Thanks so much to my lovely pre-readers Tammy, Jen, Kathie, and Traci and also to my beta Bridgette.

*I don't own these characters.

Crash

When my phone started ringing, I knew there was trouble. We had all just returned to the house, but I hadn't felt at all comfortable since watching Bella leave with Jacob and her father from my hiding spot in the woods. I wanted to follow after them, at least until they reached the border of La Push, however Emmett and Jasper told me to quit worrying and come home for awhile. Jasper wanted to discuss the fact the family may have to tell Charlie everything. I couldn't help the anxious feeling inside me. I kept looking at Alice, hoping she could see Bella, but knowing she wouldn't be able to.

When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I almost crushed it in my haste to answer.

"Bella?"

"Hurry. Need you here now. Car crashed. Dad and Jake hurt I think. Can't hold my shield much longer. Victoria."

The thoughts of my family flooded my head as I turned right around, running as fast as I could toward her. They had heard Bella's frightened words and were right behind me, but I wasn't going to wait. I had to get to her.

"Bella? Bella, tell me where you are. Please. Bella?" I shouted at the phone, wanting to make her answer me. I needed to hear her voice, to know she was alright.

But, she didn't answer.

I listened as I ran, realizing she hadn't hung up. The screeching roar of Victoria resounded through the phone. I estimated the route, speed, and time Charlie had driven toward La Push and took the shortest possible route to get to them. I had never prayed before, but at that moment I was begging all higher beings to let me get there in time.

I am going to tear Victoria to shreds and dance on her ashes.

I smelled the engine and the blood of Charlie before I heard the sweetest sound in the world.

My Bella's heartbeat.

My family was not far behind, but I registered the thoughts of Jasper and Emmett who took off in a different direction, chasing the scent of Victoria. I saw the car as I came through the tree-line. It looked as if it had been compacted in every direction.

It must have rolled over.

As I neared, Bella came into my view, her head leaning to the side and her body still wrapped in the seatbelt. I reached in through the glassless window, checking her body for cuts, bruises, or worse. It wasn't clear why she was unconscious because she didn't appear to have any bumps on her head.

Jake started moaning softly in the backseat and I looked back to see him bleeding from where his head hit the window. Glancing over quickly at Charlie revealed him still unconscious. I could already tell he had a broken leg, and I only hoped he didn't have very much internal damage. I looked at Bella again, her being my first priority.

"Bella? Can you wake up for me?" I spoke softly and gently brushed her hair back from her face.

She didn't respond and I wasn't going to wait any longer to get her out. I grabbed the smashed door, ripping it off the hinges and threw it in the ditch. I released the belt around her and carefully secured her neck, carrying her to lie flat on the grass. Although I could hear my family getting close in my thoughts, I sighed in relief when I saw them rushing toward us.

"Carlisle, check on Charlie. I think he's the most injured. Rose, can you please help Jacob?"

She growled at me in her thoughts, but I knew she would help him. I checked over Bella again, feeling and listening for any sign of injury. She didn't appear to even have a scratch. I looked at Alice, who was leaning over Bella from the other side.

"Can you see anything, Alice?"

"You know I can't."

I wanted to curse the fact her gift wouldn't work around the wolves, but it would only have made her feel worse. I looked over to see Rose pulling off the back door to get to Jake.

"Alice, start thinking now about cover stories."

We were going to have to explain a torn-apart police cruiser somehow.

Carlisle and Esme worked together, trying to get Charlie out of the car so Carlisle could properly assess his injuries. He had Esme securing the broken leg while he pulled another door off.

Edward, she's waking up.

Alice's thoughts returned my attention to Bella, whose eyes were fluttering. Her heart started beating faster as she woke. I leaned over, kissing her forehead and letting her know she was safe.

"Bella, can you hear me?"

Her beautiful eyes opened wide, as if in shock.

"Edward?"

"I'm here. Can you tell me if you're hurt?"

"I'm fine. Charlie? Jacob?"

Of course she would ask about the others first. I kissed her lips gently, before looking at her eyes again. I needed to know she was telling me the truth that she wasn't hurt.

"Carlisle is helping your dad right now, and Rose is helping Jacob."

It was at that moment all three of our heads turned, hearing Jacob start ranting at Rosalie.

