A/N: Surprise! A bonus update today to say thank you to all my amazing, awesome, fabulous readers for Forged reaching 1,000 reviews! The lovely Lizzie Page was review #1,000, so an extra nod goes to her.
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Bella
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"Edward, take me home." All I want is for him to take me away from here, to go back home, away from all of this, and have my baby where it's safe.
"Soon, Bella. We have a few things to sort out before we can leave. First, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He's checking me over, looking for injuries, his hands running all over me. I reach out to still them.
"I'm fine. I just want to go home." His arms go around me, holding me tightly to his chest, and I feel him kiss the top my head.
"We'll go soon." He hesitates before speaking again. "Bella? Are you sure Jacob didn't hurt you? You've been locked in this room for days with-"
"I said I was fine. He didn't do anything. He was nothing but helpful and kind. We talked, he apologized, and I've...made peace with what happened." I hesitate because I know he won't like what I have to say. "He wasn't in his right mind when he attacked me."
"Fucker wasn't in his right..." he mumbles to himself, shaking his head. Holding me just far enough away from him to look me in the eyes, he continues; this time with more fire behind his words. "Exactly, so how do I know if he's in his right mind now?" He's very rarely raised his voice at me before, and I know he regrets it the moment he does. He closes his eyes, taking a long deep breath before speaking once more. Opening them, I see his remorse. "Look, I'm sorry; I just need to make sure you're okay. I almost lost my damn mind when you were taken. The thought of you trapped here with the guy that tried to... God, so much could've happened to you." He pulls me close again, squeezing me tighter.
"Nothing happened. We talked; he made sure I ate enough, made sure I stayed warm." He looks down at me, his eyes flashing with accusation.
"What the fuck do you mean, he made sure you stayed warm?"
"It was really cold in here the last several nights, and we-"
"You what, Bella?" he cuts me off before I can continue.
"He offered to help me stay warm. He stayed on his side of the blankets, and I stayed on mine."
"You...you shared a bed with him? Blankets? You couldn't find more goddamn blankets?"
"Shh!" I look around to see if anyone notices our argument, then back to the angry man before me. "And no, we didn't have any more blankets, Edward! We were locked in a room together, with no way out, remember? It's not like I could ask for anything."
"How could you let that asshole that close to you? I swear to God I'll kill that fucker with my bare hands! Did you magically forget what he did? Did you forget the months of sleepless nights you had? The bruises? The hours of therapy sessions and nightmares; when I had to hold you until you stopped crying because that bastard almost rap-"
"No, I didn't forget!" My raised voice has attracted attention from the others in the room. Reaching down to grab his hand, I lead him over to a quiet corner, away from the chaos surrounding Riley.
"Then how could you let him near you, Bella?" he growls. "You know how I feel about him, about what he did." He's holding back; his jaw is tense, and I can see he's grinding his teeth together, but he's making an effort to keep his temper in check.
"I let him near me because I was thinking about my health and the baby. I was cold and alone, and scared to death. I thought I'd never see you again! I didn't know what they were going to do to me or the baby; if they were going to kill me and do horrible things to our child." My voice cracks, the sobs welling up inside me. "I did what I had to do to get through it. I know it wasn't ideal, but I did the best I could." I can no longer keep the tears from falling from my eyes; the weight of everything that's happened closing in on me. My voice is only a hoarse whisper. "I didn't encourage him. He was just...someone from home, someone familiar. Edward... You have to believe me, please."
"Come here." He pulls me into his arms, holding me to his chest. "Of course I believe you. I just... Ugh! I don't trust him. And I don't believe for one fucking second that he's changed. He hurt you so badly. Then to know you were locked in here with him. I know you did what you thought you had to do, but I just..." He closes his eyes, resting his forehead against mine. He tries to calm himself with deep, even breaths. When he speaks again, his voice is low, pained.
"I just don't understand how you can just forgive him for what he did to you."
