As always all things twilight related belong to Stephenie Meyer. All things in this story other than the Character names belong solely to Nikky and Kasi AKA: WeeKittyAndTAT.
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All mistakes in the final post copy are ours.
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~HCV~
Chapter 21: Illness and Surprises
I carry Bella back to my car quickly, opening her door to sit her down in her seat and strap her in as best I can. "Baby, you're in my car. I'm going to get you to Carlisle." I kiss her head before closing her door, and running around to my side. I start driving without even waiting long enough to put on my seat belt. I switch the heater to high. "Baby, I got the heat on for you, okay? We'll be there very soon, I promise." Please God, let us get there soon! I fiddle with my cell, getting the hands-free turned on so I can call Carlisle.
"Hello, Edward," I hear Carlisle's cheerful voice come across the speaker.
"Can you get to the hospital right away? It's Bella; she is hurt. I found her in the park where she's been lying in the fucking snow unconscious for about an hour. She has a head wound." I try to calm my voice; the last thing I need to do right now is panic or breakdown.
"Edward, I'm on my way back to the hospital now. I just left there a few minutes ago, so I should make it back there before you do. I'll be outside with a team ready for you when you get there. Drive safely, Son." Carlisle disconnects the call, not waiting for me to reply.
"Baby, we're almost there. Come on Baby, I need you to wake up for me." I stroke her face while driving around the fucking cars that are in front of me. These people are idiots! They are driving like old people screw: slow and sloppy. I have broken countless driving laws, yet I am driving better than anyone else out here. I'm sure I've been caught on nearly every single speed camera there is, but I don't give a shit. I sigh out in relief as I arrive at the hospital. I pull up in front of the emergency room doors, and see Carlisle already there and waiting for us. I skid to a stop as he waves to the door, and opens Bella's door with his other hand. He scoops her up, turns around, and places her on an awaiting gurney. I jump out and catch up to him.
"Hey, you can't park there!" I hear.
Turning around, I see the security officer glaring daggers at me, so I throw him my keys. "Then move it," I snap.
He catches my keys and looks at me with indignation. "I am not here to be your valet Sir."
I turn back and glare at him. "Then call and have it fucking towed! I don't give a shit right now. My girl is...fuck!"
I feel Carlisle tug on my arm. "Mitch, can you please park the car for me? She is in a critical condition," he explains, motioning to Bella. Mitch looks at Carlisle, and then to me, and his face pales but he nods his head. I feel the air leave my body in a rush. Bella is in critical condition! "Edward, I need you to calm down and come with me." Without another word, Carlisle pulls me along with him and enters the trauma room. I see them removing Bella's clothes. "Edward, do you know why her clothes are soaking wet? They're even wet under her coat. There is no way this all occurred from her lying in the snow." I shake my head at him because I have no idea, and then stand back and watch them work on her.
"Body temp is seventy-four degrees, blood pressure seventy-eight over forty-six. Heart rate is thirty-six, oxygen at sixty-five percent."
Fuck, I'm no doctor, but I know those are all way too fucking low.
"Edward, you should step out okay? We are going to do all that we can for her." I feel Carlisle's hand on my arm.
"She can't...please, she can't die; they have no one. They'll be so fucking lost without her. I'll be lost...I can't lose her." He nods his head.
"Please Edward; it's going to get busy in here, so you're going to need to step out now."
I don't know how I got to this seat, or how long I have been sitting here with my head in my hands. I feel as if I am standing still while the outside world is moving around me in a flash; unable to see or hear any of it. I am trapped in a bubble again, only Bella's not with me this time. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I look up to see Esme standing over me. The noise from the crowded hallway and all the ongoing activities, overwhelm me at once. I feel like everything inside of me has all exploded simultaneously. I pull her into a hard hug, holding her tight and crying on her shoulder.
"She can't die Esme, I just found her; please, she can't. Those kids can't lose the only person they've ever had. I don't know what to do. I feel so lost. I should have gone to get her as soon as I saw the snow. This is entirely my fault. I...fuck! What am I going to do? How do I live without her? I honestly don't think I can. In fact, I know I can't Esme. I've already lost so much, I can't lose her too. Please tell me she'll be okay."
I feel her rub my back in a soothing manner. "Hush now Edward. It is not your fault. Bella is a very strong young woman, and she will make it through this. I know she will, and so do you. She will fight for those she loves."
I pull away from our embrace and nod my head. As I look at her, I can tell she sees the panic rising in my body. "Shit!"
"What is it, Edward? What is wrong?"
I shake my head, pulling at my hair with both hands. How could I...I just forgot to call them? "I didn't call Zafrina back. Fuck! Seth and Leah will so be worried! How do I tell them about...this?" I wave my hand around in the space in front of me, because I can't even finish my sentence.
"I dropped in on them on my way here. I only said that you found her, and that she had banged her head. I didn't think the children needed to know everything right away. Edward, don't fret. Bella is going to be okay; she is a fighter." I look at Esme and see that she trying to stay strong for me. I pull her back in for another hug trying to draw in some of her strength.