"Leave me alone, Blondie. I'm good, and you're searing my nostrils."

"Well, your big mutt head is bleeding, you idiot. And believe me, you reek like month-old garbage."

I felt a thousand times better when Bella started giggling. At least we had some comic relief during this fiasco. Rose and Jacob kept bickering while I listened to Carlisle's thoughts.

Charlie knocked his head hard, Edward. He's still unconscious. I'm going to have to get him to the hospital. I can't set his leg here, and I need to get a scan of his head. I don't think he has any internal bleeding, but the cuts along his left side need stitching.

We were going to need a car.

"Alice, can you run back to the house with Esme and drive Carlisle's car here? We have to get Charlie to the hospital."

I didn't want either of them to be alone and Rose, Carlisle, and I were the only ones with medical training. There was no argument, and both of them took off before I could say another word. Bella's eyes welled up with fearful tears.

"What's wrong with Charlie? How bad is he hurt?"

"Shh, Angel. Don't worry, Carlisle's taking good care of him."

My thumbs caught the tears released from her eyes, and I breathed over her face, wanting to keep her calm.

It was then that Jacob stumbled over, still unsteady on his feet. Rose stood to the side, a frustrated look on her face and her clenched fists resting on her hips.

Stupid mutt won't sit still.

I wanted to chuckle at Rose's thoughts as Jacob approached us.

"Is she hurt?" he asked me.

"I don't think so. How are you?"

He leaned over, trying to maintain his balance. The blood from his head wound had already scabbed over. His thoughts were almost franticly scattered, wondering about Bella and Charlie, trying to decide if he should phase and check on Sam, and unsure what had happened to make the car crash.

"Damn if I'm riding in the back of a car again. It fucks with my senses. It was that red-headed leech, wasn't it? She attacked the car?" Jacob was looking at Bella, wondering what she had seen. Bella squeezed my hand, and I helped her sit up.

"Yes, it was Victoria. She's after me. I put up my shield around the three of us. She couldn't get through it, but it wore me out." She looked at me again. "Thanks for getting here before she could attack again. I wouldn't have been able to stop her," she said, shivering in my arms. Rose walked over and flipped the trunk open, grabbing a blanket and placing it around Bella.

I need to phase and check on Sam. I shouldn't have left him alone for so long.

I nodded at Jacob, who took off running to the woods.

"Where is he going?" Bella asked me.

"He needs to check on Sam. He's phasing in the woods."

Rosalie snorted.

Tell Blondie I heard that.

I shook my head at the two of them, keeping Bella steady while she tried to get to her feet. I didn't think she should be trying to exert herself too much, but assumed she wanted to see Charlie. He and Carlisle were on the other side of the wreckage.

Jacob re-appeared in his wolf form.

Sam's with Embry. I should go be with them. We'll follow Victoria's scent again; this will be Embry's first time out.

My phone vibrating in my pocket interrupted Jacob's thoughts. It was Jasper.

"Hey."

"We caught her scent and followed to the north end of the border. She went in the water again. She's in their territory."

She was back on the reservation. I needed to tell Jacob.

"Alright, Alice and Esme should be back here in a minute with the car. We have to get Charlie to the hospital. Can you guys come and help clean up this wreck? I'm sure Alice has a cover story concocted by now."

We were lucky no other vehicles had come through on the road yet.

"We're on our way back. Is Bella alright?"

"Yes, she's fine. She used her shield and protected them from Victoria."

I pulled her tighter to me, still upset she had been that close to danger. Jasper hung up after saying they would be arriving shortly. I looked over at Jacob.

"She's back on your territory. Her scent disappeared in the water again."

Alright, I'm going to go investigate. I'm not sure what to do about Charlie and my dad. Can you let me know what happens at the hospital?

"Yes, I'll call you when we find out the extent of his injuries. We're going to have to fix this scene with the car. It's probably safest to say you don't know anything about it and were never in the car. I'll let you know the story when we figure out what to do."

Got it.

At least he understood we all had to lie at times, trying to keep our true natures a secret.

Tell Blondie she makes a good Nurse Ratched.

Rose narrowed her eyes at Jacob. The deep sounds coming from his chest actually sounded like canine chuckles. I couldn't suppress the smile that emerged on my face.

