Hiya everyone!

Wow, responses from the last chapter of MGEMP and MBEB are getting interesting. A lot of you that read MBEB are really close on the answer of who was in the apartment. But that's only a small little part of the bigger picture. I'm still trying to decide where I'm gonna start the next chapter of MBEB, but I have a couple of ideas. So we'll see how it turns out. And it turns out, there was only one person who got the location of where he was taking her right. Kudos to Savory! And I went with your advice on this too. *Smiles*

And I figured since I've been totally cliffing you guys for the last few chapters, I'm giving y'all a 'recuperative' chapter.

I'll finish everything else I have to say at the bottom, so meet me there.

As per the usual, Lola is my beta and hopefully soon to be published novelist. Yay! Muahs

And SM owns the twilight. Not me.

Read on!

BPOV

Why am I hearing voices?

Seriously, the last thing I remember is being on the island, alone. How am I hearing people's voi-?

Oh god. Did Black come back for me?

I start panicking.

I'm so worried that he's gonna make good on his threat…

But then I listen to the voices a little closer, and realize something.

Edward's here.

It's then I realize something else.

I'm in a huge amount of pain.

I groan at the feeling in my right arm and leg.

Fuck!

I want to scream and cry and hit something right now, I'm in so much pain.

"Bella?! Baby, are you awake?" Oh my god, I thought I'd never hear that voice again.

I must be conscious enough because I feel myself let out a sob at hearing him.

"Oh baby, I'm here. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner. I promise I won't let it happen again. I'm so fucking sorry, Bella." I heard the pain in his voice and it just made me want to cry even harder.

I fight with my eyes for a while and force them to open so I can see where he is. I need to see him.

When my eyes finally focus enough on him, they fill with tears.

"Edward!" I cry trying to reach my hand out to him.

He's right there, grabbing onto me, pulling me into a hug that is almost crushing.

"God, baby, I was so scared I wouldn't find you." Edward murmured into my hair.

I clutch onto him with my good hand, and am now noticing that my right hand is wrapped up and in bandages.

Then I remember the pigs.

I let out another sob, remembering how I thought I'd never see Edward or the kids again when those pigs attacked me.

"Shhh, sweetheart. It's ok. I've got you. You're safe now." He soothed me, rubbing his hands up and down my back in a calming motion.

It seemed to help a little bit.

I pulled back and looked at his face, making sure I hadn't forgotten how beautiful he was while I was gone.

Then I reached up and attached my lips to his. I needed to feel that warmth and love that his kisses could bring me.

When I needed air to breath, I pulled back and rested my head against his for a moment.

"I was so scared Edward. So scared…" I whispered, trying not to go back into a crying fit.

"I know, B. I know. Mason and Izzy haven't been the same since the accident either. They've been so afraid you were never coming back. But I promised them I'd find you and bring you home." He said as he helped me lay back down in the bed I hadn't noticed I was in.

It was then I looked around and saw that I was in a room that I didn't recognize. It looked kind of old worldish, like stepping back in time.

"Where are they? I wanna see them. Are they ok?" I asked him, worried that the kids had been hurt in the accident.

"They're ok. They've been a little shaken up, and Mason hasn't talked much, but they're fine. They're on their way here. We had to find a way to get them away from Seattle without anybody seeing where they were going." He explained to me as he got in beside me and curled me up into his arms.

"Where exactly is here?" I asked, since I was pretty sure we weren't in Washington.

"Charleston. South Carolina. Remember Rose was born here. We're on a plantation that her family had passed down over the years since the Civil War. When her parents died, they left it to her, but she hasn't been back here much. She's had people keeping it up, though. No one really knows about her having this place, so no one should be able to find you or the kids here. This is the last place someone would come to look for you, until I can deal with Black, once and for all." At the mention of Black, I tense up. "Hey, I'm not gonna let him get to you again. Baby, I promise you."

"I know. I just…" I shake my head trying to get his image out of my head. That evil shit eating grin he had on his face the last time I saw him.

Bleh.

"Edward, you need to ask her." I jump a little at hearing Alistair's voice from the doorway.

Edward's brow furrows a bit, and he turns to look at me with concern in his eyes.

"B, Black didn't… force himself on you, did he?" he asked, hesitantly.

I shuddered at the thought. Just remembering how he touched me, made me wanna puke.

