Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.
Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings
Chapter 11
One month had passed since the entire debacle with the Cullen's had taken place, and Bella had not heard from any of them since. She was beginning to wonder if they Cullen's had completely taken themselves out of her life. In a way, that made her sad. In the midst of all the madness, she realized just how much she had missed them all.
"But maybe it's better that mommy doesn't see Edward." Bella spoke to her large hump of a stomach as she drove her red truck back from the doctor's office. She was now four months pregnant, though she looked much larger. She was not concerned with the weight, knowing it was from the werewolf part of the baby, but the doctor was concerned and had told her bed rest would be a likely necessity in another month or so.
"Because seeing Edward just get's mommy confused." Bella continued to talk to her growing baby. The truth was, knowing Edward was so close was driving her crazy. She wanted to be happy and content with Jacob but she was finding it harder with each passing day. It wasn't that she loved Jacob any less, it was just the simple fact that she had always loved Edward more. "It's not that I don't love your daddy because he is a great man." Bella spoke of Jacob, knowing no matter what she felt for Edward, she could not act on it. She had to give her baby a fair chance at having a solid family. "It's just that Edward will always have a special place in my heart."
The baby nudged at Bella's stomach as if it understood, causing her to smile. She loved her unborn child more than anything, more than her own life, more than she ever loved Edward. That alone, was a crazy notion to her. Prior to her pregnancy she had never thought she could love anyone as much as she loved Edward.
Slowly, Bella pulled her red truck up to her house, parking it behind Charlie's cruiser. She then slowly eased herself out of the truck, carefully balancing her weight. Once she was stable on the ground, she slammed the door and rubbed her protruding belly. "You are really getting to be heavy, baby. Making me pretty fat." She smiled as she waddled up her front steps and into her house.
"Bells?" Charlie called out from the living room.
Bella waddled into the room to find Charlie in his recliner, watching a baseball game with a beer in his hand. "Hey Dad." She waddled passed him and eased herself slowly down onto the couch.
"How was the...doctor's appointment?" Charlie asked an eyebrow, trying to remember if Bella had said she was going to the doctor's or library earlier that day.
"It was good." Bella sighed, leaning back and rubbing her stomach. "He said everything looks good."
"Good." Charlie cleared his throat. He had gotten used to the idea of Bella being pregnant, but he was still not comfortable discussing it with her. "Well, don't worry about dinner tonight. You look…tired. I'll order pizza for you before I leave for work."
Bella closed her eyes, leaning into the couch. "That would be great. I am really tired."
"You should rest then." Charlie told her. "I can come wake you up when the pizza is here."
Bella stood slowly. "I think I am going to do that, actually. Jacob is supposed to be coming over later too, so if he is here before the pizza, send him up."
"Didn't you just see him?" Charlie asked.
Bella shook her head. "No."
"He didn't go with you to the doctor's office?" Charlie was slightly shocked and annoyed with Jacob. After all, he had gotten Bella into this mess, and Charlie felt the boy should be with her every step of the way.
"No." Bella tried to cover up her own hurt. She had really wanted Jacob to come with her, but he and the rest of the pack had become obsessed with keeping the Cullen's on their own land the past month, and therefore, had become "too busy to handle the little stuff" like going to the doctor with her.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you I was going to go fishing for the week tomorrow morning up in the mountains." Charlie said. "But if you need me to stay here…"
"No." Bella perked up, forcing a smile for her father. "That sounds great, dad. You should do it."
"You will be okay here?" Charlie asked.
"Fine." Bella nodded. "Jake is around, and I have a project to work on anyway."
"Okay." Charlie nodded, satisfied.
Bella nodded back before slowly shuffling up the stairs placing a hand on her backside for extra support.
Emmett and Jasper had just taken out a deer each and were now casually walking along the line that had been drawn by the treaty with the wolves. Since the encounter with Jacob a month ago, Jasper and especially Emmett had made it a game to tempt the wolves, moving ever so closely to the treaty line, and then watched from high above the wolves go nuts.
Tonight was no exception.
"They are coming!" Jasper called out as he heard the wolves panting about a half a mile away.
"Alright, up!" Emmett grinned as he shot up a tree.
Jasper joined his brother a few moments later, and from their positioning they could see and hear everything the wolf pack did below, safely out of the wolves view.