"Shut up," Rose muttered at him.

His mouth opened, revealing his dropped tongue as if he were sticking it out at her, before he turned and ran off. He laughed in his thoughts until I couldn't hear him any longer.

"What was all that about?" Bella asked. I shook my head.

"Just Jacob trying to irritate Rose. Come on, let's get you over to see Charlie. Alice and Esme will be here momentarily."

I kept a hold of her as we walked around the wreck. Carlisle had cleaned Charlie up as much as possible and had fashioned a splint of sorts from a branch to keep his leg stabilized. Bella knelt down beside her father.

"Dad? Wake up, Dad. Can you hear me?"

Carlisle watched her with caring eyes while I rubbed her back. I hated that she had to see Charlie like that.

It was then Esme and Alice pulled up, Jasper and Emmett arriving on foot at the same time. Alice rushed over to Bella, and I saw in her thoughts Charlie was going to be just fine.

"Bella, he's going to wake up on the way to the hospital. He's going to be okay. He'll be fussing about the broken leg, but he'll be fine otherwise."

Bella hugged Alice and nodded, holding back the tears that threatened to stream down again.

Alice began shuffling people around, giving out orders. I helped Carlisle get Charlie into the back seat and sat with him while Bella rode up front with Carlisle. Esme stayed behind with Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett to set the scene for a believable car accident.

Edward, you have to explain to Charlie he needs to say he tried to avoid a herd of deer which came out of nowhere. We'll fix the scene to look like he hit a couple while swerving, and the car rolled. You can tell him what really happened, but people will think he's crazy if he says some unexplainable force rammed into the side of the car. That's what he thinks happened right now. Have Carlisle explain to the hospital workers you and he happened to be driving by, saw the wreck, and didn't want to wait for the ambulance.

I nodded to Alice as we drove away, letting her know I would do as she asked. I explained to Carlisle everything she had told me as he drove quickly toward Forks.

Just as she predicted, we were nearly to the hospital when Charlie started waking up. Bella turned around in her seat, holding onto his hand. I tried to keep him as steady as I could. His thoughts were even more unclear to me than they normally were.

"Dad, can you hear me?"

I ached, hearing the pleading tone of her voice.

"Bella?" Charlie's raspy voice came out soft and low, but we all heard him.

"You're going to be alright, Dad. We're almost to the hospital. Please stay as still as you can."

His eyes remained shut, but winced as he brought his hand up to feel the injury where his head had hit the window.

"Bella? Jake?" He seemed confused as to where he was. I motioned for Bella to keep talking to him.

"We're both just fine, Dad. We're not hurt."

"What happened? The car…we hit something. No…something hit us. I don't know."

Bella looked at me, silently asking me what to say to his rambling. I wasn't sure if I should speak. Charlie might not have reacted well knowing he was being taken care of by vampires. We had to get his leg fixed, then decide when and where to talk to him. Bella seemed to realize the reason for my hesitation.

"Dad, just relax. We're almost there."

We pulled up to the emergency room entrance, and Carlisle quickly went in to alert the staff and bring out a gurney. I heard him explain quietly the Chief was injured in a car accident and needed immediate surgery to fix a leg fracture. The thoughts of the staff ranged from sorrow the Chief was hurt, to excitement that something interesting occurred to gossip about. Nobody appeared suspicious about Carlisle's bringing Charlie in, rather than calling an ambulance.

Carlisle and a few other employees emerged, and I helped them put Charlie on the bed. They took him inside immediately, and I took hold of Bella's hand to walk with her as we followed. Carlisle placed Charlie in a private room and issued instructions to the staff. Charlie was still fuzzy on exactly what was going on.

Edward, I need Bella to come talk to Charlie. Have her ask him if we have permission to perform surgery on his leg. He's going to be out of it soon with the pain meds we're giving him.

"Bella, talk to your dad. Tell him to give permission for them to fix his leg." I talked softly in her ear. She nodded before walking over to the side of the bed and rubbing Charlie's hand.

"Dad, is it alright for the doctors to put you under to fix your leg?"

Charlie looked at Bella and then warily at Carlisle. Bella leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Dad, I promise you everything is fine. Carlisle's going to take good care of you, and we'll talk about all of it when you wake up."