"Maybe forgiveness is too generous, then. But...I've made peace with it; I have to, Edward. I can't let that anger and hatred eat away at me anymore, regardless if we think he's really remorseful. We have more important things to focus on right now anyway. I know you don't understand it, but I need to move on...for me."
"You're right, I don't understand. And I don't think I ever will. You might be able to move past it, but I can't yet. I... Baby, I just need time to process all this. So much has happened. I'm just so fucking thankful you're all right. As long as he didn't hurt you while you were locked in here, then I can let it go...for now." His arms squeeze me closer to him. "I hate that I couldn't be here sooner, couldn't stop it in the first place. I'll never forgive myself for not protecting you from being taken. So, don't be freaked out if I'm a little overprotective and I don't let you out of my sight for a while, if ever." Looking up at him, I see the truth of his words in his eyes. Bringing my lips to his, our kiss is sweet but full of promise. It's over too quickly, though, as we're mindful of our audience. When he pulls away, he rests his forehead on mine again, his eyes closed. "I was so fucking worried I'd lost you." The pain in his voice is clear.
"You didn't. I'm right here." I try to soothe him, my hands stroking his face. When his eyes open again, I'm lost in a sea of green. A commotion from the other side of the room, though, gets our attention. Emmett and Jasper seem to be arguing about something, getting everyone riled up.
"I need to sort this all out so we can get you home, all right?"
"Yeah, okay." He makes sure I'm steady on my feet before loosening his hold on me.
"Will you be okay to stay with Rose and Seth for a while?"
I just nod as he grasps the back of my neck, kissing me once again on the forehead, lingering just a little.
"I'll be fine." Looking over at Rose, I ask, "Can we maybe go wait with Kate and Garrett while they deal with all this?" I motion in the general direction of the chaos in the room.
"Of course." She turns to Edward. "We'll be next door. Don't kill anyone while we're gone."
"Yeah, yeah, I won't." She gives him an unbelieving look. "Damnit, Rose, I won't." The hard stare that passes between them communicates something I can't decode.
When she seems satisfied with his answer, she huffs. "Fine. We'll be next door when you figure out all the details."
She leads the way, and I waddle behind her, passing the crowd that seems to have formed in the room; Seth right behind me.
Walking into Kate's room, I feel relief wash over me when I see them all. She rushes over to me, her arms wide.
"Oh, Bella! I'm so glad you're okay!" She's squeezing me as best she can with my belly between us. She's sniffling, a sure sign that she's either crying or is about to.
"I'm all right." She pulls away a bit, her expression tells me she's unconvinced. "Really, I am."
"You're sure?" She's searching my eyes.
"Absolutely." Feeling the need to change the subject, I turn my attention to my favorite little person. I reach my hand out to touch him. "Hi Benjamin, I missed seeing you." As expected, he buries his face in his daddy's neck, probably scared and confused about everything that's happened today. I just rub his back, but don't press him to interact with me.
"He's been like this since the first gunshot went off." Garrett, cradling his son to him, seems visibly upset, if not exhausted by the ordeal; probably more so mentally than physically.
"If I could hide away until it was all over, I would too." It's said only slightly in jest.
Seeing that I won't get a smile from Ben and that Kate and Rose have started up a conversation, I decide to curl up on one of the beds in the room. I'm really not in a talking mood anyway. I've been so anxious for today to come that I didn't sleep much the last two nights. Telling myself I'm only going to close my eyes to rest, I curl into the blankets and let the warmth surround me. The quiet murmurs in the room are the last things I hear as I drift off to sleep.
I don't know how much time has passed before I wake to the sound of my husband's voice.
"No, we'll wait until morning."
"Morning? You can't be serious? I've been here, God only knows how long, and my wife and son even longer. Who the fuck put you in charge anyway?" Their voices are low, but Garrett's tone is one I've never heard from him before.
"Me, all right! I put myself in charge! I wasn't going to put my wife's life in someone else's hands. I didn't want to give anyone the chance to fuck it up."
Sensing the tension in the room, I decide to feign sleep a little longer, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever has them so upset.