"Let's see what the gossip is for tonight." Emmett smiled as both he and Jasper used their sensitive hearing to listen to the wolves.
After arriving at the treaty-line, the four big werewolves transformed back into their human forms; Sam, Paul, Jared, and Jacob were all annoyed. This was the third time that week the Cullen's had come dangerously close to the treaty line.
"It's like they are teasing us." Jared complained.
"We should just go take care of those bloodsuckers once and for all." Paul fumed.
"Jacob is the only one who has any reason to act right now." Sam eyed Jacob up.
"I can't go after Edward right now." Jacob told them. "I mean, I want to. Believe me, I want to rip him apart into a million pieces, but I can't. It would upset Bella right now and I can't do that to her."
"Why?" Jared asked. "Does she still have feelings for the leech?"
"No." Jacob answered much too quickly to actually be sure of his own answer. "But…it would still upset her. I know her. Once the baby is born, and they are both safe, it will be different and then I will give Cullen exactly what he has coming to him."
"I don't get why you care so much about the kid." Paul shook his head.
"Uh…because it's my kid." Jacob growled. "I'm its father…"
"You haven't even imprinted on Bella." Jared cut him off.
"So?" Jacob shrugged. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about that before.
"So that means Bella is not going to be around forever. She isn't your imprint, so she isn't yours." Paul smirked.
Jacob shrugged. "I don't believe in that crap."
"In what? Imprinting?" Paul laughed.
"Yeah." Jacob stepped to Paul. "I have a connection with Bella that is really deep. I don't need to imprint on her to know she is mine."
"You're wrong." Paul shot back. "Look at Sam I mean…"
"Sam and I are not the same person." Jacob eyed up Sam and then shook his head. "Either way, I have to get going. I promised Bella I would come see her."
"Fine. Go run off to her. See how much more trouble she can get us in." Paul said sarcastically.
"Bella has not caused any of the problems we have right now." Jacob was pointing a finger in Paul's face. "And I would watch what I said if I were you."
"Oh yeah?" Paul stepped forward, but Jacob did not back down.
"Jacob." Sam stepped between the two young wolves. "Get going. Bella will be wondering where you are."
After a moment Jacob nodded, turning back into his wolf form and taking off toward the reservation to grab some clothes before heading to Bella's.
Once Jacob was safely out of hearing distance, Sam turned to Paul. "You can't talk about Bella like that to him."
"Why?" Paul threw his arms out. "I thought we were going to try to get him to see the liability she is."
"You heard him yourself. He doesn't even believe in imprinting. He really thinks Bella is his. He is not going to let us get rid of Bella, let alone Bella and his kid." Jared shrugged. "He is going to do everything to protect them."
Sam nodded, sadly. "Unfortunately, that is probably true."
"So then how do we handle this? We can't kill Jacob, and we aren't going let him talk us into getting rid of the baby, and even if we could do that, Bella wouldn't bug on it." Jared rambled.
"Then we just remove Bella." Paul shrugged. "I like her enough, but the kid has got to go and if she doesn't want to give it up, then she has to go too."
Sam nodded. "It's all too much of a liability. I would prefer to not have to hurt Bella…but we will do what we need to in order to protect the tribe. We just need to wait for an opportune moment. I am sure, once everything settles, Jacob will understand."
Paul and Jared nodded and then, as if on cue, all three turned back into their wolf forms and took off in the same direction Jacob had.
Once the wolves were gone, Jasper let out a deep breath, and starred at Emmett in the tree opposite of him, to see that Emmett was just as shocked by the conversation they had just witnessed between the wolves below as he was.
"What…the…hell?" Emmett finally managed out. "Why…why would they hurt Bella?"
"Because…the child is bringing too much commotion…with Edward and all." Jasper explained, remembering Carlisle had mentioned something about it earlier. "They see Bella and her baby as a vampire magnet."
"Plus that imprinting crap." Emmett shook his head, and then suddenly his eyes lit up. "If Jacob didn't imprint on her, then she isn't meant to be with him. That means Edward still has a chance to get some more Bella." He snickered.
"Get your mind out of the gutter." Jasper rolled his eyes, unable to grasp how immature Emmett could be sometimes.
"What?" Emmett asked innocently.
