Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.

A/N: Flying solo folks.

Chapter 6

For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still until Liz screamed, breaking them out of their trance. Then all hell broke loose as everyone rushed toward Bella.

Jacob had almost reached her, when an invisible force knocked him backward, causing him to falter. That brief stumble was what allowed Taylor to reach her side before he did.

"Be careful. Watch her head," Carmen's coworker, Jenna warned as Taylor and Jacob–one gripping her head, the other her shoulders–gently rolled Bella onto her back.

The red bruise on her forehead wasn't bleeding, but Bella still remained unconscious.

"Isabella? Talk to me," Taylor pleaded, panicking when he couldn't find a pulse.

Jacob's eyes were fixed on Bella's face, willing her to breathe as Taylor began to perform chest compressions. In the background he heard Jenna on the phone with 911 and grasped Bella's limp hand. He knew he should have been doing something more to help her, but he couldn't focus. Could barely breathe himself. It felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest. All around him, the concerned, frenzied voices didn't quite reach him. With the dazed state Jacob was in, his attempt at CPR would result in her having a cracked chest plate.

In the midst of it all, he felt an emotion he'd never allowed himself to feel since the day Bella walked out of his life, helplessness.

"Come on. Don't do this to me," Taylor murmured desperately under his breath as precious seconds ticked by with no response from Bella. He brought his mouth to hers and forced air into her lungs.

After what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly coughed and gasped for breath, her heart beginning to beat again.

Relief hit Jacob hard, easing the odd tightness in his chest. He could hear her heart beat, see the steady rise and fall of her chest. The weight on his chest lifted, allowing him to breathe and think clearly again.

Taylor leaned over and cradled her cheek, his fingers gliding over her flesh in a way that made Jacob's skin crawl in quiet disgust. "Look at me, Isabella. Open your eyes."

A tiny line formed between her eyebrows as she groaned softly. Her eyelids fluttered open with a wince and Jacob felt her fingers flex inside his hand. She blinked a few times to clear her vision. Apprehension flittered across Bella's face when she noticed the crowd that had gathered around her.

"Okay, everybody. Back up and give her some air," Jacob told the people standing around them. When no one moved, he glanced up sharply and they all took a couple of steps back.

Jacob's voice immediately drew Bella's gaze, her apprehension quickly turned into confusion. Her fingers flexed in his grasp again, her confusion deepening when she realized that he was holding her hand. She switched her attention back to Taylor, whose jaw was clenched in anger as his eyes focused on their linked hands. Jacob didn't miss the slight curl of his upper lip and the muscle ticking in his jaw.

Taylor's dark expression softened a fraction, when Bella's lips parted as she made an attempt at speech. She finally succeeded after a few tries.

"Did I have another seizure?" She asked fearfully, her voice just above a whisper.

A hardness transformed Taylor's face then. "No, you… had an accident."

"Accident my ass," Liz snarled as she stood with violence on her mind. "Come here, bitch."

Ryan caught Liz mid-lunge before she was able to make contact with Carmen, who'd been taken by surprise.

Acting on pure instinct, Jacob immediately rose and protectively pulled Carmen behind his body. Ryan's bear grip tightened, holding firm as Liz cursed and struggled to reach Carmen. Was it Jacob's imagination or were Liz's teeth a little longer than before?

"Let me kick her ass, Ryan! She pushed Izzy! You saw it too!" Liz bucked in Ryan's hold but he was able to hold firm.

Jacob found it strange that Ryan appeared to be having trouble holding on to Liz. Given their obvious differences in the size and strength, a guy of Ryan's built shouldn't have had any trouble restraining Liz. And yet his muscles strained under the seemingly strenuous effort it took to keep her under control.

At Liz's words, shocked murmurs went through the pack; their questioning gazes were immediately drawn to Carmen. A slight tremor shook the hand she laid on his arm and Jacob caught the faint scent of fear. She was afraid and had every damn right to be.

Fury sparked in Liz's eyes, her lips peeled away from her teeth in a silent growl.

Ryan's eyes widened in alarm. He gave Liz a hard shake, lowered his lips to her ear and frantically whispered, "Damn it, Liz. You can't do this here. We're on a public beach."

His words must have gotten through to her because she immediately froze in his arms. For the first time, she noticed the people watching their unfolding scene with interest. She managed to quell the burning rage in her eyes, though just barely.

Taylor suddenly rose with Bella cradled in his arms.

"Wait a minute. Where are you taking her? The ambulance is on its way." Jenna confronted Taylor when he tried to leave with Bella.

"I'm not waiting for an ambulance. She needs medical attention right now."

A pained sound left Bella when Taylor shifted her weight. Her lips were pressed into a thin line; her eyes squeezed shut, head resting against his chest. Taylor's features tightened, concern knitting his brow as he gazed down at her face.

