Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. SM owns all.

Paul's POV

I ran. It was all I could do. Images of Blake's beaten body flashed through my mind repeatedly. Somehow I had controlled my anger enough to pick her up and place her in the car. Catherine and one of the guys were on their way to the hospital to meet Carlisle this very minute. She was awake just barely, but that didn't stop my worry. Every step I took, worry turned into anger. By the time I met up with Jake and Jared, I wanted nothing more than to kill the bastards.

"Where are they?" I growled.

"What are you doing?" Seth and Quil wondered. I ignored every protesting word they screamed as we stayed hot on the car's trail.

"Paul, go." Jake didn't have to tell me twice. I pushed past them, increasing my speed to run beside the large van. Just as it rounded a turn, I braced to jump, but images of Blake flashed through me. As I placed her in Embry's car, she begged me not to get revenge. It would be the first and last time I didn't listen to what she asked. I didn't care what she believed; they deserved retaliation.

I bounded into the road and rammed my shoulder into the side. We rolled car over wolf three times until I pushed it off of me. Three screams assured us they were all still alive. I initially wanted to beat them to death in my human form, but Jake and Jared said it had my arrest written all over it.

"Jacob you idiot! He'll never be able to stop once he's started in this form!" Cried Collin. Shutting them out, I jumped on the car, putting large impressions into the side. Meanwhile, Jacob and Jared had traffic cut off on either side of the road. I ripped the door off its hinges.

"You do this and you'll become just as bad as the leeches who started this all."

"Blake will never forgive you, Paul," Seth begged. I shook my head. I didn't need her forgiveness. They thought they could treat her life a punching bag. Now I got to turn it on them.

I ripped the door of its hinges and spotted two fear-struck bodies. Tearing the hole wider, I slung the men out by their arms. The third one clutched his leg. He was obviously the leader. The two called out to their boss. He was the one I wanted to focus it on. I made the attack on the two quick, biting only their shoulder and clawing their legs and backs. Soon I kicked them unconscious. It finally came down to the psychotic man.

After five minutes of slinging him around, Jared said to make it quick. I didn't listen, only drew it out longer. Every bite reminded me that they did ten times worse to Blake's hands, let alone her whole body. "Jake, make him stop."

"Paul, the cars are clearing the trees. He'll be in the hospital for months. It's enough." Jake finally agreed with a hint of a challenge to his tone. I shook my head and ripped down the man's chest. Pools of blood circled his wounds. His screams were the most pathetic ones I ever heard.

"Jake!" Seth begged.

I heard them, but their words didn't compute. I saw red. They deserved to die for touching Blake. None of them had a problem with hurting her. I didn't have a problem hurting them.

"I can't force him! I'm not his alpha! Find Sam." Jake groaned. I knew it didn't matter. I'd phase if I had to. "Paul, this isn't part of the plan. He's a human!"

"No human in their right mind would harm Blake. He deserves nothing less than death, even that's giving him something," I snarled, walking menacingly towards him. The once macho man screamed in terror. "Jared agrees. This is in our plan."

"We can't let the government take what we care about. They need a sign. Paul's giving them one," Jared's thoughts shook with regret yet determinedness. I growled and sunk my teeth into his shoulder.

"You are being exactly who they think we are. They want this. We are playing into their hands!" Jake's thoughts stopped me cold in my tracks. It felt like years ago when I told Blake something almost exactly like that…

. . .

"Blake, it's time to stop this," I snapped her out of her thoughts. She was a strong girl. I only let her cry for so long because I was curious; curious to see Blake in her weakest times, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down for so long. "You have every right to cry and drink away your problems just like any girl, but you aren't you when you do this. Stop feeling sorry for yourself." I wondered vaguely how true the ex boyfriends' statements were; if she used them, if she thought they loved her. My anger reinstated. To get revenge, she needed to be strong. Being taken down by thousands of fliers wasn't weak, but staying on her knees made her a sitting duck. "This is exactly what the FBI wants you to feel. They want you to fail. They want to lock you up. If you are an emotional wreck, you'll accomplish nothing."

. . .

Just like that, I tossed the bruised man to the ground where he scrambled far away. I crumpled to the ground for only a few seconds before I began to run. I couldn't believe what I just did. If I told Blake that and she listened, I shouldn't turn into a hypocrite. My words hung true for me as well. They expected this, those bastards did. They wanted a scene. They needed one to find out more on us. Not by my mistakes they would find it.

"Paul? You can't half ass that!" Jared screamed at me, but I could sense the relief in his words. He wanted to do anything that ensured Kim's safety. I was the one who planted that idea in his head and cornered him into thinking it was the only way.

