Don't own it.

Chapter 11

EPOV

I can't believe I am doing this. I am taking my mother to the Cullens without backup. Because if my Pack knew, my judgment would be seriously questioned. I knew this because I would seriously be questioning my judgment. It's not that I am worried about the Cullen's attacking her. They had plenty of opportunities to attack Bella if they wanted to. In contrast, despite bringing Edward back, everything else seems to be on the level. They really have been protecting her and not trying to push themselves on her. As much as it pained me to admit it, they did love her. And it's hard to completely hate something that loves what you love.

"You ready for this Mo…"

I had hoped to make her a little more alert or maybe hope she would change her mind. Before the words left my mouth she was out the car and headed to the door.

Esme Cullen opened the door before Mom could knock.

"Welcome. I'm Esme Cullen. And you must be Embry's mother."

"Kayla Call. You can call me Kay." Mom said sticking her hand out.

Esme took my mom's hand. I wondered if she would flinch at the cold feeling skin.

I should have known better.

"Please come in."

Mom and I walked in and followed Esme to what I am guessing is a living room. I had never actually been in this house. It was nice. Smelled like leech though. Naturally. I smelt food cooking. Pasta? Fettuccine? Esme noticed my sniffing and looked at me. "Food for Bella. She hasn't been eating enough, and I was thinking if I bring her food over and stay with her a bit she will eat. She is getting so thin again." I nodded my head and kept walking, not sure how to feel about that. We saw Carlisle sitting in a leather chair.

He rose when my mother and I walked in.

"Welcome Ms. Call."

"A pleasure to meet the famous Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Call me Kay."

Carlisle seemed taken aback. "Uhm, thank you. I have to say I am surprised to see you here. I am assuming if you here you know what Embry is and what we are."

"Cold ones right? Vampires? Yes I got it."

"I was under the impression that your tribe wasn't fond of us."

"Actually I'm from a neighboring tribe. The Makah tribe. We have our own legends about Shape shifters and Cold Ones. I don't for one second take for granted what you are. The same I imagine that you don't for one second take for granted what my son here is and can do. But…"

"You are willing to give us a chance?" Esme said smiling.

"Anybody that can piss Billy Black off as much as you can Carlisle Cullen, is okay in my books. And I know you love Bella. So I think we can be comfortable around each other long enough to work together towards a common goal."

"What goal might that be?" Esme asked?

"Saving Bella's life."

"Where are the others?" I had to know. I was edgy enough.

Carlisle took an unneeded breath.

"Did you see Bella tonight Embry?"

I nodded.

"Then you know Edward was there?"

I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak.

"Edward made a split second decision to see Bella. Then he made another split second decision to force himself on Bella. By the time Alice had a vision we did not have enough time to stop it. So Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper are currently chasing Edward. When they catch him, they have been instructed to bring him to me. I will decide what to do with him. Unless you want him? She is your mate. It is your right."

"I don't know. What are you going to do to him?"

"I haven't decided yet. We are all quite angry at him. Rose is especially sensitive when a man forces himself on a woman. He may not survive being brought back. If he does, would you like me to call you? Whatever I decide, I plan to make sure he cannot bother Bella in her lifetime."

"How?"

"Let's just say that when a vampire has a body part torn off and burned it will regenerate. But it takes over a hundred years and can be quite painful. I haven't chosen the body part of Edward's I plan on taking but I believe Rose has a good idea."

I noticed Mom got a little paler. Carlisle comes across as a compassionate person. But I have a feeling he can be a cold son of a bitch when he needs to be. And he has made it clear where Bella is concerned that he needs to be.

"Why? Edward is in your coven. Why would you choose Bella over him?"

It was Carlisle that answered. "I could give you a lot of reasons. But it all comes down to Bella worked her way into our hearts with any of us noticing and none of us want to go back to a life without her in it. We felt more humanity when we were with Bella than we ever did, before or after. Edward lied to us about what he told her when he left her. He lied to us about a lot of things. It eventually became clear that he had been manipulating all of us to get his way nearly his whole life. We had been discussing removing Edward from the family and going back to Forks for Bella. Then Alice had her vision of Bella and Victoria. The decision was easy. Almost like fate."