"You don't understand. She was unconscious, moving her could make her injury worse," Jenna warned, her experience as a registered nurse shining through. Lines of worry were etched into her face as she cast anxious looks between Taylor and the woman he carried in his arms.

Taylor had endangered Bella's health by moving her.

That was all Jacob and the wolf needed to hear. He left Carmen's side, scowling darkly as Taylor stepped around Jenna.

"You heard what Jenna said. Put her down." Jacob moved into his path, effectively blocking him when he tried to leave.

"Get out of my way." Taylor's face hardened with determination, his grip on Bella tightening protectively.

"Put her down." Jacob stepped closer with the wolf in his gaze, ready to back him up at a moment's notice. Bella's body was the only thing, stopping them from being nose to nose. The wolf urged him to forcibly take Bella from Taylor if he had to.

"Move or I will move you." Taylor eyes glittered savagely, his dangerously low voice immediately put Jacob on guard.

The wolf bared its fangs in a vicious snarl. That was big talk for a human. Obviously, Taylor had no idea who he was dealing with. Jacob almost snorted, but then sobered when the wolf counseled him against underestimating the man in front of them. Again, wolf instinct whispered that something wasn't right.

"Stop," Bella suddenly spoke, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Jacob froze, surprised when Bella laid her cool palm on his bare chest. "I… I want to go to the hospital."

Deep inside, Jacob knew she didn't really want that, but she'd go if it kept them from fighting. Jacob kept himself in check, against the wolf who desire nothing more than to rub itself against her hand.

With a shaky breath, she withdrew her hand from his heated skin and grasped weakly at Taylor's shoulder. "Please, Taylor."

Bella's whispered plea sent shards of shame into Jacob's heart. He'd allowed himself to get distracted by his wolf's desire to break Taylor, to show him and the pack who was the most dominant of the two. He observed the way Bella's eyes remained shut, the stiffness of her muscles, and the unsteady beat of her heart. Her pink lips were pinched tightly together in an attempt to hold her groans of agony at bay.

She was in pain.

That realization was enough to penetrate the wolf's–and his–macho posturing. She was hurt and he was the one preventing her from getting the help she needed. Even though wolf instinct demanded that he not let her out of his sight, Taylor was right. Bella needed immediate attention. Jacob had no way of knowing how much her cancer treatments had weakened her health. Standing there arguing with Taylor was a waste of precious time.

Jacob gritted his teeth, furious he'd allowed his wolf's desires to manipulate him yet again. He forced his stiff limbs to propel his uncompliant body from Taylor's path, and allowed them to pass.

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine, I'm here," Taylor soothed Bella as he hurried away with Angela rushing after them.

It took every ounce of strength he possessed to stay where he was, and ignore the wolf's savage howling as it battered against his will in protest. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he shut his eyes, trying to calm the fast hammering of his heart. Still feeling the soft imprint of Bella's hand on his chest, Jacob was thrown off guard by the wolf's growing possessiveness toward her.

Just then Ryan's curse drew Jacob's attention when he saw that Liz no longer at his side.

Jacob's head whipped around upon realizing his error. In his haste to prevent Taylor from leaving with Bella, he'd left Carmen unprotected. Liz had taken advantage of their distraction to slip away completely unnoticed until she was standing directly in front of Carmen.

To her credit, Carmen managed to retain her cool and mask how unnerved she was by Liz's proximity. However, a shift of the wind brought a hint of her fear with it.

The eerie stillness in Liz's frame, coupled with the coldness in her gaze was enough to set off the warning bells in Jacob's head. There was something decidedly disturbing in the air, but Jacob couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Don't do it, Liz," Ryan warned, deliberately edging toward them as if afraid to make any sudden movements.

Jacob too was cautious in his approach, unwilling to risk startling Liz. He didn't know what Liz intended to do, but his gut told him she would do a hell of a lot more than slap Carmen. Despite what she'd done, the instinct to protect Carmen from harm was still there.

"You better hope she's okay. Because if she isn't and I have to come back here..." Liz leaned in until her face was just a breath away from Carmen's. "Things will not go well for you." The quiet rage in her words sliced through the tense silence.

Liz finally looked away when Ryan cautiously began to reach for her. His hand froze midair when her green eyes went hard, and a flash of irritation darted across her face. She blinked and her expression softened. That was just the encouragement Ryan needed as his hand gently encircled her wrist.

Jacob observed the tender firmness behind his grip. Ryan's wary approach was that of a man dealing with a dangerous animal as he proceeded to steer her away from Carmen and the pack.

"Call me if you need to talk," Haley offered Carmen a tentative smile.

Based on the look of complete and utter disappointment Jenna gave Carmen before she packed up her stuff and left with Haley, it was safe to assume that Carmen might've just lost a friend.

