I know, I know, it takes me forever to update! It will probably continue to be a slow process for the foreseeable future, but I WILL continue this story. So please hang in there with me.

My eternal love, gratitude, and enslavement goes to my beta, Jessypt!

BPOV

It had been a mostly sleepless night. I'd curled up on the small sofa in Michael's room and tried to rest, but every time my eyes would close I'd see my little boy in the hands of that monster. I'd feel the utter powerlessness, the indescribable terror, and the murderous rage that had coursed through me in those moments all over again.

I would have killed him myself for what he'd done, if Edward hadn't intervened. I knew deep inside, regardless of his size, strength, or speed, I could have broken that man in half with my bare hands. Never had I felt so incredibly powerful. Never had I felt such intense, burning rage.

Lonnie James. Even now his name sparked flames in my chest and made my fists curl. He was dead, and although some part of me knew I shouldn't be, I was glad.

He hurt my child.

Michael twitched in his sleep from time to time, and when he began whimpering I woke him. He couldn't tell me what he'd been dreaming about or why he'd been crying; the concepts were as foreign to him as hieroglyphics to me. It didn't matter; I knew. All mothers have an innate sense of what's happening with their children. The mother of an autistic child simply has a more finely developed one. We learn early on how to read their eyes. We gauge the level of their emotional turmoil by the severity of their tantrums or the depth of their withdrawal from reality. We feel their love in the way they take our hands when they won't allow anyone else to touch them or in the simple act of giving us a favorite toy, even though that gift comes without explanation or eye contact.

Jacob and I were blessed that Michael was verbal, able to speak in sentences and express concrete needs, thoughts, or questions. We might never discuss philosophy with him, but he could tell us he loved us. He loved to cuddle and be close. I'd met mothers in my support group in Arizona whose children would explode into fits at the slightest touch from another person.

We were truly blessed, despite all his challenges, to have Michael. At least that's how I felt.

I climbed into bed with Michael and held him as I sang him back to sleep. His arms clasped around my neck and tightened for a few moments. My heart swelled, and my voice lifted as I smiled. Never in my life had I experienced anything like the love of my son. There was no greater joy in the infinite universe. His grip loosened as he sank back into slumber, and I prayed silently that the rest of his sleep would be calm.

There was a brief commotion down the hall, a door banging and surprised voices. I extricated myself carefully from Michael and moved to close the door. I'd had enough excitement for one day.

Lying back down on my makeshift bed, I thought of Edward. There was something about him, something I couldn't quite figure out. It nagged at me. I knew my father was bothered by it too, that unexplainable something, but whereas Charlie suspected the worst, I was inclined to give Edward the benefit of the doubt. No matter what, he had saved Michael and me. He had intervened in a situation from which others might have run in fear. His actions, however mysterious and inexplicable, bespoke a good soul. My brain told me to be careful, but my instincts told me to trust him. I was inclined to obey.

His family—how could I ever begin to repay any of them for what they'd done tonight? I was a stranger to them, yet they hadn't hesitated to step in and see us through this. Alice, although overly enthusiastic and a bit on the flaky side, seemed eager to be friends. Her husband, Jasper, had worked nothing less than a miracle on Michael; I made a note to find out where he was studying and write to his advisor. He deserved recognition for a gift like that. Dr. Cullen—Carlisle—was gentle and attentive. He had allowed me to stay close to Michael throughout all the testing and had taken time to explain things and really talk to me. He seemed to have an almost photographic memory as well; he asked questions and remembered details like no doctor I'd ever met.