"I think the two of you need to take a step back. And Garrett, really dude, what's your problem? You could at least show a little goddamn appreciation for what everybody did to find you." Emmett's irritated plea must be falling on deaf ears because Garrett doesn't respond.
"Seriously man, I'm not sure I'd be going home if these guys hadn't come to look for all of you. I mean, yeah, their main search was for Bella, but if they hadn't come, I'd still be holed up with Newton just waiting for him to either die or somehow get strong enough to walk a hundred miles back home. Hell, I could've died myself, seeing how there was barely enough food for us." Jasper's attempt at reasoning with Garrett goes unanswered as well.
After what seems like several minutes, he finally speaks.
"Look, I've been locked in one fucking room for what, weeks? The same four walls, a teething baby, and dealing with assholes on a daily basis. Conditions like that have a way of getting to a man. I'm not sure saying I'm anxious to leave is strong enough. Honestly, it feels like I'm crawling out of my skin just to get the hell outta here. I'm sorry I'm acting like an asshole, but I just want to get my family home."
"I get it. Really I do, man. Bella's less than a few weeks from delivering, so I know how you feel about going home. But I still think you need to use your goddamn brain and think about it before you go running off half-cocked and unprepared!"
Edward's voice is loud enough now that I can't pretend to be asleep any longer. Sitting up on the edge of the bed, well, trying to, I feel a dull, aching pain low in my belly.
"Ow!" The word combined with a hiss gets the attention of all four men, and pulls them away from their argument.
"Are you okay, Bella? Is the baby okay?" Edward is sitting at my side before I can blink, his hand trying to rub the pain away.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a twinge." I try to reassure him with a smile, but I'm sure it looks more like a grimace. His unbelieving stare tells me he didn't buy it. "Really, I'm fine, I promise. I've been having them for a few days, so it's nothing new."
"What do you mean, a few days? And why didn't you tell me?" He's quickly on his feet, staring down at me, his eyes wide. "Oh, God, are you in labor?" He's almost shouting now, a panicked look on his face.
"No, Edward, I'm not in labor. They're just Braxton Hicks contractions. It's my body getting ready. There's nothing to worry about. And I didn't tell you because it isn't important right now."
"Like hell, it isn't!" I had forgotten we weren't alone, Garrett making his presence known. Emmett and Jasper seem to have taken off; the talk of labor and contractions must've been too much for them.
Edward's head whips back and forth between Garrett and me.
"Will one of you tell me what in the hell you're talking about? Any kind of contractions sound serious Bella. How do you know you're not in labor?"
With a resigned sigh, I look at my poor husband, really look at him. He looks thin, disheveled, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hasn't slept well in weeks. He's been through so much to reach me, I don't have the heart to be condescending toward him.
"Edward, in the last month or two of pregnancy, your body starts to get things ready for the delivery. Like a warm up before the big day. It's nothing to worry about." I hold my hand out to him, hoping he'll take it. As he does, Garrett chooses that moment to speak.
"Or it could mean you'll be in full on labor by tonight!"
Edward's expression is serious as he helps me to my feet.
"Is he right, Bella? Could you be going into labor soon?" He's ducked his face down, catching my eyes.
I huff out a breath.
"I'm not having any other signs or symptoms telling me that it'll be soon, but things can change. Yes, I could be in labor tonight, but I'll more than likely be pregnant for at least a couple more weeks. It's not time yet, Edward. Relax, I'll be fine." My placating doesn't seem to be working, though, judging by the look on his face. He's just staring at me, his eyes narrowed, questioning.
"If something feels off you'll tell me?"
"Yes, I'll tell you."
"Lotta good it'll do you if she goes into labor while we're fifty miles from here and back in the forest," Garrett says while pointing at me, irritation clear in his voice and posture.
Edward is quiet for a moment, still staring at me.
"Maybe we should just stay until you deliver."
"No!"
"What?" Garrett and I speak over each other, neither of us liking the suggestion...at all.