"…No, he didn't rape me. But he definitely insinuated that he would when he came back for me. He kissed me and felt me up when I woke up in an SUV somewhere in a warehouse or something after the accident. But he never went any further." I told him quietly, not wanting that thought to even manifest into anything further.

He pulled me closer to him, his arms tightening around me.

I saw Alistair walk further into the room and get something that looked like it might be a light and brought it over to the side of the bed.

"I need to check you over, now that you're awake. Do you have any pain, or anything other than the cuts on your arm and leg?" Alistair asked, turning the little light on.

"No, nothing really. It's pretty much just my arm that's in the most pain. My leg doesn't feel as bad, but it still hurts like hell. Other than that, I think I'm good. Maybe just a little hungry." My stomach decided to make itself known by growling.

They both laughed at that, and then Alistair started his examination.

After checking me over, and telling me that I was fine other than my obvious injuries, Alistair told me that I had to take it easy for a while. And that they're still watching for any lingering effects of an infection. So far they haven't seen any, except for the fact that I apparently was mumbling nonsense and spiking a fever a couple of times while I was unconscious.

That got me thinking.

"How long, exactly, was I out for?" I asked, hoping that it wasn't a very long time, because then I would probably flip out.

Alistair sat down on the edge of the bed and started talking. "When we found you, it didn't seem like it had been more than maybe five to six hours since you had been attacked by the boars. And since then, you've been out for just about two days. You may not remember, but we've been giving you broth and Gatorade through a straw to get something in your system. Your body's gonna be weak for a while, and these cuts are going to need to be tended to everyday. But it's a good thing I'll be staying here with you. Stefan will be here soon, too, to keep an eye on things. Along with a few other guards, just so we're on the safe side."

Wow. I guess it's good I was out for the most part because just feeling how painful these bites are from those boars, would have had me screaming and crying.

I felt Edward kiss the top of my head and squeeze me closer to him. "Try to get some rest, sweetheart. You need to get your strength back up. I'll bring up something for you to eat in a couple of hours. Okay?"

I just nodded and snuggled back down into the blanket that was covering me, the exhaustion starting to catch up with me.

A while later, I woke up to a cool breeze flowing across my face, and warm kisses along my cheek.

"B? You awake this time?" I heard Edward's voice come from beside me.

"Mmmhmmm. Are we outside or something?" I asked without opening my eyes. I was too damn comfortable right now to move a muscle.

I heard him laugh. "No. We're still inside. I just opened up the window to let some air in. The sun's been streaming in on you and you felt like you were getting a little warm, so I opened the window for you. It does feel pretty good for December here. It's seventy degrees out there today. I wanna get a place here and stay here for the winter months, and spend the summer months in Seattle." He said, chuckling and shifting on the bed.

"It does feel good. Why haven't we ever ventured this way before? This is much more comfortable than Seattle." I told him as I turned over to look at him.

He was propped up on his elbow, looking down at me. His hair was a mess, and his face still held worry. But I could see some relief there too.

"You're worried about something…" I stated, rather than asked. I knew him well enough to know his moods and faces.

"…I have to leave to go back to Seattle tomorrow." He said, and then I started shaking my head in a panic. "Baby, I have to. I have to make sure that he's dealt with. I'm not gonna trust someone else to do this. And I need to find out who else he's working with. I wouldn't leave you if I had my way, but I need to do this so that you can come home. I wasn't going to risk you going back there yet, until he was dead. I'm sorry, but I can't lose you like that again."

I sighed, and tried to calm my nerves.

Of course he had to go back and do this. It was just his nature to protect his family and the ones he loved. But I still didn't want to be away from him.

"I understand." I whispered and buried my face in his chest.

"I will be back for you and the kids as soon as things have settled down." He said, and then reached over to the bedside table for something. "Now, we found your iPad, but your phone didn't make it through the wreck, so I bought you a new phone, and made sure your iPad was still ok. Everything's working fine. So we can talk whenever you want while I'm gone. And I had Jasper put a chip in a small charm to put on your bracelet, just as a precaution. I don't want this to ever happen again, and me not be able to find you. None of us slept much, and we looked at every single lead we could find, but still came up with nothing. But… I went to Charlie and finally confronted him. I had seen him down at the reservation where Black does some of his business, and it wasn't too long before you were taken. He's the one that finally told me that it was probably an island that you were on. I could kill that man just as easily as I could Black, right now. I don't care if he's your father, he had a hand in them taking you, and that is unforgivable in my book."