Esme continues to rub my back as I sit with my head in my hands. I fucking hate waiting! I feel like I have been here for days, or even months. When Esme tightens her grip on my arm, I sit up and look at her; noticing that she is looking behind me. Quickly, I turn my head to see Carlisle coming our way.
When he approaches us, he bends down in front of me. "She is stabilizing Edward." As soon as he says that, I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. "First of all, Bella has severe hypothermia. She also has a slight concussion. The head wound will leave her with a rather nasty bruise, but we don't foresee any additional problems because of it. I have started her on an aggressive treatment to correct the hypothermia. We are rewarming her body, but it will be quite a slow process. To rewarm her blood, we are drawing it out through an IV, warming it gradually, and then recirculating into her body. We've also increased the temperature setting of the humidifier so that the oxygen she is receiving is warmer then we usually administer it at. I've also got warm intravenous fluids running into her, which will prevent her body from dehydrating during this process. I nod my head at him; even though I don't understand it all, I trust he is doing all he can. "Her body has been responding well so far. She has been taken to the intensive care unit. I'm here to take you there now. If they ask, you are her fiancé." We all stand up and begin to follow behind Carlisle. "Her head injury is not bad. She shouldn't have any problems with it. I ordered a full CT of her head, and it only shows a minor concussion as I mentioned before." We walk up to the main doors of the ICU, and I take a deep breath as we enter. Carlisle stops by the unit desk and signs us in, and then we make our way down the hall. I notice that Bella's room is right by the large nurses' station, and when I look inside, I see her with tubes and wires all over her.
"Can you call Zafrina and let her know how Bella is?" They nod their heads at me as I walk in to my baby's room. I pull the seat closer, wiping away the tears on my face. I try to clear my throat as I look at her, but it doesn't help much. My face is overcome with tears once again. I take her hand gently in one of mine, and brush her face softly with the other. "Baby, you have got to get better; I can't lose you now. Please wake up soon. I need you. Seth and Leah need you," I beg through a tirade of sobs and tears. "I am sorry that I did not come and get you. Who cares about the damn critics? I should have been there to pick you up."
I sit here with her all night, whispering my love for her and telling her how much she has changed my life. By morning, her observations are still a little lower than normal, but much better than what they were before. Because she is improving, they have taken her off most of the medical equipment. I hear a moan that pulls me from my thoughts, and look up at Bella to see her eyes fluttering.
"Carlisle, she is waking up," I say loud enough to get his attention without looking away, keeping my eyes only on my baby. "That's it Baby, come on; wake up. Let me see your pretty eyes." Her head turns toward me as her eyes flutter open again. Slowly, her hand goes to her head, and she scrunches up her face. It looks like she is in pain and her eyes close again.
"Bella, it's Carlisle. Can you hear me?" She nods her head a little and goes to grab at the mask still attached to her face, but Carlisle stops her. "Little One, you need to keep that on for now. I'm sorry; I know it is uncomfortable." Her hand drops down and she turns back to look at me. She blinks slowly, and when she opens her eyes and looks into mine, she frowns while I try to smile at her.
"Iah lowuff woo." I chuckle, relieved to hear her voice even if it's muffled, and I am able to make out each word she says.
"I fucking love you, too." I bend down, giving her a kiss on her forehead. I hear the monitor beeping loudly as her heart rate accelerates, which makes her blush and her temperature rise.
"I wish I knew that last night. I could've used him to get your body reacting so it would warm up," Carlisle says, making Bella turn redder. "Hey, look at that; another two degrees and you'll be in the fully functioning, normal range." I shake my head and squeeze her hand. As a nurse and another doctor come in, I reluctantly move out the way and watch as they run several tests on her. I frown as I hear her coughing throughout the entire exam.
Carlisle winks at Bella and walks over to me. "We think she has a mild case of pneumonia. I will start her on some intravenous antibiotics, and have ordered a few other treatments for her, as well. I need her to stay here for another day though. If all goes well and she responds to these new medications, I'll move her to a normal room soon." I nod my head at him and make my way back over to her, noticing that they switched out her facemask for a nose cannula.
"Hey Baby, I missed you." I look at her and I'm pleased that she seems more with it and awake now.
"I...missed you...but where...Seth...and Leah? Are they...okay? Are...they with...Zafrina...Esme?" she asks through bouts of coughing.
I try shushing her when I hear her heart rate go back up. "Hush now Baby; they're okay. They are with both Zafrina and Esme. Carlisle is going to call them to let them know you're awake, okay? We told Seth and Leah that you fell and banged your head. They know that Carlisle is acting as your doctor and that I am here with you." As I speak, she starts to calm down and her breathing evens out a little.
"I'm...am I going to...lose them?"
