The Big Bang

(JPOV)

I wanted to kiss Angela right then and there just to thank her for making me laugh harder than I had in ages. Before I could act on my impulse, she threw her uninjured hand around my neck and pulled my mouth down to meet hers. I was shocked, but there was no way I was going to fight off this advance.

Her lips were sweet, but her kiss was angry. Her mouth pressed furiously against mine. I pulled her against me and lifted her easily off the ground and into my arms. Her body relaxed and I could feel her lips turn up into a smile.

"Get me away from here before I seriously wound him," she laughed.

"Yes, ma'am," I happily obliged.

"That shouldn't have felt so good...but God, it did!" Angela was beaming.

I carried her, half running and laughing to my car, as Ben still lay bleeding and moaning on her front lawn. I stopped a few feet from the car and set Angela on the ground. She looked up at me curiously.

"Now, don't hurt me, Karate Kid," I put up my hands defensively, "but are you sure you want to leave with me right now?"

"Are you kidding?" she jabbed at me with her hand which was still clenched into a fist and still covered in blood. "I've never been more sure of anything. Let's get out of here, before something else really strange happens."

"Okay, but where do you wanna go?"

I didn't hesitate to open the passenger side door for her and help her into the seat. She grimaced as she looked down at her hand, which was already beginning to swell. I imagined that it must have begun to throb, also, but she only frowned a little. The frown turned quickly into a smile when she glanced up and saw me eyeing her suspiciously.

"I'm fine, Jacob. It's nothing. The pain is worth it."

She mumbled something to herself and laughed a little. The smirk on her face was endearing if not a little scary. I would have never imagined such a force dwelt in such a small body. Angela was anything but timid now. I didn't know her well at all, but this was not what I had expected she would be like.

I gently shut the door and hurriedly made my way to the driver's side. As soon as I was in the seat, Angela was pressed against me, her head on my shoulder.

"Take me home, Jacob," she sighed.

"Umm...Angela? You are home," I was confused.

"Then take me to your home, silly boy," she said simply and planted a quick kiss on my cheek.

"Maybe we should get you to a doctor and have them look at your hand. I don't think you'll be so happy with the pain later, when it's swollen twice it's normal size. It may be broken. I heard a crack when-"

Angela laughed.

"I know, it was awesome, wasn't it?," she squealed.

I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, though I didn't know where it was coming from. She was giddy.

"I never thought I had it in me to hurt someone, but when he said those horrible things about you...I..I just snapped," Angela's joyful expression suddenly grew grim.

"Jacob, I think if I hadn't walked away from him...I think.."

"What, Angela? What's the matter? He deserved it. Hell, I would've-"

"I think I could've killed him, Jacob."

There were tears in Angela's eyes and her lower lip was quivering. She looked like a terrified little child -worlds away from the championship extreme fighter she had been only seconds ago.

"Oh, Sweetie. It's okay. You wouldn't have done that."

I put my right arm around her and she looked down, away from me. She pulled back from me slightly and I took the hint. I let my arm fall down to my side and she leaned back against the door, readjusting herself in the seat to look directly at me.

Rather than crying, Angela was smiling again. The tears still welled in her eyes, but her grin wasn't a pained one.

"I wouldn't have regretted it," she laughed but her tone was cold. A chill ran down my spine and I shivered at the thought of Angela ripping Ben apart like a wolf was capable of.

"What wouldn't you have regretted? Hitting him again?"

"No. I don't think I would have regretted seeing him dead."

My eyes grew wide and Angela's smile grew wider. She sighed and slumped a little into the seat.

"Does that make you think I'm horrible...or crazy, Jacob?"

She seemed amused by my shock at what she was confessing. I wasn't sure how to answer, so I told her the truth. It was easier than fighting to make up a lie and spare her feelings.

"Well, to tell the truth, I'm not sure that you're thinking clearly."

Angela chuckled.

"Why is that funny? You are definitely not yourself. The girl I know would never really feel that way. You don't really mean that."

"Oh, Jake. I don't even know who I am right now. How could you possibly begin to assume that you know what I would or wouldn't do?" She rubbed her bloody hand roughly with hem of her shirt. She never even flinched as a piece of skin pulled back from her knuckle and fresh blood surfaced. Normally the sight of blood would not phase me whatsoever. This however, caused my stomach to churn uncomfortably.