"If all three don't have amnesia, they aren't human," I grumbled. As Jake and Collin realized I wasn't on a murderous rampage, the yelling set in. I was halfway home before sirens spurred up. I thought, briefly, that there wouldn't be a story. They were, after all, criminals.

I spotted Embry's car outside of Emily's house and shifted back to human. Jake was the first to slam me against the tree, sprouting on about how I could have killed the entire tribe. Then Seth and Sam sprinted across the road. I knew when I saw his face that Sam was ready to kill me. For once, I wasn't in the mood for a fight. I wanted to slap myself for not realizing how stupid I was. I didn't listen to Blake and look where that got me?

"What were you thinking? That Blake was worth risking the lives of our entire tribe? No wolf pack equals nobody to protect our people from the real monsters, Paul!" Sam continued on his rampage. I didn't want to fight back, but I did. It was an easy release of steam for Sam.

"I know that now, Sam," I spat. It didn't change his mind. The only thing that comforted me was that Jake and Jared got it, too, though it was still over me. He claimed they should have known better than to let me be the one who did the fighting. Things got nasty when Sam insulted Jake's style of leading. It was easy to trudge away from the brawling alphas after that. Sam knew the only thing he couldn't do was keep me away from Blake, but that was the only form of punishment he could think of. All I would get would be straight multiple days of patrol. Sure he claimed he wouldn't let me out of his sight, but there wasn't much I did that was out of his hearing range. His punishments wouldn't be hard to adjust to. Telling Blake I went against her and watching as she says the words I feared was what I dreaded.

Blake's POV

My ride home was bumpy. The entire time I worried over Paul. We all knew why he wasn't the one driving me home. He went off to do the one thing I asked him not to. At the time I asked, I just wanted him. I felt like crying – I was crying – but it could have made me feel a bit better if he had been there. Of all my expectations I fantasized about during my capture, at least they all included him! Instead I spent my ride home crying into my mom's arms with Embry awkwardly racing to the first house he could find just to escape my sobs. I was unwanted everywhere except with Paul and he was nowhere to be found.

Then an hour finally in safety made me come to my senses. Even though they caused me so much pain, I didn't want Paul going after them. Revenge would have been nice, but not from Paul's hands. He would definitely take things too far. I knew what it was like to murder people; even though they were all horrible people, guilt wrecked me for weeks and months after. I didn't want Paul to go through that, not to mention that those men probably didn't deserve to – no I still thought they should have died. I didn't even want to think about all the advantages the FBI would get.

"Let's get her washed up first, Kim. Leah is getting her new clothes. After, you can get her dressed and address her wounds while I make her some soup," Emily ran it through loud enough for me to hear. She whispered in a quieter voice but I still heard. "Where is Paul? He about the only person who can make her stop crying right now!"

"Heard that," I muttered. My entire body ached. It hurt to even speak. Mom busied herself by putting lubrication on my nails, which had finally stopped oozing blood. They hurt the most, though my burns pulsed as well. "Mom, where's Theo?"

I looked into her eyes. They turned into a confused expression. "I-I don't really know, sweetie. I've been focused on you all week." I gulped and closed my eyes. He didn't make himself known. That wasn't good. My heart pulsed within my chest. If Theo was gone I didn't know what else I had to live for. Paul…I didn't want to think of him. My baby was gone, and possibly my brother. Tears began flowing again. "Oh honey, it's going to be just fine. You are safe. I'm sure Theo is here somewhere."

"Will you f-find him?" I asked. She nodded and kissed my head.

"Catherine, can we have a word?" A woman I didn't recognize stood in the doorway. She was obviously Jake's sister, but I didn't know which one. Mom left reluctantly. I loved her, but sometimes it was hard to feel her comfort. Five minutes later, a hot bath was steaming for me. Emily and Kim began to lift me, but Leah ended up doing it. I kept asking where Theo was, but nobody answered.

"Tell me!" I tried to pound my hand on the wall, but the second it made contact I flinched. Emily's mouth opened and closed without a peep.

"Let's get these clothes off. They are filthy, Blake," Kim shook her head as a tear fell down her cheek. My breathing sped up.

"No. Not…he's not-?"

"Dead?" The unknown voice reverberated through the room again. Concern dripped off her expression as she kneeled in front of me. My shirt – what was left of it – fell off me. "Blake, I know this is hard to hear, but as far as you know, Theo is dead."

"Rachel, I don't think this is a good time," Emily scolded the girl. Rachel was a pretty girl with a soft smile that held mine.

My throat closed in on itself. I couldn't breathe. He was my last blood related family. It was all because of me. If I would have never came, never took him under my wing then he wouldn't-.