"Never mind." Jasper shook his head. "We need to get back home, tell Carlisle what we heard. He will know what to do."
"I think we should just tell Edward and let him go crazy on the wolves. I could use a good fight." Emmett joked, and then realized Jasper wasn't laughing. "I mean plus…he probably won't leave if he knows Bella is in trouble."
"You think Edward would leave?" Jasper asked, the thought had never crossed his mind prior to that moment.
Emmett shrugged. "He loves Bella, man. And Edward in love is usually a crazy Edward. I don't know if he would leave, honestly. But he likes to suffer alone if you haven't noticed."
"I have." Jasper nodded. "We should get home."
"Yeah." Emmett nodded and then jumped down from the tree.
Jasper followed suit, and the two vampires began sprinting off in the direction of their home, a few miles away.
Jacob made it to Bella's house in record time. He straightened his white v-neck out before heading up to the door and knocking.
"It's open, Jacob!" Charlie called.
Jacob opened the door and entered the Swan house to find Charlie putting on his police jacket. "Off to work, sir?"
"Yeah." Charlie nodded, straightening his collar out. "I just didn't want to leave until you got here. I don't like leaving Bells alone."
"I understand." Jacob nodded, and he did understand. He knew he had been really busy with the pack since the encounter with Edward, but he did not like the idea of Bella being alone.
"Which brings me to another point." Charlie said. "More of a favor."
"What's up?" Jacob asked.
"I am going camping with the guys for a week. Bella said she would be fine here, but I worry about leaving her in…her condition. I was wondering if you could stay with her?"
"Of course, Charlie." Jacob offered instantly.
"Thanks." Charlie said awkwardly.
"Anytime." Jacob responded.
"Well, take care of her." Charlie nodded up the stairs in the direction of Bella's room. "And there is pizza on the table, if you are hungry."
"Thanks." Jacob nodded as he watched Charlie leave the house. Jacob then made his way up the stairs and into Bella's room.
He found Bella asleep, curled up in the closets resemblance to a ball as she could get with her hump of a stomach. Jacob examined her form for a moment, he did not remember her looking so pregnant the last time he had seen her. He wondered to himself, how long it had been since he had actually looked at Bella. Sure, he had seen her almost every single day, especially since after Edward's visit to the reservation, but he had never really taken the time to look at her. He had been to wrap up in the idea of keeping her away from the Cullen's. Now, as he stood in the silence of her room, and watched her sleep, Jacob realized that Bella no longer looked like the fragile yet older, teenage girl he had adored. Now, she looked very much like a mom expecting her first child.
Jacob took a seat at her desk, deciding not to wake Bella, as he wondered if he himself looked like a father. He realized that, after glancing in the mirror, he did not. He looked the same, he had not changed much physically in the past few months but Bella had. Aside from the obvious inflation of her stomach, Bella's face had seemed to change, the stress of everything adding slight bags under her eyes which were so noticeable through her pale skin.
The fragility of her delicate condition only made Jacob think of his conversation with the pack earlier, about Bella being a danger and a liability. It made him angry. How, he wondered, could anyone think Bella was a danger? She was the polar opposite of a danger, if anything she was the one in danger.
Suddenly, Bella jerked up from her sleep as she gasped out in pain.
"Bella?" Jacob was at her side immediately, scanning her over. "Are you okay?"
Bella was surprised by Jacob's presence, making her jerk back even more. "Jacob? When did you get here?" Her voice was surprisingly calm. She was glad to see that Jacob had kept his promise and was with her now. She liked him being around, because it made her think of Edward less.
"Just now." Jacob's eyes continued to scan her body as they filled with worry. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." Bella smiled softly. "The baby just kicked." She sat up in bed, moving up against the headboard and rubbing her protruding bump before yawning.
"Oh." Jacob was at ease again as he sat on the edge of Bella's feet. "Does it…do that often?" Jacob asked, glancing at his hands.
"Just recently." Bella told him, glancing down at her stomach and switching her voice to a baby-one as a smile crept across her face. "But you promised mommy you would stop, right?"
Bella's stomach responded to her words as the baby gave another, yet weaker kick.
Satisfied with her answer, Bella looked back up to Jacob to see he looked distant. "Are you okay?"
