Chapter 14: Audi

A/N: I own nothing. Characters are all Stephenie Meyers' creations. This is unbeta'd so apologies for any & all mistakes. Please take the time to leave some words if you really loved it or really hated it!

I woke the next morning a little sore. Being in my own bed again meant being free to roll from side to side without hitting the metal sides of the hospital bed. I assumed the pain meant that I had been pretty fitfull sleep last night because Edward would've restrained me as much as possible but wouldn't have wanted to risk hurting me if I was really tossing. Edward wasn't with me but I found it hard to keep track of the days so I figured he must have been at school. I was surprised to find no note though. Then again, he hadn't been able to leave notes when I was at the hospital so maybe he was just out of practise.

I realised that at some point during the night Edward must have changed me because I was in a pair of my silk pyjamas. My left arm was in the sling and securely buttoned up inside the shirt. I dragged myself out of bed and noticed the smell of bacon and eggs wafting from the kitchen. I wondered vaguely if it would be awkward walking into the kitchen to see Jacob, so much had changed for us and yet here we were living together again. Albeit in different rooms this time.

The smell was far too tempting though, as was the ability to walk around freely again without drips and who-knows-what's inserted into my arm. I walked into the kitchen and met two beaming, expectant faces. I decided it must have been the weekend because Edward was standing in the kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, frying pan in hand and Jacob was sitting at the table wolfing down a large serving of bacon and eggs. Both of them were smiling at me. I looked at the vampire cooking breakfast for a werewolf in the house of a human. I could help the laughter that escaped my lips.

Before the laughter had finished, Edward had put the frying pan down and wrapped his arms around my waist before kissing the tip of my nose.

"What's so funny, love?"

"Nothing, it's just this scene is like the start of a joke, you know a vampire, a werewolf and a human..."

Jake and Edward chuckled.

Edward turned back and dished me up a plate of bacon and eggs.

"So what's on the agenda today?" I asked serenely.

"You're going to rest on the couch. Alice is going to bring some DVD's over for you to watch soon."

"And you are?"

"Jacob and I are going to do a little panel beating on your Audi. We haven't had time to do it yet, I was just going to put it into a shop but Jacob insists that he wants to do it himself."

I rolled my eyes, "Don't bother."

Edward frowned a little at me, "Why not?"

I shuddered at the thought of even seeing my Audi again. I know I would never be able to look at it again without envisaging being pressed against it, unable to move and my shoulder being pinned to it. "I just don't think I can ever face that car again."

Edward and Jacob shared a cross look with each other. I knew what they were thinking. "No. No revenge. Just let it rest. Leave it with the police."

I heard them both growl lightly in protest.

"And don't you growl at me." I pointed my finger at each of them in turn before stalking off towards the bathroom.

"What about your breakfast?" Edward called from behind me.

"I lost my appetite." I said before slamming the bathroom door. As soon as I was in the confines of the small room I felt my embarrassment bite at me. I hadn't meant to yell at either of them. I felt tears spring to my eyes and I slid down the bathroom door. A sob escaped my lips and I felt the door behind me shake from a light knocking.

"Bella, honey. Let me in?" Edward's voice was soothing. I stood carefully and pulled the door open before throwing myself into his arms. It hurt my shoulder but I didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I don't know what came over me."

He pulled me back and looked deep into my face before casting me a lopsided smile, "I don't think we're too far off the money on the post traumatic stress claim, that's all. You'll get through this. You're strong enough to get past anything."

I shook my head against his chest, "I'd never be able to get past loosing you again."

He chuckled, "That's a moot point because I'm never letting go of you again."

I touched my head to his shoulder, drawing comfort from his support.

"So were you going to have a shower or did you just come in here to cry?" He asked.

I laughed, "Can you help me with this?" I pointed at my sling.

His eyes filled with lust as a thought passed his mind, "Sure."

He stood in front of me and unbuttoned the shirt of my pyjamas painstakingly slowly, I could see his eyes drinking in the vision of my exposed skin. It didn't matter how many time Edward had seen me naked he always looked at me like it was brand-new. Something to explore and memorise.

