A/N Sorry for the long hiatus. There is violence in this chapter.

I could feel Edward tense up beside me when Jake approached, and Emmett grabbed my hand with one hand and clenched his fist with the other. He gave me a silent warning look, cutting his eyes at me before shifting them to Jake. I was so glad Edward had told me what happened between all of them, so I would not make an ass of myself. I looked up at Jacob and his friends. I smiled politely and introduced myself to Jake, trying to be as friendly as I could. Jacob dropped a hand onto my shoulder while he pointed to each of his friends and said their names. Edward looked up and said "Look, Jake, I really don't think you need to be here right now. Enough has gone down, and we have all lost too much. Why don't you find somewhere else to hang tonight?" I could feel his simmering restraint, trying to be polite. It was killing Edward that Jake was standing and towering over all of us, and basically trapping us in the booth. Rosalie looked completely out of her element, and really uncomfortable. I felt Jacob's fingers slide down my shoulder, and was supremely aware that he was being really inappropriate. Emmett started to shake, and I could hear his teeth grinding. He looked up at Jake and said "Take your fucking hands off her, dog. I put you in the hospital once, but if you mess with Bella, I will end you." Jake looked surprised, and said "Emmett, I didn't think you had it in you! A girlfriend? She must really be sitting on a gold mine there." I shifted uncomfortably.

"He is not my boyfriend, he is my friend and he is my boy, and I really don't appreciate your hands on me" I pushed back and stood up, freeing myself from his grip." Why does this have to be about me? There was no way I was going to let this stranger objectify me and degrade me in front of my friends. I could easily see how James and Emmett and Edward had lost their minds over this guy and beat the shit out of him, what a dick. I looked Jake over. Wow. He was really tall, even taller than Emmett. Am I the only short person on earth? Jake peered down at me. He winked. "You know, I can see down your shirt." His three friends leaned over to see if they could get a peek. I squelched the little nugget of fear that was starting to clench inside me. I rolled my eyes, and said "Yes, I am female. I do have tits. I know this is a novelty."

I could see that Emmett was seriously going to lose it if I didn't do something. I smiled up at Jacob. I said "Thanks for looking, Jake. It was cool meeting you" desperately trying to ratchet down the tension and hoping he would get the hint and just go. Instead, Jake's friends closed ranks around me, so I was standing in the middle of the diner with four men surrounding me. Emmett and Edward were trapped in the booth, and would need to shove someone out of the way to even stand up. I remember that James was in a different booth, and started praying that he would find a way to get us out of this. Jacob said "Well, Bella, do you know that you're sitting with convicted felons? They messed me up so bad I had to drop out of the mechanic tech course I was enrolled in. I lost my spot in the program, and all the tuition I invested, not to mention the time I put into it. I was humiliated and these guys couldn't manage a fair fight. No fun to get beat by three at once. I guess the jail sentence should be enough for my retribution, but I can't help but think that while they're gone, you'll be a little bit lonely. And you are just my type. I like them pink and innocent."

I cringed at that. I felt like he could see through me at that point, and really did feel the threat behind what he was saying. He grabbed me by both arms, his hot hands wrapping around my biceps. He said "Do you feel that? It is going to be so good between us" I had no clue what he was talking about. I was starting to get that creepy vulnerable feeling that every woman knows, but fought through it, knowing I was safe here, in a public place with all my friends.

