.

"I'm going to kill that man." I huffed as I followed Carlisle down a back alleyway, attempting to avoid the sunlight as we made our way to the studio.

"He's just worried about his daughter. You would do the same thing." Carlisle reminded me, reaching his hand out to help me over a pile of old wood unnecessarily.

"But he's going to get himself hurt. He doesn't understand, or care either one, that he's no match for a bloodthirsty vampire." I sighed. "I'm beyond worried."

"I know you are." He offered me a small smile. "But you have to have faith or you'll drive yourself crazy." He teased me as we entered the studios doors.

Just in time to watch Charlie fire a shot at the large chandelier in the middle of the room.

The electric wires in the large chandelier popped and exploded as it fell crashing to the floor, trapping James under the fiery frame. Charlie pulled his arm back and hit at his jacket to put a small ember out that fell on him as I rushed towards him.

"Are you alright?" I worried over him as I pulled him back from the flames and away from the sight of the others disposing of James.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little burnt." He chuckled, showing me the hole in his jacket and the burned flesh beneath it. "I think Bella got tossed around a bit before I showed up though." He sighed, looking over to where Carlisle and Edward were treating her.

"A broken leg and some head trauma." I relayed as I listened to Carlisle's diagnosis. "Nothing that won't heal." I reassured Charlie. "Carlisle wants to take her to the hospital though so he can fix it surgically."

"What about James?" He asked me, turning back around.

"When I said we would handle the threat...I meant we would handle the threat." I sighed, gesturing to the burning chandelier and the unrecognizable remains of James burning in the center.

"I guess due process of the law doesn't really apply to vampires then." He frowned down at me.

"It's does, to an extent." I nodded. "But that would require the Volturi, and nobody wants that." I shook my head.

"Grace, I could use your help!" Carlisle called out to me and I quickly rushed over. "We'll say she fell down the stairs and out the window at the hotel. I'll send Alice and the others to fake it while you and I get Bella to the hospital. I need you to disguise yourself as a nurse however." He explained.

"Easy enough." I agreed.

"Your car is out front." Alice told him, quickly pressing Carlisle's keys into my hand before rushing out the door with the others.

After getting Bella to the car, Carlisle had me sit in the back with her and keep her leg straight while he and Charlie sat up front. Edward and the others were going to meet us at the hospital later after they established themselves on camera at the hotel.

"Alright Grace, I'm really counting on your gift." Carlisle told me as we pulled into a parking spot by the ER bay.

"Already on it." I laughed and he turned around in the seat to look at me.

I was projecting long curly red hair tied half back and a fuller face than my normal angular one accented with freckles, green eyes, and large black glasses.

"Very good." Carlisle laughed at me. "I wouldn't recognize you if I didn't know it was you."

"That's the point." I laughed as I climbed out of the car.

"Holy shit." Charlie muttered when he saw me. "I didn't realize your gift was so convincing."

"I faked a gunshot wound just fine." I teased him. "I'll run in and get a stretcher." I told them before rushing into the ER bay.

I went to the reception desk and explained I was a nurse working for a doctor who had a patient he needed to bring in. I explained the situation to the nurses who helped me get a gurney out to the car before helping Carlisle get Bella situated into a room for pre-op.

"I should probably go call Renee." Charlie sighed.

"Good luck." I offered him a small reassuring smile as I helped Carlisle with the necessary paperwork.

"Sorry, I can't look at you when you look like that." He shook his head. " I feel like I'm cheating on you." He laughed and Carlisle and I couldn't help but laugh with him.

After getting Bella prepped and ready, Carlisle and I took her in to surgery. It was a simple procedure, one I had done countless times when I last worked as a surgical aid. Carlisle set her bones back in place before placing pins and stitching her back up. Still, however simple the procedure was, it was a lot on Bella's body. The blood loss and trauma to her head already had her weak and disoriented, and a surgery on top of it was very trying on her already tired body. The procedure only lasted an hour, but Bella was still sleeping when Renee arrived several hours later.

"Renee's here." Charlie told me, Carlisle, and Edward as we sat around the room. "She's headed up here now."

"I'm going to go downstairs and start processing the paperwork then." Carlisle told us. "Will you stay and keep an eye on her vitals? Get another blood bag if anything drops lower." He asked me.

"Of course." I nodded and he kissed my head before leaving the room.

"Everything alright in here?" A bubbly blond headed male nurse asked as he poked his head into the room. "Need a break?" He asked me.

