AN: Yes, shocker I've updated. This was a long time coming, I know. Thanks to everyone for being so patient. I don't blame you for losing interest; I'll feel lucky if anyone reviews. This chapter was hard to write, for many reasons. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Anywho..

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Xx-xX

Monitor alarms were going off as the initial shock of Bella and Edward's confrontation ebbed away. Lauren was adjusting settings on various monitoring devices and quietly imploring them to leave Jake's bedside. "Please take this fight outside. You're endangering my patient," she chided.

"Bella and Edward, I think you need to step into the waiting room to have this conversation. This is not helping Jake." Carlisle's stern voice broke through their blazing tempers as he waved them out of the intensive care unit. Laurent and Jane followed them into the waiting room full of their stunned families. Bella's blistering fury died down minutely, but she still looked ready to rip out Edward's throat. Edward's seething face was contorted into the face of a man pushing the edge of reason; he was in hysteric outrage.

Lily cringed further into her father, her body shaking with grief, tears soaking into Jasper's shirt. Jacob, Alice, Esme and Sam all backed away as they watched Jake's collective parents march out into the waiting room with Carlisle, still anxious from the verbal assault they heard through the ICU doors. Each parent had burning anger coursing through their bodies, ready to go another round of sparing. It looked like it would only take a spark to reignite the powder keg of crippling rage.

"Okay, now that we all have our tempers in check, I suggest you keep it this way or I will have to escort you off the premises, family or not!" Jane's voice resonated in her full baritone voice. "Don't make me come back, or you WILL feel the full weight of the law come down so hard it will make your head spin. Do I make myself clear?"

Bella was clenching and unclenching her right hand over and over, trying to regain some feeling after slapping Edward. Her palm still felt numb and strangely achy at the same time as she separated from the Cullens like oil in water. Edward walked in circles at the far end of the waiting room tugging at his hair, red eyes watery with pain.

"Yes," they answered in unison. Laurent nodded his head as he pointedly stared at Bella.

"Felix is going to hang around for a while to make sure everyone plays nice. I mean it, people. I will be watching," Jane stated, pointing the surveillance camera in the tiled ceiling. After a few more moments, she made her way back into the ICU to speak with Lauren.

Alice and Jacob moved between the former lovers. They felt the air charged with dangerous energy, a venomous snake ready to strike. Several moments passed before Laurent broke through the deadly silence.

"Bella." Laurent's quiet voice was calm, cold as stone. His eyes penetrated right into hers, seeking an answer to his question without words. An eternity, or maybe just moments, passed as full understanding clicked into place like pieces of some cruel puzzle. Laurent truly did not want to know he had been lied to, but he had to hear the words. "Tell me. Tell me now. I think you owe me that much."

As she met his eyes Bella's anger instantly transformed into wracking guilt and fear. She tried to swallow, but her throat felt thick and painful. Years of language classes and trips abroad failed her; she had no words, no voice. The carefully placed bricks of her heart's fortress were crumbling before her eyes leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Minutes passed with only the sounds of her heart hammering in her head, but Bella still couldn't say the words that would change the battlefield of this war. She couldn't, wouldn't lie again to the man who gave her so much kindness, security, and love.

"Laurent, I… I'm so sorry," Bella pleaded in a strained, tiny voice. "So sorry for so much. I never meant to hurt you."

"You didn't answer me. Tell me the truth, from your own mouth. Honor the life we once had by not lying to me anymore." Laurent's steely gaze cut her down to the bone. Edward silently came up stand behind him, his stare strangely flat.

"I never left her." Edward's voice was hollow like his eyes. He stared right through her like she wasn't there. This wasn't his Bella; she was a stranger, just like his son. In his heart, he knew he broke the spirit of a girl he loved; this woman before him was someone else. "It was always my fault she ran. If I didn't crush her with my stupidity…" Edward swayed slightly as he internally crumbled; he had no fight left in him.

Bella gaped at Edward, stunned. Alice came up behind her brother, bracing him before he collapsed. Jacob came up next to Edward and helped guide him to a chair. Alice and Jacob tenderly placed him into the arms of his parents, and then looked back at her with sorrow and regret. This act of kindness for Edward by her best friends burned her with shame. She was not exempt from cosmic justice just because Edward broke her heart first. He didn't lie to her, didn't keep her child hidden away from her; she did this.

"I lost so much, lost too much then. I was afraid you would take him away, my baby. He is my reason for living." Bella's voice was brittle as she wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth. "I had to keep him away, because he is all I have left of…"

Bella cracked, collapsing onto her knees and crying. Laurent slowly came before her and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight, crushing her into him. She opened her eyes and met the gaze of the whole Cullen family. Each gazed at her with disbelief and hurt. Esme seemed especially tortured.