Jacob's hard gaze fell on Carmen and a tremor shook her, knowing she was in deep shit.

"You stupid bitch."

Rachel laid into Carmen as soon as she was out of the car.

Under the watchful eyes of the people on the beach, Jacob ordered everyone to gather their things and return to Sam's house. He would not allow any outsiders to witness the argument he sensed brewing amongst his pack. Though Jacob would've preferred to deal with Carmen alone, this was a pack issue. There were no secrets within the pack. Carmen owed them all an explanation.

Jacob knew Carmen had been upset about Bella coming back, but he'd underestimated how truly threatened she was. To push Bella, to actually try and hurt her? He didn't know what to think.

"Did you really think you'd get away with it?" Kim asked furiously, shifting JJ from one hip to the other.

"Bella was conscious and talking when they left. That's a good sign. I'm sure she's fine." Carmen was grasping at straws and they both knew it. "How bad can a small bump on the head be?"

Upon hearing this, the tenuous thread holding Jacob's temper snapped. "Bella's recovering from cancer. She is not fine!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Carmen's face paled with shock, eyes widening and then everyone start speaking at once.

"What?"

"–Cancer?"

"What do you mean–?"

"Bella was sick?"

With him being bombarded with questions by the pack, Jacob struggled to understand what was being said.

Still, one comment managed to break thtrough the chaos of overlapping voices.

"I can't believe Bella was right. You knew she was sick and kept it to yourself?" Embry gave him a look that could only be described as shocked disbelief.

Jacob's head snapped up, his sharp stare spearing Embry who took a halting step backward. Jacob's pupils had dilated, the wolf heavy in his gaze. A shadow of fear flickered across Embry's face, his eyes tracking the feral changes in the Alpha's posture.

"Explain now," Jacob demanded through gritted teeth, his sharp tone sliced through the voices, and put an immediate end to all the questions. He didn't want to think about what he would do if Embry had to be added to the list of people that kept Bella's illness from him. If Bella had chosen to confide in Embry instead of him…

Sensing danger in the flames of the Alpha's rage, Embry lowered his eyes to the ground. "I figured it out when I ran into Bella the other day."

"What do you mean figured it out?" Jacob's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

An annoyed look. "My mom died from pancreatic cancer, Jake. I know what chemo smells like."

Jacob growled low in his throat when Embry met his eyes and he immediately dropped his gaze again. His friend wasn't out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.

"I asked her who else knew and she said Sue, Charlie, Billy and… you." Embry swallowed thickly before continuing, "I didn't want to believe it but Bella was so sure–"

Embry stopped upon witnessing the stunned confusion on Jacob's face.

"You didn't know?"

Frowning, Jacob answered with a distracted shake of his head.

"Then how…"

There was a noticeable gruffness in Jacob's next words. "I overheard her and Taylor talking about it the night of Michael's party."

Jacob's mind flashed back to the angry words Bella had hurled at him that night. He hadn't understood when she'd accused him of being disappointed that she was alive. Her rambling on about him only caring about his perfect life with his perfect imprint.

Go back to pretending I'm dead.

Then all the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. The hatred in Bella's eyes each time she looked at him, and the reason behind those disappointed looks Charlie kept giving him. Jacob and Embry arrived at the same conclusion.

"Bella thinks you knew, man. She thinks you've always known about her cancer."

"Why would she think that?" Jacob suddenly felt ill. Did Bella try to reach out to him? He didn't understand. Just how the fuck was he supposed to know that she had cancer?

"She didn't say." Embry's brows were drawn together in confusion as he pondered the same thing.

"You knew, Emily? Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked, drawing Jacob from his thoughts.

Sam was upset to learn that his wife could keep a big secret like that from him. How long had she been talking to Bella, and lying to his face about it?

"Why didn't I tell you?" Emily asked, incredulous at his audacity. "You were too preoccupied with Leah to notice that I've been scared out of my mind for months."

"Emily–" Sam began weakly as she stalked off, only to be rendered speechless when she spun around with unshed tears in her eyes.

"Do me a favor, Uley. Don't follow me." Emily abruptly spun on her heel and waddled across the yard to seek refuge in their house.

Sam stared at her retreating figure, racked by feelings of guilt and shame. Emily was right. Sam had been so busy living in the past that he'd failed to examine any other reasons behind Emily's mood swings. He'd just chalked it up to pregnancy hormones and left it at that. She'd been worried and upset about Bella being sick and… he hadn't noticed. He'd neglected his imprint for months and he hadn't even realized he was doing it. He'd been a fool to think that Emily wouldn't notice his distraction and guess that Leah had been its cause. Was it any wonder Bella had gotten on his case about it the other night?

