"Please Carlisle…don't le..leave…mu..meee" Hearing Bella chatter out her plea to him snapped Carlisle from his frozen shocked state. In the next instant he knelt in front of her and was simultaneously pulling his scarf off and brushing the snow from Bella. He wrapped her hat-less head with the scarf before bundling her in his own coat.
Now that his body blocked the wind from her, he could smell dried blood and realized she must be injured. Yet he needed to get her into the hospital and warmed. So he leaned over and began to pick her carefully up. Bella shocked him again by grabbing his coat and shouting out a "No!" He felt the tremors running through her body increase and pulled back to look at her.
His daughter, the very human who had walked into a house of vampires fearing only that they wouldn't like her, now looked at him with terror in her brown eyes. His stone heart cracked. Had their betrayal been so severe that she was terrified of even him? "Bella, I'm not going to hurt you" he hurried to reassure her.
"Don't leave me Carlisle." Her response surprised him. Why did she keep saying that? And the way she gripped his shirt… did she truly think he would leave her here in this state?
"Bella, I'm not going to leave you, but you're obviously injured and have been in the cold too long. I need to get you into the hospital."
"No, please no! No hospital! No hospital!" The sudden increase in her heart rate concerned him, and he hurried to calm her.
"Ok Bella, no hospital, for now. But we need to get you warm."
"You won't leave?" hearing this, Carlisle wanted to sob.
"No Bella, I'm not leaving. I'm going to get you to the house." Bella finally eased her grip and Carlisle lifted her as carefully as he could. Walking around to the passenger side, he eased her into the seat. A blink later and he was sitting in the driver's side starting the ignition so he could warm the car.
Turning to her, he looked her over. "I smell dried blood Bella, where are you hurt?"
"Ju..just a ff..few scratches, I'm mo… mostly cold." Shaking his head, for he knew by the old bruise on her forehead that it was more than just a few scratches, he choose to let that go for now.
"Why are you afraid of the hospital Bella?" Looking up at him, Carlisle could see the fear reignite in Bella's eyes.
"Charlie will…will me and sh sh she'll kill us bb..both."
"Who Bella?"
"Victoria…I'm so..sorry Carlisle…I had no other choice. I didn't mean to bring danger to your home! I need your help!"
"Shh, Bella. It's alright, calm down sweetheart. Take a deep breath for me" Carlisle hurried to reassure his obviously panicking daughter before she could begin to hyperventilate. He listened as her breaths slowed and her heart rate recovered.
"That's it. Now look at me Bella" taking care to grasp the scarf and not her cold skin, he gently framed her face with his hands and forced her eyes to his. "I don't know how you found us, or what is going on, but I promise you this: You are safe and I will not leave you to Victoria. Do you believe that?"
He watched as Bella's eyes searched his, finally, she nodded, "Yes, Carlisle, I believe you."
Carlisle wanted to ask Bella more, but he knew he needed to see to her immediate condition first. When she had panicked, he was able to hear her ribs rubbing together, so he knew she had broken at least one of them. He also hadn't missed the wince each time she had grabbed his shirt earlier. From the blue tinge to her lips, he guessed she had sat by his car for hours in the cold. He needed to get her home to treat her.
"Alright sweetheart, here's the plan. I'm going to bring you to the house so we can get you warmed up and treated. We'll get you something hot to eat. After I've assured myself your health is in no danger, then you can tell me what is going on. Deal?"
"Deal." As she gave her agreement, Carlisle finally saw the fear in Bella's eyes disappear. Not allowing himself to dwell on that fact that his daughter had been afraid of him, he instead continued to focus on her needs.
By now the car was warming nicely, he double checked that he had turned the passenger seat warmer on and then, pausing to let Bella know his intentions, he stepped out to clear the snow from the car. A moment later they were backing out of the space, heading for home.
As he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, Carlisle dialed Esme on his cell phone.
"Hello dear, did you get delayed?" having received his text message earlier, Esme assumed he was calling to tell her he would be longer.
"Just a slight delay Esme. I've just pulled out of the hospital. I'm bringing an injured friend with me and need your assistance" he decided against telling her who it was just yet. He didn't want to risk re-agitating Bella – would she also fear his wife?
"Would you mind warming up some soup and making up the guest bed?"
"Of course I don't mind Carlisle. I'll have some hot soup and bread ready when you get here" Esme responded with her gentle concern. Carlisle knew she would realize the guest was human and see to turning the house and water heaters on. By the time they arrived, there should be plenty of hot water for Bella to soak in.
"See you soon love" with that Carlisle hung up and glanced at Bella. Now that she was warming up and the adrenaline rush she had likely experience was wearing off, she was nodding off. Still concerned over her physical condition, he knew he couldn't allow her to sleep just yet.
"Bella, honey, I need you to stay awake for me." Relieved to see her shake herself awake, he watched as she pulled his scarf from her head and removed a glove. Curiously, she kept the other glove on and held her shaking, gloveless hand to the heat vent. More certain now that the other hand was injured, he picked up the glove from her lap and held it to his vent to warm the inside.
After a few minutes, he handed it back to Bella and encouraged her to put it back on. Then he did the same with the scarf. He planned to carry her into the house, so she would only be exposed to the weather for seconds, but she still needed to retain as much heat in her body as possible.
"It's just another ten minutes to the house Bella, how are you holding up?" He watched her fear return when he mentioned the house. She spoke before he could question her further.
"Will they be mad? The other's?" she asked.
"Why would they be mad Bella?" Carlisle wondered.
"Victoria. She might follow me here. I've brought danger to your family."
Something clicked in Carlisle's mind. He began to understand Bella's earlier behavior better. "Is that why you were afraid of me Bella? And the others? You think we will blame you if Victoria shows up?"
He heard a quiet "Yes" come from her side of the car and felt the earlier crack in his heart widen. Just what had they done to her that she thought they would value their quiet life over her own safety?
Self-depreciation raced through him, hardening his words as he spoke next, "Let me assure you Bella, no one in this family will care if Victoria finds us, so long as you are safe. She is no threat to us and I promise you, she will have to come through us to get to you."
Softening his tone, he continued, "I assure you that is true of the whole family, but Esme is the only one in Ithaca with me." He kept the reasons for that to himself for now. Knowing his daughter as he did, he knew she would blame herself for their absence. He saw the skepticism remain in her gaze, but her fear at least dimmed with the news that she would only be facing Esme.
By now they had arrived at the Cullen driveway, and as he turned the car off the road, he spoke again, "I'm going to park in front of the house sweetheart. Just stay there, I'll carry you in. I'd rather not risk aggravating any of your injuries." He just hoped that one rib was the worst of it.
"Alright Carlisle, thank you" the ease in which she capitulated was testament to just how exhausted she must be. Judging from the gaunt look to her face, it wasn't just sleep she had been missing out on.
Parking the car directly in front of the front steps, he was out and reaching for Bella before she even had her seatbelt off. As he lifted her into his arms, she buried her head in his chest, burrowing away from the cold wind. At his full speed, he spun around and was through the front door Esme held open, hearing his wife gasp as she caught Bella's scent.