All the sudden, the other guys were looking over my head. I turned and saw the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. James was standing behind Jacob with a menacing look on his face. "I hate to break this party up, but Bella was just leaving. Let her go, now. And if you mutts know what is good for you, if you see her around, you'll turn and run the other way." The guys backed up enough so that Edward and Emmet could get out of the booth. Jake was still holding onto my arms, I think he forgot he was holding me until that moment. I could see that Emmett was dying to get in the middle of this, and I thought about how much trouble my boys were already in. I smiled over at Emmett and Edward and winked. I really wasn't scared anymore, I didn't think that any man would ever hit me. I mean, Jake was more than a foot taller than me, and probably outweighed me by 100 pounds, no need to prove anything. As long as I could keep my boys out of trouble and get us out of this situation, I was willing to keep up my calm façade. "We have to stop meeting like this, Jake." I joked, trying to peel his hands off me. He pulled my arms around my back, holding them both with one hand and forcing me to push my chest out. I continued with my bravado "Okay, Jake, you got me. It's true, you have the advantage here. Waving the white flag!" He smirked at me, and with his other hand he pulled out the stretchy front of my pirate shirt, baring my chest to everyone in the diner. He said "I can think of some other ways we can meet that will be a lot more pleasurable." With his free hand, he reached down my shirt and touched me. With a roar, Emmett jumped through and shoved Jacob with all his considerable strength. Edward jumped up and yelled "NO!" just as Jake lost his balance and fell right on top of me, ripping my shirt and twisting my body awkwardly and finally landing his full weight on top of my left leg. I think everyone heard my leg break, all the sudden in the total silence of the diner. I was on the floor, with my shirt hanging off my shoulder, and my leg at an unnatural angle behind me. My arm where Jake had been holding me was really sore, too, it twisted as Jake went flying back and my arm shot out automatically to catch my fall. I thought irrationally Well, shit. That's going to leave a mark.

It was like a slow action scene, everyone around us was frozen. Emmett was right there, practically falling on top of us from his forward motion. He was able to roll out of the way and was on the floor trying to pull it together. Jake looked at me, mortified. "I am so sorry Bella. I was just messing around, I would never mean to really hurt you. I was just messing with Emmett, trying to piss him off. I thought it would be okay to embarrass you a little. I'm not this bad guy. My mom will kill me. I can't believe this," he was crying and babbling senselessly. He looked down at my leg and gagged audibly. I could hear a low rumble coming, and I realized it was coming from Edward. Was he hyperventilating? He was turning purple. The diner manager was on the phone calling an ambulance for me. James looked around and said, "We all need to get out of here. This could add to our sentence if there is a police report." Emmett started cradling me in his arms, his whole cocky attitude sucked out of him and his face tragically downcast. He said "I'm not leaving Bella. This is my fault. I should never have touched Jake without making sure that she was safe first." I couldn't help it, I was crying. Ugly crying. Of course, no one else had a scratch on them. Even Jake did not have a scrape or bruise. I guess I cushioned his fall pretty well. I tried to catalogue my injuries. I didn't know which part of me hurt the most. My whole body was hot and aching, my head pounding. I decided that the pain in my leg was the dominant pain. It felt unbearable, nauseating, excruciating. I shuddered and sobbed and wished I was dead. All the sudden Jess was next to me. She looked up at Rosalie, and asked "Rose, maybe you and I could ride with Bella to the hospital? I am thinking she has had more than enough testosterone for today." Rose looked at me, and said "Do you mind if I do? I know we don't know each other, but I know what it is like to be intimidated by men, and I think you are awesome in the way you stood up for yourself and your friends tonight, and so brave for the way you handled all of this." I looked around for Edward. Through my pain and fear, I met his eyes. I told him between sobs "Please leave. I don't want you guys to get in trouble. I'm in good hands with Jess and Rose, they will make sure I get all fixed up. I want Jake and his friends to go first, and then once they are far away, you all go back to the dorm. Angela should be there, we'll call her once we know if I am going to be admitted. They will stay with me. They will." This took all of my strength and mental facilities to grind out these ridiculous instructions. I felt desperate to get everything squared away so I could succumb to the black pain monster lurking in the corner, waiting for me.

Wordlessly, Edward knelt down beside me. He fixed my shirt and wiped my tears with a napkin. He looked at me with wide dark eyes filled with sorrow. I started feeling really dizzy all the sudden. Emmett still had me in his lap, but I knew all the sudden with certainty that if I moved, I would probably throw up. Suddenly I felt like I really needed some air. I said "okay, everyone, show is over. Please leave me to my pain before I puke." Jake's friends started tugging on him and telling him they should go- now. He argued a little bit, but finally he turned and left the diner. Jacob yelled out as he was leaving "I am so sorry, Bella. I hope you know that this was an accident, and I will find a way to make this up to you. I promise. Fuck." The ambulance pulled up, and came in with a stretcher, and I finally let the nausea take me, and started throwing up all over Emmett. He did not even flinch away from me, just sat and held me, being careful not to move me. He stroked my hair gently, muttering his sad apologies over and over, and trying pathetically to reassure me that it was going to be okay. Edward seemed struck dumb, unable to process what had happened. He looked green and squeamish. I didn't really feel like looking at him right now. I was really having a hard time holding it together. I could see peeing in my pants or something humiliating like that. The paramedics loaded me on the stretcher, and Jessica and Rosalie walked alongside and hopped into the back of the ambulance. I was starting to fade in and out, seeing stars and white blotches out in the dark night, the pain in my leg and arm a steady throb, shooting flaming stars down my body. The paramedic jostled the stretcher as they settled me in the ambulance, and as soon as my leg moved, the dizziness took over and I passed out.