Jacob snapped his head up, his thoughts about the packs words drifting from his mind. "Uh yeah." He forced a smile. 'How did the doctor's go?"
"Fine." Bella said quickly, unsatisfied with Jacob's answer to her question. "Something is bugging you, so you better tell me what it is…"
"It's nothing…really." Jacob did not want to bore Bella with his worries, he knew she had enough of her own.
"Jake…" Bella warned. She wouldn't play this game with him all night.
"Just…the pack." Jacob shrugged, patting Bella's leg. "They just were saying some stuff tonight…it got to me."
"What stuff?" Bella asked, immediately bored with the story. The past few times Bella had seen Jacob, all he had done was talk about the pack, and she was getting sick of it.
"I mean…it's not important, they don't know what they are talking about. They are just mad I haven't…handled the Cullen situation yet."
Panic immediately filled Bella's body at the notion of Edward being hurt, even if it was by Jacob. "Jake…please don't…"
"Relax, Bella." Jacob snorted, instantly annoyed. He knew she did not want him to go after Edward, but he hated to see her reaction to the idea of the vampire being hurt at all. "I am not going to hurt your precious Edward."
"He's not mine." Bella looked down, playing with a ring on her finger. "I just…don't see how hurting him will solve anything."
Jacob went to say something smart back to her, but decided against it, knowing that getting her upset was not good for their baby. "Anyway, they mentioned that you weren't my imprint."
"You're what?" Bella looked up to meet Jacob's eyes.
"My imprint." Jacob repeated. "It's how werewolves find their soul mate. Apparently, when they see the person they are meant to be with they imprint on them, like claiming them as there's. It's an instant connection, supposedly."
"And you don't have that with me?" Bella asked slowly. She had not even known this imprint thing existed, and now it threw her for a loop. Apparently, even Jacob didn't want her as much as she thought he did.
"I have something with you." Jacob patted her leg and slid up next to her, trying to calm her clearly worried form. "And it's not just that." He pointed to her stomach.
"So, how does it work? You like…find you're imprint and then that's it, you're in love with them?" Bella asked.
Jacob shrugged. "Well, that's how it's explained. But…"
"But what?" Bella asked. If Jacob left her, she did not know what she would do.
"I don't believe in it." Jacob said simply, taking her hand in his. "I think…I know that you're the only person I want Bella. I have never cared about someone like I care about you."
"Yeah but…you're seventeen." Bella looked at their hands entwined. "You don't know what you want."
Jacob was immediately hurt by Bella's words, and showed it by letting go of her hand. "I do, and that is you and my baby and a nice little family. There is no one else for me, trust me. I have a connection with you that is unlike anything else in the world. I can feel it, so that's why I know imprinting is crap, because if it existed I would have imprinted on you."
"But Jake…" Bella started, absorbing her newfound information. If imprinting did exist, that meant that she would ultimately be left alone with her child after all. She realized that, maybe that was how it was supposed to be for her. She was a human, so maybe Edward had a point when he said she didn't belong in this world of monsters and heroes.
"Bella, trust me." Jacob kissed her neck and smiled. "You're perfect for me." He then moved his head down to her baby bump and kissed it as well. "And you kid, have one hot mommy." He smiled back up at Bella.
Bella had to laugh at this comment, and the laugh eased her worry for a minute or two as she realized just how much she had missed Jacob. She hated him spending so much time with the pack, obsessing over the Cullen's every move. She just wanted him to spend time with her and their unborn child.
"There is that smile I was looking for!" Jacob grinned and then moved up, kissing Bella.
Bella kissed him back, but to her surprise, for the first time she felt very little in the kiss. Her thoughts just kept drifting back to Edward's kisses and cold lips. She hadn't felt those lips in a long time, but now, they were all she could think about.
After a second, Jacob pulled away. "Well, I have to get going. I have patrol duty in an hour, but I will be back in the morning."
"Why?" Bella asked, trying to remember if she had made plans with Jacob.
"Your dad asked me to keep an eye on you while he is camping." Jacob explained.
"Oh." Bella nodded annoyed that Jacob was leaving her for the pack again. He had only just gotten there. "Are you sure Sam will give you time off?"
"Bella…" Jacob heard the annoyance in her voice. "I don't work for Sam, and either way, the pack is just trying to keep everyone safe here, and I am trying to keep you safe."