I understood from Alice that there were other Cullens as well; her big brother, Emmett, and his wife, Rosalie, as well as Dr. Cullen's wife, Esme. I wasn't quite sure how they were all related—Alice talked very fast and sometimes would space out midsentence—but apparently they'd been living here for a few years now. I knew a little about them from town gossip and rumors: they lived in some enormous house deep in the woods; Dr. Cullen and his wife came into town often but the kids rarely made appearances; and they were all beautiful and antisocial and stuck-up (I got that last one from the cashier at Newton's Outfitters, a twit named Jessica who had apparently been spurned by one of the Cullen boys in their high school years). A bit of a recluse myself, I understood the need to maintain some privacy in a place where every family has baby pictures of every other family's kids. The first week we'd lived with Charlie no fewer than 10 kids had knocked on the door wanting to meet Michael and be friends. The first few times I'd tried to get Michael interested and get something going, but it quickly became apparent that he wasn't interested and that his behaviors were making the other kids nervous. I knew it wouldn't be long before word would spread about the "freaky kid" at the Swan house, and sure enough, I overhead some women whispering about it in the pharmacy one day a couple of weeks later when I was picking up Michael's medications. When I confronted them about it and explained his condition, they'd looked at me with pity. After that, I'd stopped letting the neighborhood kids in.

Some people speak with adoration about the close-knit quality of small-town life. I, for one, was missing the anonymity of Phoenix. In a city that big, everyone's a freak, and no one cares anyway. I'd tried to convince Jacob to stay in Arizona, but he'd been adamant about "bringing Michael home to the tribe." His words, exactly. I'd snorted in laughter, because Jacob was about the least traditional Native American on the planet; I'd never once heard him speak of his heritage in the seven years I'd known him. It wasn't until we were here that I discovered Jake had talked to his father about performing some tribal hocus pocus that would supposedly chase the "demons" out of my son. We were having dinner on the reservation when one of the women, Leah, had let that particular nugget slip out. I hadn't set foot on the reservation since; I'd taken Michael and moved in with my father that night. Jake had drifted between La Push and Forks ever since, trying to mend fences on both sides with little success. Three days ago he'd shown up at my father's door and told me he and "the pack" were headed to Vegas. He'd barely acknowledged Michael in the ten minutes he'd been there.

I frowned. I'd finally reached Jacob at his hotel. I wasn't sure he'd understood a word I'd said, and I was relatively sure I'd heard multiple female voices in the background. I'd probably have to try again in a few hours after he'd sobered up enough. I knew things between us were essentially over, but given the night I'd already had, Jake's apparent lack of interest in his own son—regardless of where he was and how much "fun" he was having—was the last straw.

I drifted off to sleep finally around 5 in the morning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"All of Michael's tests have come back normal, so once we cross the 24-hour mark, you'll be free to take him home." Carlisle had been in and out all day, checking on us. Jasper had been in, as well, whenever they needed to do another scan or test, and I'd continually marveled at how well behaved Michael was around him. Jasper seemed to have some kind of calming influence on everyone around him; even in my state of boredom, sleeplessness, anxiety, and frustration I somehow felt better when he was in the room.

Perhaps it was a defense mechanism he'd built up in order to live with Alice, I thought.

She was a sweetheart, but she had spent most of the day keeping up a continuous stream of chatter that exhausted me. Where does someone get that kind of energy? I'd love to buy some. I'd actually breathed a small sigh of relief when she told me she needed to get some air. She'd probably already used up all the available oxygen in the room.

Be nice, Bella. She's not that bad. I knew it. I was just going a little stir crazy in this tiny room. I knew Michael was feeling it too, although at the moment he was fully absorbed in an iPad Jasper had brought in for him to play with.

"Thank you, Carlisle. I'm grateful for everything you've done." I reached out to shake his hand, surprised at how cold his skin was. No wonder Michael had reacted so strongly to him last night.

Carlisle must have noticed my reaction.

"I'm sorry, Bella, the air conditioning in here plus the constant hand washing does tend to make my hands cold. I should have warned you," he smiled in apology. At that moment, a familiar voice carried down the hallway.

"Where the hell are my wife and son?"

Jacob appeared in the doorway just as I reached it. "Bella? What the hell is going on? Why are you still at the hospital? I thought you'd be home by now!"

"Jake, this is Dr. Cullen. He and his son-in-law, Dr. Whitlock, have been taking care of Michael." I gestured to Carlisle, who stepped forward to offer his hand. Jacob looked at Carlisle, and his face darkened.

"Did you say Cullen?" he snarled at me, ignoring Carlisle. I nodded.