Carlisle and I heard every word she said, even though nobody else did. Charlie watched her for a moment. His mind was still in a state of disbelief about us, but he did understand there was something different about my family. He finally nodded to Bella, looking first at me and then at Carlisle.

"Dr. Cullen, go ahead and do what you have to do to fix me up. We'll talk afterwards."

"Alright, Charlie."

Carlisle then asked me to take Bella to the waiting area while they sedated Charlie and took him to surgery. She gave him a kiss on the cheek as he slipped into unconsciousness from the drugs. I grasped her hand in mine and pulled her toward the door. We sat down in a waiting area, not speaking at all for several minutes. I felt her hand squeeze mine every once in a while. I watched her, staring straight ahead, deep in thought.

How could the only mind in the world I want to read be the only mind closed off to me?

"Bella, what are you thinking?"

She chuckled a little and shook her head.

"You will laugh if I tell you."

That made me even more curious. I leaned over close to her face, my nose sliding along her jaw.

"Tell me," I breathed in her ear.

Her immediate arousal made me want to sneak her into some empty room or closet. I tried to contain my recently unearthed lustful nature, considering it probably wasn't the best time to seduce her...her father in the middle of surgery and all.

"Mmmm, Edward."

Her closed eyes, soft words and smile turned me on even more. I clenched my fists to keep myself from fondling her openly in public.

"Bella?"

She turned and looked at me, remembering I had asked her a question.

"Oh, it's silly. I was just thinking about how I was going to manage a disabled Charlie at home. It's not going to be easy getting him up and down those stairs with a broken leg."

I didn't even have a chance to reply before my phone started vibrating in my pocket.

Alice.

"Tell Bella it's all going to work out," Alice's voice rang out almost giddily.

What was she so excited about?

"What have you seen, Alice?" I shrugged when Bella looked at me questioningly.

She spoke fast, and I couldn't help getting excited myself from her vision. As soon as I ended the call, I stood and pulled Bella to walk with me. I listened to the thoughts of the employees and finally found a small, uninhabited room. I slipped Bella inside and followed, closing the door behind us. She turned around and stared at me.

"What's going on?"

I walked over and picked her up to set her on the bed and stand between her legs. I placed one hand on the back of her neck, the other around her back, pressing her close to me. My mouth sought hers, giving her a kiss so electrifying it almost brought me to my knees. I had to ease back, or I was going to pull her jeans off and take her right there. My forehead leaned against hers, while we both panted in excitement.

"First, Charlie's going to be just fine. Alice said he'll be done in about twenty minutes and will wake up soon after. His head scans will be normal; his only major injury being the leg. He'll be in a hard, full-leg cast for six weeks."

She looked relieved from my words, and I kissed her small smile.

"Second, Charlie's going to be released tomorrow. He'll be able to return home and the whole family will tell him the truth. He's going to listen to you and to me and will be mostly understanding."

I couldn't hide my happiness that I would have Charlie's blessing. I realized we had a lot of explaining to do, but knowing there was a good chance in the end he would approve of me really meant a lot.

"He's really going to be alright with everything?" She exhaled in relief and looked at me again. "What about Billy?"

"I'm not sure exactly. Alice didn't mention him. I'm sure we'll still have to deal with him in some capacity, but at least we know Charlie will be open to us."

She bit her lip, and I gently pulled it from her teeth with my thumb.

"What about the Volturi, Edward? Will Charlie be in danger if he has this knowledge?"

"Well, he has already been told about us from Billy. Our hand is forced now. The only thing we can do now is make sure he has the real information. We'll protect him, Bella. I promise." I kissed her once more until she seemed calm again.

"One more big surprise for Charlie. As we speak, the rest of the family is working on adding a large bedroom and bathroom area off of the living room of your house. Charlie's going to be worried when he wakes up about how he's going to manage getting around and about you. You get to tell him everything will be fine at home, and it will be no problem for him to get around."

She surprised me by throwing her arms around my neck and sniffling back tears. I rubbed her back, hoping she wasn't upset. I thought she would be happy with the news.

"Is that alright, Bella? They just want to make sure Charlie is as comfortable as possible," I explained. She laughed through the sniffles.