I shake my head at her. "Of course not Baby. You're not going to lose them, I promise. You got hurt; this was an accident, and they are being cared for while you're here. You gave us all quite a scare." I try to choke back my sobs as I drop to the seat, leaning my head into her side. "I thought...I thought I was going to lose you. Please don't ever do that again. I can't live without you." Bella's hand comes up to my face, and as I turn to look at her, I see that she has tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry...so sorry; please don't cry." She rubs my face as she speaks.
I close my eyes and try to calm myself. "Hush Baby, it's okay; you're okay. I do want to know why you were walking though. You could've called me. I would've come to get you." I frown as I look at her, suddenly remembering her wet clothes. "And why were your clothes so wet?"
Bella looks down and a tear runs down her face. I wipe it away as she begins coughing. "You'll be mad...please. Don't...won't help...getting mad..."
I look at her and see the fear in her eyes. "Baby, I don't want you to be afraid of me. I will never get so mad at you that I leave again, okay? I told you, just talk to me; you can tell me anything."
She closes her eyes and shakes her head while coughing again. "No...I mean Gina."
As I look at her it hits me. Zafrina said that Bella was seen in the bitch's office. "What did she do?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm, but not managing to do so. Bella frowns and rubs my face softly. She tries to sit up but she starts coughing again. I put my arms behind her to fix her pillows, and then I raise the back of the bed and help her get situated. Once she seems to be comfortable, I take the glass of water from her tray so she could take a sip, and then sit next to her on the bed. "Better?" Bella nods her head.
I notice that now that she is sitting up better and has taken a drink, some of her color has returned.
"I had just finished with Mr. Brophi's office and was walking back in to her office. Stephen came in to tell me about the storm. He asked if he should call you because your car wasn't outside, but I told him that you had a big day at Midnight Sun, and that I was catching the bus home." She stops talking as she begins coughing again; but after taking a sip, she smiles.
"He smiled and said to tell you congratulations. He was just leaving the office when Gina came back in. She had her mean face on when she looked at me. I was locking Mr. Brophi's office up, and she said that she left something inside there and she needed me to open it for her. I told her that Mr. Brophi said no one except me was allowed in there without him being there, and that I was not allowed to give anyone the key or let them in. He really told me that Gina was not allowed in no matter what she said if he wasn't there, but I was trying to be nice so I didn't tell her that. She was mad at me and kept shouting, and then she grabbed my arm hard and went to slap me."
I growl and Bella looks at me wide-eyed, giving me a pleading look. I sigh and nod my head, stroking her hair to try and keep myself calm. I grab the water glass again as Bella hacks out more coughs. After she takes a drink, I put her cup back and watch her take a deep breath. "She pulled hard on my arm, ripping my uniform. I told her no again and yanked my arm away from her. I walked around her to leave, but she called my name. She has never done that before, so I turned to her. She said," Bella stops and sniffs, then coughs a few more times. I know she's trying fucking hard not to cry. It still fucking gets to me that she doesn't cry; I mean, everyone needs to cry once in a while.
"She said, 'he's only after the cherry pop. Once he gets that, he'll be mine again. You're nothing more than a low class...' and then she called me a dirty, mean, horrible name; the same one you called her before," Bella stops and scrunches her face, and I know exactly what word she is talking about. "'I'll have him back like I did before. I will have him every day in his office, right on his desk while we laugh at you. You're nothing more than a pathetic little girl.'"
Again I feel a growl rumble out from my chest. "I didn't believe her; I don't believe her. I know you would never do that with her." I let out a breath, silently thanking God that Bella is sure of that fact. "I told her that we loved each other and that we would be together forever. I also told her that I don't like cherries, so you popping them wouldn't be a problem. She just laughed at me, so I did something mean; I told her she was a sad, lonely female dog, but I said the right word for it. I also told her she would always be on the outside looking in at other couples, wanting what they had. I told her that until she finds happiness within herself, she will never find the right person for her. She looked so mad at me, and the next thing I knew, she had thrown the vase with flowers at me. It hit the wall and the water splashed all over me. She then ordered me to clean up, so I did.
"By the time I got to the bus stop, the bus had already left, and the board changed to say all the same word. It took a few minutes, but I was finally able to read it; it said 'cancelled' by every route. I tried to call Jasper and Emmett because I didn't want to interrupt your special night, but my phone wouldn't call out. It was wet and I couldn't get it to work. I thought I could just walk fast, but it was so cold out. I slipped and fell, and my head hit the ground pretty hard. I tried to get up, but I don't remember anything after that. I just woke up here with you looking so sad." I kiss her head, trying to push down my anger until I can confront Gina. "Can I...I mean, is that offer to work just for...you still open?" I pull back to look at her as she begins coughing again. I hand her the cup of water and pat her back. "I don't want to go back there anymore. Can I please just work for you? I promise that I will work really hard."
I place my lips on hers to silence her. I chuckle as her heart monitor goes wild, and when I pull away from her, she glares at it. "Baby; I know how hard you work, and I would love for you to work more shifts for me, but you're not working until after the holidays. I will give you sick pay, so don't worry about that." As she opens her mouth to protest, I place my lips on hers and my tongue dips lightly into her mouth. I lean into her more, running my hand through her hair. Unlike the other bubble I always feel like I am in, this one I like; it is just her and me.