"I said as far as you know," Rachel extended her hand to my shoulder and squeezed. I stopped hyperventilating long enough to hear her correctly. She smiled. "Theo is most definitely alive. To anyone but the pack, he is still missing in the cliffs. Not dead, missing. Not alive, missing. Is. That. Clear?" Her firm message was clear, though I didn't know why she had to be so harsh.

"Got that. Let me see him." I countered, raising my bruised eyes to meet hers. She was a pretty young girl. Why did her name ring a bell? I assumed both Jake's sisters didn't know of their secret.

"Paul wanted to wait, Rachel," Kim warned and unbuttoned my pants. I groaned at the touch of her hands. "Are we sure she doesn't need Carlisle?"

"No!" I insisted. "Paul. I just want Paul. And Theo." I was mad with him, but he was the only one who would be able to look at my body without becoming pale. He was the only one who knew how to treat me when it came to terms with my chest. He was the only one I trusted with anything. These kind and caring women were the next best thing, but they were only going to let me get more fragile by the second. If I got through that awful torture, I needed somebody emotionally to push me into healing. That was, sadly, Paul.

"Consider that my revenge." Rachel grinned as she swirled the bubbles in the bath. The smell made my nose crinkle. After so long of smelling only my own urine and feces piled in a room, any nice smell made me choke.

"For what?" Kim asked.

Leah barged into the room. I groaned. Getting naked in front of people was, obviously, not my worst fear compared to the things I…but I didn't rejoice in it. "For labeling her his fuck with buddy. Rachel, I think Paul may snap your neck if you make friends with Blake. Leave. All of you."

"We are helping her," Kim protested. Emily sighed and looked at my body with an apologetic expression.

"No we aren't. She needs someone she can talk to. If anyone, that's Leah. When you are done, Blake, I'll have soup beside your bed," Emily smiled wealy and ushered Kim out. Rachel pulled me in for a hug - an awkward, one person naked hug, hand around the neck hug.

"We'll talk later. Feel better." I frowned and watched her leave. I wanted to like her. Definitely, I admired her personality, her strong and blunt personality, but there was something in my gut that sent a warning sign through me.

"I don't like her. Why don't I like her?" I turned to Leah in my confusion. She rolled her eyes and helped me finish undressing. I bit my lip hard enough to bring blood as her hands lifted me into the tub. The bruises were still fresh. It hurt even worse when the water entered my wounds.

"Because she is a know it all who makes you feel stupid. Plus, Paul said she gave him his fourth best blowjob. Can we talk about something that matters now?" Leah helped me wash my hair. It was nice to feel her hands lather my hair. It was relaxing enough that I almost fell asleep. It would have been so nice compared to my last sleeps.

"What happened to Theo? Why is he labeled missing?"

Leah took a long breath. "It's a long story. When they grabbed you, things went crazy…"

I stumbled in and out of consciousness as Leah told and retold parts of everything I missed. Theo's stupid leap made me want to strangle him. I ached to see him sitting by my bed as soon as possible. Her story and bathing took longer than I appreciated. After that it was all a battle in the court she said. I groaned at Paul, Jake, and Jared's stupid plan. "I told him not to do anything! Why doesn't he listen? He needs to be here. I – I can't do -," Again, my emotions got the best of me. Paul still didn't know that our baby died. Dead. They killed our unborn baby and he didn't know. He'd be crushed. Maybe I was unsure about having it, but I had already grown excited and loved the fetus.

Leah rubbed circles on my back and helped me get my breathing back together. Finally, a grim smile appeared. "Paul's here. What do you want? I can beat him up or throw a bucket of water on-,"

"Leah." She heard how my voice cracked. I wasn't in the joking mood. My body burned and all I wanted was to be in Paul's arms with my baby growing inside me, but it wouldn't happen. The door burst open. Leah rose, blocking his sight to my bath. I made sure the bubbles were piled high out of instinct.

"Leave." The sharpness caught me off guard. He had the nerve to arrive angry. I hoped he knew what he just got himself into.

"Not happening," Leah shook her head.

"Leah, now isn't the time to be stubborn," Paul growled and shoved her to the side like she weighed nothing. I pulled my knees up to my chest and refused to meet his eyes if just for a second. Impulsively, I didn't want him to see how multi-colored my skin was, how much they hurt me. Was it wrong of me to ask him to not touch my tortures?

"I'm staying here. Somebody needs to get her dressed," Leah said snootily while grabbing a towel. The water slowly began to drain. Paul glared over his shoulder. Leah met my expression to see me siding with Paul, only so I could fully yell, and she slammed the towel and clothes on the floor. "Fine. I'll be downstairs then, Blake."