"And what do you think of the Bella you returned to?"

"We love her of course!" Esme answered.

Mom turned to look directly at her.

"I didn't ask if you love her. I know you love her. What do you think about her?"

"She has…we hurt her by leaving. The more we are around, the more, the more she will…"

"You don't believe that. Her problems have very little to do with how Edward left her. They started way before then."

I looked at Carlisle to see his reaction. He sat there with the same stoic look on his face. Mom turned toward him.

"What's the diagnosis Dr. Cullen?"

"Severe manic depression, alcoholism, if not other substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder…"

"Exactly. And what is she traumatized from? Because it wasn't your boy leaving her in the woods. That was the breaking point. But something happened before then. And I need to know what it was. If I am going to help her I need to know. I need to know what happened in Phoenix."

"Why do you think you can help her? I'm going to help her!" Esme said with a somewhat raised voice.

"You've been where she has been?"

"Yes. I've known depression. Loss. I've been abused by a husband, I tried to kill myself after losing a child. That's how Carlisle found me. And I understand about addiction from refraining from human blood. I have put a lot of thought into this and I believe I can help her." Esme was getting a little worked up. I moved towards mom a little more on the couch. I guess Carlisle noticed.

"Esme calm down dear. We all love Bella here and want what's best for her."

"I can help her Esme. I'm not saying that you can't. She needs you in her life. But right now she is on the brink of doing something drastic."

"I'm an alcoholic. I haven't had a drink in 15 years. But I am and always will be an alcoholic. I believe I can get Bella out of this. But I will need your help. I need you to give me information and then step back and let me take her for a while."

"Take her where? With who?" Esme asked. I really didn't like Ms. Cullen agitated.

"Just me. I can help her. I have to. Because my son can't live without her. She is the other half of his soul. That makes her mine as well. But she can't have anybody to fall back on. When I do this she is not going to be happy. She is going to cry to you. The same way if you did something she didn't like she is going to cry to Embry or Charlie. It's a game alcoholic and emotionally disturbed people play to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and their problems. They find enablers. You know what I'm talking about Dr. Cullen?"

I looked at Carlisle. He nodded his head. I looked back at mama vamp, who seemed to be calming down.

"Yes, I'm afraid we enabled Edward to act like a child for most of his existence. I certainly don't want to make the same mistake with Bella." Carlisle said.

"You know Bella won't become a vampire? She doesn't want to. It's not her destiny. Do you understand this?"

Emse shook her head. "I could care less if she turns into a vampire."

"And what will you do when she dies one day?"

Oh damn I did not like thinking about that. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"She won't die! We can protect her!"

"From death? Nobody is safe from that. Judging by the fact that my son is designed to kills vampires I would say that is even true for supposedly immortal creatures. So, what are you going to do in 70 years, when she dies? Are you going to be able to cope with her death? Because if you are going to remain in her life you have to prepare yourself for this."

"I am." Esme whispered.

"Okay." Mom said. She grabbed my hand. "Embry if you don't want to hear this go outside. But you are going to get angry. And I can't have you turning into a wolf in the Cullen's home."

"I'm good Mom." Like I was going to leave her here with Esme Cullen. Esme is the only one I sense is super protective and super jealous of others around Bella. Must be that mothering instinct.

"Okay, Carlisle. I think it would be best if you told us. What exactly happened to Bella in Phoenix?"

"I think it would be best if I showed you."

I jumped up and stood in front of Mom. Carlisle turned toward me.

"Seriously Embry? Please sit down. I didn't mean I was going to demonstrate. You know Bella was chased by a tracker. Alice and Jasper ran with her to Phoenix while we tried to lure him in another direction. While in a hotel she got a call from James, the tracker. He had a video from Bella's old home in Phoenix that her mother still owned and hadn't finished packing since she moved to Florida. He played the video over the phone and made Bella think he had her mother.