"Bella, I have to put your safety first. It's a long trip. I mean, even if we take the wagon, it's still a long way to go with you bouncing around in the back of it."
I'm shaking my head and answering him before he can say anymore.
"No, I'm not staying here any longer than necessary. Even if I happen to go into labor on the way home, it's a risk I'm willing to take if it means leaving this place. Even if there were only a small chance I'd make it home before I deliver, I'm taking it. Please, Edward. Please."
He's still looking at me, deciding.
"I don't give a shit what you two decide to do, but I'm taking my family and leaving." Garrett's statement gets Edward's attention off me, and back to him.
"Look, it's not just you and your family, Garrett. A lot of people need to get home, and in one piece. We have my pregnant wife, injured people, prisoners, even a baby to get back safely, and I'm not taking any chances by jumping the gun on this. We'll discuss it as a group, and make the best decision for everyone. Does that work for you?" His ending remark was said with sarcasm, and I can see the stress rising in him. I reach over and grab his hand, hoping to calm him a little.
"Whatever," Garrett says as he turns to leave the room.
"Hey," I say softly.
He turns to me, his expression softening instantly.
"It'll be fine, Edward. It should take, what, a week to get home?"
"Roughly. But, if we take the wagon, it might even be longer. I'm not sure how fast that horse can go. But it'll be several days at least."
"Okay, then we do what we need to do, and then we leave. The sooner we get home, the better." I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him. It starts as a chaste, innocent kiss, but quickly turns heated. What feels like weeks, even though it's only been days, have passed since we've kissed like this. My hands have found their way into his hair, and his have found purchase on my hips, holding me close. When I feel him begin to move, guiding us back toward the bed, I know it isn't the time or place for this. Thankfully, we're interrupted by the clearing of a throat.
"Hate to break up the party, but the natives are growing restless, Edward. You need to go down there and break it up. Emmett and Jasper don't see eye to eye on how to deal with our detainees, and it's turning into a pissing contest." Glancing in Rose's direction, I see the irritation on her face.
Looking back at Edward, his eyes are closed.
"Well, that didn't take long. Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." When his eyes finally open, I see a mix of emotions; frustration, desire, exhaustion. "Come on, let's get this done. I'm ready to go home."
He starts to walk away, pulling my hand is his behind him. When my feet don't move, he turns back to look at me with a questioning look. "What's wrong?"
"Do I need to be in there?"
"Don't you want to be there?"
I just shrug my shoulder, unsure how I feel about being in a room with all the people responsible for taking me from my home.
"Tell ya what, come with me, give us your input and then you can come back in here. Deal?"
With a quick nod, I agree, and we're on our way to get this over with.
Walking in, I see that they must have Alec, Jane, and the others in another room. I can also see that Rose was right. Emmett and Jasper have taken up position on opposite sides of the room, arms crossed, defiance rolling off both of them.
"What the fuck is going on in here? I check on my wife for ten goddamn minutes, and the two of you decide to go at it?"
Looking at my husband, it's as if I can see him change before my eyes. He stands taller, his shoulders squared, on his face a look of authority. I've never seen him like this; in charge. I have this sudden urge to drag him away and lock him in a room and have my way with him. I snicker to myself, shaking my head. This is hardly the time or the place for thoughts like that. Emmett's voice pulls me from my internal musings.
"Whitlock here wants to line them up and just pop one off into each of 'em."
My wide eyes fly to Jasper. I've known him for several years now, and I never figured he'd be the type to seek that kind of retribution. He's always been so quiet, and even-tempered. As if he were answering my unasked questions, he speaks up.
"You didn't watch two people die at their hands." It's the loudest I've ever heard his voice. "They tried to kill Mike and would've shot me too if they'd had a clear shot. Absolutely no good can come from keeping them alive! They're all monsters! And you want to drag them back home?"
The whole space erupts into a giant argument, with everyone shouting over each other.
"Enough!" Edward's voice shuts everyone up, and a quiet settles over the room; tensions high.
