Grace woke up to the low, cloudy light of dawn breaking around her. The low light still caused her vision to go in and out of focus as a throbbing headache made its debut. She groaned, raising a sore arm to her face and rubbed it.
She had no concept of time or where she was but she felt deep, pulsing pain throughout her body. She tentatively touched at her midsection and sucked in a breath like a hiss as the tender skin felt too hot to touch. Grace slowly stretched the fingers on each of her hands and felt the excruciating pain shoot down her wrist and up her arm. She felt battered, like she'd been stamped by a thousand hot irons pounding at her body for hours. It probably wasn't the best idea, but Grace tried her best to push her body upright into a sitting position. A painful moan escaped her as her vision went black.
"Hey, woah woah woah." Suddenly there was someone kneeling beside her, bracing her back, their hand hot and firm. She knew that voice.
"Where am I?" Grace said, her voice scratchy and hushed like she had a sore throat.
"My place." Paul said, his face coming into better focus. "Drink this." He held a glass of water to her lips and she drank gratefully, draining the glass easily and gasping for air afterward.
"Where's Jake?" she croaked. Grace was too disorientated to even take in the fact that she was in her ex-boyfriend's bed in a home that was supposed to be hers. That ache had no room to exist as her body screamed at every move she made.
"They took him home. He's okay, he's healing." Paul was scanning her body frantically. He didn't know what to do when she had passed out. He just knew he had to get her out of that clearing before the ancient vampires —Volturi the doc had called them—came into the clearing to kill them all. So he rushed her to his home. She had been out for a solid 18 hours until now.
Grace rubbed her eyes and tried to bring more things into focus. She looked down at herself, still wincing at even the slightest movement. She was wearing one of Paul's shirts and her pants were missing.
"My clothes," she said groggily, an aching finger pulling at the shirt she had on.
"Yours were covered in blood," he breathed. "You scared the hell out of me. Grace being in that clearing was not part of the plan. You could have gotten killed, why the fuck did you do that?" his voice rose slightly as anger flooded him. Seeing her in the clearing had sent a shock wave through him. One he felt rippled down the pack.
But he had to admit that once she was there, they felt renewed, faster, more agile, their adrenaline at seeing her allowed each wolf to tap into a stronger or maybe more panicked version of themselves. Sam had been the most upset. He was trying to keep everyone safe and was pulled in so many directions during the fight, dividing his attention to ensure no one died on his watch. And when Grace came into the clearing, that attention dialed in to just her. It was maddening for him. Paul thought he'd attack Grace instead of the newborns for a second.
Grace looked at the empty glass and said in a hoarse voice: "Can I have some more water?"
Paul nodded, letting out a huff of air and stood up to get her more. When he went into the kitchen there was a soft knock at the front door. He set the glass down and pulled it open.
Rachel.
"I come bearing gifts." She said, a small smile on her face. Paul felt his stomach drop. Just seeing her made everything swim in his head. His eyes cast around her face to the beautiful sprinkle of freckles dancing across the bridge of her nose to the strand of hair that fell in front of her perfectly tinted russet skin. Her amber eyes almost glittered and her full, ruby lips pulled open into a welcoming smile.
"Um, hey." Paul mustered. She let out a light laugh and returned a "hey."
His eyes fell to the stack of clothes in her hands. "I brought some clothes over for her. Thought she might need it what with all the blood."
"How's Jacob?" Paul said. He could see the pain there on her face.
"Yeah, he's okay. It's going to take a bit for him to heal, but the doctor has him on a morphine drip to keep him comfortable. My human biology course isn't really coming in handy as much as I thought it would considering the whole….wolf...thing." Rachel paused to look Paul up and down. She'd been given a crash course in the pack's secret once Paul had imprinted on her. He had also demanded that Sam let him tell her.
She held out the clothes in Paul's silence, her warmth never leaving her voice. "Here. She's only a little bit shorter than me, but these should fit." Paul took the clothes, their hands brushing in the process. Rachel blushed and Paul tried to keep the heat from rising in his body.