Our kiss is interrupted by a slap to my arm, and when I look, I see Carlisle raising an eyebrow at me. "The monitor was going crazy. It caused a bunch of us to come running in here, so you should refrain from kissing her like that until she's off of it."
Bella of course blushes while biting her lip, and I just shake my head. "I'll try not to kiss her like that while she is still hooked up to the monitors." Bella looks between us and pouts, and then bursts into a coughing fit.
"I am here to get your lunch order because you're my favorite patient. I will get you anything you'd like Little One, as long as you eat some soup as well. Once you've eaten, I need to take your vitals again, and then Seth and Leah can come in to see you for a bit." Bella's face lights up as soon as he says that Seth and Leah can come.
"Could I have some tomato soup and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich please?" Carlisle nods his head and Bella starts to speak again, but is interrupted with another round of coughing. I already know what she was going to say to him; she's very transparent sometimes.
"I will have the same please, and could you get us some muffins and chocolate milkshakes for when Seth and Leah come in?"
Carlisle chuckles as Bella nods her head at him, still covering her cough. "I can do that, just don't eat them all Edward." I stick my tongue out at him as he walks away.
~HCV~
It's late afternoon and Seth and Leah are on their way here. Bella is just about bouncing in her bed, she misses them so much. Carlisle has already given the okay for both of them, plus Zafrina, Esme, and myself, to all stay in the room for an hour. It sure helps to have the Chief of Staff on your side. When the door finally opens, Seth and Leah run to Bella, both jumping onto the bed to hug her.
"Bella! Are you okay? Are you coming home soon?" They both give her pleading eyes as they question her in unison.
Bella looks sad suddenly, almost broken as she shakes her head. "Sorry," it comes out in a choked sob.
"Seth, Leah; come over here and sit please." They both turn to look at me, and immediately get off the bed, moving to sit in the seats that I am pointing to. "Bella loves you both very much, but she's not well right now. Carlisle says she needs to stay here for a couple of days, but you two can stay with Zafrina, or Esme and Carlisle; anyone you want to stay with, it's your choice. Then when Bella is released from the hospital, you both will be with her at my house."
They both smile at me. "Can we stay with you Edward?" Leah asks, and this time I am on the receiving end of their pleading looks.
I chuckle and nod my head. "If you'd like to, I'd very much like you to stay with me."
"Thank you," they both say as they get up and hug me tightly. I hug them back just as hard before kissing Leah's head and tussling Seth's hair. I face Bella, who is looking right at us, and I give her a smile. She returns it, mouthing 'thank you, I love you,' to me.
I walk over to her and kiss her forehead. "Anytime Baby, and I love you too."
We all sit around chatting and making plans. I can see that even though both Zafrina and Esme have put on strong fronts, they're trying hard to keep themselves together. They both leave with the kids; they're going over to pack up bags for Bella, Leah, and Seth. Esme is then taking Seth and Leah to my place with each of their bags and two for Bella. I asked them to pack two bags for Bella. One is for here in the hospital, which I will bring in tomorrow, and the other one will stay at my house. I plan to keep them there with me for as long as I can.
"Thank you for watching them. Are you sure it will be okay? I don't want you getting into any trouble for me."
I kiss her lips again with a smile, glad that they finally took her off the monitor. "Baby, I want to look after them, and I'm not going to get into any trouble. We're going to make an action plan, so don't worry. Just get better so I can get you home and tucked up into our bed where you belong." She smiles and leans in to kiss me, licking my lip as she does. I smile as I kiss her back, pleased that she is leading things between us occasionally too.
~HCV~
I take Seth and Leah to school and explain what happened to Bella. I give the secretary a copy of the court order that names Bella as the legal guardian of the children. I also give them a copy of a letter Emmett typed up, stating that I am the one responsible for the kids until she is out of the hospital. We both signed the document in agreement. While I'm there, I take the time to go over the list of who might come to pick them up. I also ask her to make sure they are not upset or taken from any normal daily routine because of what's going on. I demand that if they do become upset, that she calls me right way. After the bitch in the office makes it seem like it is not a big deal, I allow Assward out to play for a bit. And yeah, he deals with her easy enough! I make it clear that if I find out that Seth and Leah get upset for any reason and she does not follow through by calling me, I will make it my personal mission to have her fired. I try holding back my chuckle when Caius Macari calls out a hello to me as he walks in the door.
"Hello Caius my friend. I will be at the college in say an hour for our meeting. Are you bringing your lovely Athenodora?"
"Why of course Edward. You requested as much, and you should know by now that we would do anything for you. What brings you here today?"
"I am just dropping off the Swan children who are currently in my care. Be...Isabella is currently ill. I see you are still as busy as ever. Don't you have staff to bring the paperwork here for you?" I joke, knowing he always does his own leg work with the principals.