Oh my god…

Charlie helped them?

But why?

That's gonna take a while to soak up and understand.

Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett came up to 'my room' and visited with me for a little while too.

I never realized how much these people really felt like family to me, until now. They're actually concerned about me, and came looking for me. They didn't help the sick bastard that did this to me.

I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive Charlie, either.

Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett didn't treat me any differently. Sure, they were a little more careful, but they still acted the same with me as before the accident.

And I'm grateful for that.

Edward, though, I can understand his treatment of me.

He feels like this is his fault.

And I've told him that it's not; it's Black's fault. But he still takes the blame on himself.

I'm gonna have to keep working on him.

"How long do you think we'll have to stay here?" I asked Edward later when he was sitting beside me again in the bed.

He seemed to think for a while before he answered. "I'm not sure. A couple of weeks? Maybe more? We still have to find him and figure out what the hell's been going on. I didn't want to tell you before, but I do think you should know. Someone was in our apartments. Someone took your pictures out of my apartment. And then someone came in and did the same at your place, but they took the pictures that had to do with me or the kids. I don't know what's going on, but it freaks me out a little. It's part of the reason I don't want you going back to Seattle just yet. Whoever this is seems to be working with Black, because it happened while you were gone, and the kids and I were staying at my parents' place."

I looked at him with panicked eyes.

What kind of sicko did that?

Now I feel weird about going back into my apartment. Like I don't know what I'll find out of place, or what they did in there other than take my pictures of the kids and Edward.

"I know. I kind of feel the same way. But I'm having both places scoured, and swept for anything that shouldn't be there. I haven't been back there yet because I didn't find out until we were in the helicopter coming down to get you on the beach the other day. But I'll check the place over when I get there. I promise, I will take care of everything before you come home, baby." He assured me, and it did make me feel a tiny bit better.

I just don't like this situation. It makes me incredibly nervous.

Alistair had given me some pain meds and I was starting to feel a little bit better. Edward helped me eat a ham sandwich, and get better situated so that I could try to start standing up and moving around.

It took me a couple of tries, but I made it over to the bathroom and I was able to take care of business myself.

I was a little tired after that, but not enough to make me want to sleep.

Edward and I settled back in together, this time on the sofa that was sitting beside the open window.

We just sat there, wrapped up in each other for a while, knowing that he had to leave to go back tomorrow.

That was until we heard what sounded like a herd of buffalo on the stairs, coming this way.

"Should I be worried?" I asked Edward, who shook his head, laughing just before the door was flung open.

"MOMMY! MOMMA!" Mason and Izzy screamed when they saw me, and ran over and jumped on Edward and me.

Izzy automatically wrapped her arms around my neck and started crying.

"Oh, my babies. I missed you two so much." I cried along with her, relishing in having her in my arms, and pulling Mason over to me so I could just feel that they were both there, and safe.

Awwwww…. See, I can leave you with fluffiness too. Lol

Ok, I said this in the last chapter of MBEB, and I've said it before here too. Yes, I'm using Charleston in my story, even though two other mob stories are using it too. I've had this city planned out to be in this story since the beginning, and I was not going to change it. Charleston is a very near and dear city to me. I absolutely love that place. I'll go down there every once in a while for a day trip, since it's only about an hour and a half drive away.

If you ever plan on going there, visit the old slave market, king street, the battery, rainbow row, the old churches that have been there since the civil war, let's seeeee…. Oh, the old battle sites like Fort Sumter, and Fort Moultrie. Any of the plantations that are open to the public. They are so stunning. And a lot of the older Charleston style homes around the area are tourist attractions. Oooo! Horse drawn carriage rides around the heart of downtown Charleston. Seriously, if you haven't been, you really need to visit. Charleston is the epitome of southern charm and what the south is about.

So if you haven't noticed, I do love this city, so don't come and picket my story just because it was used somewhere else too. If you have a problem with it, then by all means don't read it.

Alright, now let's see, what else….. oh, little heads up. December is gonna be a little crazy for me, so if I'm a little slow with updates, I'm sorry. I've got so much to do and I don't even know how I'm gonna get it all done. So bear with me. I'll have them up when they're ready.

Ok, I think that's it for now. Until next time on MBEB

Laters!