"Jasper, if we do that, it makes us no better than them." My timid voice breaks the tense silence. Looking right into his eyes, I try to see the man I know, my friend. "Can you live with that? Will you be able to look your child in the eye one day and tell him what you've done and have no regrets?"
His eyes fall to his feet, his arms still crossed in a defensive pose. In fact, everyone visibly backs down from the fight. Thankfully, Edward decides to step in, blowing out a breath before speaking.
"Bella's right. If we unilaterally make that decision based on emotions and not facts, we are no better than them. No, I won't be a part of that." He's shaking his head. "And believe me; I've got more reason to want to end them than most of you. Besides, Charlie will want to question them. From what I gather from what's been said, there's a bigger picture here, and we need answers."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Surprisingly it's Leah that's spoken up, and she sounds angry. She looks ready for a fight too, Sam standing behind her. His hands are on her shoulders, seemingly holding her back.
Edward's eyes scan the room, before landing on me.
"I do have an idea, but I thought I'd run it past everyone first."
"Well, it's nice to know you remember the rest of us have a say in this." Garrett still looks as pissed as he did when he stormed out of the room earlier.
"Okay, look, my suggestion is breaking into smaller groups to head home. Those who are able bodied and need to go at their own pace in one group. I was thinking Garrett, Kate, Sam, and Leah could leave together. Emmett and Jasper, if you two can keep from killing each other, or anyone else," his eyes dart between the two men in question. "You two can take Tyler, Brady, and Embry to get the prisoners home, well, except for Riley since he's injured. Rose, I'd feel better if you came with Bella and me, in case Bella needs you. Is that all right with you?"
"Sure," she says with a smile in my direction.
"That leaves Seth, and me to drive the wagon back with Bella, Mike, and Riley in it."
Realizing he's forgotten to assign Jacob to a group, I speak up, albeit quietly.
"Edward, what about Jacob?"
Watching his jaw tense with the mention of Jacob's name, I know he's still struggling to keep his composure. I can almost hear the gears in his head turn, and I see the moment that he makes his decision.
"Well, I could send him with the other prisoners, but I want to personally make sure he gets back. He's got charges a trial to deal with once we get home, and I want to make sure he's there to face them. He'll walk with us so I can keep an eye on him. One step out of line, though, and I won't think twice about shooting him."
My wide eyes must show my surprise.
"Don't look at me like that, Bella. Just because he was being held prisoner here, doesn't negate what's waiting for him at home. He still has to face the charges against him. And if he tries to take off, or God forbid tries to hurt someone else, I won't hesitate to put a bullet through his head."
I just nod, knowing that arguing about it now isn't going to get us anywhere.
"Does anyone have any objections to that?" He looks around at the faces of our friends. It's then that I realize how many are in here with us. The only one missing is Tyler. He must be guarding the other room.
Everyone shakes their heads, all seeming to be in agreement.
"Now, there was another issue that Garrett and I disagreed on, and I want everyone's input on it. He's ready to leave now, today, and I say we wait until morning. Any votes one way or another?"
It's Seth that answers first.
"Um, didn't you say that we were splitting into groups?"
Edward nods. "I did."
"Then does it matter when we all decide to leave? Couldn't each group decide that for themselves?"
Edward snickers. "Yeah, I guess they could. Okay, so Garrett, Kate, Sam, Leah, if you want to leave tonight I won't stop you." I watch the four of them huddle together to talk it over. Looking back to Emmett and Jasper, Edward continues.
"And you two, get with the rest of your group and decide. You'll have six prisoners to deal with, so you might need to plan out shifts and stuff."
"Uh, Edward, even if we count Jacob, that's only five prisoners." Jasper shakes his head in confusion.
"What do you mean five? I'll have Riley with me, and I shot Stefan outside of Garret's room. That leaves Alec, Jane, Marcus, Felix, and Demetri." He's counting them off with his fingers.