"You know me; I like to keep track of everything going on," he says with a chuckle. I watch him go straight into the other office, and I turn around smiling back at the bitch who has been acting as if I am not worth her time. I watch her swallow nervously at the clear implication that the Superintendent of Schools not only knows me by name, but is seemingly happy to see me. She suddenly changes her tune and is acting as if she will make it her personal mission to be sure that not only are they okay all day, but that she will also be addressing the issue of a kid who has been bullying them as well.
I make it to the college with ten minutes to spare. I head straight for Marcus's office. As I enter, I see Gina at her desk and I have to fight the urge to smack the hell out of her. "Marcus is in a meeting with my parents right now, so you can't go in," she says in her high-handed voice. "How is the trailer trash you're dating?" She moves to step around her desk toward me.
As I go to speak, the door of the office opens. "Edward, come on in; we've been waiting for you." I turn on my heel and walk straight into the office without so much as a sneer at Gina.
"Hello Edward. Have a seat," Marcus says. "I'm surprised by the fact that you requested this meeting. Can you please explain why you have asked to meet with the three of us today?"
I turn and look at Caius and his wife Athenodora. "I asked for this meeting and demanded you be here because it is in regards to your bitch of a daughter."
They both gasp at me while Marcus raises his voice. "Edward, watch your language!"
I look at Marcus and growl. "No; I came here to say what I feel, and that is exactly what I intend to do. I refuse to call her by a proper name because she is not worthy of having anyone call her anything nice at all. I have dealt with her constant sexual innuendos and even her attempt to blackmail me for what I do in my private life. This time however, that no good whore has stepped over the line. This time she has caused someone a lot of physical pain, and that person almost died because of what your daughter did. So do you want to play nice and hear me out, or shall I be a true bastard and just take legal actions immediately?"
I hear another gasp and look toward Athenodora where it came from. "What in the hell did she do now? Please tell us; it is best we hear it from you first Edward."
I sigh, rubbing my face as I take them through Bella's story. Marcus calls to see what was caught on camera, and I sit and watch the story unfold. It is clear that everything that Bella said was word-for-word accurate. I am stunned as Athenodora calls Gina into the office. She walks in with a smirk, but it quickly changes as she sees the TV with her on it, paused at the part after she threw the vase.
"Mommy, Daddy; it's not what it looks like. She...she said some mean things to me and about me. Mommy, she doesn't like me much, and I think she has been sleeping with Bill. She was rubbing it in my face..."
She stops talking as her father laughs. "No Dear. You're the bully here just like when you were in school, but I warned you that I would not stand for this behavior again. YOU. ARE. FIRED!"
Gina looks at her dad and then to her mom. "Mommy, you believe me right?"
Her mom shakes her head sadly. "No Gina, I don't. If it was anyone else in that video with you, I would hear you out, but Isabella...that girl does not lie. I am not sure she is even capable of doing so."
Gina frowns at her mom. "Come on! She is nothing more than trailer trash, and she gets paid under the table. Did Marcus tell you that?" She smirks at Marcus, thinking she has one up on him, but Marcus just chuckles.
"Gina, need I remind you that I deal with all pay checks for all of UW College and campuses? Do you think that I am so bad at my job that I wouldn't notice something like this? No Dear. I am extremely good at my job, and was well aware of her having been paid that way in the past. Just like I also know she does not receive any additional help. I have met the girl more than once, and from what I could gather from each of these meetings, I saw that she is a bright, sweet, beautiful girl. She does not lie, and has only done so when ordered to by an authority figure. Even then, she clearly did not enjoy doing so. What you did to her was based on your own stupidity and jealousy of her and Edward. But mark my words Gina, this time you have pushed the last button you can. From this moment on, your cards, allowance, everything will be taken away. We will no longer pay your rent or any other financial obligation that you incur. When we leave here, you will be handing in your notice at the condo. Your nice things will be auctioned off to pay off your debts. You'll be packing a bag and will be on the first fight to Uncle Santiago and Aunt Renata's. You will be working for them."
Gina faces turns a deadly shade of white and she is shaking her head almost violently. "No! They have a vineyard! I am not working on a smelly, hot, sticky vineyard!"
Caius slams his hand down on Marcus's desk. "Yes you will, now let's go! You've got packing to do. Edward, please forward me all of Miss Swan's medical bills. We will take care of them all. She will also be getting her normal wages payed to her from the college for the entire time she is out sick. Should she choose to not return, she will be given a generous severance package that will set her for a while." At that, they drag a sobbing Gina out of the office. As I look toward Marcus, I hear raised voices outside in the hall – one of them being Charlotte. We walk out quickly to see Charlotte standing there right in Gina's face.
"Fuck! Why is everyone sticking up for her worthless ass? She's just a trailer trash whore who should have died in the snow." I growl menacingly as I step forward, but stop in my tracks as Charlotte punches Gina square in the nose.