"Okay, we are definitely heading to the hospital. I think you need stitches...and maybe a mental evaluation," I mumbled to myself.

I glanced over to where Ben still remained on the lawn, struggling to gain his footing and staring at his once girlfriend sitting in another guy's car. I almost felt sorry for him. Then something struck me about what Angela had just said.

"Angela?"

She didn't answer, but turned her pretty face toward me a little as if to say she was listening.

"You've never called me Jake before. Why is that?"

"I guess I never liked to call people by a nickname until I really got to know them. You know, until I was totally comfortable with them."

"And kicking some guy's butt made you feel comfortable with me, but nearly mauling me in the car back in La Push...that didn't do it for you?"

"You don't want me to call you Jake?" She looked concerned, maybe even a little hurt.

"No-no. It's not that. You can call me whatever you want. It's just that you've always called me Jacob, and I wondered why that was."

She didn't even remark on my "mauling" comment.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I just feel a little mixed up right now, but I'll get it all straightened out. I promise." And with that she lay her head against the window and closed her eyes.

I wanted to question her -or at least keep her talking about something. She was really beginning to worry me. I had never imagined that her confrontation with Ben would have gone the way it did. Nor would I have ever thought that such hostility for anyone brewed inside of Angela. It just proved how little I really knew about her. Perhaps things weren't so cleary laid out for me as I had thought.

As Angela settled herself into what appeared to be a nap, I drove us straight to the emergency room. Her eyes opened just as we came to a stop. She let herself out of the car and started toward the entrance before I got my seat belt undone. I caught up with her quickly, just as her hand reached for the door.

"Angela, are you sure you're okay?" I stopped her by putting my hand on hers. She smiled up at me -looking at me directly for the first time since her mad confession in the car.

"In all honesty, I'm not, Jacob. I just don't want to talk about it right now," she squeezed my hand with hers and I noticed that it was nearly as warm as my own.

"We won't talk about it then. Not now, but later. Okay?"

She pulled my hand to her lips and kissed it. "We have a lot to talk about. I haven't forgotten. This will just be another "thing" to add to the list of conversation topics."

I smiled at her half-heartedly. What I really wanted to do was go back to her place and finish the job she had started. Surely Ben would be gone by the time I got there, though. And besides, what was wrong with Angela was more my fault than his. If not for being with me, she wouldn't feel so mixed up and...

I wouldn't let myself finish the thought. Fate had brought us together. Who was I to question it? Sometimes it was better to live with the consequences of your actions without remorse. Billy had said more times than once that I should never look back to what might have been. It only hurt more each time you did that, and there was no going back to change it. Dealing with what the present held was much more important. The future had not yet been written.

I wished desperately that it had, so I would know for sure that Angela's future would be tied with mine the way we both literally dreamed about once.

I should have noticed which cars were parked in the reserved hospital staff spaces. Had I paid any attention, I would have known that Dr. Cullen would likely be the one attending to Angela's injuries. I had only been thinking of Angela and our future together. My mind had been too preoccupied with that notion to notice such minor details as the vampire doctor whose family I wanted to distance myself from.

A nurse at the registration desk waved to another who ushered Angela and I to a small curtained area where she would wait for the doctor. A voice came on over the static laced intercom.

"Dr. Cullen to the ER. Doctor Carlisle Cullen to the ER."

"Great," I muttered under my breath.

"I know that you don't like Edward. I assume that means you don't care much for his family, either?" Angela could read my face too well. Even if I hadn't ever so slightly voiced my dislike for the Cullen's, she would have sensed my irritation at having to be close to Dr. Cullen.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I'll keep my opinions to myself. He's really a good doctor."

I wanted to run for the door as I sensed his silent footsteps approaching. I didn't want to be bothered by his presence. I hadn't really given any thought to Bella, Edward or any of the Cullen clan since I had been with Angela. Tempting fate was stupid. I didn't want to chance the surfacing of some random feeling or desire to be with Bella because of this interaction.

"Go, Jacob. You don't have to stay here and hold my hand. I'm a big girl," Angela said with a sincere smile on her face.

"I know you are, but that's what boyfriends are suppose to do, right? Be there for their girl -no matter what."

Angela giggled. "You're full of all kinds of sweet little thoughts, aren't you?"