Bella snuck out. Alice and Jasper had taken her to the airport to meet the rest of us flying in. We suspected James was nearby but didn't know how close. Bella escaped Jasper in a bathroom at the airport that had two exits. Alice didn't see it. She made a split second decision. She took a cab to a ballet studio James had told her to be at. She was going to exchange her life for her mothers.

When she arrived she found out that James had fooled her into believing her mother was there. But it was too late for her. James being the sadistic bastard he was brought the video camera from Bella's house and recorded what he did to her so Edward would find it. The video remained running after we arrived. It shows everything that happened. I keep this video in a vault. I don't know why. I haven't watched it since that day. But something told me it was best to keep it. Maybe this is why. I will play it for you. But understand it is very graphic. Embry if you are not sure you can handle this..."

"I'm fine. Play the damn tape."

"I can't watch it Carlisle. I'm sorry."

"Of course Esme. Why don't you go for a run?"

"Yes, I think I will."

This must be bad if momma vamp can't watch.

Thirty minutes later I was sitting on the couch with tears of anger running down my face. I can't believe, I mean. The look on her face when she begged Edward not to come after him. The sound of her bones snapping. The scream and look on her face when he pressed down on her leg and it broke. The look on his face. The laughter. Sticking the camera in her face while she was screaming in agony. Seeing her flying across the room when Edward got there. Thrown into a mirror and glass slicing her leg. Seeing Edward sucking the blood from her wrist while Carlisle controlled the blood flow from her leg as she screamed and begged someone to kill her. She was awake for all of it. She never once screamed for help. She screamed. But not for help. I never heard her ask for help. Not once.

I heard a noise to my right. Mom had run from the couch and was on her knees vomiting in a trash can by the bar.

"Ms. Call are …"

"Give me a moment, Dr. Cullen."

Carlisle sat down. I was so angry. I didn't, I couldn't…

"Go outside Embry. Do what you must."

"NO!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Not every problem can be solved by turning into a wolf."

"That's my boy." I heard Mom whisper. She was standing and walking back to the couch.

"Are you okay Mom?"

"Carlisle I don't mean to second guess you here but why didn't you arrange for her to go to therapy after this? She was tortured. Not attacked. She was tortured."

"Honestly I didn't know who I could send her to that she could tell the truth to. So I tried to talk to her but she refused to talk about it. So Edward wouldn't let us. Then after the event with Jasper he said that if we left her alone she would eventually move on. I didn't see any other options at the time."

"I understand. We do live in unique situations. I am glad you showed me this Dr. Cullen. As unpleasant as it was, I needed to see this. I understand now. This will definitely help."

"Anything I or my family can do for Bella we will. Please let us know what she needs."

"I will let you know."

My phone rang. I saw it was Sam. What the hell is wrong now?

"Hello Sam."

"Embry, I need you to remain calm…"

I listened in a dazed state. I don't know if it was the video I just saw or the unreality of what he was telling me. But I stayed calm. I understood.

"Sam, my mother and I are on our way. And warn the Pack. Carlisle Cullen is coming with me. If anybody has a problem with it I will deal with each complaint on a case by case basis at another time."

"I will warn them. And I agree. We need a real doctor here Embry. Nobody will say a word. Please hurry."

"We will take my car." Carlisle said already walking towards the garage.

"No we will run." Carlisle nodded.

I pulled mom beside me and we began walking outside.

"Drive straight to the Clinic in La Push. Sue Clearwater is there and will fill you in. I will be there long before you." I kissed her on the cheek and began undressing. I would need clothes when I got to the hospital. I tossed my clothes to Carlisle.

"Embry what happened?"

"Bella jumped off a cliff into the storm waters mom. I have to get there. Please hurry but be safe."

I phased and took off running. Carlisle was by my side. It didn't sound good from what Sam was telling me. She was alive. But for how long? I hoped Carlisle is as good a doctor as the word around Forks indicates.