"Edward, it means so much they would do this. It takes so much worry away. I can't wait to see Charlie's face when I tell him. Will it really be ready by tomorrow?"

"Yes, they're going to work through the evening, night and morning, finishing it all. It's going to be in the back, off of the living room, so there shouldn't be any suspicion from neighbors, plus the family can move things in and out through the woods. It will be great. You know Esme will have everything he could possibly need in there. Alice told me Esme had wanted to bring you and Charlie both to stay at our place until he could move better, but Charlie would be more comfortable being at home. So this was the best option."

She nodded in agreement, knowing her father better than anyone.

"I can't wait to hug them and thank them," she said softly.

I took the opportunity of having her arms around me and her face buried to kiss the long line of her exposed neck. The resounding moan coming from her chest made me ache with desire. My hands moved down her back, reaching her firm bottom, pressing her even closer to me. I fought for sanity as the scent of her arousal drove me to the brink. Knowing Carlisle would be looking for us soon, I released my grip on her and took deep breaths to calm myself down. Bella certainly wasn't helping matters by clinging to me and whispering in my ear.

"Come on, Edward. I need you. I can be quiet."

Hmmm, we did have the quiet routine down pat.

"Bella, Carlisle's going to be coming out to get us in about five minutes," I pointed out.

"Then go fast."

I growled at that point. She was driving me crazy. I listened to the minds in the area and nobody seemed close to entering the room or even aware we were in there. The debate in my mind was decided when she nibbled on my earlobe and her fingers worked to unbutton my pants. I had her shoes and pants off her in three seconds.

"You want fast, my Bella?"

I kissed her, swallowing her answer before she could speak it. I lowered my own pants and boxers, feeling them fall around my feet. I was hard and throbbing, eager to be inside her. I guided myself slowly into her heat, loving the way she felt soft, wet, and warm around me.

Once I knew she was comfortable taking all of me in, I placed my hands on her hips, pulling her to sit just on the edge of the bed. A fast and frantic rhythm took over as I pounded into her. I was relatively sure we couldn't define our quick and desperate connection as making love. It was our outlet for release after a tenuous and stressful day; each of us giving our other half the pleasure we needed.

My body had become so attuned to each and every nuance of hers, from sounds to muscle twitches. I didn't try to draw out the experience or savor the build-up. We simply didn't have the time. I felt Bella getting closer to her orgasm with each thrust, and my body was responding in kind. I kept part of my mind focused on listening for any possible interruptions while muffling Bella's unintentional cries or moans she couldn't help but release.

The only sounds around the room were the slaps from our skin contact and the creak of the hospital bed as we came together on it. I moved my lips close to her ear.

"Do you like this, Bella? Are you close? Does it feel good...hard and fast? Come for me, baby," I whispered, knowing the words she liked to hear would set her off.

Her mouth sought my neck, and the hot breath from her moan released on my skin. She clamped down around me, her fingers gripping my back as her orgasm took control. I kissed her again, keeping her pleasure just for me to enjoy. My own high came soon after, and I slowed my thrusts, spilling myself inside her.

We couldn't take the time we wanted to enjoy the afterglow. I pulled out of her with a hiss, securing my pants back in their rightful spot before helping Bella dress again. She giggled when I placed her back on the floor.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Nothing. I'm just going to take these sheets off the bed so no patients will have to be subjected to our sexcapades."

I grinned and shook my head as she rolled the sheets up and tossed them next to the wall for the janitorial staff. I felt amazing after that release and hoped Bella did as well.

I know you two are in there. Come on out.

Carlisle's thoughts interrupted my high.

Uh oh.

I grabbed Bella's hand in mine, and she looked up. I gave her a small smile.

"We have company."

Her eyes widened a little, and I rubbed her hand with my thumb to keep her calm.

Carlisle greeted us in the hallway as we walked out of the room. Luckily, it was only with a smirk and a shake of his head. Bella, however, turned the shade of a tomato.

Carlisle did not mention our activities, nor Bella's embarrassment. He eased her discomfort by immediately telling her all about Charlie. There was nothing different than what I had already revealed to her from Alice. I followed his explanation by filling him in on what the family was doing at the Swan residence.

