Chapter 26: Friends stick together

"Bella? Please wake up. It's been 3 hours. I know that you need to rest, but I can't wait forever." I woke up to the wonderful sound of Edward's voice. I decided to keep my eyes shut to see what else he would say, but then again I didn't want to freak him out too much. I stirred a little to let him know that I will wake up soon.

"Bella? Oh thank God. I was so worried that I had lost you."

"You can't get rid of me that easily. You're stuck with me forever." I mumbled. Knowing damn good and well he could hear me.

"Can't wait." He said as he lightly kissed my forehead. My stomach was killing me. I knew that my own father had shot me. On accident I'm hoping. I didn't think he hated me that much.

"Edward? Where is Charlee?" I mumbled again. I felt his hand stiffen while holding mine. What had he done to make him nervous or afraid? What happened to the man who tried to kill my boyfriend or as he called him "a rapist"? My dad was so far away from the truth it was unbelievable.

"Edward?" I tried again. "What what happened to Charlee?"

"Bella, please don't get mad at me. I had to kill him. After you blacked out he wouldn't let up. He was still going crazy. He won't ever hurt you again. No one will." He promised me. He killed my father? Wow. My life does suck. I was never close to my father, but the thought of him dying was…well I don't really know how to describe it.

"Edward, I'm sorry."

"Huh? For what, love? You didn't do anything."

"Yes I did. I didn't go back in the room like you told me too. I just acted without thinking and that almost cost me my life. I have been making you nervous a lot lately and I hate doing that to you. I just…"

"Bella, no. I love you with everything that I am. You do worry me a lot with gravity and fate hating you and all. But to me, it's worth it. I will protect you no matter what. I know that I havnt been much of a protector lately, but that only because Charlee made a decision that I read too late. He thought it too fast. It was like I'M GOING TO SHOOT! POW! Then he shot. I just wasn't fast enough and for that I am sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You tried your best. But Edward I am going against fate. I should be dead. If it wasn't for Carlisle and you running me over here then I would be on this earth."

"But if I wouldn't have met you then I would have been kissing you, if I wouldn't have been kissing you, Charlee would have walked in the house and said, 'Oh hey Bells. How was your day?' but he didn't do that now did he?" he was really confusing me but I got the majority of what he said.

"I guess you're right." I said agreeing with him. "But that doesn't mean that it's your fault." I said.

"I know. It was actually a little bit of everyone's fault I guess." He said trying to lighten the mood. There wasn't as much tension in the room as there was before. For that, I was thankful.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Could you help me up? I want to go down stairs and see everyone."

"Hold on one second. Let me go see of Carlisle will agree." With that he darted out the room and darted right back in.

"He said that's fine." He said as he was helping me sit up. The pain in my stomach twisted. It hurt like a mother fricker. But I wasn't going to say anything to alarm Edward. I had to bend forward even more to get off the bed. I hissed at the amount of pain coursing through my body.

"Bella?" Edward asked frantically.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." I was telling him more than I was telling myself. I didn't want him to be any more worried than he already was. My stomach was twisted in pain. I felt the spot where the bullet hit me. Right in the middle of my stomach. I'm not going to lie, it hurt like a mother. But I had to be strong for Abby and Embry. For Edward. He picked me up and walked out of his room and into the impossibly long hallway. I have never really seen what it looks like up here since both times I was here I was passed out. Ironic I know. Now I was finally getting to look at the mysterious hallway that led to Edward's room. There were a lot of doors that led to different rooms. We passed a door that was very colorful. Alice's room. Another room was very romantic looking and had Emmet only. Enter at your own risk. Painted on the door. I'm guessing that that's Emmet's room. But it's just a guess. The last room was painted with pale colors and had a very nice painting next to the door of two beautiful people. It was Carlisle and his wife, Esme. I still remembered when she came to me. I wonder if she ever would again. I surely hoped so.

We finally made it down the stairs and into the living room.