I woke up in a hospital bed. My leg was in one of those pulley things like they have in the movies, and the leg had a dressing on all the way up my thigh. I also had a splint on my right arm from my shoulder all the way to my wrist, and that arm was totally immobilized. My mom was there. "What time is it? How bad am I? " She shushed me. "It is early morning, sweetie. They put you out for all your x-rays. You have been drifting in and out for a while. I have been here about an hour. The hospital called me, and I got here as soon as I could. How are you feeling? I sent your friends home, they were exhausted. You have a broken femur, above the knee. I have not seen your films or anything, only what I have gathered from the various medical staff floating in and out of the room. You also have what the doctor called a spiral fracture in your humerus. The whole left side of your body is black and blue. Your friend Jessica told me that you got in between two large men who were fighting? Who hit you? Was this an accident? What were you thinking, Bella?" she went on and on, not waiting for answers to her questions, I finally just tuned her out. I was trying to channel the physical pain into some good angst. So much easier to deal with the existential "What is my purpose" angst then try to fight through the pain and work on getting better from this. I flashed back on that moment when I was flying through the air, waiting for impact.

Of course, my mom would blame me for this. I think I have three speeds right now, tears, sorrow and despair. I feel so sorry for myself at this moment. I open my mouth to defend myself to my mom and instead I start crying helplessly. The nurse comes in to get my vitals and check my drips, and tells us that the doctors are making rounds, and that an orthopedic surgeon will be checking in with me in a few minutes, as well. The team of doctors comes in the room with my charts. The lead doctor introduces himself "I am Doctor Gerandy, hospital generalist. This is Doctor Banner, the orthopedic surgeon. I am so sorry for your injuries, but I am even sorrier to tell you that you will need to use a wheelchair for the time being, until you get your walking cast. Because of the fracture to your arm, crutches will be impossible. Also, this type of fracture is almost never an accident. Because you are over 18, we didn't have to alert child protective services, but a social worker will be by to talk to you, as will the police. We are bound by law to notify them of any injury that looks like abuse. Dr Banner?"

The other doctor looked at my arm for a moment. He said "You will need to keep this arm completely immobilized for 12 days. Assuming it heals well, you will not need surgery, however once we evaluate it you will have a full cast, in the upright position, for four weeks. If everything looks good, you will move on to a split for four, then you should be in pretty good shape. The recovery from this type of fracture is quite painful, but it should heal relatively quickly and well. As for your leg, you broke the largest bone in your body. It is in a brace now to protect it, but you will definitely need surgery on this leg. You will not need a cast. We will insert a metal rod down the center of the bone, secured with screws above and below your break. Fortunately, you will not need to have the rod removed, so there is one surgery and done. We were not able to do the surgery when you came in, because the surgical team was not available. The surgery takes approximately four hours. Normal time on crutches for patients is about 10 weeks, however, in your case crutches will not be possible at first, and you will have very limited mobility which will slow your healing time. I will guess you will be in the wheel chair for 4-6 weeks. You will need to work with a physical therapist to insure that you have adequate mobility for healing. You should be able to bike on a stationary bike and possibly swim even during the early stages of recovery, however pain management will be crucial for you. You are medicated and in shock right now, but the pain will be quite bad, and likely difficult to manage."

The whole time the doctor was talking, I was crying. I can't believe how quickly all my happiness was stolen from me. Now I need a wheel chair, and will be practically helpless. I looked up pathetically. How will I shower? How can I get dressed? How can I even get into bed or use the toilet? Will I be able to stay at Eastern? I couldn't speak. All I could do was cry. I guess it was all too good to be true.