"Oh no, I'm fine." I shook my head. "Just watching for any decrease in pressure. I may need to get her started on a transfusion soon though." I explained.

"Alright, I'll be right down the hall at the nurses station. Just page the desk and I'll bring you another bag." He nodded before heading back down the hall.

"Are you sure you're not going to go back to being a nurse?" Edward asked me as I got up and closed the door. "You were always so good at it, especially when you and Carlisle worked together."

"I loved working with my brother and I loved the job." I nodded. "But teaching English is where my heart is at right now. Maybe I'll go back to it in the next town." I shrugged as I put some warmer blankets on Bella in an attempt to keep her blood moving properly.

"Oh my god." A woman, Renee I assumed, crumbled as she entered the room. "Look at her." She sighed as she dropped her bag into a chair and went to Bella's bedside opposite of me. "How is she?" She asked me.

"Oh, she's doing fine." I nodded, trying to seem professional and detached. "The surgery on top of her head trauma was very tiring on her body. She'll probably sleep for a little longer while we do a transfusion before Doctor Cullen tries to wake her." I explained. "Speaking of a transfusion, I'll be back shortly with another bag of blood." I told the room before going down the hall to the nurses station.

I hung around there for awhile, the nurses all had questions for me about myself and Doctor Cullen. I had forgotten the secret pack of friendship all nurses seemed to have with each other and quickly fell right in place with them.

When I returned to Bella's room with a blood transfusion Renee, Charlie, and Edward were all talking easily. Renee seemed very interested in Edward and his relationship with Bella.

"My mother is really a wonderful woman." Edward was speaking as I entered the room and I had to be careful to not crumble at such sweet words. "She adopted my brother and I very young when she absolutely didn't have to. She's an amazing person."

"How sweet!" Renee cooed. "I can't wait to meet her now. I have to come stay some time in Forks during the summer."

"I'm sure Bella would love that." Edward nodded as I started the transfusion.

"So then Doctor Cullen is your uncle?" Renee asked.

"Yes, my mom's twin brother." He replied easily. "My cousins Rosalie and Jasper, twins, are actually my mom and uncles' niece and nephew. Their much older sister passed away tragically when the twins were fairly young. My uncle and aunt were newlyweds when they adopted Rosalie and Jasper."

"That's really great of them." Renee nodded. "Not many people would do that. And did you mention they adopted another girl?"

"Alice." Edward nodded. "She was a patient of my uncles' briefly and Esme really just fell for her. They knew she'd fit in perfectly."

"So then your Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme have Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice and then your mother has you and your brother Emmett? Is that right?" Renee questioned.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded.

"And what did you say your mothers name was?" Renee asked. "I don't think you said."

"Grace." Charlie answered her unthinkingly. "She's Bella's English teacher." He recovered easily.

"The one who got shot?" Renee cried out and Charlie simply nodded. "What a brave young woman! I was floored when Bella told me all about it!"

"She's definitely a character." Edward smirked at me while Renee wasn't looking and I poked my tongue out at him teasingly.

"Well, I'm going to go down and get some coffee." Charlie announced as he rose from his chair. "Can I get anyone anything?" He asked the room and Renee and Edward both shook their heads.

"Edward said that you're Carlisle's right hand. Have you worked with him for very long?" Renee asked me as I got up to dispose of the transfusion bag and recirculate Bella's IV drip.

I got the feeling she was a very nosey woman, but she seemed good intended enough that I didn't mind answering her.

"Oh yes, I feel like it's been centuries." I laughed and Edward echoed me. "He called me as soon as they heard about Bella's fall and I got on an emergency flight right away."

"Thank you." She smiled beautifully at me, and I could suddenly see why she and Charlie had married so young. "It really makes me feel better to know she's in the best possible care." She sighed happily as she played with Bella's hair.

My heart did a funny thing in my chest as I watched her fuss over her sleeping daughter. The daughter she had had with the man meant to be mine forever. Her smile had been so wide and so breathtaking that it reminded me instantly of Charlie's smile. Kindred hearts can sometimes make the best matches and that seemed to be the case with them. I suddenly began to worry that if Renee hadn't have hated Forks so much would she and Charlie still be married? Would I have been a complete home wrecker?

"Can I help you with anything?" Edward asked me, suddenly ripping me away from my thoughts. By the sad smile on his face I knew it had been purposeful. "I'm planning on going into the medical field like my Uncle. I could help."

"Oh no, everything is perfectly normal. Nothing to do but wait for her to wake up now." I smiled softly. "Doctor Cullen might be back around soon to check on her anyway."