"You're lucky your momma is here to send your ass away or you might have ended up in the ground yourself, you worthless piece of life!" Gina looks at her mom and dad for help, but both of them shake their heads at her. Charlotte smiles and blows a kiss my way. "I'm off to the hospital. I just had to stop by and donate my two cents. I am going pick her up some breakfast as well. This is for you. See you later Edward." She turns and walks away after handing me a small sack.
"We should be out of here within the hour. Please tell Isabella I am extremely sorry for my daughter's treatment of her." I nod my head at Athenodora and leave to attend to my class which I am now really late for. Thankfully, I have a decent graduate student, Tia, who makes a wonderful teacher's assistant.
~HCV~
The week has gone by quickly. It's Friday, and Bella will be released from the hospital tomorrow. I have missed her so fucking much. I have been going to the hospital three times a day to see her. I go at lunch, and then after I pick up Seth and Leah from school, all three of us go. Once we have dinner, I go back in for a while, leaving the kids with Esme or Zafrina. I love being with the kids, but I enjoy the couple of hours with just the two of us. The others all visit during the day so she is never alone. Even a few of Aro's girls have being going to see her. Jane was pissed off because she didn't get a shot at Gina, but Aro assured her that Gina was dealt with accordingly.
Throughout the week, I have managed to spend a lot of time with Seth and Leah. During one of our talks, we decided to get a real Christmas tree and decorate it for Bella's homecoming. Last night after we visited Bella, we went out and they picked one out. When I picked them up from school yesterday, I got hit on by another kid's mom, who then looked all too shocked or stupefied as Seth and Leah ran into my arms, shouting about going to visit Bella. I have made a mental note to come with Bella to pick them up again, so I can make it clear that I am with her.
Marcus was saddened that Bella had handed in her immediate notice. Even with Gina gone, she still didn't feel comfortable to go back, which pissed me off. Jasper and Bella had their first one-on-one talk, and she seemed happier after it for which I was glad. She told me they spoke about her time working at the college. I was saddened to hear how she had been treated over the years. She also voiced her concerns about Jasper and Alice, as well as Rose and Emmett. She is worrying that she has caused trouble in their marriages. Jasper reassured her that none of it was her doing whatsoever.
Jasper and Alice are back to sharing a bedroom. He said that he was mostly upset by Alice's behavior, and she claims it is from her jealousy of his fondness of Bella. Jasper admitted that both of them are in therapy trying to work it out. As for Emmett and Rose, things are looking bad on that front. Emmett is a very private guy and doesn't like to tell tales outside of his home. Rose, on the other hand, has been bitching to everyone about how bad Emmett has been treating her, while Emmett is trying hard to understand where she is coming from. Unlike Alice, Rose knows that Emmett will never stray from her. I feel that this fact is what upsets Emmett the most. There is no doubt that Rose is just being an outright bitch for no other reason than the fact that she sees Bella as someone beneath her and unworthy of her time or compassion.
Esme is still not on speaking terms with her, mostly due to the fact Rose had told her to choose either Bella and I, or her. This just happened to be right after Carlisle called her to let her know he'd be late due the fact Bella had just been brought into the emergency room. Rose had been there and demanded that Esme stay with her, claiming that she needed to vent some anger over what Emmett has done. Esme nicely told her once again to act like an adult, and left her to go check on the kids and come to the hospital.
I have noticed Esme and Bella have become really close over the past week. On Wednesday night, I walked in on Esme brushing Bella's hair for her. I tried hard to hide the smile on my face when I walked in, but the look on Bella's face was priceless; she had a glow about her. It was so fucking nice to see someone taking care of my baby that way. I have found that even though I am not ready to fully forgive Esme, I have found myself getting closer to her again. In a way, I have really missed her.
Seth, Leah, and I are gathering around the tree, putting different ornaments on it. Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle are putting up lights and other Christmas items on the outside of the house. Esme and Zafrina are at the hospital visiting Bella. I am due to go in after they return here to watch the kids. I am sure that they will finish any last minute 'womanly' touches the place needs, as well. Seth, Leah, and I, are just about done with the tree.
"Well now, it looks like all we have left is to put the angel up on the top. Who would like to do the honors?" I ask, looking at both Seth and Leah.
They look at each other and do their silent communication thing, and I smile to myself as they nod at each other. "We think that Bella should do it tomorrow, when she comes home," Leah says, stopping and biting her lip.
"Leah means when she comes here to your home."
I look at both of them and smile. "This is your home too; at least, I want you to think of it that way. And I think it is a great idea to let Bella put the angel on top of our family tree." They both smile at me. "Okay Leah, what would you like for us to have for dinner tonight?" She stands and taps her finger against her chin, thinking hard for a moment before smiling. "Can we have some pizza like we did the first time we stayed?" I nod my head and we all head into the kitchen. After pulling out the take out menu, we finally decide to order five large pizzas, three orders of garlic bread, two dessert pizzas, and some pop. Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle all come in and eat with us. As I watch, I realize how much Seth and Leah have become very much a part of my family, and I really fucking love it.
