The Doctor

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Before I knew it, Christmas had arrived. A few more days passed, days filled with me trying to spend as much time with my family as possible. One night, I was walking down the hallway and caught sight of Bella. She was stuffing a backpack with cash and writing a letter.

"Bells, what are you doing?" I asked her, and she seemed startled, although I knew there was no way I'd snuck up on her. She turned to face me and I hated the expression on her face. Hating seeing the devastation there.

"Addy-" Bella's voice cracked and I sped to her, pulling her into a hug. I looked down to see three passports on the desk. One for Jacob, Katerina and Alexia. I stiffened and Bella felt it.

"Alice's note, she left one for you didn't she?"

Bella nodded and I felt my heart breaking.

"Is there no hope then?"

Bella just stared at me and I felt myself breaking on the inside. Why couldn't my family just be happy for once? After all we'd been through, didn't we deserve it? The life I'd built was about to be torn away from me and there was nothing I could do. After that, my days became far more bleak. I made sure to think of other things around Edward, because Bella made me promise not to tell him for Alexia's safety. I still couldn't control the hopelessness I  felt, however.

Before I knew it, it was Christmas. I forced the dreadful feelings away for that one day, just to try and enjoy my last holiday with the people I loved.

Every vampire ended up celebrating with us, whether they believed in the holiday or not. I bought gifts for everyone, using that as my distraction from the depression I'd been feeling.

"Alexia, I have a gift for you." I told her, smiling slightly as I saw the grin that lit up her face. Bella had gifted her a locket and Edward had given her a MP3 player which had all her favorite songs on it. I had planned to get her something she'd have fun with, some throwaway gift, but knowing what I knew now, I got her something she could remember us by.

I bought her a pearl ring, one just like Bella's and around the pearl it had small stones, a stone for each of her family's birthstones.

I handed her the ring and she grinned widely before pulling me into a hug. I made eye contact with Bella, who looked touched by the gift. The two of us shared a sad smile before looking away.

Some of the wolves had also attended the celebration and Leah and Caleb gifted Rose a hand-made dreamcatcher to place over the baby's crib. That gift was hard to watch, hard to see the devastation on Rose's face, and the fake smile she put on for Leah and Caleb's sake. Did she too, know that there was no hope? That she'd never have her child with Emmett after all?

Christmas day was filled with laughs and sadness, but I forced myself to be happy and to enjoy the day. It seemed everyone else was doing the same as everyone was spending time with their loved ones. And some even took the next step, trying to make the last days even more meaningful.

I had been shocked when my father got down on one knee and proposed to Alex, who of course had said yes. To my utter surprise, Jacob and Katerina showed up to the house, a glittering ring already on her finger. It seemed everyone wanted to be bonded that way before death.

After all the celebrations and everyone had dispersed, I found myself alone with Carlisle.

"Today was great, don't you think? All of these people from different walks of life, all enjoying this holiday together." Carlisle told me and I smiled slightly at him, pulled from my thoughts.

"Yes, it was. A very good day." I stated, sort of numbly and he noticed. He walked over to me and grabbed my hand.

"Addy, love, what's wrong? These past few days I've felt that you feel so hopeless."

"I- I just want us all to make it out of this okay."

"We will." Carlisle said and I looked down, hiding my expression from him. How could I pretend like everything would be okay when Alice had seen it wouldn't be?

"Addy, look at me." Carlisle stated, holding my chin and making me look at him. I sighed and took in his features, so worried for me and everyone else. Was he ever worried for his own self?

"I just don't want to lose you. We were supposed to have together forever."

"And we will. I promise."

I let myself nod and pull him into a hug, let myself believe his words and let myself spend my last days without that crippling hopelessness keeping me down.

The waiting was terrible and the last few days we all camped in the clearing where we'd once fought the newborns. Here we were a few months later, fighting for our lives once again.

I walked into Bella's tent and saw her holding Alexia, who was sleeping. She looked up and saw me and smiled at me sadly. I went and sat down beside her, taking her free hand.

"Bells, did you ever think we'd end up in this situation when we moved to Forks?"

Bella laughed and I glanced at her.

"No, but even now I don't regret a thing."

"Neither do I."

I stared at Bella for a moment before squeezing her hand. "I love you, Bells. No matter what happens."

"I love you too, Addy."

~~~~

A few minutes later, I stood outside the campfire beside Jacob who was attempting to light a fire. Benjamin noticed and held up his hand, fire appearing above each of his fingers. He threw the fire towards the wood and it became engulfed in flames. Jacob laughed and grinned at Benjamin.

"That's what I'm talking about. A little pre-battle bonfire. Telling war stories."

Jacob glanced around at the motionless vampires and shook his hand. "Or just standing there like freaking statues."

I chuckled at that and the other vampires heard him, because Garrett sped over to sit on a log next to us.

"Name any American battle. I was there."

"Little Bighorn."

Garret grinned. "I was this close to biting Custer. But the Indians got him first."

Kate sped over and sat in Garret's lap, making me hide a smile.

"Try Oleg's assault on Constantinople. He didn't win that one on his own."

"If you're talking battles, you're talking the Eleven Years War. No one does rebellion like the Irish." Liam stated as he sped over, Siobhan closely behind him.

"You lost the Eleven Years War." Garret reminded him, sounding amused.

"Aye, but it was one hell of a rebellion."

As I laughed with the others, I found myself looking over at Carlisle to find him already eyeing me. We locked eyes and held eye contact for a long time, both too scared to look away. I stood up and sped over to him, leaning into his arms. And all I could think about was this may be the last time he held me.