Everything settled down then, thankfully, as Edward pretended to sleep and I busied myself with pretend paperwork. Renee read through some romance novel as I worked, periodically taking a break to run her hand over Bella's hair or face.

Finally, Bella stirred and Renee jumped up out of her chair and hovered over her as she came to her senses.

"Mom?" Bella croaked. "What...happened?"

"Oh sweetie, you fell down a flight of stairs. Went right through a window." Renee cooed, half-laughing. "You're lucky Doctor Cullen came with Edward to convince you to go back to Forks. He really fixed you up."

"Where's Edward?" Bella asked worriedly.

"He's right over there asleep." Renee gestured to the couch where Edward was sitting with his head in his hand and his hair in his face. "He wouldn't leave your side." Renee smiled. "He's cute, how did you manage to catch that one?" She teased her.

"I don't know." Bella giggled half-heartedly. "Is Dad here?" She asked.

"Yes, he went downstairs for some coffee. I think he was going to go find Doctor Cullen as well. Do you want to talk to him?" Renee asked.

"Yeah, I said some awful things to him. I need to apologize." Bella sighed.

"Alright. I'll go find him and Doctor Cullen." Renee told her, kissing her head before heading out of the room.

"You can stop faking now." Bella laughed quietly at Edward, who quickly rushed to Bella's side.

"Sorry, I got tired of your mom's questions." He laughed.

"I bet." Bella frowned at him. "How bad is the damage?" She asked.

"Just a broken femur, a concussion, and an impressive amount of blood loss." I smiled down at Bella as I put away the paperwork.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Bella apologized, struggling to see me sitting at the small station at the head of her bed, and I realized she had no idea it was me.

Renee came back then, with Charlie and Carlisle in tow. After a quick checkover, Carlisle offered to take Renee downstairs to meet Esme and she happily accepted, leaving Charlie to talk with Bella.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said such awful things to you. I'm-"

"It's okay, Bells." He nodded. "Grace was right. You were just trying to say what you knew would make me let you leave."

"Grace? Miss Cullen?" Bella questioned him.

"Well, after you stormed out of his office your dad and I were pretty confused until Carlisle called. He said you had gone to tell your dad you were leaving and it suddenly made sense to me. You knew he wouldn't let you go unless you used all of your cards." I smiled softly at her as I got up and sat at the foot of her bed.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" She asked me.

"See, I told you your gift was convincing." Charlie laughed. "She's Grace." He told Bella.

"What? No way-" She was silenced by shock as she turned to look at me again and I dropped the illusion. I was back to my familiar blonde lob, golden eyes, and angular face. "That's so cool." She grinned at me.

"Thank you." I smiled back softly.

"But I didn't see you in dad's office when I was there." Bella shook her head.

"Because I had an illusion of myself blending in to the wallpaper and posters there." I grinned.

"So...you were invisible?" She asked.

"Essentially." Edward chuckled. "You should see it when she scares Carlisle with it. It's terrifying if you don't know it's coming." He laughed and I shot him a playful smile.

"We'll get her one day." I joked.

"I guess my next question is why were you in my dad's office to begin with? Edward and I saw you speeding to town after the game." Bella asked and I looked to Charlie.

"Bells," Charlie started blushing "Grace and I are...dating." He confessed.

"What?!" Bella gasped. "Since when?"

"Three months." He responded. "Right after the gunman incident."

"That long? How did I not know?" Bella asked.

"To be fair, no one did." Edward laughed. "They even tricked the mind reader."

"Eww, our parents are dating." Bella sneered her nose up and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, Grace isn't technically my mother even by a legal standpoint." Edward reminded her.

"Still. People are going to think it's gross." Bella frowned.

"No one knows about us." I shook my head.

"They didn't until you kissed me at the station like you did." Charlie reminded me gruffly.

"Oh, right." I giggled, not being able to help myself. "I forgot about that." I smiled at him. "Anyways, we've dealt with strange looks and a little gossip for years. I don't think anything bad is really going to come from it." I shook my head.

"If you're sure, that's good enough for me." Edward smiled at me.

"Same here." Charlie agreed.

"Wow, glad to know you both have such faith in me." I laughed as I stood from my seat. "I'm going to go see if I can't find my brother and get an answer about when you can go home." I told Bella. "I'll be right back." I told the room.

"Illusion." Charlie reminded me quickly.

"I got it, thanks." I grinned as I projected the same changes from earlier before I left the room.