After dinner, I send Seth and Leah off to take their baths. When they're done, I help them get into their pajamas and then read them a bedtime story. With a hug and a kiss, they are both tucked in and ready to go to sleep. Before leaving their room, I tell them that Carlisle and Esme will watch them until I get back.
I always drive fast when I go to visit Bella at night. I ended up with two traffic citations this week, and am ordered to pay two hundred and twenty dollars in the next thirty days. I haven't told Bella about it and don't plan to either. It will just worry her unnecessarily. Now I have to watch my speeding, because if I get one more citation in the next six months, I will lose my license for ninety days.
I arrive at the hospital and run up the stairs to see her. When I open her door, I see that Aro and Jane are sitting with her. "Well Bella, it looks like we'll be off now. We will talk to you soon my dear," Aro says before kissing Bella's head.
Jane just glares her death-ray coal black eyes at me. "Just remember Bella, tell me if he or anyone else hurts you in any way. I've got a lot of new toys that I haven't played with yet. I've really been itching to try out the nut cracker." When she says the last two words, she smirks at me and I clearly know whose nuts she's talking about. I automatically cover my nuts, which makes her chuckle as she hits my arm painfully as she passes. I rub my arm because it was really fucking sore already.
"Have a good evening Edward," Aro chuckles as he leaves.
"Hey Baby," I say as she smiles at me while I walk over to her. I slowly bend down to her and chuckle as she pulls on my shirt to get me to kiss her faster. As we kiss, she moves over in the bed and pulls me down beside her. I shift slightly, putting one hand in her hair as the other wraps around her back. When I pull away from her lips, I softly stroke her face. "I can't wait to get you home baby."
She smiles and leans her face further into my hand. "I can't wait to get home with you too. I miss sleeping with you."
I raise my eyebrow at her and she blushes. Fuck, I missed that too. Three hours a day is not fucking enough! Then I chuckle and trace her jaw with my thumb, realizing exactly what she meant. "I love you so much Baby, and I miss sleeping with you as well." I kiss her deeply, not pulling away until I know we both need to catch our breath. "I was thinking I should take some of this stuff home tonight so you won't need to worry about packing anything tomorrow. It will just be you I need to bring home."
She smiles, nodding her head. "Everything is already packed; Esme helped me do it earlier. She left out a change of clothes for tomorrow and something she called my toiletry bag. I have my toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and a hairbrush in there. All the stuff I need for tomorrow morning is in the small bag on the hook inside the closet. Everything else is packed away in the bigger bag." Bella smiles the whole time she is speaking. It is clear she adores Esme. I'm so fucking glad that Esme returns those feelings; clearly she adores Bella just as much.
"That is really good news. It means I get more time to kiss you and talk to you then."
"I sort of have a surprise for you," Bella says biting her lip. I raise my eyebrow at her which makes her blush. "I love it when you do that 'raising your eyebrow' thing."
She shakes her head as she blushes more. "Well, I am glad you told me about that. I need to do it more often. So Baby, what is my surprise?"
She looks into my eyes and gives me another big, bright smile. "I read the last chapter of A Tale of Two Cities all by myself today. I really loved the whole book; it was great."
I smile at her and give her another kiss on her forehead. "Well done Baby."
Bella places her hand over mine on the side of her face. "Would you like me to read it to you?" I nod my head at her and turn to pick the book and her glasses up. Her fingers work their way into my hair and she begins rubbing my scalp. I love it when she touches me like this. I never imagined a woman's touch could make me react the way her's does. After turning back and settling in beside her, I open the book. I hold one end of the book while she holds the other side and begins to read.
As she says the last line, I grab her face and kiss her hard. "Fucking well done Baby. I'm so fucking proud of you."
She blushes. "It's all because of you. You made this possible for me Edward."
I shake my head at her. "No, it was you Baby..."
Bella puts her hand over my mouth. "How about we say it was both of us? You're great at teaching, and me? I'm happy being your favorite student."
I nod my head at her. "Who was your favorite character Bella?"
She bit her lip. "I really liked Lucie; she was very nice. Her love for her father was pure even though she had a hard life because she was orphaned. I don't really know, but I guess I sort of feel a connection to her in a way." I smile and nod my head. I knew she would have strong association to that character. Bella and I dive into a long discussion all about the book. I love talking like this with her. She loves books as much as I do. It is clear she also picked up on some things even I had missed in the past.
"Baby, I need to go, but I'll be back at ten tomorrow with Seth and Leah. We are picking you up and then taking you out for breakfast. I love you so much, my beautiful baby. Get some rest tonight my love."
Bella kisses me and smiles. "I can't wait." I nod my head and walk to the door. "I'll see you then Baby."
I let out a little sigh as she walks over to the large recliner to lay down. Carlisle brought it to her from his office when he found out that she couldn't sleep in the bed. She didn't mind lying in the bed during the day or for small naps, but she was never alone when she did. Most days, she would lay there and nap while I was here with her. When Esme questioned it, I explained the situation to her. Esme cried when I told her that Bella didn't have a bed and never had. When she asked what Bella slept on, I told her about the sleeping bag at the apartment. Esme has continued to get closer to Bella everyday since.