He slid my pyjama top off, running his hands down the length of my good arm to sweep the material away. His touch sent shivers through me again. The he reached over and turned on the shower to give the hot water time to heat up. He slipped off my pyjama bottoms. Next he unbuttoned his own shorts.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"Helping you in the shower." He grinned back at me.

"But Jacob is right there." Somehow the thought of hoping into a shower with my boyfriend, soul-mate, while my ex-husband with super sensitive hearing was right down the hallway was horrifying.

"Oh, would you like me to get him to help you instead?" Edward teased.

Even I heard the stifled laugh from the kitchen. I mashed my face together to glare at him but somehow that only seemed to make the situation funnier to Edward. Between my face and whatever Jacob was thinking, he was in a fit of hysterics. I shot him one more baleful look before turning on the spot, hoping to glide gracefully into the shower.

Of course nothing for me is graceful and instead I caught my toe on the bathmat and fell. My trajectory would have seen my forehead smash straight into the bath, no doubt landing me back in hospital for another extended stay but Edward's arms were there to gently stop my forward motion. All trace of humour had left him, at least until I glared at him again. Then he smiled, "You can't exactly wash your own hair, not without moving your arm too much."

He was right. I relented and moved over to the shower. I checked and adjusted the temperature. I smiled at an errant thought.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked.

"Just that I've finally found something I'm better at then you."

"Falling over? We already knew that." He teased.

"No. Setting the temperature on the shower, I don't know what good you thought that arctic blast of water was going to do for me." I turned on the hot tap a little more.

He smiled and helped me into the shower.

*****

The rest of the weekend passed without incident. Alice bought down some DVDs and I was forced to stay stationery on the couch while every member of Edward's family came to see me. Jacob and Edward spent most of the day together in the garage. I heard banging and pounding and grinding. Edward had told me that regardless of whether I was going to keep the car it needed to be fixed, and it would sell quicker if I let them fix it up. I relented but tried not to think about what they were doing because each time I did it made my emotions go haywire.

I woke early on Monday morning alone in my room with a note on my pillow. Be Safe. See you at 4. I smiled, it looked like it would be back to the early morning notes and I wasn't going to complain about that. I would prefer to wake up in Edward's arms but this was preferable to waking up with no little reminders of his love.

Jacob handed me a plate of toast with an almost resigned look on his face, "The cooking sucks without the bloodsucker here."

"We can always move in with the Cullen's if you like, that way there is always someone on hand. I know Esme would gladly cook for you every day." I teased.

"Don't tempt me."

"And how would that go down with the pack? Their second in command living with vampires?"

"Actually, they'd probably be jealous after I told them about the food."

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Jacob sprung up to answer it, his muscles immediately tensed. He knew none of the Cullen's would be here until after school and he wasn't sure what to expect. I stayed hidden in the kitchen, not afraid as such but not wanting to face anyone just yet either. I was still in my pyjamas and wasn't ready for the world.

Jacob came back into the kitchen with a large smile on his face, "The principal is here to see you."

I nodded and swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in my throat. This was what we had been waiting for. I needed to speak to him, whatever state of dress I was currently in. Jacob had already invited him inside and he was in the small recliner seat in my living room. I walked to the couch and sat down. Jacob sat beside me, wrapping one arm around my waist and holding my hand in his. I didn't mind the actions they were all part of the charade.

"Mr Anders," I nodded to him.

"Bella, I'd like to apologise on behalf of everyone at the school for everything that's happened to you."

I touched my face involuntarily and saw him wince, "This isn't your fault."

"You understand we have to treat these sorts of allegations very seriously, but myself and the school board can see that there is nothing untoward going on between yourself and any of the students."

I nodded. Don't blush, don't blush, was running through my head as a mantra although with my face still showing signs of my attack Mr Anders didn't settle on it for long whenever he glanced at me so I doubted he would have noticed even if I had.

I felt Jacob's hand squeeze mine a little tighter in support.

"We'd like to invite you back to your old position, if you want to that is?"

I nodded, "We both know it's going to be a tough adjustment period though." I warned him. I knew even when teachers were cleared the rumours circled. Two weeks, I told myself, I just need to put up with it for two weeks and then Jacob and I will 'leave'.