"The Cullen's won't hurt me." Bella told him.
"No, they will just come on our land and throw me through windows." Jacob was annoyed with Bella's defensive stance when it came to the Cullen family.
"I don't want to get into this." Bella looked away from Jacob. She was sick of arguing with him over Edward's behavior.
"Fine." Jacob clenched his jaw. "See you tomorrow then."
Before Bella could say anything, Jacob was out her window and deep into the woods. Bella sighed, she did not mean to upset Jacob, but she hated how he talked down about the Cullen's. They had always been nothing but good to her. And she hate that Jacob still seemed to want to fight Edward. She did not want to see neither Jacob nor Edward get hurt, but she especially did not want anything to happen to Edward. She knew that was wrong, since she should be worried about Jacob, after all she was having his baby, but she couldn't help the strong protective feeling she had over Edward. Even if Edward had hurt her in ways she thought unimaginable, and even if she could never forgive him for that, she knew she could not live with herself if anything happened to him, and she also knew could not live with Jacob if he did anything to Edward.
Emmett and Jasper made it back to the Cullen's house in record time. Both vampires bound through the front door to find Rosalie on the couch reading a magazine and Alice playing checkers with Carlisle. All heads turned when the two male vampire's entered.
"Where is Edward?" Jasper asked quickly.
"Upstairs." Esme announced her presence as she brought in a laundry basket and placed it next to Rosalie. "Fold those clothes, they are yours."
Rosalie rolled her eyes, but put her magazine down and grabbed the clothes.
"Why?" Carlisle asked, realizing both Emmett and Jasper's faces looked distraught.
"It's about Bella." Emmett answered.
A split second later, Edward was down the stairs, standing in front of Emmett. "What about Bella?"
"We were in the woods…we heard the wolves talking." Emmett started.
"Why were you by their line?" Carlisle was annoyed. He did not want any more problems with the wolves.
"Does it matter?" Edward shot back at Carlisle and then turned back to Emmett. "What did they say?"
"What we suspected." Jasper looked to Carlisle. "They see Bella and her child as a liability…a problem that they need to deal with."
"They were trying to tell Jacob she wasn't worth all this trouble because she wasn't his imprint and that the baby is just going to cause problems but he didn't want to hear it, so when he left the rest of them started talking…they want Bella out of the picture." Emmett finished.
"I feared this would happen." Carlisle nodded.
"Jacob didn't imprint on her?" Edward sounded relived despite everything else.
"Edward, just because she isn't meant to be with the wolf, doesn't meant she is meant to be with you." Rosalie knew exactly what Edward was thinking.
"But she isn't Jacob's either then." Edward retorted.
"She won't be anyone's if she isn't kept safe." Carlisle brought them back to the situation in front of them. "If the wolves really see all of this as a threat to their way of life, they will stop at nothing to get rid of Bella and her child."
Immediately anger filled Edward at the thought of anyone hurting Bella. He clenched his fists to the point he thought his fingers might break through the back of his hands. "Then we don't let them get anywhere near her. I won't let anyone hurt her." Edward told his family. "I know…what I did…she hasn't forgiven me, but I will not lose her. I need to keep her safe…I understand if this constitutes too much of a threat for you all and I understand if you do not want to help…"
"Edward." Alice was shocked at her brother. "Of course we want to help. Bella is like a sister to me."
"Thank you, Alice." Edward smiled at her. "You are very kind."
"As are the rest of us." Carlisle spoke for the rest of the family. "We are a family, and Bella, since she has stepped through those doors has been part of this family. Whether you are with her or not, we will take care of her and protect her at all costs."
Edward looked around to see that the rest of the family was agreeing with Carlisle, including Rosalie, which surprised him. Maybe she was not such a bitch. "Thank you all."
"So what's the plan then?" Emmett smacked his hands together. He loved a good fight.
"We need to get Bella to safety first." Carlisle said.
"Yeah right." Rosalie shook her head. "She couldn't wait to get out of here last time."
"And she has not tried to contact any of us since then." Alice seemed almost hurt by this. She had missed Bella.
"She doesn't have to want to be here." Edward looked to Rosalie, and then to Alice. "Or want to talk to us. She just needs to be kept safe." He began moving to the door.