"Thanks." he said. Wow. So eloquent. Great job, Paul. Real smooth. You have seen a girl before you know? Idiot. The thoughts raced through his head.
"Okay, well. See you later!" she trilled before hopping down the steps, stumbling just a little in her overexcitement. Paul automatically took a step forward like he was going to help her but she held a hand up and laughed, heading toward her car.
Paul carried the glass of water and clothes back to his bedroom and kneeled by the bed where Grace sat with her head in her hands.
"Hey." he gently said holding the glass out. She took it but it started to slip from her fingers. He placed his hand on top of hers and helped tip the glass so she could drink.
He set the half empty glass down next to the bed and held out the clothes to her. "Something to change into." Grace gently folded her arms around the clothes and gave a soft 'Thanks.'
Her head was still spinning and showing no signs of stopping. The ache was growing rather than subsiding and she felt an excruciating need to get out of here.
"Can you take me to Jake?" she said automatically, trying to listen to her body. Paul hesitated, his eyes staring at Grace, trying not to touch her.
"Yeah." he whispered, pain apparent in his voice. Grace tried to focus on his face but he kept disappearing behind a blur making its way across her vision. "Can you stand?" he asked.
She hadn't considered this. Her body felt weighted in a pain she'd never experienced before.
"Can you help?" she said as she winced and tried to pull herself up. Paul grabbed her easily, like he was meant for it, and took the weight off of her limbs as he pulled her into a standing position on the floor. He gently placed her on her feet, slowly letting her weight come down. She gripped his forearms for support and felt the blinding pain of standing on her own. Without meaning too, she let out a sharp cry of pain and a pitiful "Ow, ow, ow," that triggered Paul to panic and lift her again.
"Okay, that's not gonna work." Paul said, "I don't think we should move you yet."
"Just help me get dressed," Grace said, her labored breathing returning. Paul looked at her carefully and then nodded his head. Grace was flushed with embarrassment but didn't see any other way. He gently removed the shirt he had changed her into before putting her and she shivered. Paul tried to keep his face straight. Looking at her now felt different and filled him with guilt. Grace didn't even bother trying to cover her exposed chest before Paul pulled the University of Washington shirt over her head that Rachel had brought. He leaned down and Grace raised her leg to thread through the fitted matching sweats. He pulled them up around her hips and tightened the strings on them, tying it into a loose knot so they stayed put. He picked her up under her knees and took her to the car, stone faced, trying not to think about how warm her body felt in his arms.
When he pulled up to the Black residence, he could see some members of the pack filtering out of the house. He popped open his door and they came over to him.
"Is she okay?" Embry asked worried, his eyes pulled to where she sat, eyes closed, in the front seat.
"I'm not sure. Is the doc here?" Paul replied. Quil shook his head.
"He just left but we can get him back if you need."
"Yeah, maybe. I need to get her inside, she's been asking for Jake."
Embry and Quil gave him a surprised look. He didn't really want to deal with the barrage of questions. "Just go get the leech." He said annoyed. They nodded at him wordlessly and were off, slowing to stare at Grace as they went past.
Paul grabbed her from the car gently and walked her into the tiny house. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with her, but when she murmured a sign of being awake, he gave an exhausted sigh and walked her toward the back of the house where Jake's room was. When he pushed open the door, Sam was there. The tiny room didn't afford for this many people but Grace was already awake and pulling out of his arms, reaching for the bed.
"Put me down," she grumbled. Paul tentatively set her down, holding around her waist in case she fell. Grace looked hypnotized, her body reacting to seeing Jake's motionless frame sprawled on the bed. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat and he was pulling in deep labored breaths that were raspy and tight.
"Doc said his lung collapsed but that it was healing. He had to reset all of the bones on the right side of his body because he healed too fast and they fused together unevenly." Sam's voice shot through with pain. Paul saw the guilt there—Sam thought it was his fault that Jake got hurt and thought he'd never forgive himself.
Grace, still entranced, pulled herself onto the bed next to Jake. She shimmied herself into the left side of his body that wasn't wrapped up in gauze and buried her head in the crook of his neck. His left arm automatically circled around her waist and his breathing evened out some, the rasp cooling. Grace immediately felt the relief crash through both of them. Her pain ebbed and she let the gentle rise and fall of his chest lull her to sleep.