"BELLA!" I was greeted with a very high pitched voice. Alice's voice.

"Hi Alice." I said.

"BELLIRINA!" Emmet said in a very obnoxious girly voice. Trying to sound like Alice, but sadly failed.

"Hi." I said.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked me.

"I'm feeling fine. My stomach just hurts."

"I know. I am so sorry that you had to go that." He soothed me.

"Edward, what happened to Abby and Embry?" I asked. I was very curious as to what happened to my friend he sent flying toward me and the other "rapist."

"Well, Embry was beaten up pretty bad and eventually passed out from exhaustion. But he should wake up soon. And Abby well she was attempting to crawl over to Embry. I don't know how that turned out though." He said.

"I have to go see her. She needs me Edward."

"Bella, I'm sorry but I can't let you go over there right now. She is going to be very mad and I can't take that chance."

"WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CANT GO SEE HER? EDWARD, SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND! I CANT EVEN GO AND SEE LINDSAY ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE STUPID ACCIDENT!" I felt calming waves come over me. I felt a little better but I didn't want too. I shot Jasper a glance that made him cringe back and stop the waves. I wanted to feel my own feelings. I wanted to be mad.

"Bella, please don't do this. I don't want you getting hurt." He defended himself.

"No Edward. Don't give me that crap! You just can't stand that my best friends are werewolves!" I yelled.

"Bella…"

"NO! I AM NOT DOING THIS! I'M GOING HOME!" I interrupted him. I couldn't stay here. I had to go see them, at least to make sure they were ok. I made a mad dash for the door, opened it out and ran out. I thought I was doing great until I ran into what felt like a rock. I felt two stone cold arms reach out and stopped the wobbling I was doing. I looked up and saw Emmet.

"Oh no you don't sister."

"Emmet, please." I begged as I started to cry.

"Oh come on Bells. Don't cry. Please don't cry. I hate tears."

"Then let me go and see my friends just to make sure they are ok." I heard him sigh. Then he looked down at me.

"Bella, if you don't come straight back. I will hunt you down. Understand?" he said seriously. I have never seen him act s serious. I bet he was only trying to put the fear of God in me. It worked.

"I promise Emmy bear." I said as I kissed him on the cheek and started walking away.

"If Edward eats me, it's on you!" he yelled.

"K!" I yelled back. He was such a douche sometimes. But you have to love him anyway. There was this hormone in your body that made you love him. I finally made on the little road that led to my house. I had this feeling that someone was watching me. I didn't know who, but I could feel eyes on me. They were burning into my back. I quickly turned around and saw Edward was walking briskly after me. He wasn't running but he was pretty close to a sprint. I started to speed up my walking. I was not going to let him drag me back to his house not when I was so close to mine. I could see my little white house in the distance. It was small, but I could still see it. I turned around and saw that he was still following me. Except he was walking very fast. I started walking as fast as my legs could carry me. I turned around and saw that no one was following me. When I turned back around I slammed into yet another rock. This time it was Edward. He steadied me and pulled me in for a passionate kiss in the middle of the street. He poured all the love and passion he could into it. As I did. His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer. I heard a growl erupt from his chest. Holy shit did he just growl? Because I was kissing him! Holy shit! I didn't know I had this much effect on a vampire.

He started to deepen the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull myself closer to him. The only problem was that I was almost in a sprint before he caught up with me so I was out of breath. I was panting for air. I needed some desperately. Edward pulled away and started kissing my neck. He went down to my collar bone and back up again. He repeated the sequence for a little while before coming up and meeting my lips again. I don't know how long we stayed like that. Edward was, of course, the one to pull away.

"The things you do to me, Bella." He said in a husky very sexy voice.

"I'm sorry." I said bluntly.

"Don't be." He said as he picked me up and started running the short distance to my house. We arrived in under 30 seconds.

He gently put me down outside the front door and I ran inside. The door was still unlocked. I couldn't believe what I saw.