Title: Not yet

Characters: Edward, Bella and Charlie

Summary: What if it was your time to go, but you couldn't leave yet? What would you do with the extra time you took?

Words: 1500

Song choice: Go rest high ~ Vince Gill

M rated for safety, but probably more like T.

Thanks to Victoria (Kitties1) for helping me out, sorry I made you cry babe xxx

~(*)~

I didn't bother to turn around when I felt his presence.

"It's time, we have to go," I knew that voice. I'd heard it so many times over my life. It used to be a friendly, comforting voice, but not now. Now I shuddered at it.

"No, not yet," my voice was firm and commanding.

No one was taking me away from my girl.

"I can't leave you here, I'm not allowed to," the voice replied eerily.

"I don't care. I gave my life, my whole damn life to protect people. They're not taking me now, she needs me too much," I growled.

"Okay, but I'll have to come back, soon." As soon as he finished talking, he was gone.

"Daddy, don't leave me, don't leave me daddy, please don't leave me…" My beautiful girls' whispered chant hadn't changed over the last few days.

It's still not clear to me what happened that had me in that hospital bed. I remembered going into the store on my way home, but that's it. Everything since then had been fuzzy. No, not fuzzy, misty.

It was like a mist was swirling round me. I was hot or cold, I was just numb.

Time held no meaning to me as I watched over my own body.

It was nothing like they made it out to be in films. I wasn't floating, hovering above my body. No bright lights. There was just a pull.

A pull towards my baby girl, that wouldn't let go.

I couldn't leave her now, I wouldn't.

I refused.

They might tell me it's time, but I guess they just didn't know how strong a parents bond was.

I would be here until she didn't need me anymore.

~(*)~

Time never stopped ticking, the light sky turned dark and my room was now full of people. Edward, my baby girls' boyfriend, was there. His family was by her side, holding her as she cried over me. She never left my side over the countless days.

I watched as doctors mumbled, people came and went, offering their love and support.

I watched as my chest stopped moving.

I listened as the machines bleeps turned into long droning hums.

I listened as she begged God for a miracle.

"There's nothing you can do now, Charlie," the voice said as he returned.

"Not yet." I growled.

~(*)~

More time slipped by as plans were made for me. I often found myself snorting as Bella rebuffed ideas that people had.

Billy suggested that I should be buried with my fishing gear. Bella sarcastically snorted and said that if heaven was that good, they'd have everything I needed there already. She had good logic.

In the end, it was a simple service with minimal fuss.

My kind of get together really.

With my body nestled in the ground between my parents and the other love of my life, Renee, I felt him return.

"Not yet," I growled out. It wasn't time yet.

"It won't be long, Charlie. You can't stay forever."

"I will stay as long as she needs me." My tone was final and he left me in peace.

~(*)~

I was getting angry with her.

She refused to leave the house.

She slept in my bed.

Edward had moved in with her.

I wasn't too thrilled about that, but she needed him there. She had him in body and me in spirit.

Alice and Rose brought her school work home for her.

Esme cooked dinner for her every night and brought it to her.

Carlisle and Edward talked about how much weight she was losing.

Emmett and Jasper intervened. Emmett pulled her from the bed and took her out into the garden.

Disconnecting her from the house and the familiar smells, they sat her on the ground and hugged her from both sides.

I learnt so much that afternoon. Both of them had lost their fathers, Jasper's in the war and Emmett's by a truck driver who was over-tired.

They shared their stories with her, showing her that she wasn't on her own with her grief.

They gently passed her off to Edward as the sun was setting and from there she started to open up a lot more.

"She has people here, Charlie, and you have people waiting for you."

"No, she's not ready." I replied firmly.

~(*)~

It was her graduation day.

I should have been there to be at her side, to tell her how proud I was.

"Bella, he'll be there, watching down on you," Edward murmured into her ear as she sat on my bed. She gave him a slight nod as she pulled her gown on over my police issued tee.

I let out a small chuckle. No doubt she would be the only girl there today wearing jeans and a tee under her robe.

No dresses for my little girl.

I watched as she walked across the stage, her head hung down.

She accepted her scroll and stood there for a moment on the stage, silent.

Tears trickled down her face as she slowly lifted her head and nodded to the sky and smiled.

She knew I was there for her.

"Charlie, I can't hang around much longer. They need you to come with me now."

I ignored him.

She still needed me.

~(*)~

"Charlie, Sir," Edward mumbled at my grave side.

"God, I don't even know where to begin. Sir, I love her. I love her so much, it hurts, but sometimes she's just so lost and I feel helpless. I wish you were still here, to help her. She won't admit it, but I know she's depressed. I want to say that I know how she feels, but I don't. The only thing I can do for her is to love her. She got a part time job at the library. It's helping her a little, I think, reading to the kids and sorting out books. Anything to take her mind off of things I suppose.

"Charlie, I want to marry her. I know you're probably up there cursing at me, but I can't hide what I feel is right. She needs someone to protect her, to put their life in front of hers, like you did. You died to save her and I will do the same. She is my life, Charlie. Without her, I'd be nothing. I know you can't verbally give me your blessing, but this is as close as I'm going to get, so I hope you understand."

I reached out and touched his shoulder. I knew he wouldn't be able to feel me, but actions spoke louder than words.

"Charlie, she's loved and cared for, please?"

Again, I ignored him.

~(*)~

She looked a vision, an angel.

I should have been there, by her side, but Carlisle was doing a good job in my place.

They were married in a small meadow in the woods. In all my time in Forks, I'd never seen anything more beautiful than that place.

She looked more than radiant as they were pronounced husband and wife.

"Charlie, you need to let go. She is well looked after, she has a true family now, please?"

She might have been married now, but she was still my little girl.

I wouldn't go.

~(*)~

"That's it baby, just a few more pushes," Edward was a wonderful coach. Better than I was with Renee. I'll admit it; I was a wimp when it came to Isabella coming into the world.

"I can't do it, I just can't!" She cried through the pain.

"Yes, yes you can. Come on, Bella, one more, beautiful, just one more."

I glance at the clock on the wall as my first grandchild came into the world. 12:17.

She did beautifully.

I felt the pull lessen. It had been there all this time, tying me to her, but now it was all but gone.

"Charlie?" I turned around to see not just Harry standing there, but Renee also.

"Hey, beautiful," I smiled at my wife.

"How did she do?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Amazingly well." I smiled as we looked to our daughter.

We watched for a little while longer. Seeing Edwards's family come into the room; all smiles and hugs.

"So, what did you name him?" Rose asked as she sat down carefully at the end of Bella's bed.

"Charlie, we named him Charlie."

I looked to Renee and Harry and nodded.

Harry and I shook hands as Renee looked one last time at her daughter.

"We did good with her, didn't we," she said, smiling proudly.

"Yeah, yeah we did. Time to go?" I asked them quietly.

"Yeah, there are a few people that have missed you up there." Harry answered.

It was time.

I walked over to Bella and kissed her head. Her body shivered a little and as I walked away, I heard the faintest words, but there were there.

"I love you daddy."

Thank-you for reading this one shot. I know it's short and to the point, but that's the way I needed it to be.

Feel free to leave me a review to let me know what you thought of it.

Tammy xx