At some point later in the day Carlisle came in, but Grace floated in and out of consciousness as he took her vitals. He seemed perplexed by her state, muttering something about not being able to get a good read on anything since it was so inconsistent. Since he had limited knowledge on how their wolf bodies healed and even less knowledge on how Grace's bodies interacted with theirs, he didn't feel confident giving a determination or diagnosis.
Jacob was improving quickly and was able to be conscious for longer periods of time over the next day. He wouldn't let anyone take Grace from him though, keeping his arm tightly around her as she struggled to pull in air through her throat. She seemed to be getting worse for some reason.
Sam spent most of his time sat in a chair in Jacob's room or wandering up and down the short hallway, pulling at the nape of his neck. Emily was having a hard time getting him to eat.
"Should we get Ti'Hal?" she asked Sam at one point.
"Not yet." Sam said, afraid of what she might say. But it became apparent that they'd need to call her in sooner than later when Grace stayed asleep for a solid 24 hours, the sounds in her chest starting to rattle. Jacob's lung was almost healed at this point.
When Ti'Hal shuffled into the small room, Jake was awake, his arm wound around Grace. He had slowly pulled her more and more on top of him in an attempt to bring her closer. Her body was now draped over the left side of his, her head in the center of his chest. Ti'Hal gave Jake a soft smile and put her hand to his cheek, closing her eyes.
"You're healing well," she acknowledged. He nodded but looked down at Grace, concern warping his features. "Ah." she said, "But you're not worried about you." She moved to place her hand on Grace's forehead and one on her back. Ti'Hal sat for awhile just listening to Grace.
"She's healing," she finally said. A domino of sighs could be heard in the living room where most of the pack had been milling about, listening intently. "But she's healing you first," Ti'Hal said definitively.
"What?" Jacob said surprised. "Why?"
"She's healing him?" Sam said incredulously.
"First, she heals him and then herself. She protects, heals, defends, and connects. But you haven't made it easy on her." Ti'Hal suddenly said looking over her shoulder at Sam and then back to Jacob. She wasn't accusatory, simply stating a fact. Something she understood better than them.
"We're still figuring it out, Ti'Hal," Sam said with some strain in his voice.
"Figure it out together. Or you'll end up putting her in more danger," she said sternly, closing her eyes once more to feel Grace and then taking her leave. "She should wake soon. I suggest you don't move her and keep her close to Jacob so as not to interfere with the healing." Sam nodded and helped her to the door where her granddaughter was waiting to ferry her back home.
"So we wait." Jared said in the living room. Sam turned around and nodded.
"We wait."
Paul stirred uncomfortably on the couch. Rachel was in the kitchen cooking them some food with the help of Emily. None of the pack wanted to be away from the Black residence or Grace for too long until they knew she was in the clear so they spent their afternoon and evening huddled in the small living room, eating and joking and watching TV or spilling out onto the lawn to kick around the soccer ball.
Word got out about "the accident" and the community showed up. Theo Merdra, the local carpenter even stopped by and made it a point to say he'd come and fix their sagging porch and install a proper wheelchair ramp for Billy. He even replaced a rusted rain gutter while he was there and had his son clean the debris from the roof.
Bella showed up every few hours to check on Jake and Grace and helped clean and cook. She brought over a duffel bag of clothes, a toothbrush, and toiletries for Grace for when she woke up knowing she'd need to shower. She asked Rachel to call her as soon as Grace was up so she could come and help.
The Black residence was soon overrun with a massive amount of food, some of Sue's friends came by and cleaned up the house. George Runnings fixed the wiring on the back of their fridge since it kept blinking on and off. Billy was overcome with emotion. Everyone who came through did their best to keep it down to ensure they didn't disturb Jacob or Grace. Jacob was almost fully healed by the second day and only moved from her side to go to the bathroom.
Carlisle had stayed away to ensure he didn't overstay his welcome with the community descending on the Black home. But he was itching to get back to monitor Grace. As the sun set on the second day, Grace's eyes fluttered open.