"I'll take care of her," Kim's words were curt as she went after Emily, taking JJ inside with her.

"I didn't know she was sick, Jake. I swear." Carmen promised.

"Would it have made any difference if you did?" Jacob voiced the question they were all asking themselves.

"Come on, Jake. You know me."

"Do I, Carmen? Because for the past few days I haven't been able to recognize you at all. I've never seen you be so ruthless with anyone before."

No matter what he did, he could not get the image of Bella's fragile, unconscious body out of his mind. And to know that she was on her way to the hospital because of the stunt Carmen pulled… Bella could've been killed. Jacob never would've thought that Carmen was capable of hurting someone. Could he have been wrong about her?

Rachel snorted, eyes wandering up and down Carmen's frame in disgust. "Hate to break it to you, Jake, but she's always been that way."

Carmen rounded on Rachel with cutting anger in her eyes. "You're just loving this, aren't you?"

"Loving this?" Rachel fixed her with a withering glare. "The only thing I'm feeling right now is shame. Shame that our so-called leader could do something so disgusting, so underhanded. You'll be lucky if Bella doesn't throw your ass in jail."

"That's enough, Rachel!" Jacob snapped, unable to put aside his compulsion to defend Carmen. A glance at the faces of his wolves confirmed that at least half of them were nodding in agreement with Rachel. The other wolves were more reserved, choosing instead to withhold judgment until they heard Carmen's side of the story.

"Explain it to me, Carmen, because I really want to know. Why on earth would you do something like that?"

"I'll tell you what she was thinking." Rachel sidestepped Paul, roughly jerking her hand out of his grasp when he attempted to restrain her. "The only thought on her mind was about getting rid of the competition."

"No!" Denial tore from Carmen's mouth as she spun back to Jacob, her head shaking desperately.

"Then what happened?" The tentative question came from Tess, who was more than a little disturbed by what Carmen had done.

With a frustrated sigh, Carmen pushed tangled strands of dark hair away from her face. "I don't know how to explain it. Being around Bella just made me so crazy and before I knew what happened, she was on the ground and–" She broke off, her eyes wide with genuine remorse. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

Startled, Sam's eyes cut to Jacob's as the council's warning echoed in his mind. He'd been the only other wolf at the last meeting, when the council had cautioned Jacob to keep a watchful eye on Carmen and Bella. Jacob's past ties to Bella had compromised the mating bond he shared with Carmen, and the elders were afraid. Nothing like this had ever happened before. None of them knew what this meant for the future of the pack.

Sam thought back to the football match and the strange way they'd fed off each other's aggression. At times, circling each other like rival cats. It was true that Carmen attacked Bella in the end, but only after Bella–unable to do it herself–set Liz loose on her. Never would Sam have guessed that Bella would grow into a dominant personality. From what had transpired today, the council elders had been right to express their concerns. As soon as word of what happened on the beach reached the elders, he and Jacob would be summoned into another meeting to discuss how they planned to manage the situation.

"I never meant to hurt her, Jake. Please say that you believe me." Carmen's eyes silently begged Jacob to believe in her again. Trust her again.

"Come on, Jake. Don't tell me you're actually buying this act." Rachel wanted to rip her hair out in frustration, watching her brother's iron resolve waver. "This is all happening for a reason, Jake. Bella coming back changed everything. You don't have to continue to settle for less than you deserve."

"Give me a chance to make things right." Carmen pleaded, hot tears brimming in her eyes.

All eyes were on the couple as the pack waited for the Alpha's response. An agonizing silence hung in the air.

Rachel was wrong. Nothing had changed with Bella's return. She'd chosen to walk away and although she'd come back, it was clear she didn't come back for him. They'd both moved on and were completely different from the people they used to be. Taking care of her was someone else's job. A job that Taylor guarded jealously.

Four years. Jacob and Carmen had been through a lot together. She'd helped him move on from Bella and find some small measure of peace. Though he was still disgusted and furious with her for what she'd done, he couldn't turn his back on her. Loving her had become second nature to him. Their mating bond was still too strong for him to even contemplate leaving her. Jacob felt he owed Carmen another chance, considering she had been there for him when Bella wasn't. Contrary to what his sister thought, Jacob wasn't settling, he was playing the hand he'd been dealt.

He didn't have to say it.

They all knew what his decision was the moment Carmen began to sob with relief.

"Unbelievable–" Rachel snapped her mouth shut when she was hit by the sheer power behind the Alpha's gaze. She stormed into the house, slamming the door hard behind her to express her abhorrence at the choice he'd made.

That same power was in his eyes when Jacob scanned the faces of each pack member, searching for any signs of dissidence.

He found none.

None of them would dare say a bad word against Carmen.

Jacob wrapped Carmen in his arms and–to his quiet horror–felt his wolf recoil from her.