And then there were two. Paul looked at me with full pity. "Please don't do that. If I wanted pity, I'd have Kim in here," I spoke with a still cracked voice. Paul nodded tiredly and got on his knees beside the tub. He opened his mouth so I took that opportunity. "Paul Lahote, what the hell? I directly told you not to hurt them, not to go anywhere but with me! Do you think I don't hate them? Don't you think if I could have been the bigger person while still getting revenge I would have? We aren't monsters like them, Paul. Even they aren't murders!"

Paul's expression told me he felt guilty of the choice, but not the action. I was almost fine with it, but he unnerved me. If he was going to kill somebody, I wished it would be fair and square as a human, not a wolf. "They deserve to die a hundred times over. Look at what they did to you! No nails, electric burns, more bruises than I can count! Blake, they should have died...but I didn't kill them." He said the last sentence with regret, which puzzled me.

"They are humans! You think that of them and don't even know the worst of it." I shook my head. Paul ground his teeth and thought long and hard. He swiftly grabbed my arms and lifted me into the air. I whimpered as my bones protested. Soaking wet, he shoved me in front of the mirror, forcing me to look over my body. I had to give him credit; it looked horrible.

"Look at this! Look at it and tell me they aren't monsters!" Paul shook my arms. My strength left me and I screamed as my body fell, my arms twisting. He caught me and wrapped me in a towel, pulling me onto his lap. I wiped the tears away, remembering the many times he had held me. "Blake, they deserve to die." His voice was quiet and sure. It scared me he thought that as well.

"I know." I whimpered, closing my eyes as he cradled my beaten body. "I know. But I need you here more. Past is the past, but now is the test. Help me through." My exhaustion finally got to me. Paul probably didn't understand a word I said. I sighed and let myself fall into sleep.

When I woke it was dark. My body was, somehow, even sorer. Cold fingers trailed along my skin. I pulled open my eyes to find Carlisle doing something to my arm where a knife had been thrust. "You shouldn't feel this," Carlisle murmured, "but if you do I can give you medicine to fall asleep." I shook my head and watched as he wove a needle in and out of my arm. On my side, Paul lied half asleep. I spoke softly as to not wake him.

"Theo?"

Carlisle smiled sadly. "He's not able to come to you at the moment, Blake. He is alive, but barely hanging out. We are definitely through the worst. When you get better you can see him."

"No," I tried sitting up, but it was a bad idea. "I want to see him now. Take me to him." Carlisle gently shoved me down on the bed. He offered me some water that I drank dry.

"You are in worse conditions currently. All he is doing is letting his bones heal. Two more weeks and he should be up and running," Carlisle finished on my arm and sat by the bed. He looked deeply in my eyes. "What happened in there, Blake?"

I looked down, away from his gaze. "Nothing I want to speak of." I sighed.

Carlisle let out a long breath of air. "Get some rest. You have a long week ahead of you."

"What's happening next week?" I asked, unsure why they couldn't let me just rest for one day.

"Well Friday we are going to get that bracelet off and run as far from here as we can. Emmett was hoping somewhere in Canada." With that news, Carlisle stood and brushed off his pants. I couldn't believe what he just said. We were going away from LaPush. Who was including in the 'we?' How would the FBI ever fail to track us? Overall, disbelief crowded my vision. Moving would get us all killed…or worse; I'd get locked up again. I think he noticed my shaking hands. "Don't worry. We are good at evading the law." I doubted he understood how much they knew about them before I came along. It was a lot for people who were 'good at covering their tracks.' "The only thing you have to worry about is getting to and from the hospital for the baby's check up tomorrow."

My mouth opened to speak, but I couldn't force the words out. Paul's breathing grew into a steady rhythm. He was more or less happy now. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but it was terrible. Tomorrow. I promised myself that tomorrow I'd tell Paul. Carlisle on the other hand needed to know now. All I could manage was shaking my head. Carlisle's expression hardened as he reached to touch me. I shied away, glancing from Paul to Carlisle. He got my message and nodded with understanding. Mouthing 'Sorry' he left the room.

I lied awake all night long, getting no sleep. My baby was gone. We'd be gone soon. Theo was barely able to move. Mom had no idea she'd see me for the last time Thursday. We would spend the rest of our lives escaping the U.S. government. Life was cruel.

A/N: Oh my gosh! So many reviews and favorites and follows! I love it so much. I am sorry it took about a week or so to update. It's been pretty hectic here and we've lost internet a lot. So, as of right now, this was the last prewritten chapter. I have it more or less planned out in my head, but suggestions can only improve it! I'm now guessing about two more chapters, but I can probably do more. Knowing me, it could be three to four, but don't count on it. I'd love to see the same reviews/favs/follows!

Guess what, bitches? NETFLIX GOT TWILIGHT! OMG AHHHH!