"Yes. The school is prepared to deal with any rumours and the students will be warned to be on their best behaviour."

"How soon?"

"As soon as you get medical clearance you can come back."

I tried to smile at him as warmly as I could manage, I knew none of this was his fault – any principal would have done the same thing, in fact others may have done more. "Thanks. I'll be in touch."

He nodded and excused himself.

After he had left I sighed in relief but my sigh turned into a sob and my sob turned into hysterical crying. Jacob was back at my side and had me in his arms in an instant. "It's alright, Bells. It's going to be alright."

I let him soothe me but I started to wonder if it would be.

Jacob and I lounged around the house for the rest of the day until about 2 o'clock when I decided it was probably time to get out of my pyjamas. Jacob helped me undo my sling and help me undress. I was a little bit nervous about him seeing me naked but he just shot me a grin, "Nothing I haven't seen before." I would have slapped him but I knew it would hurt me too much.

At half-past three Jacob grabbed my hand and led me out of the house. "Where are we going?" I asked, anxious to be home at 4 when Edward came.

He rolled his eyes, "We're going to visit the Cullen's. It was all arranged this morning."

"Oh."

Jacob was currently borrowing an MG convertible from the Cullen's garage. It was parked in my garage while my Audi was relegated to the street out front. I tried unsuccessfully to keep my eyes off the Audi as we passed it. I was right about how I would react to the car - as soon as I saw it I started to flashback, visions of everything that had happened to me came flooding into my head and I had to onto the dash to stop myself slipping forward or passing out.

Jacob quickly patted my knee comfortingly and then gunned the car towards the Cullen's. We arrived a little early, Edward's Volvo still wasn't back. But we walked comfortably up to the front door. Esme at least would be here. I didn't even need to knock when she opened the door with a wide smile. She gave both Jacob and I a quick embrace and invited us in. The smells coming from the kitchen were absolutely divine and I was glad because I had someone to share the food with today. Someone who wouldn't turn their noses up at the smell and look revolted when I said how nice it was. I knew Jacob's tastes weren't usually as refined as Esme's cooking tended to be but I couldn't see how anyone could dislike anything she made.

I chuckled when I looked at the effort Jacob was making being in this house. The bridge of his nose crinkled and he shivered slightly every few seconds. I knew it was just a natural instinct though, he wasn't close to phasing but with this many 'enemies' around his body was just natural prepared.

He looked at me when he heard my laugh. He knew what it was about immediately, "Sorry, it's just the smell is so much more concentrated here."

Esme came out of the kitchen with a look of disgrace on her face, "We can go back to Bella's if it would make you more comfortable Jacob?"

He shook his head, "No, it's fine. I just gotta get used to it." He smiled a friendly smile at her and she walked back into the kitchen. I wondered what was going on in his head that made him so willing to spend time in the house of those we once considered enemies.

The look of awe and confusion must have been printed on my face because when Jacob looked at me again he explained, "Seeing the way they looked after you, the way the bandied around you when you were hurt, well it made me realise that maybe they're not so bad after all."

"Coming from you Jacob, I'm sure they'll take that as the highest praise." I laughed.

The laugh I heard echoing from the kitchen seemed to confirm my statement.

The door opened behind us and Edward and his siblings walked in. Edward had eyes only for me and I was wrapped in his arms within a second of him entering. He kissed me softly before turning to Jacob, "Yeah, you're not too bad yourself. For a stinking mutt."

He mock-punched Jacob on the arm again and smiled broadly to show he was joking.

Emmett's hand came down on Jacob's shoulder, "You know, if you are a member of the family now, we really should bring you in on some of our games."

I scrunched my eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

Alice smiled, "There's going to be a thunderstorm tonight."

I smiled broadly. This I had to see.

A/N – Hey everyone! Hope you are all having a good holiay period. I wanted to get this up before Christmas. I am going to try to squeeze in one more chapter before then but I can't make any guarantees because I have a lot of shopping to do & we are going Christmas light watching tonight. So if I don't post before then MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS. If you're wondering what to get me a review would be nice :)

I am so close to 100 – can you push me over :)