"Yes. Dr. Cullen—Carlisle's son, Edward, was there when Michael and I were attacked. Edward chased them off, and Carlisle and his family have been helping us." I half-smiled at Carlisle in an attempt to quell the sudden tension in the room. I had no idea what Jake's problem was, but the Cullens had been too good to us for Jacob to be rude now. "They've been so good with Michael, Jake, wait 'til you see. Jasper especially, it's like he has a gift with autistic kids—"

"Get your things, Bella, we're taking Michael home now." Jacob's tone was final and angry in a way I'd never heard before. He continued to glare at Carlisle. I glanced back and forth between them. Carlisle's face remained passive, but his eyes were steady on Jacob, as though he were waiting for something. Jake, on the other hand, was practically radiating heat. I stepped between them.

"Jake, we can't leave yet. They want to observe Michael for at least 24 hours. We have two hours to go, then we can be discharged. It won't be much longer."

"We're going now, I said!" he snapped at me.

"Is there a problem here?" Another familiar voice came from behind Jake. We turned to find Edward and Alice there with a large behemoth of a man and an auburn-haired woman.

"No, no problem," Carlisle answered Edward's question. "Everyone, this is Bella's husband, Jacob Black. Mr. Black, this is my wife, Esme, my daughter, Alice, and my sons, Edward and Emmett." He gestured to each of them. "Bella and I were just telling Mr. Black that Michael will be ready for release in about two hours."

I saw Jacob scowl, his body still rigid with anger. What the hell was going on?

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" Alice squealed, dancing around Jake and up next to me for a hug. "I'm so happy he's okay, Bella."

"Thanks Alice," I murmured, returning the hug quickly, my eyes still on my husband. "I'm happy to see all of you again, but would you mind excusing us for a minute? I'd like to talk to Jacob alone, and I'm sure he wants to see his son." I emphasized the last few words as I glared at Jacob. He looked abashed for a fleeting moment before his face went taut again. He continued to glare as the Cullens filed out of the room. Edward was last to go, his eyes wary. I nodded to him in reassurance, and he closed the door behind him.

I turned to my husband. "What the fuck, Jake?" I hissed, keeping my voice low so Michael wouldn't hear. He was so engrossed with the iPad he hadn't even registered that his father was in the room yet. "What is your problem? In case you've forgotten, your son and I have had a pretty rough night. I don't know what your deal is, but the Cullens saved us last night. The least you can do is be polite!"

He snorted derisively. "Saved you. Sure they did. Your dad seems to think they were in on it, and I wouldn't put it past them. The Cullens are dangerous, Bella. I don't want you or Michael anywhere near them, you hear me? Now, pack up; we're leaving."

"I'm not going anywhere until Carlisle gives us the okay. And neither is Michael. If you want to stay with us, you're welcome. But if you say one ungrateful thing to any of the Cullens, Jacob Black, I will have security make you leave."

He stepped closer to me. "Nobody's making me go anywhere. You're my wife, Bella. Don't fucking forget that."

This close, he was so tall I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes, but I met them nonetheless. They were dark and angry, and although I felt a tremor of fear, I'd been through enough in the past 24 hours. I stood my ground and prepared to answer him when Michael interrupted.

"Daddy?"

Like a light switch, Jake's expression changed. The anger disappeared, and he turned to Michael with a smile and his arms outstretched. "Mikey! How's my little man?"

Michael jumped from the bed and into Jake's arms, his face beaming. "I'm not a little man, Daddy, I'm a big boy!" It was their routine. The two of them roughhoused carefully for a couple of minutes. I hung back, watching for any sign that Jake wasn't being careful enough or that Michael was becoming too overstimulated. They could both get themselves too wound up, and it usually resulted in Michael having a tantrum and Jake slamming doors in frustration. His bizarre anger and behavior had me even more wary than usual.

"You ready to go to Grandpa Charlie's house, Mikey?" Jake asked as he swung Michael around.

"Go to Grandpa Charlie's house!" Michael answered between fits of giggles. "Go see Grandpa Charlie!"

"Jake," I warned, stepping toward the door. "We're not leaving until we know everything's okay."

Towing Michael by the hand, Jake stomped heavily toward me, his face determined.

"I won't let my son be treated by freaks. Now get out of my way."