"Hey," Jacob said, cupping a hand to her face.
"I need to sit up," she croaked.
"Okay, okay," Jake said. He pulled his body up and rested it against the wall and then gently pulled Grace between his legs so her back rested against his chest. He looped his arms around her stomach and she leaned her head back onto his shoulder, winded by the sudden movement but breathing clearly.
"How do you feel?" Jacob whispered. Grace laid her hands on top of his and looked out the window at the people gathering around a makeshift bonfire in the twilight. Seth was kicking a ball around with Jared and Embry. The sounds of happy voices floated in through the window.
"Like shit." Grace finally breathed. "But better. You?"
"Like new," he said, kissing the side of her head. She closed her eyes at the warm feeling.
"How long have I been out?"
"Couple of days."
"Mmm," she replied, lazily sinking into Jacob's embrace and turning her head to face into his neck. He rested his head lightly on top of hers and pulled her in a little closer, making sure she was tightly nestled into his body.
"Grace?" Jacob said softly.
"Mmm?" she replied again, starting to drift in and out.
"We really need a shower." He laughed softly, his body shaking her some and her face cracked into a smile, starting to laugh too.
"Oh my god," she mumbled. "Gross." Tears sprang to Jacob's eyes as he pressed another firm kiss to her forehead. He was so happy she was awake, she was alive, and she was here. The thought of losing her in that clearing suddenly washed over him and he squeezed her ever so slightly.
"You okay?" Grace muttered sleepily, her hand coming to gently rest on his cheek where she felt the clear damp of tears on his face.
"Fine. You just smell...really really bad. It's making my eyes water." he joked, letting out a choked laugh.
"Nice one," she breathed before drifting off to sleep.
Late that evening, Grace was feeling good enough to get up. With Jake behind her, she stood on her own two feet and only winced a couple of times before standing upright. She stretched her neck around and shook out the pain in her hands. Rachel was in the doorway of the room supervising.
"I'll call Bella," she said and disappeared into the kitchen. Grace made her way slowly into the hallway toward the living room. Leah was there, biting her thumb and when she saw Grace come into the room and shot to her feet.
"Grace, I'm so so sorry," she said. She'd been holding in her guilt for the past three days. Grace waved her off and said,
"Leah, it's fine. Are you okay?" Leah nearly crumbled at this question and nodded her head quickly. "Good." Grace paused for a second and then looked dejectedly at her feet, "I really have to pee." Leah bounded over as an uncertain look crossed Jake's face.
"I got it." she said and led Grace to the bathroom.
"Bella should be here in 15. Leah, fill up the tub while you're in there." Rachel called. Total mom-mode. She hugged Jacob and confirmed that he indeed did smell.
"I'll wait until Grace is done," he said. "Got some grub?" Rachel smiled and opened the stuffed fridge. "Woah." he said.
"Take your pick. Or you can wait. I'm making mom's homemade lasagna," She smiled at him and he felt so glad that she was home again. Just then the pack spilled through the open door elated and pulled Jacob into a group hug.
"You're alive!" Seth cried.
"Thought you were a goner for sure." Quil said.
"Yeah, what took you so long?" Embry said.
"Jeez Jake, way to hog all the healing for yourself," Jared jabbed. Sam came through the door and looked to Jake.
"She okay?" The worry was still there.
"Yeah, she's in the bathroom with Leah," Jake said, giving him a reassuring smile. Sam nodded, relief pulling down across his shoulders.
"Who's hungry?" Rachel said, pulling out some freshly baked lasagna. Bella arrived, taking a second to hug Jake tightly before saying, "Where is she?"
"Bathroom," multiple voices answered her before Jake could even open his mouth.
"Okay," she said, her face looked flushed as she headed down the hall. She knocked on the door, announcing her presence before pushing it open. Leah came out a few seconds later and gathered around the table with the others.
"God, I haven't heard someone pee for that long in my entire life."
There was a chorus of 'Ewws' and 'I'm eating' and 'When you gotta go you gotta go' followed by laughter around the table as the group dug into the food.