"Where are you going?" Esme asked.
"To Bella's." Edward said. "I am going to try to go talk to her, explain everything and get her to come here. In the meantime, if you guys could patrol the reservation, make sure the wolves stay on their land."
"Of course." Carlisle nodded.
"Edward." Alice looked to her brother with worried eyes. "What if Bella doesn't want to come with you?"
"I am not above using force in this situation." Edward told his sister, and he meant it. If need be, he would carry Bella out of her house kicking and screaming. She could hate him, she already seemed to, and so he didn't care. All that mattered was that Bella got to safety. And with those thoughts, Edward was out the door.
Edward approached the Swan's home quietly, unsure if Charlie would be working tonight. He was relieved to see that Charlie's cruiser was gone. He glanced up at the house to see Bella's bedroom light on. He listened and easily detected both her heartbeat as well as her unborn child's heart. He listened again, hearing nothing else; he knew Jacob was not around.
Edward quickly ran up to the front door and to his surprise it was open. He clenched his jaw at how stupid Charlie had been, leaving Bella in the house unprotected with the door open. He entered, closing the squeaky door behind him and wincing at the sound it made. It was loud, too loud to not disturb the dark, quiet house.
"Dad?" Bella called from her room, confused why Charlie was back already.
Edward didn't answer; instead he slipped into the kitchen. He was unsure how to handle Bella and explain it all to her, so he wanted a second to gather his thoughts.
"Jacob?" Bella's voice sounded more confused now.
And then Edward heard her groan and get out of bed. He could hear each of her steps as she crept from her room to the dark downstairs of her house.
Bella waddled down the stairs cautiously, suddenly becoming very nervous. Her heartbeat picked up as each step creaked under her pregnant weight. She was sure someone was in the house with her, but it was dark, and she knew she was defenseless. Her child seemed to be uneasy too, as it did summersaults in her stomach. She rubbed small circles on it as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Hello?" Bella called out, her voice much weaker then she had intended. She eased herself around the stairs and slowly toward the kitchen. She fumbled to turn the light on, and when she managed to, she jumped clear back, slamming into the wall, a hand over her mouth as she screamed.
"Easy!" Edward moved from his statue position against the sink, and grabbed her, easing her down into a seat at the kitchen table. He had not intended to scare her; he just wanted some extra time to think.
"What…how…wha…what ar…what…what are you doing here?" Bella stammered out, both relieved to see that it was Edward in her home, but equally as mad that he had scared both her and her child to death. She could feel the baby in her stomach kicking like no other. She rubbed both hands on her stomach, trying to calm it down as her own heart rate came back down.
"I'm sorry I frightened you." Edward apologized, kneeling down in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" Bella repeated her question, this time, sounding much more assertive.
"I came to warn you." Edward started as his eyes glanced around the kitchen so he could avoid direct eye contact with the girl in front of him. "Emmett and Jasper heard something today…"
"I'm not going to play games with you." Bella told him simply. She was so confused on how to handle his presence. She missed him, yet wanted him gone; she loved him, yet was too hurt to trust him.
"This isn't a game, Bella." Edward looked into her eyes now. "This is your life."
"What about my life?" Bella couldn't help the sudden feeling of panic rising within her.
"Emmett and Jasper were in the woods today. They heard the pack talking, something about you not being Jacob's imprint and you being a danger to them….they are calling you a liability." Edward shook his head as he stared down at Bella's stomach, trying to remember if Emmett or Jasper had said anything else.
Bella was in shock. Jacob had said something similar to her earlier, about her not being his imprinting, so Bella knew that Edward's words had truth to them, but she also knew that Jacob told her the imprinting was no big deal, so how could they call her a liability? "You're lying."
"Bella…no I'm not." Edward looked at her, his eyes hurt. "I would never lie to you…"
"You already did, supposedly, when you told me you didn't want me anymore. Remember?" Bella reminded him.
Edward remembered, and looked down, remaining silent.
"Or was that a lie too?" Bella's word were sharp as, to her own surprise, tears began to rise in her eyes. She had no idea why she was always so emotional when it came to Edward.
"No." Edward looked back at her. "I lied when I said I didn't want you, and trust me I am paying for it now. I would never lie to you again. So when I say I need to get you out of here and to safety I mean it."