~HCV~
The next morning, I wake with Seth and Leah pulling at me. I chuckle as I look at them. "Alright, alright, I am up! We still have a few hours before we can go and get Bella though. Why don't we go have a light snack and watch some cartoons before we get ready to go?" I get out of bed, glad that I now wear pajama pants to sleep in. When they first started staying with me, I told both Seth and Leah that they could come in here in the morning to wake me up if they were up before me. This is the first that they have done this though, and I know they're just as excited about Bella coming home today as am I.
After our snack and some cartoons, we head out to get Bella. Carlisle called earlier to let me know her discharge paperwork was ready. All of her medications are on their way up from the pharmacy, so that means she will be ready to go when we get there. He knew that Seth and Leah were itching to get her home. When he originally called at eight and found out that we had been up for the past two hours, he went in early to deal with Bella's release.
We enter her room and I'm happy to see that Bella's all dressed. She looks fucking beautiful and sexy as hell. She smiles at me as Seth and Leah run into her arms. "It looks like you all beat me here." Everyone turns to see Carlisle entering into the room. "Here are your medications. You have another week to go before you're in the clear. I will come and check you over on Christmas Eve to make sure you don't need any more okay? Take it easy, and absolutely no working for at least another ten days." He winks at her as I take the bag of medications from him. "Now Little One, I'll let you get out of here, but I'll see you soon. You two keep an eye on your sister and make sure she does what she has been told to do."
Both Leah and Seth give Carlisle a salute. "Sure thing Carlisle," I reply, laughing as I rush them all out of the room.
We stop for breakfast, and I smile when Bella relaxes, enjoying her food. I pull over just before my house comes in to view. "We've got a big surprise for you. You need to wear this, and no cheating." I hold up a blindfold, giving her a smirk. She turns a little in her seat so that I can put it over her eyes, and once it's securely in place, we begin to move again. I pull up to the house, glad that I had turned on the lights before we left. Since it is a rather overcast and dull day, the lights actually look quite nice. I am sure they will look much better at night, but I just know she will love them now. I step out of the car and usher Seth and Leah standing to their positions before helping Bella out.
"So Baby, are you ready?" I see a smile on her face as she nods her head. I stand behind her so that I can look around her to see exactly what she will be seeing. "You need to keep your eyes closed so you can't see until I'm ready, okay?" She nods her head again. I carefully remove the blindfold and kiss her head, watching her face carefully. When I see that her eyes are closed I smile more. "Okay Baby, open your eyes." Bella's eyes open and her face lights up as she looks at the outside of my house.
"Wow! It looks amazing. When...how...did you do all of this?"
I chuckle at her stammering. "We did all this yesterday and last night. It was really fun," Seth bursts out. Leah smacks his arm and rolls her eyes at him as he quickly closes his mouth.
"Ready for the next surprise?"
Bella looks at me bemusedly. "What...there's more?"
I nod my head and walk her to the door. I let Seth and Leah in and turn Bella to me. "You need to close your eyes again Baby." She does so without hesitation, so I turn her and carefully guide her into the house. When I look up, I see that Seth and Leah are in front of the tree. "Okay Baby, you can open your eyes now."
She opens her eyes and I see her face light up again. "Is this...is it real? It's beautiful." I see a tear run down her face as she hugs herself to me.
"We helped pick out the tree," Leah says in a cheerful voice.
"And we helped Edward with all the decorations," Seth continues on.
"Emmie, Jazz, and Carlisle did the outside of the house for you," Leah explains.
"Well you all did a great job. Thank you," she says smiling up at me.
"Well, it isn't completely finished yet. There's still something missing," I say with a smirk to Seth and Leah.
"Really? What? I mean...I can't image anything that could make this more beautiful," Bella says as she frowns, trying to work it out in her head.
"I think this would," Seth says, bringing the angel out.
"Yeah, we think you should put her on Bella," Leah says as she walks and stands next to me.
"I don't think I can reach." Bella looks at the angel, then back to the tree, biting her lip.
"Well Baby, this is where I come in." I smirk at her before I crouch down, pulling her up onto my shoulders. Bella screams as I stand back up, but I easily keep her steady. I chuckle as I walk over to the tree. Once in front of it, Bella carefully places the angel on top. After I let her down, Seth and Leah turn on the tree lights and stand in front of Bella and I. "Now it is complete and perfect." I kiss Bella's head and smile, knowing the truth of my words.
A/N: Well I am just guessing, but I bet a few of you are happy that Gina got put in her place. And see we kept our promise, Bella is okay. There were a lot of concerns that we would allow Bella to become a victim of rape, and we want to assure you all that there is no way that we could do that with this story. The drama is not over, and neither are the angsty moments, however things will start to rapidly progress from here. We are excited to read your thoughts, so tell us what you think so far. A review reply and teaser will come out to you soon, so get your questions out so we can get them answered. xoxo~ Kasi & Nikky