"How could you think we would take your baby, Bella?" Esme asked through her tears. "How could you believe we would ever do anything to hurt you?" She didn't wait for an answer before crying in earnest. Carlisle pulled his wife closer to him, whispering softly to her, trying to soothe her.

Bella flinched, squeezed her eyes shut. She had no more words for this heartbreak. No amount of apologizing would make this pain stop. Never in her life did she ever feel as bad as she did now, not even when Edward broke her heart so long ago. She kept Jake from knowing his amazing grandparents, aunts and uncles; she kept him from knowing his real father, knowing that he was truly wanted by the Cullens. She let him wonder about his father, letting him draw conclusions that led to this day. Bella gave Jake father figures growing up, trying to ignore the slice of doubt in her heart about the man who gave him life. In the stark light of this epiphany, she knew she was not as blameless for this day. Yes, Edward hurt her, but she hurt both their families by cutting them off at the knees. She cut them out of her son's life.

"I never would've tried to take him away from you! I would've done whatever you wanted. Anything to show how much I love him..." Edward's voice was hoarse, but fierce. "I would gladly trade places with him now, do anything for him, Bella. Did you really think I would tear him away from you, caused you that pain when I already hurt you?" Bella was angry again that she had to defend herself.

"Deny him to me, that I understand. I can't change the monster I am. But, you denied him his whole family, a family willing to move mountains for you and for him. Did you really think so little of us that we'd poison him against you?"

"Don't try to make me feel bad for trying to keep myself alive, Edward! Jake is the most important person in my universe, and I made a life for him the best way I could! I was not about to take my chances that he'd get hurt by…" Bella didn't want to speak the name of his wife and other child. "Do I have regrets; yes, I do! But, you made it VERY clear where your heart was almost sixteen years ago, and it wasn't with us! I made a choice long ago to save him the heartache of being unwanted, the illegitimate son, and gave him a father who loves him!" Those words tasted like poison, so bitter and toxic.

Suddenly striding several steps toward her, Edward was suddenly standing in Bella's face.

"Get this clear in your head because I'll only say this once: He was never unwanted or unloved by anyone!" Edward turned away, heading back into the ICU. "Now, I'm going to spend some time with my son."

Xx-xX

Lauren sat quietly watching over her patient from the nurse's station. Jane had allowed the Cullen family an exception to the rule regarding visitors. Jane had always liked Carlisle, and as a professional courtesy, allowed his grandson a few visitors at a time as long as they didn't interfere with the nurse's duties or cause any more trouble. Agreeable to Jane's terms, Bella acquiesced to allowing the Cullens to spend time with Jake. Esme, Carlisle, and Jacob all spent a few minutes with Jake before their own emotions overwhelmed them and they had to step out. The next to visitors were Jasper, Alice and Lily. Alice and Jasper allowed Lily to stay longer, seeing how he soothed her emotions, giving her some relief after hours of blinding pain.

Lily Whitlock sat beside Jake holding his hand while she rested her head on the edge of his bed. Edward leaned back in his chair watched them from across Jake's bed. The sound of the ventilator kept a slow cadence, hissing lightly as the other monitors beeped softly in sync.

Bandages, scrapes and bruises covered Jake's face, and a few tubes were sticking out from his mouth and nose. Edward stared at his son, visually tracing the planes of his jaw, his nose, the set of his eyes, the flecks of copper in his dark hair. As Lily stroked Jake's palm with her thumb, Edward gazed down the length of his arms and legs under the sheet. Jake was as tall as he was. Edward could see himself in Jake; the resemblance was remarkable. In his brief memory of their volatile meeting, Edward saw how much Bella was a part of him. He remembered Jake's face full of emotion, how full of love for his mom he was, and saw Bella's tenderness in him when he touched her. It was hard to believe so much could change in a day. He was a father now, and wanted desperately to know his son. Everything else paled in comparison to this new desire. Even if Jake hated him, Edward would support his son.

Edward's eyes shifted to Bella. The power of their connection pierced them both, pulling down deep into old scars and fresh wounds. They looked toward Lily and Jake, feeling the bud of something similar weave them together. It was powerful and permanent. Bella felt her tears building as she felt the purity of Lily's heart pouring into her son. Still feeling the sting of their words, Bella tried not to dwell too long on Edward's presence; it hurt too much in too many ways to count. They wounded each other in their tirades, cutting each other down with their personal demons.

Edward's worn face caught Bella's teary eye once more, and both their faces asked the same question. In mutual pain, they both asked the other silently the same question:

Why? Why do we have to hurt this way?

Unable to find the answers, they turned back to Jake, watching him fight for his life.