"Go see Grandpa Charlie?" Michael asked this time, his voice nervous as his unusual sensitivity registered the tension in the room. He glanced between us.

I reached out and ruffled his hair. "Soon, baby. Why don't you play with Jasper's iPad some more?"

"iPad!" Everything else forgotten, Michael tried to pull free. Jacob held him tight.

"Let go Daddy! iPad!" He pulled and pulled, but to no avail.

"Let him go, Jacob!" I reached out to help Michael, but Jake yanked him away from me and put himself between us. Michael was starting to yell, and I knew it would be only a matter of seconds before all hell would break loose.

"Let goooooooo! Let gooooooo! iPad!" Michael was crying as well as screaming. "Daddy, let me go!"

"Please Jake, just let him go. Don't hurt him." Don't hurt my baby. Not again. Please, please. Was I really here again, barely 24 hours later? Watching another man hurt my child? Tears began coursing down my own cheeks. "Please, Jake."

He leaned down to face me. The eyes that looked back at me were strange. Who was this man? Was this really my husband?

"He's my son, and I'm taking him now. You can't fucking stop me Bella, so don't bother trying." He pushed me aside roughly, and I stumbled over a rolling stool and momentarily lost my balance. Michael was still fighting for freedom, dangling and flailing as he was dragged to the door. Jacob flung open the door with his other hand and promptly halted.

"I think it's time you left, Jacob." The voice was familiar but ice cold.

Peering around the door, I saw what had stopped Jake. A wall of Cullens stood in the hall outside our room. In the center of them stood my father. The group was intimidating enough that it even distracted Michael from his tantrum.

"Go, now, before I beat the shit out of you," Charlie growled. I'd never heard him so angry, and his voice matched the looks on the pale faces that surrounded him.

"He's my son." Jake's voice held far less conviction now. Sensing he'd lost, he released Michael's hand. I ran over to Michael and pulled him down into my lap.

"It's okay, baby; it's okay," I whispered, rocking him. "Everything's okay."

He put his arms around my neck. "Daddy hurt me. Daddy bad?"

"Bella—" Jacob started to speak, but I held up my hand to him and glared.

"Leave."

He looked back toward the group at the door—our protectors—and back to us for a moment. Defeated, he pushed through the Cullens and disappeared. I closed my eyes and rocked my son. I could sense and hear movement as everyone filed into the room. A warm, familiar scent of aftershave told me it was Charlie who had squatted down beside us.

"You guys okay, Bells?" he asked quietly. "Are either of you hurt?"

I opened my eyes. "I'm okay, I think," I answered. "I'll have a bruise where I hit that stool, but I'm okay." I took Michael's hand in my own. The skin was red and raw looking from his attempts to pull free. He twitched a little when I touched it.

"Hurts. Daddy hurt."

Carlisle joined Charlie. "May I?" he asked. I nodded and held out the little arm for him to examine. "It seems fine, Bella. Nothing broken. The skin will be a little sore, but there's no serious damage."

"Thank you, again, Carlisle." I looked at him and smiled gratefully. Looking up, I realized all of the Cullens were still in the room, including Emmett and a beautiful blonde who had to be Rosalie. Her expressions varied from irritation to anger, which I couldn't quite understand; it seemed directed at me, but the others peering down at us were concerned. "Thank you, all of you, for being here," I said quietly, still rocking Michael. "I'm so glad to have met you all. And I'm sorry about Jacob's behavior."

"Nothing to be sorry about, Bella dear, " Esme answered. "We're just glad you're both all right."

Charlie stood. "Come on, Bells, let's get you two off this cold floor." He held out his arms for Michael, and I passed him over. I started to get up, and a hand I assumed to be Carlisle's appeared in front of me for support. I was surprised when I realized it belonged to Edward. I was even more surprised by the warmth I felt when our hands met, despite his skin being almost as cold as Carlisle's. I met his eyes and realized for the first time that they were an odd color, like amber. They were disorienting, and it took me a moment to regain my equilibrium even after I'd gotten back on my feet. It took a few more moments for me to realize I was still holding his hand.

"Oh, s-sorry," I stammered.