He might have been able to forgive Carmen, but his wolf hadn't.

Carmen pushed her.

Bella couldn't believe it.

During the frantic drive to the emergency room, Liz was very descriptive about all the ways she would sink her claws and fangs into Carmen if anything happened to Bella. Mindful of her pain, Taylor had kept his voice low as he repeatedly assured Bella that she would be all right, while Angela held her hand in silent support. They all knew how nervous hospitals made her.

In the emergency room, they were met by a kind eyed male doctor with graying hair, who'd been expecting them. Apparently Jenna had called ahead. After Dr. Grant performed a series of neurological exams, he determined that Bella had sustained a mild concussion. Though aside from that, he'd been particularly concerned about her loss of consciousness, and the impact the blow might've had on the part of her skull that had been weakened by her previous brain surgery.

When the doctor recommended a MRI scan to rule out bleeding or swelling in her brain, Bella wanted to scream, No! she was supposed to have two more months!

Bella had been dreading the follow-up exams she would be forced to endure in order to find out if the cancer had returned. She'd been counting on those months to rebuild the courage to step foot inside another hospital, where she would cease to be a person, becoming a patient once more. Those months had been taken from her now, much like everything else in her life had been.

She was being forced to deal with more tests, and all because Carmen fucking pushed her.

Even though the hospital was the last place Bella wanted to be, she couldn't refuse. Her friends were worried sick, and Taylor was scared. Instead, she bit her tongue hard enough to taste blood, and offered a compliant nod, all the while feeling white hot anger coursing through her body like lava. To provide Taylor and her friends with a peace of mind, she agreed to the scan.

Despite her disorientation and splitting headache, Dr. Grant claimed she'd been lucky. Aside from what appeared to be residual scar tissue left by the brain surgery, there was no sign of any further damage to her brain. Given her past medical history, the doctor wanted to keep her under observation for a couple of days, but she managed to negotiate her way down to one overnight stay with strict orders to get lots of rest at home. Taylor assured him she would rest even if he had to place her under house arrest.

As Taylor drew the doctor aside to ask him a few more questions, Bella laid her head on the pillow and tried to relax. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept coming back to the football match.

The teeth rattling tackles and snide remarks, Bella had taken it all in stride and even managed to dish out a few hits of her own. Carmen brought out a hostility in her that she never knew existed. She should've walked away and let Ryan forfeit the match, but something inside had refused to let Carmen win.

Four cruel words, followed by a knee to the ribs was the final straw.

He never loved you.

Those were the words Carmen whispered in Bella's ear before delivering a blow that knocked the air from her lungs. Bella had been doing well up until that point.

Up until that point she'd believed in being the bigger person and rising above and not stooping to Carmen's level. But Jacob's imprint had gone too far with those words. Jacob and Carmen were together now. What could Carmen possibly hope to gain by saying something so cruel and upsetting to her? Bella was deeply disturbed by the fact that out of everything Carmen had done to her, saying Jacob never loved her had been the one thing to push her over the edge.

Liz kept urging her to press assault charges against Carmen, promising that Jacob's imprint would get the chair after her testimony. There was only one obstacle standing in the way of her orange jumpsuit fantasy; Jacob.

As much as Bella wanted to hate him, she couldn't hurt him by sending his soul mate to jail. He probably would not be able to survive the trauma of being separated from his imprint. When all was said and done, Bella remained convinced that Carmen had only meant to humiliate, not kill her. For the memory of what Jacob and Bella used to mean to each other, Bella felt she owed him that much.

None of her friends understood the reasons behind her refusal to press charges, even making them promise not to tell Charlie. Deep inside, Bella was deeply ashamed by the surprising amount of hurt she felt after Carmen's vengeful taunt. After his response or lack of response to her letter, Jacob Black should've meant nothing to her. Why then did she still feel the need to tear Carmen's hair out?

After Ryan and Liz left to drive Angela back to her parent's house, Taylor pulled a chair close to her bed and sat down. Gaze tender, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"I don't know what I would've done…" In Taylor's eyes, Bella saw fear lurking there. The accident had unearthed recent memories of another time Bella had laid lifeless and unmoving.

"You don't have to worry. I'm all right now." Bella smiled, trying to put his mind as rest. She stroked his cheek, and observed the way he leaned into her touch.

Taylor sat back in his chair, the masculine lines of his face became touched with darkness. "If Jacob hadn't gotten out of our way, I swear, I would've torn him apart."

The quiet fury behind his words chilled her to the bone. Even in his weakened state, Taylor was still powerful. The question of whether or not he was strong enough to defeat Jacob Black was not a question Bella wanted answered.

