DISCLAIMER: Nope not mine. But a girl can dream.

A/N: Thank you for sticking with me. I know it's been a while since I posted to this one.

Bella and Jasper were sitting in the living room later that evening when a loud roar sounded outside the house. Bella moved closer to Jasper as he stood and moved out of sight of the door.

Carlisle opened the front door. "Can I help you?"

"Give me my wife. I know she's here. I also know that your kids are going around town saying that I murdered Jasper. No one will believe it."

"Some already do, Mike. Do you really think that they'll believe you over Chief Swan?" Rosalie asked from behind Carlisle.

"What does it matter? She needs to come home with me."

"I'm her doctor right now and she's staying here to continue to receive medical care."

"If she still needs medical care, she should be in the hospital."

"She's more comfortable here and here there is always someone with her."

"Let me see her."

Carlisle turned around. "Alice, will you bring Bella here please?"

Alice nodded and walked away. She ended up in front of Bella. "We won't let him take you from here if you don't want to go. Just come to the door."

Alice kept one arm around Bella as they walked toward the front door. "Hello, Bella. Ready to go home?"

She shook her head, cringing back against Alice.

"You have to come with me, Bella. You're my wife. That means that you belong to me."

'I will never return to your house. I'm filing for divorce tomorrow.'

"What was that?"

"She said that she will never return to your house. She plans on filing for divorce tomorrow."

"You'll never get it. No one's going to side with you."

"I think she will get the divorce without much problem. I have documentation proving how much you abused her. And the fact that you made it so that she can't talk anymore."

"I'll stop this. You watch. There isn't anyone who would side with your family over mine."

Mike turned away and started back down the driveway toward his car. "I'll see you in court, you little bitch," he snarled just before getting into the car.

Bella turned and ran back into the house. Straight into Jasper's arms.

"I'm here, darlin'. I'll protect you." He wrapped her in his grasp and she sobbed helplessly into his chest.

Jasper sat down and cradled Bella against him on the couch. That was how Charlie found them when he showed up for dinner.

****

"What is going on?" Charlie asked as he walked through the door.

"Mike paid us a little visit today. He made some very ugly threats," Carlisle explained.

Charlie growled. "I hope that little bastard gets what's coming to him."

"Charlie, you know that we'll help you protect Bella from him no matter what," Esme's voice had a calming effect on the chief.

"I know, Esme. It just gets to me that my daughter went through so much and I didn't help her."

"You didn't know what was happening."

"I should have known though. I should have been able to tell that something was wrong when she kept canceling coming to see me. She canceled so many times over the past ten years that something should have clicked. Am I really that stupid?"

Bella heard as Charlie started to sniffle. She lifted her head and saw the tears running down her father's face. She started to cry. 'Daddy, you're not stupid. It isn't your fault that Mike's a bastard.'

As she wrapped her arms around her father, Alice translated for him. He hugged his daughter tight as the two of them cried together for a little while.

"Dinner's ready," Esme called from the doorway to the kitchen.

The two pulled away from each other and smiled as they headed for the kitchen.

****

Bella went to bed early that night. Jasper tucked her in and then told her he'd be back shortly. He went downstairs to call a lawyer friend of his that happened to keep late hours.

"Hey, Kell, I need some help. I have a friend who's trying to divorce her husband and I want her to have the best representation money can buy."

"No problem, Jasper. Want me to come by to get the information?"

"That would be fine." Jasper gave him the information and sighed. "Kell, you'll have to be careful with her. She can't talk because of what her husband did to her. Alice and I taught her sign language but she's very skittish around new guys."

"Understood. I take it you have a vested interest in this woman?"

"I'll be in the room the whole time. I refuse to let anyone scare her again if I can help it."

"No problem. I'll be there in about three days."

"See you then, Kell. Thanks, man."

Kell and Jasper hung up. He turned around to see Bella timidly walking down the stairs. "Come here, darlin'." She picked up the pace and moved into his arms.

"You're safe here, Bella. You're safe." He held her for several moments before walking her back up the stairs and tucking her into bed, laying down beside her.