"Are you certain you're all right, Bella?" Edward asked. His face seemed confused, as though I had said something to puzzle him. Had I said anything? I couldn't remember. Maybe I wasn't entirely okay after all. I chanced another look at his face, and my head swam. Definitely not okay.

"I'm a little, uh, lightheaded, I guess. Probably just stood up too quickly." Deliberately not looking directly at Edward, I made a show of shaking my head clear. "All better. No worries." I half-smiled at them in reassurance.

"Well in that case, I have a complaint to make." Emmett's voice was deep and booming, a fitting sound for the giant that he was. "You mentioned meeting all of us, but technically you haven't. Carlisle introduced us to your husband, but not to you. So for the record, I'm Emmett, and this is my wife, Rosalie." He smiled wide as he reached out an enormous paw of a hand for me to shake. I took it tentatively and laughed a little.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." I reached out my hand. Rosalie offered a brief handshake, but when I turned to Emmett I found myself swept up into two massive branches.

"I don't shake hands with pretty ladies, Bella. I hug!"

I started to laugh, but my airway was constricted by the bone-crunching squeeze of his arms. Instead I gasped.

"Ooops. Sorry." Emmett's face was apologetic as he set me back on the ground. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

"You know what they say about steroids, Emmett," Alice chided jokingly. At least, I assumed it was a joke, but then again, Emmett did seem somewhat unnaturally constructed. The rest of the family chuckled.

"Yeah, better be careful; you shrink your 'nads and Rose will not be pleased," Jasper joked from a far corner of the room, where he was leaning against a support pillar.

"Hey, I'm all natural 100% grade A manhood!" Emmett answered. "And my 'nads, dear brother, are in perfect working order. Just ask your sister!"

Jasper cringed, but I was suddenly confused. "Wait—if Jasper's your brother and Rosalie's his sister…uh, how exactly does that work with you and Rose?"

All of the Cullens laughed. Alice flittered over and patted me on the shoulder.

"You're adorable, Bella. I'm so glad we're gonna be friends!"

Charlie spoke up. "I have to admit, I'm a bit confused myself. Forgive us, we're fairly new around here."

"It's fine, Chief," Edward spoke. I felt my face heat at the sound of his voice—really? His voice? Am I turning into a girl? God forbid—so I stared at Alice rather than meet his eyes again. She gave me the impression of a doctor examining a patient, and suddenly I was self-conscious. What was it about these Cullens that made me so flustered? Then I realized Edward was still talking, and my brain went fuzzy again. Maybe I just need sleep.

Alice smirked. I saw it out of the corner of my eye.

"So Rose and Jasper are the only ones actually related by blood," Edward was saying.

"Well, that's pretty admirable, Carlisle, Esme," Charlie answered, nodding respectfully to both of them. "Taking on so many teenagers when you're both so young yourselves."

"Well, we both love children, and although we didn't expect to have such a large family, we are blessed to have them all in our lives," Esme replied, smiling at her family. She turned to me.

"You're clearly blessed as well, Bella. Michael seems like a truly amazing child. And so handsome!"

"Thank you, Esme," I answered, looking at my son in Charlie's arms. "I'll be happy to get him home, safe and sound in his own bed."

"Well it won't be long now, Bella," Carlisle assured me. "In fact, I'll start the discharge paperwork now, so you'll be all processed out when the time comes." He turned to the others. "Come on, Cullens. Let's give Bella and her family some time alone."

The family filed back out of the room, and once again Edward was last to leave. He lingered at the door, still looking puzzled. I walked over to him.

"Are you okay, Edward?"

He stared at me intently for a moment without answering, his brow furrowed.

"Edward?" Why is he staring at me?

Suddenly he snapped out of it.

"Oh, uh, sorry Bella, I was just—" He floundered for a minute.

"Just what? Are you okay?" Maybe he needs to see a doctor after all. Perhaps I should call Carlisle back.

"That's not nec—I mean, I'm fine. I guess I'm just distracted. I'm sorry." He twitched oddly, glancing down the hall and back again. "I, uh, I have to go. Take care of yourself, Bella."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me startled and confused in the doorway.

Was it something I said?