Bella recalled the way Jacob tried to stop them from leaving. If she didn't know any better, Bella would've thought he still gave a shit about her. The word surprised wasn't enough to cover the way she'd felt when she opened her eyes to find her hand enfolded in the warmth of his. Why-when he'd made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her-would he do that?

"I should've listened to my gut. I knew it wasn't safe for you to play football. Carlisle trusted me to look out for you and look at what happened." Taylor gestured toward the hospital bed.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Taylor. How were you supposed to know Carmen would do something like that?"

Taylor went on talking as if he hadn't heard her. "Don't worry. I won't make the same mistake again."

Anger boiled inside Bella, as she came to understand the effect Carmen's little prank had had on Taylor. Whatever progress she'd made was loss the second she almost cracked her head open on a rock. Taylor had reverted back to being overly protective and painstakingly cautious. Problem was, Bella didn't need a caretaker, she wanted the deeply emotional man she'd fallen in love with. And more than anything, Bella wanted to be the girl who belonged with that guy.

Before Bella had the chance to have another I'm not an invalid conversation with him again, Taylor climbed into the bed with her and insisted she rest. With the drugs she'd been given for the pain, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open, much less put up a fight. Placing her head on his solid chest, Bella drifted off to sleep with the steady rhythm of his heart pounding in her ear.

After a fairly uneventful night, Bella was discharged from the hospital with strict orders to take it easy and continue taking her anti-seizure medication. Her body felt banged up, the contusion on her forehead was still tender to the touch, and yet she was overjoyed just to be leaving the hospital.

They were supposed to move into their new home today, and Bella would not let anything stop that from happening.

Her friends had the oddest expression on their faces when they came to pick her up. Zach was noticeably missing from the group. He hadn't visited her at the hospital, despite calling to check up on her.

"What's going on?" Bella asked Liz while they were walking to the car.

Ryan and Taylor traded glances and then Liz answered, "Nothing."

Bella lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "Oh, that's believable."

"Everybody knows," Ryan confessed after a long drawn-out sigh.

"What do you mean?" Bella froze with her hand on the door handle.

"After we left for the hospital, it somehow got out. Now they all know about the cancer."

A cold draft washed over Bella. "What… How?"

Did Emily or Embry tell them?

Liz shrugged before getting in the car and Ryan offered Bella a vaguely apologetic smile.

Bella felt the strength go out of her. Her shoulders dropped as fatigue settled over her like a blanket. She'd wanted to be the one to tell people about her illness, in her own time. When she was ready. Why couldn't she have that? Why couldn't things go her way for once? She felt naked and exposed in the worst possible way, and it was a terrible feeling.

If it wasn't for Carmen, none of this would be happening.

They drove away from the hospital in heavy silence.

"It gets worse." Liz turned around in her seat to peer at Bella.

"Worse than this?" Bella asked bitterly.

"Leah found out."

"Damn." Bella closed her eyes for a moment. "How bad was it?"

"Pretty bad. She had a huge fight with Zach and didn't come home last night. They might break up over this, Izzy."

Zach hadn't wanted to keep the truth from Leah, but he'd agreed to do it because Bella had asked him to. Because she'd promised to explain everything to Leah herself. Bella could only hope she hadn't permanently damaged their relationship.

When they arrived at the house, the door was wide open and Zach was sitting on the stairs inside. Seeing the bleakness in his eyes confirmed Bella's worst fears. It felt as though they were walking in on the heels of an awful argument.

"What a relief. You didn't croak," Leah sarcastically greeted Bella from the kitchen as she walked through the door.

"Leah, I–"

Leah cut her off. "What?" She uncoiled herself from her seat, and stood, limbs tensing with restrained anger. "What explanation can you give for not telling me you were sick? What reason can you give me for lying to my face?" Leah laughed, it was a hollow sound. "And out of all the people you could've confided in, you chose Emily." In other words, Bella chose Emily over her.

"I wanted to tell you, Leah, but I… couldn't." What Bella didn't say was that she hadn't been allowed to tell Leah. At first, she didn't tell Leah because she'd wanted privacy. Toward the end, when Bella had literally been on her deathbed, the Cullens–namely Alice–had forbade any communication with the wolves. Even going as far as lying to Bella's friends to get them to side with her. None of them knew the real reason why Alice hadn't wanted the wolves around.

Leah came toward her, eyes narrowed, expression unforgiving. "And what's worse, Zach lied to me too."

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this but if you want to get mad at someone, get mad at me. Zach only did it because I asked him to."

"One lying bastard was enough. I don't need another." Leah roughly brushed past her.

Zach's fists clenched around his suitcase handle in anger, remaining silent as Leah blew by.

"Damn it, Leah. Would you just listen–?"

Again Leah interrupted her. "Oh and you can find yourself another business partner while you're at it."

"What?!"