He led us to the recovery area, where Bella got to see Charlie waking up. We then followed Carlisle when he took Charlie to his room. As we neared, my phone vibrated again.

"It's Jacob," I told her.

"Answer it. I need to talk to Charlie alone for a minute anyway. I'll come out when I'm finished."

I lifted her hand to kiss it before watching her walk in. I answered the phone, pacing in the hallway outside Charlie's room.

"Hello, Jacob."

"Hey. I have news from Paul."

"So, he's awake?"

"Yes. He's doing a lot better. Almost back to normal actually."

"That's good to hear. I'll tell Carlisle. Charlie's fine, by the way. He just got out of surgery. His leg will be casted for a while, but otherwise he is good."

"I'm glad. I should have been able to stop that bitch." I heard the regret in his voice.

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, well….anyway, I saw the cops come and tow away Charlie's crushed cruiser. How are you guys explaining that?"

"Just an accident. Charlie is going to say he tried to swerve to miss hitting a herd of deer. That seems to be the best and most believable explanation."

"I should warn you my father will likely be showing up at the hospital at some point. He's called Harry Clearwater to drive him up there."

"Alright. I'll let Bella know. So, what did Paul say?"

"It was Victoria and the dread-head. He snuck up on them because they were fighting tooth and nail. Paul said she was ready to rip the dude's head off, calling him out for betrayal because she read something about him abandoning her and some James guy and taking off for Alaska."

I listened intently to every word Jacob said. It made me wonder if Laurent may have gone ahead and tried to flee to the north.

"But Paul interrupted them?"

"Yeah, he said he thought he had a clear shot to take out Ginger because she was so pre-occupied trying to off the other guy. But at the last second, she turned on Paul and knocked him across the river. He doesn't remember anything after that."

I wanted to point out that it was stupid of Paul to try and take out two vampires alone even if they were distracted, but I held my tongue. It was still more information than we had before.

"Have you picked up anymore of Victoria's scent?"

"We traced her from where she left the car accident. We smelled your two brothers, also. But, she disappeared in the water again. We haven't found anything more, but we'll be patrolling our area all night."

"Okay. Thanks, Jacob. Charlie won't be released until tomorrow so I'll be staying with Bella, whether she decides to remain here at the hospital overnight or at home. Just let me know if you find anything more."

"I will. You do the same for me. Um, are you guys going to talk to Charlie about…you know."

"Yeah, we're going to tell him everything tomorrow when he gets home."

"Well, good luck."

I thanked him, and we hung up. Jacob really was an ally to us.

Now, if we could only make his father see reason.

I listened to my Bella talking with her father inside the room. Charlie was still groggy from his sedation, but seemed to be taking in the information she was giving him. She told him he needed to explain about swerving to miss the deer. He agreed, but demanded to be told what really happened. She promised everything would be revealed to him when they got home.

He couldn't believe my family was helping re-fashion his house to ease his recuperation. His mind was grateful and even humbled, not to mention relieved. Since he woke up, he had been extremely worried about how he was going to manage, not wanting to put that kind of burden on Bella.

Carlisle joined me as I stood in the hallway waiting for Bella to re-appear. We smiled, hearing the two of them conversing. But the joy was short-lived. Carlisle noticed my expression turn dark and asked me what was wrong. His eyes followed mine when I turned my head toward the elevator.

The door opened, and he understood seeing the two men coming toward us.

Billy Black and Harry Clearwater.

AN: So, Charlie and Jacob ended up relatively unhurt. What do you think of the Cullens helping cover up the wreckage scene and fixing up the Swan house to aid Charlie's recuperation? What about the information that Paul revealed to Jake?

What will happen when the Cullens talk to Charlie? What will Billy and Harry say to him in the hospital?

Let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for the chats, help and advice of these lovely writers I have had the pleasure of WCing with recently: BookishQua, mamabean, vampiremama, LyricalKris, Perry Maxwell, VirginiaMay, SaritaDreaming, Lovelybrutal, yellowglue, and duhitsangie. Please check out their stories!

Fic Recs:

If you want another canon/AU, try out EAC: The Journal of Edward Cullen by katmom

In the mood for some AH E x B angst? Try out a new story called Unrequited by Perry Maxwell

Both links can be found in my favorites!