Chapter Twenty Two
Life and Death and the In-between
Grace Cullen-Swan

I began to recognize my surroundings piece by piece as my senses slowly began to return to me.

I smelled my signature scent of vanilla and almonds at first, and so I thought I might be laying in my bed. The next to come was my sense of feeling, and I quickly realized that I was curled up against someone hard. Their breathing was soothing as it steadily rocked me ever so slightly. Then, my ears detected the sound of the air as whoever was holding me breathed it in and out. Finally, my sight blurred as I struggled to open my eyes against the soft lighting of my mostly dark bedroom.

As my vision cleared, I recognized the face staring back at me as it's nearly identical to my own.

"Carlisle." I sighed, relaxing in the fact that I was looking up into the face of my brother. I took in the smell of vanilla and almonds, our shared scent. He hadn't left my side. I was sure of it.

I was against his side, one of his gentle arms supported my weight as he held me carefully, my head in the crook of his arm as I stared up at him.

"Grace." He smiled just as softly as he had spoken my name. "I've been lying here wondering if you were ever going to gain consciousness again." He sighed, his face morphing into a look of pure torture and fear.

"I'm here." I assured him gently, my heart hurting for him. After so many years separated from one another I couldn't imagine losing him again. I can't imagine the type of pain he went through thinking his twin might not recover. "I'm sorry, you must've been so scared."

"Terrified." He shuddered, pulling me to him a little closer in reassurance. "I should go let the others know you're awake." He told me, yet he didn't appear to even be attempting to get up.

"But?" I giggled lightly.

"But, I need a moment to calm down." He told me truthfully. "Can I hold you for a few more moments?" He asked, though it was pointless.

"Of course." I promised him. "I'm quite enjoying the comfort." I teased him slightly. "I love you, brother." I hummed.

"I love you too, sister. Beyond words can express." He swore to me. "Forgive me, but I'm still in shock over nearly losing you."

"What happened?" I asked him cautiously. "I remember going to speak with the wolves, you and I turned back to look at Edward, and then I just registered different family members shocked expressions." I explained.

"The wolves leapt at us when we turned our backs." His tone turned dark, his tell when he's angry. "I don't think you even realized you did it, but you shoved me back towards the house as one of the shapeshifters bit through your neck. The one headed for me just kept going and bit through your side while the third took off your right leg." He explained, almost in clinical detachment as he tried to keep himself from getting too animated while he held me.

"When you say 'bit through'...?" I grimaced, hoping the extent of the injuries weren't as bad as I feared them to be.

"Fully severed." He copied my grimace. "You were in a total of four pieces by the time Emmett and Jasper shook off their shock enough to leap at the wolves. I'm not sure even they could've stopped them if it hadn't had been for Charlie."

"Charlie?" I panicked. "I told him to stay-"

"He came out firing his pistol." Carlisle attempted to calm me down before I could hurt myself, holding me down so I kept still. "He shot all four of them in the leg as a warning to get them to retreat back to La Push."

"I can't tell if that man is the bravest or the stupidest person I've ever met." I muttered, impressed but furious he had endangered himself in such a way.

"I'm going to have to go with bravest." Carlisle chuckled half-heartedly. "I'm not sure we'd be here if he hadn't have done what he did."

"We?" I questioned him. "Did they hurt you too?" I worried.

"I got so furious, seeing you get torn apart like that, and so I rushed towards their leader." He grimaced, as he carefully lifted his other arm up.

Large indention teeth marks scarred his granite skin. Cracks and stress line fractures crawled from the marks and encased his arm.

"Oh my god, Carlisle." I cried.

"I'm fine. It's just going to take us a bit longer to heal than it would a younger vampire. We're much more weathered." He chuckled, trying to lighten my mood.

"You're hurt and yet you kept watch over me." I sighed, feeling both happy and sad.

"You're my sister. You would do the same." He spoke soundly. "Plus, being hurt myself, I don't think there's anywhere I'd rather be. I'd rather lay here and hold you than have Esme worry over me non-stop." He joked. "We should really go downstairs, if you're feeling up to it."

"I feel fine." I told him.

A bone shattering pain radiated through my body the instant I attempted to move. It felt like I was being pried apart by a pickaxe all over my body.

"There's the pain." Carlisle sighed, noticing my intense look of pain. "I can't imagine how painful it must be." He shook his head, helping me stand to my feet.

I saw myself in my full length mirror across the room then, and shuddered at the sight of the horrible teeth and break marks. My face looked drawn and tired by the heavily pronounced blue shadows under my black thirsty eyes. I looked like a scary Brahms Stoker vampire.

"Don't worry, the marks will heal and disappear. Like I said, it will take us longer to heal than it would the others." He soothed my worries. "I brought a wheelchair in. I didn't think you would like to be carried." He chuckled, helping me sit down as I gritted my teeth.

"You thought right." I laughed forcibly, the pain radiating like a heartbeat throughout my body.

"I can't carry you downstairs however." He frowned, going to the door.

"Carlisle, no, I'll just stay up here, please don't." I begged him, knowing what he was about to do.

"Sorry, sister." He frowned slightly at me, mostly hiding his amusement. "Emmett, can you come help me for a moment please?" He asked.