She tried to kill herself. I could almost believe that she just got drunk and fell off. But no. She talked to Leah. She told Leah. She told her to tell me she was sorry. I couldn't think about that. I just had to run. I had to get to her.

Leah POV

"What the hell are you doing Swan?!" Is this bitch for real? Holy shit she was stopping. I grabbed her jacket sleeve and she turned towards me pulling her arm out of it. She smiled. And she was gone.

I looked over the edge. She missed the rocks and hit the water. The water was a meat grinder. She would never survive down there. I jumped. I…Embry was too good for this to happen too. I jumped far enough out to avoid the rocks. I knew I would survive but I didn't have time to deal with healing from an injury. I had already lost sight of her. I dove into the water. I stayed under and searched as best I could. In this damn washing machine she could be anywhere. It was fucking dark. The water was swirling. I was swimming frantically and turning in all directions at once. She was gone. I looked down. Nope. I turned to the right. Nope. This was going to kill Embry. I looked to the left no..wait. That doesn't look like seaweed against that rock. Nope… hair. I swam over as quickly as I could and saw her. I couldn't tell if her eyes were opened or closed. I had to get her to the surface. The current was against me. Then it changed and slammed Bella into a rock. I smelt blood in the water. I reached her and pulled her to the surface. She was dead weight. I pulled her head over the water level and it flopped back onto my shoulder. I had to rescue swim her in. I turned toward the shore when another wave came on us. We were both underwater for a second. When I popped up Bella was ripped from me. She was being washed back out. DAMMIT!

I swam and caught her by the arm. I was pulling but the damn tide had her. I was making headway but I was going to rip her arm off at this rate. And I didn't think she was breathing.

"BELLA wake up! I need your help you bitch!"

Maybe I should just ride out the current and make sure she stays above water and then swim back in. But if we went out any farther I'm not sure either of us would make it back. I finally pulled her in my arms. Shit she was definitely not breathing. And I was getting tired. I saw another wave coming and wrapped my arms around her tightly. I saw him out of the corner of my eye. He hit the water and was on me in a flash.

"Let got Leah. I got her. Let's go"!

Jacob Black.

We had her between the two of us and were on shore within a minute. Paul and Quil were running up.

"Oh my God! Is she dead? She looks dead!" Quil shouted. He and Paul were in shorts along with Jake. I guess they had been patrolling.

I felt her wrist. She was so cold. "I can't feel a pulse." I whispered.

"Move!"

Paul got down beside her and began giving her chest compressions. And then mouth to mouth. Then chest compressions.

We sat around him covered in mud and soaking wet and watched. Thirty seconds went by. A minute went by. Paul never stopped.

"Paul she is…"

"No she isn't Leah. She can't be. Somebody go call an ambulance or something. Now! Call Sam. Don't just stand there do something."

Paul wouldn't stop. Thirty more seconds went by. And then she coughed. While Paul was over her mouth. She vomited up water straight into the air. Into Paul's face. It didn't faze him. He rolled her over and water kept pouring out of her. Her head was bleeding. I guess her heart was beating on its own. Quil ran back down with Jake. "I called Sam. I couldn't tell Embry she is…hey is she alive?"

"For now. We need to get her to the clinic. Leah call your mom. I'm not waiting for an ambulance. I'm going to run her there."

I realized I didn't have my phone. I looked at Quil. "Call my mom at the clinic. Tell her what and who is coming in. Understand?"

"I got it Leah."

I arrived right behind Paul. I guess Quil did what he was supposed to. Mom had a stretcher ready. He laid Bella on it. She was on her side. She still hadn't woken up. She was still so blue. She really did look dead. But she was breathing lightly. If you looked hard you could see the rise and fall of her chest. And hear her heart beat. It was slow but strong. I followed them in. Paul wouldn't leave her side. Jake was there. Jake looked…scared. Very fucking scared. What happened? What could have led her to this? From what I knew about her she had everything she could…Course all I know is what I heard. Tonight was the first time I had actually met her. She seemed like a funny, sarcastic, fun girl who then promptly told me she wanted to end her life and stepped off a fucking cliff without hesitation.