"Jacob wouldn't hurt me." Bella told Edward. "He loves me and this baby." She rubbed her stomach for emphasis.
"I am not talking about Jacob hurting you, I am talking about the pack hurting you." Edward told her. "If you are threatening them, they don't care who you are or what you're carrying." He motioned to her stomach. "And I can't risk them hurting you." He took her hand. "I won't lose you again, Bella."
"You never came back to find me." Bella pulled her hand away. She knew she should heed Edward's warning. That he as probably being truthful with her, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him for help. He had hurt her too much. "Now I want you out of here."
"Sorry." Edward stood, quickly grabbing Bella by her wrist and pulling her into his arms, and holding her gently so he stomach would be safe, before she could blink. "But I won't leave you here."
"Put me down, Edward!" Bella tried to sound convincing but she was failing miserably, knowing she had missed being in his embrace as much as he had missed holding her.
"Bella." Edward looked at the beautiful creature in his arms and knew he had never stopped loving her. Pregnant or not, she was beautiful. "You can be mad at me after all of this, hate me for all I care! But right now, I need to get you out of here."
Bella studied Edward's face and realized he was being dead serious. She instantly knew she was in danger, and shivered at the thought of her and her baby being in danger. "Let me walk then. Please?"
Edward raised an eyebrow, wondering if he put her down if she would still come with him.
"I won't try to run." Bella knew Edward so well. "I trust you."
Edward smiled slightly and nodded, placing her on her feet. "Okay."
"Thanks." Bella smiled back slightly as her feet touched the ground.
Suddenly, the room seemed to blur as Bella watched Edward get thrown across the kitchen, and slam into the refrigerator. She turned to see Jacob standing beside her, anger across his face.
"Get out of here!" Jacob growled at Edward.
"Jake…" Bella was shocked and angry Jacob would hurt Edward like that.
"You're safe now, Bella." Jacob did not look at her face, his eyes glued to Edward. He confused the shock in Bella's voice for relief that he had come and saved her from Edward.
"No she isn't." Edward stood. "Not if she is with you."
"I have done nothing but protect her! Ever since you left her in that forest!" Jacob lunged at Edward, grabbing him by the throat and squeezing hard enough to produce a few cracks on Edward's face.
"Jake! Stop!" Bella went to pull Jacob off of Edward, but in his rage Jacob pushed her back, and hard. She immediately fell over the chair and against the wall.
"Bella!" Edward jerked Jacob's stunned body out of his way and was at Bella's side in a flash. "Are you okay?"
"I…the baby…is it…" Bella stammered, looking around to see if she was indeed okay.
Edward listened, and heard the unborn baby's heart beat. "Its fine." Edward whispered.
Jacob, realizing Bella was okay, grabbed Edward by the shoulder and spun the vampire around to face him. "Get away from her! You did this!"
"You pushed her." Edward did not budge from his spot between Bella and Jacob.
"Only because you just keep coming around, bloodsucker." Jacob growled.
"Just stop it!" Bella cried out. She was shocked that Jacob had touched her at all, and even more surprised that Edward was defending her.
"She is right." Edward stood, still between Jacob and Bella. "We need to work together here. You cant protect her alone."
"I've done just fine." Jacob clenched his fist, ready to punch Edward in the face. In truth, he was so angry with Edward, he wasn't even registering the fact that he had almost seriously injured Bella.
"You're just an animal." Edward clenched his jaw. "You pushes girls…" he pointed back to Bella as he stepped at Jacob. "And who can't control his pack of wild, deranged killers who are more concerned with an imprint then Bella or her child's life."
"My child!" Jacob growled, pushing Edward so hard that the vampire flew out the window.
"Edward." Bella gasped, a hand over her mouth.
Jacob was furious that Bella was so worried about the vampire, and he quickly jerked her up to her feet. "Let's go. You're not safe here."
"But he…" Bella started.
"He left you!" Jacob growled. "Edward didn't want you, and he only wants you now because he can't have you. Now get into the car, I am taking you to the reservation."
The color drained from Bella's face for two reasons. One, Edward was clearly, seriously injured, since he was still in a heap outside of her house as Jacob led her to the car, and two, because, if Edward was telling her the truth, then the reservation was the most dangerous place for her and her baby; the pack was there.