Emmett's thundering steps bolted up the stairs before his wide smiling face appeared in the doorway.

"She's alive!" He mimicked the classic line. "Hey mom, I was worried about you." He smiled easily, crouching in front of my chair so he was eye level as he petted my hair carefully.

"Thank you, sweet boy." I cooed, surprised by his gentleness.

"Would you mind helping me get her down the stairs?" Carlisle asked him as he shrugged into a sling for his arm.

"No problem." Emmett nodded, going to grab the wheelchair handles.

"Emmett, remember I'm hurt so don't-"

I was too late. With great enthusiasm, he threw the chair into the air and raced downstairs with me. Throwing and bumping me around from the top of the stairs to the moment he placed me in front of the fireplace in the living room.

"Grace!" Esme cried out in relief before flitting over to my side. "Oh, sweet sister, look at you." She worried over me. "Emmett, you know better than to rough her up like you did." She scolded him.

"I'm fine." I assured them both. "Go tend to your husband." I joked with her, seeing the miserable look on Carlisle's face as he sat on the loveseat she had occupied.

"Oh, just look at you two." She sighed, going to sit by Carlisle.

"I'm just glad you're both alright." Rosalie offered us a small smile. "I can't picture anything ever happening to you."

"You don't have to." I assured her. "We're going to be okay, eventually. The wolves attack was just a freak thing I'm sure."

"They came to make sure you weren't changing Charlie." Carlisle frowned at me. "That's what Edward heard that made him react the way he did."

"Oh." I breathed out. "That makes a lot of sense." I nodded. "Charlie didn't take that very well, did he?"

"No, not at all." Jasper chuckled. "He was so mad that he got in his cruiser and raced over to the reservation."

"And you let him?!" I panicked. "I have to go get him." I shook my head, before hissing at the pain that took over me.

"Don't do that." Carlisle soothed me. "You're only going to stress the injuries and pull them apart more. You just reopened your neck." He chided me. "Charlie is fine. He's upstairs in the guest room asleep."

"Already?" I asked. "How long was I unconscious?" I asked hesitantly.

"Five days." Carlisle grimaced.

"Five?!" I gasped. "No wonder you were so worried!"

"You see?" He laughed at me.

"Grace?!" Charlie suddenly yelled out my name as he ran down the stairs. "Oh my god." He practically crumbled as he quickly crossed the room and crouched beside my chair. "I went to go check in on you and you weren't there." He sighed, taking my hand in his tightly.

"I'm okay." I tried to smile as warm as I possibly could at him in reassurance. "I just woke up an hour or so ago. I'm still getting re-adjusted." I explained.

"I'm just so glad you're awake." He shook his head, reaching up to brush some of my hair from my face. "Do you feel okay?" He asked me, taking in my appearance.

"I'll be fine." I nodded.

"You look thirsty." He retorted.

"I'll be fine." I sent him a pointed look. "I just want a moment to be happy that everyone is alright before I yell at you for what you did."

"What did I do?" He asked me, gorgeous brown eyes wide and innocent.

"Charlie, you shot at the shapeshifters before going to the reservation where no one could help you?!" I panicked. "I asked you to stay put."

"And I had to hear you scream like you did." He told me forcibly. "I couldn't stay put after hearing that."

"Okay." I nodded, forgiving him as I grasped his hand in both of mine.

"You're sure you'll be okay?" He worried.

"It will take some time and some increased hunting, but I have hope she'll be fully healed in time to start school at the end of the month." Carlisle tried to reassure him, knowing Charlie would probably feel better hearing it come from a doctor. "It just takes time."

A month later, I was still on rocky ground.

Some days were great and some days I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside. The part of my midsection that had been torn out healed quickly due to little exposer, my shoulder and the arm attached to it bothered me as it took a long time to regain complete feeling and control, and my leg was still very unstable. I needed help walking at home, either with a cane or a family members steady arm, and I felt absolutely helpless sometimes from it. I was able to manage well at school by myself, subtly relying on walls and handrails to make it to and from class.

"Hey you, here, let me help." Charlie surprised me as he opened my car door, bringing me out of my thoughts as I sat in the teachers parking lot.

"What are you doing here?" I gaped at him as he helped me down onto my feet from Emmett's Jeep.

"I got a call that I needed to come pick up Bella's senior photos." He explained. "I saw you just sitting here and got worried." He smiled softly at me, looking the part of lovestruck newlywed as he helped me to the school office.

"Oh! Look at the Swans!" Mrs. Cope cheered, laughing at whatever joke she thought she had made. "So sweet." She smiled as I signed in and got my badge from her.

"I'm just here to pick up Bella's photos." Charlie told her.

"Oh, I could've picked them up if you would've called me." I smiled at Charlie, playing innocent for the humans.

"Well, you're not a guardian so we couldn't release them to you." Mrs. Cope smiled at me, as if she hadn't just insulted me.

"No, I should be on Bella's contact forms." I shook my head, rushing over to where she and Charlie were. "We changed that at the start of the school year."

"I'm sorry, but rules are rules." Mrs. Cope shrugged, handing Charlie the folder.