I saw Sam walk in. Paul walked out when Sam looked at him.

"I called Embry. He is running here. And he is bringing Carlisle Cullen with him to this clinic to treat her. If anybody has a problem with it say so now so I can take you outside and kick your ass. I would hate for Embry to be bothered by it when his imprint could be dead."

We all looked down. Jarrod had walked in by this point. Nobody would be having a problem with Dr. Leech tonight. I heard thunder roar in the sky and Embry crashed through the door. Cullen looked focused. He was soaking wet. Looks like he ran with Embry.

"Where is she Sam?"

Sam motioned with his head to the curtained off room behind us. Carlisle didn't bother to move at human speed. Good thing we were the only ones in the room.

Embry and Cullen were next to Bella's bed. I looked in and, and she still didn't look alive.

"Who found her?"

"I did."

"What happened?" Cullen asked.

"I saw her on a cliff. Sitting close to the edge. She had a bottle of liquor in her hand. It looked like she went through the whole things. She offered me a couple drinks. I sat by her for a few minutes and then she…"

"What Leah?" Embry said not bothering to look at me. His eyes focused completely on Bella.

"She told me she was tired of life and to tell you that she loved you and was sorry she wasn't enough. Then she walked to the edge and jumped. I tried to grab her. I grabbed her arm sleeve but she twisted out of it and jumped. Embry she was smiling. I..I…"

I felt Paul come up behind me and put his arms around me.

"Shhh. It's okay Leah. You did great. You saved her."

"How long was she under?" Cullen asked.

"I jumped right after her. But I couldn't find her right away. Then when I did see her she her head was slammed against a rock. After I guess about thirty seconds from the time she went in I pulled her up and then a wave hit us and forced us down again. About a minute I held her in the water with her head above it but she had already swallowed water. I don't think she was breathing. Then Jake came and helped pull her in."

"Was she breathing when she reached the shore?"

"No. Paul did CPR on her. She didn't have a pulse either. But she finally vomited up water. She…"

"How long was she without a pulse on shore?"

"I…"

"She was unresponsive for 90 seconds before she began breathing on her own and her pulse returned. She hasn't regained conscience since that time." Paul answered.

"Is she going to live Dr. Cullen?"

"Too soon to tell."

"What the fuck do you mean Carlisle! She is breathing!" Embry screamed at him.

"Secondary drowning. She is not out of the woods Embry. She could have internal damage from the inhalation of water. She could have injuries to her respiratory system that could harm her later. Prevent her from breathing. She could have cardiac problems from the pressure put on her heart. She could have a number of things go wrong. You know I will do everything to keep her alive. But I am not going to stand here and tell you she will wake up and start talking in the next few minutes. That only happens on TV. I need to get an ambulance and get her to Forks Hospital. I don't have the equipment that I need to monitor her and become aware of potential physical problems."

"I'll get the ambulance." Paul said out of nowhere.

"From where?"

"There is an ambulance kept behind the clinic for cases like this." Paul said as if this was common knowledge.

"I'm riding in the back with Carlisle. Paul can you drive?"

"Yes."

"And Sue I need you to find coverage for my shift tonight."

We all turned to see Kay Call walking in. She walked to Bella's bed and checked her oxygen. She then turned to all of us.

"Don't just stand there. Get what she needs. We need to get her to Forks now!"

Everybody scattered. Except me. I stood back. I really didn't have anything to do.

Embry wouldn't leave Bella's side. But his mother was there also. She leaned down and kissed Bella's forehead. Carlisle came back with Paul and a stretcher and they moved her, oxygen tank and all into the stretcher.

Embry turned to us before he left. "I can't thank you all enough. But I will try when she is safe. Sam you are in charge."

And with that Embry was gone.

"Quil? You and Jarrod patrol. I will be home in case you need backup. Seth and I will take your place in a few hours. The rest of you, go to the hospital if you want or go home."

Jake looked at me. We were both thinking the same thing.

"C'mon Leah. I'll drive."