"I don't go into business with liars." Leah's lip curled in a sneer, and stormed out the front door. "Be gone by the time I get back." She tossed over her shoulder before getting in her car and peeled out of the driveway.

Bella stared after Leah's departing car in disbelief.

This was a nightmare. Now she'd screwed things up for Leah and Zach, wrecked their friendship and her dreams of opening a cafe had gone up in flames.

"I'm sorry, Zach." Try as she might, Bella couldn't think of anything else to say to him.

Zach's head shot up, his face vivid with anger and unvoiced accusations.

"Don't apologize. Fix it." With that said, he snatched up a suitcase and went outside. Taylor and Zach went to the bedroom to gather their things.

Tears of frustration stung Bella's eyes, but she blinked them away. She wouldn't cry here, not today. Leah wore her rage like armor but beneath her harsh veneer and angry words, Bella saw the truth. Leah was hurt that Bella didn't confide in her. To Leah, it was as if Bella had picked Emily over her, just as Sam did.

How did things get so screwed up? Liz's heart went out to Bella when she sensed the despair rolling off her friend in waves.

"Don't worry, Izzy. I'm sure Leah didn't mean those things she said." Liz sounded as weary as Bella felt.

"I'm not so sure." Bella didn't know if Leah would ever forgive her.

Bella sat down on the porch steps, with feelings of emotional exhaustion weighing her down. She heard the approach of a vehicle in the distance, and raised her head– thinking/hoping that Leah had come back–to see a black pickup truck headed toward the house.

As far as Bella knew, Leah wasn't expecting any visitors. So imagine her surprise when the truck stopped, and Jacob and Carmen stepped out.

Carmen took a couple of hesitant steps forward, eyes darting nervously in Liz's direction. This was a different Carmen from the cool, confident one from yesterday who had taunted her. Bella remained baffled by the change, until she recalled Taylor telling her about how Liz almost exposed them on the beach when she tried to attack Carmen, who was still very much afraid of her.

"You have some nerve showing your face around here." Liz told her harshly.

"Carmen had something to say." Face stern, arms folded across his chest, Jacob stood behind Carmen like a parent whose child had to apologize for being naughty.

Carmen faced Bella, looking miserable, with one hand clutching the other at the elbow. "I'm sorry you got hurt, Bella. I did a stupid thing. I really didn't mean for it to go that far."

"No, you didn't." Bella maintained an even tone.

Bella was certain Carmen hadn't meant to put her in the hospital. That knowledge didn't prevent her thoughts from becoming infused with bitterness. Jacob's imprint had only meant to embarrass Bella by putting her in her place. Carmen had aimed to cut her down, and make her feel less than she already was. Carmen had it all; a soul mate, a great job, envy-inducing beauty and perfect health, but it still wasn't enough for her.

Bella forced herself to smile. It took a considerable amount of effort on her part to ignore the dangerous rage, churning away inside her. Of all the things that had been taken from her over the last year and a half–her dignity, her education, her future–she still had her body left. Although that body was now scared, balding and softer than before, Bella had fought hard to get it to where it was today. She would not allow anyone to get away with endangering her health. Whether Carmen meant every word of her apology or not mattered little. Bella had to make Carmen understand what kind of person she was dealing with. No one else would be allowed to take from her without consequences. An apology just was not going to cut it.

"I appreciate you coming here to apologize like this, Carmen. It's real big of you."

Bella favored Carmen with a seemingly genuine smile that put Jacob on edge. He regarded Bella warily as she left the stairs and approached Carmen. Her footsteps were slow, deliberate, her eyes were a bit too bright. Bella wore the same pleasant smile as she came to stand before Carmen who was a couple of inches taller than her.

"Let's say we bury the hatchet, huh?" Bella opened her arms in invitation and after a short delay Carmen embraced her hesitantly.

"Such pretty hair," Bella murmured softly before a dark shadow moved over her face.

Then the shadow disappeared, taking her smile with it.

The warning on Jacob's tongue came a fraction too late.

With cold, dead eyes, Bella grabbed a fistful of Carmen's hair and yanked hard. Carmen's head snapped back with almost enough force to damage her neck. A frightened scream was ripped from Carmen's throat when Bella forced her to her knees. That scream was abruptly cut off when Bella grabbed her throat.

"Let her go, Bella. Now!" Jacob growled.

He moved toward them only to stop dead in his tracks when Bella settled those cold, brown eyes on him.

Bella used the one threat in her arsenal guaranteed to make Jacob think twice about separating them. "Take one more step and I'll snap her neck."

Jacob's eyes widened a fraction at the naked hostility in her tone. If this were four years ago, Jacob would've called her bluff, knowing the old Bella would've backed down. But things had been different back then. He'd known Bella inside out, he didn't know jack-shit about her now. It was that uncertainty that kept him where he was.