I blushed. I felt my skin grow several degrees warmer than my usually hot-blooded body already was.

"Did I embarrass you?" Angela smiled and then she also blushed, "Sorry."

She reached for my hand and I allowed her to pull me close to her on the hospital bed where she sat. My body tingled all over. It was a feeling close to what I felt when I phased into the wolf, only it was scarier. I wanted her so badly, confusion, hostility and all. I wanted her to be mine in every way.

"I love that about you, Jacob Black. You're so tough on the outside, but I can see right through to the big heart you have hidden inside."

I wanted to kiss her and I knew she felt the same way, but other emotions were stirring inside of me. Emotions that I'd rather not let Angela see surface. Cullen was getting closer and I panicked a little as the vampire stench burned in my throat. No matter how nice he had been to me, nothing could change what he was--or what I was.

"It's okay, Jake. You can wait for me out there somewhere. It doesn't look very crowded right now. I shouldn't take to long to stitch up...ugh, I forgot about the needles."

"So, you're calling me Jake again?" Angela lowered her brow and glared at me with a mock expression of frustration.

"Would you rather I call you Mister Black? Or maybe Jakey Poo?" she teased.

"Oh, god. Not that. Jake's fine. I was just kidding."

"Fine then, Jake. Get out of here before I change my mind about being stitched up and run out of here with you."

"Are you afraid of needles?" I grinned without meaning to. She bloodied a guy's face and nearly pulled the skin off her own hand in doing so, but she was afraid of a needle? "Cause I'll stay if you need me to."

"No, it's just that this isn't the first time I've had stitches. I know that Dr. Cullen is good at his job...he's had me as a patient before...on more than one occasion, unfortunately."

I wouldn't have pegged Angela as accident-prone. She moved so gracefully when she walked and moved. What she said though, contradicted my impression of her. I wanted to ask her about it, but a familiar voice outside the curtain startled me.

"May I come in?"

"I'll be out in the lobby if you need me, Angela. Just yell, okay?" I didn't wait for her response. I whisked past Doctor Cullen as he pulled back the curtain and greeted Angela.

I held my breath to keep from catching his scent. I didn't want to be reminded of how Bella smelled when she'd been close to Cullen. I hoped that the good doctor didn't have to touch Angela any more than was absolutely necessary. I batted away the thought of her stinking of blood sucker and made my way slowly to the lobby.

There was never anything to do to keep your mind occupied in a hospital. The television was set on a medical news channel and the reporter droned on and on in a monotone voice about the many ways to help protect oneself from catching the flu and other common ailments. Apparently washing one's hands was at the top of the list. Medicine sure had come a long way over the centuries...ha...washing your hands. Which reminded me...

I had held Angela's hand in mine and there was some of her blood dried there on my skin. I headed for the restroom to wash up when the door to the ER opened and in stalked Ben -looking even more ragged than I remembered Angela leaving him. His eyes caught mine and I nearly laughed at how deranged he looked. He was huffing like a rhino about to charge and he had his hand stuffed in the pocket of his jacket. I didn't move fast enough, because I was so entranced by how ludicrous he looked.

When he pulled his hand free from his jacket there was something in his grasp. I didn't recognize what it was until it was too late. A flash of light startled me and then there was the sharp burning in my left shoulder. I reached for the place that stung like a hive of bees let loose in my shirt. I lifted my hand to my eyes to see too much blood to have been Angela's.

A gun. He shot me, the little...

...Oh, crap! How was I going to get out of this in the middle of a hospital. The wound was already healing and the skin was stretching tightly around the hole in my shoulder. The bullet must have lodged, because there was a pinching feeling deep in the muscle. Guess it was a nice gesture of fate to have Dr. Cullen working at that particular moment. He wouldn't make such a huge deal of the bleeding werewolf in the lobby.

I tried to remember what I had seen on television about gunshot victims. There was no time to react the way a "normal" person should. I didn't have time to pass out and just lie there and bleed. I would rely on the old adrenaline rush story. In a few minutes the gaping wound would be completely healed and that would definitely draw attention that I neither needed nor wanted. On top of that, young Benjamin was still holding the smoking gun and looking around. I presumed he was now looking for Angela. That wouldn't happen. He wouldn't get close to her so long as I was breathing.