"Rules can always be changed." Charlie smiled tightly before thanking her and helping me out of the office.

"Honestly the nerve." I huffed. "Why is Forks so hellbent on hating us being together?" I grumbled.

"I've had some trouble out of my guys at the station too." He sighed. "But that doesn't matter, because I've got such a wonderful wife...and an EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER!" He called out over my shoulder excitedly.

I turned just in time to see Bella ducking into the building to avoid her classmates stares and happy birthday wishes.

"Oh, Charlie." I laughed, play scolding him. "You just embarrassed her so much."

"That's the point." He grinned, kissing my cheek and heading back to his cruiser. "See you tonight?" He called back to me.

"Six o'clock. Cullen house." I reminded him, already heading to my room.

"See you then, Mrs. Swan!" He called back, and I couldn't help but laugh to myself.

As it neared six o'clock, Alice had me running around the house putting together last minute details of the party.

"Are you sure this is all necessary?" I asked Alice, eyeing the cake large enough to feed twenty people. "We only have two humans." I giggled, catching Charlie around the waist to help balance me.

"It's entirely necessary!" She cried out. "Bella is only going to turn eighteen once!" She huffed. "Now, everyone gather in the entryway. They're headed in."

"Happy birthday!" We all cheered as Edward opened the door for Bella.

"Thanks." Bella blushed, trying to hide it from us all.

"Happy birthday, sweet girl." I cooed, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I didn't think you would like me to make a show of it at school today." I laughed, backing away so Edward could fold his arm around her.

"You thought right." She chuckled, shooting a dangerous look at her dad. "But someone beat you to it."

"I'm your dad. What other job do I have than to embarrass you any chance I get?" Charlie laughed.

"Okay! Time for presents!" Alice announced happily, skipping forward and handing Bella an empty box. Bella couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a new radio for your truck." Jasper spoke up, usually preferring to be quite around Bella and Charlie. "Emmett's out installing it so you couldn't protest."

"Good call." She nodded. "Thank you."

"Here, open ours next!" Esme smiled widely, handing her a thin long box as Emmett slipped back inside.

"Ouch." Bella muttered, and I tensed at the sight of blood seeping from her deep paper-cut.

In mere seconds, Jasper reacted causing Edward to push Bella behind him. However, he pushed her a little too roughly and sent her flying through the glass gift table.

"Bella!" Charlie and I both cried in concern. He rushed across the room as Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice attempted to drag Jasper outside. I crossed and stood in front of Charlie and Carlisle as they attempted to help Bella, I wouldn't be able to fight him off, but I might be a good line of defense if he broke free.

Finally, the three overpowered him enough to drag him out of the house, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry." Edward apologized, looking torn inside. "I can't stay." He shook his head, quickly leaving the house to avoid the blood.

"Esme, you should go try to comfort him. Don't push yourself by staying, she'll be fine." I told her and she nodded before disappearing after Edward.

"Here, let's get up to my office." He ushered Charlie to help him with Bella upstairs and I carefully followed after them.

By the time I reached his office, Carlisle was already beginning to stitch up a gash on Bella's arm.

"How bad is it?" Bella asked him softly.

"Not bad at all, surprisingly." Carlisle answered calmly. "You'll need a few stitches here and on your shoulder, but other than that there's no damage."

"Are you okay?" I asked Charlie, not being able to tell if the blood on his hands was Bella's or his.

"Yeah, I just got a little scrapped up picking Bella up out of the glass." He shook his head, fully focused on Bella.

"Here, let me clean it out. You could have shards in your skin." I told him, getting the supplies I needed from Carlisle's storage cabinet.

"I'm fine." He shook his head.

"Sit down." I told him and he humored me.

His hands had a dozen or more shards covering the surface skin and I frowned as I began to pick them out. I decided not to get onto him about it, as he needed to focus on Bella to make him feel better.

"He's not too upset, is he?" Bella asked me, and I knew she was talking about Edward.

"Yes, I think he is." I sighed, my heart hurting for my son. "But, he'll get over it. He was only trying to protect you and forgot his strength in a moment of panic."

"Right." Bella agreed.

Just as I was cleaning out Charlie's cuts with iodine, he got a call from the station.

"I hate to bother you so late at night, Chief. But we've got a real problem with the La Push gang down at the reservation going on right now. They just keep asking for you and won't speak to any other officer." The night shift dispatch explained.

"Alright." Charlie frowned. "I cut my hands up by accident trying to start a fire at Bella's birthday party. Dr. Cullen is finishing cleaning me up now. I'll be there in ten." He explained before hanging up. "I hate to leave Bella but-"

"I'm fine dad." She nodded. "You and Grace should go. Make it look convincing. I'll get a ride home. I'll be okay." She assured him and he kissed her head before shrugging on his jacket.

"We'll see you tomorrow then." I smiled softly, kissing her head as well. "Happy birthday, Bella. I love you." I cooed, stopping in the door to send her one more smile.

"I love you too." She smiled back.

Satisfied she was in good hands, I let Charlie help me down the stairs and out to his cruiser. As we climbed into the car, we shared a worried look, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

What are the wolves up to now?