Following a quick scan of the yard, Jacob noticed that both Taylor and Liz had taken a matching step–but toward him, not Bella. They were protecting her.

He still remained torn between his instinctual need to protect Carmen, and the need to avoid getting into a fight with two bat shit crazy humans. However, it was a different story when it came to his wolf. Jacob was unnerved by his wolf's growing indifference toward Carmen. Far from being distressed by Carmen's fear, the wolf approved of Bella's actions.

Without moving his hard gaze from Jacob, Taylor called out, his voice layered with concern. "Isabella?"

"I'm still stable, Taylor. Just want to have a little chat with Carmen." Bella spoke, her voice eerily calm. She returned her attention to Carmen who struggled–unsuccessfully–against the viselike grip on her hair.

Carmen froze, a cold shiver of fear ran down her spine when she saw the expression on Bella's face. Bella had the look of a predator that had cornered its prey, and was now on the verge of tearing it apart. The difference between yesterday's insecure girl and today's enraged woman was like day and night.

A thunderous scowl darkened Jacob's face when the scent of Carmen's terror grew. "Let her go, Bella. I'm not kidding around."

She ignored him. Didn't even spare him a glance. The wolf bared its teeth in a silent snarl, bristling with indignation because she didn't instantly obey, that she had dared to ignore them.

"Now that I have your complete attention. I'm only gonna say this once, so listen carefully." Bella lowered her face to Carmen's. The dangerous edge in her next words made Carmen tremble. "If you ever do anything like that again, I will rip your throat out. Do you understand?"

Bella stroked the column of Carmen's throat with her nails for emphasis, and watched the other woman's skin turn sickly pale.

"I understand," was Carmen's forced whisper.

Bella's eyes roamed Carmen's face, taking in the delicate features she'd envied the day before. Her face took on a wistful expression. "You do have pretty hair."

She released Carmen with a jerk, taking pleasure in the way the other woman scrambled away from her.

"Now we can be friends again." A small, mocking smile touched Bella's lips as she watched a visibly shaken Carmen stumble back into Jacob's waiting arms.

Crisis averted, Ryan and Zach continued about the business of loading their suitcases, but there was a noticeable increase in their movements. A cruel smirk tilted Liz's lips before she climbed into the front seat.

Over Carmen's shoulder, Bella carefully schooled her features, unflinchingly meeting the full force of Jacob's fierce scowl. His mouth hardened into a harsh line, muscled arms providing shelter and comfort to the woman she'd reduced to tears. In another life Bella would've been ashamed, horrified by her actions, but that was before the cancer, before the never-ending rage. Bella found solace in the outcome of her actions.

Carmen would think twice about crossing her again.

Taylor didn't say it, though she read the conflicting emotions in his eyes. He was both proud and perturbed by what she'd just done. Bella understood his internal battle. She was equally repelled and pleased by the small part of her currently reveling in Carmen's fear. The tiny part that had whispered to Bella from the dark corner of her mind.

Rip her throat out, it'd said. Her blood would be warm. And it liked warm.

The voice no longer frightened her once she'd learned how to ignore it, eventually coming to accept it as the cost of survival. She hadn't shared the existence of the voice with anyone. Not even Taylor who still suffered from the effects of having a part of his soul ripped from his body. The frequency of his night terrors had decreased, but there were still nights when his screaming scared the hell out of her.

No. She couldn't burden Taylor with this secret, so she'd keep it to herself. It was the only way to protect him from what she was going through. Also, she feared it would only empower the voice if she acknowledged its existence.

They were both suffering. And because of this–the hefty price they'd both paid for her continued existence, Bella could not allow anyone to get away with attacking her.

She would never be sorry for defending herself.

Bella's eyes shifted from Taylor to Jacob and caught him studying her with a silent, watchful intensity. It was strange. He stared as if he had the ability to see inside her. An impossible feat for him because there was nothing left to see. His Bells was long gone.

A gentle touch on her back and Taylor was at her side. "Let's go home."

Home.

Without a backward glance, Bella climbed into the car and left with her friends.

Bella couldn't allow herself to be swayed by memories of the past. She was not an ordinary girl anymore.

Not since the day she died and came back from the land of the dead with a monster.

A/N: Hey guys. My apologies for the extra late chapter.

Back to the story

Liz almost went draken on Carmen

Taylor and Jacob almost got into it

Will Rachel accept Jacob's decision or will she meddle?

Sam's paying for mistreating his wife

Now the pack knows what Bella went through or at least part of it...

Even though Jacob took Carmen back, his wolf isn't interested. What's up with that?

Leah dumped Zach and Bella. Did she overreact?

Bella put the fear of monsters in Carmen. Was she justified or did she go too far?

Review and receive your teasers folks.