Emmett and Jasper exchange a look, but it's Emmett that speaks first.
"Edward, Demetri isn't here. And after we questioned Jacob, he hasn't been here the entire time that Jake's been held. Either Charlie had his records wrong, or he took off for somewhere else when they left the settlement."
The implications of Emmett's words send a shiver down my spine. My gut tells me that Demetri's absence is connected to the expected 'guests' Riley has been talking about. Instinctively, I reach out for Edward's hand, seeking the comfort I find there. He does one better, and wraps an arm around my shoulders, bringing me closer. I feel him huff out a breath and a kiss to the top of my head before he speaks once more.
"Until we know more, we shouldn't assume anything. Maybe you can work on the others on the way back. I'll try to get some answers out of Riley too. It's all we can do for now." Turning his attention to Rose and Seth, he goes on. "Are you guys okay with all of this? We'll have two wounded to care for."
"Hey." I'm pulling on his hand to get his attention. "I may be pregnant, but I'm not incapable. I've never helped treat a gunshot wound, but I know enough from being in the clinic that I won't be completely useless."
He just smiles and shakes his head a bit.
"Of course not baby. I just don't want to put all that responsibility on you." He wraps both his arms around me, trying to placate me, I'm sure. Even if he is, I return the gesture and hold onto him with both arms. Still holding me, he turns back to Rose and Seth. "So, votes on when we leave?"
"I think waiting until morning is a good idea. We get a good night's sleep and can head out first thing. We need to go look through the supplies they have too," Rose suggests.
"Yeah, I'm good with that," Seth answers.
"All right then, it's settled. We'll head out tomorrow."
"Okay, then I'll go see what they have that we can use, and any food they have here to feed everyone." Looking around for Jasper, Rose gets his attention. "And Whitlock, I'll need help getting that horse squared away before you guys leave."
"Yes, ma'am. Lead the way."
When Jasper, Rose, and Seth leave the room, everyone seems to be making plans for their departure, and all I want to do is go crawl back into bed. Curled into my husband's side, I close my eyes.
"Bella, baby. Why don't you go lie down? I'll go see what we have to eat, and bring back some food for us."
"Yeah, that sounds good. I know I need to move, and could use the exercise, the thought of doing all those steps..." I just shake my head. "Yeah, that's the last thing I wanna do."
"Then let's get you settled before I go down there."
He walks me to a room I hadn't been in before. He notices the confused look on my face.
"I figured you wouldn't want to be in your old room. Riley's blood is still all over the floor." I visibly shudder at the thought. "Yeah, and in case Garrett and Kate stick around tonight, we'll all want our privacy, so I thought a new room was a good idea. I hope that's okay." He seems unsure of himself all of a sudden.
"No, this is good." I hug him to me again, wishing we could just close ourselves in this room until morning. "Just hurry back to me." I look up to him with a smile on my face, and I'm rewarded with a kiss.
"Of course."
He helps get me into the bed, tucking extra blankets around me to ward off the cold. With a final kiss on the forehead and reassurance that Emmett is just next door, he slips from the room. Alone in the quiet, visions and memories of everything that's happened today assault my mind. The fear I felt as I was being held at gunpoint, watching a man being shot, seeing a dead man in the hallway, it all comes back in a rush.
I close my eyes and try to think of happier times, focusing on the fact that I have my husband back, and that I'll be home soon, not on the uncomfortable ache I'm once again feeling.
A/N: Many thanks to Fran for being an amazing beta! But, this chapter got some major reworking after she got ahold of it, so all mistakes are mine. Thanks to Gail, Fanny, and BeLynda for pre reading, and to May for the banner. And a thank you to CeCe for giving me her two cents on this chapter.
Come and stop by my Facebook group page, Sunshine Fics, for pic teasers, and general silliness. And maybe I'll be prompting a discussion about baby names soon...
Thanks again guys, really! I never thought anyone would read anything I put out there, so this is a huge deal for me! Your comments and support mean the world to me. Don't forget to let me know what you think!
