Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the purple Bella flocked bed set I totally scored from Target online for 40% off on their one day sale Friday! Oh, UPS man.. hurry it up!

Chapter 17

Bella's POV

The sunshine coming through the thin hospital curtains woke me up bright and early, I groaned. My back was stiff from the uncomfortable bed and the pillows were not at all like mine. I rolled over hoping to be able to drift off to sleep until they came and told me it was time to leave. To go back to my normal life. To be able to be with Jake.

Just as I started to drift back to sleep I heard the door to the room open, "Miss Swan. How are you feeling today?"

I groaned again, I had forgotten since it had been a while since I stayed at a hospital that they like their patients to be tired and cranky.

I opened my eyes to see the nurse coming in followed by Charlie, "Good. Do get I get to leave?" Suddenly I forgot all about my tiredness and sat up in the bed. The nurse chuckled, "Yes dear. I just have to get you to sign a few things before you leave, but you are officially discharged."

The inner me totally did a fist pump.

The nurse handed me a clipboard with a form that said I was consenting to my release and I felt good enough to leave the hospital, yadda yadda yadda. I quickly signed my name before grabbing a pile of clothes and heading off to the restroom to get changed and get the hell out of here.

Throwing the hospital gown aside as if it bit me, I quickly changed into my own comfortable jeans and shirt. I was starting to feel like me again and I was so thankful for that. Taking one last glance in the mirror before I rushed out of there I smoothed my hair with my hands, which didn't really help. I was badly in need of a shower, but I would wait till I was back to Charlie's. When I emerged from the bathroom the nurse was gone and Charlie was sitting on the end of the bed, smiling at me.

"I'm so glad you are ok Bells. If it's any consolation, Edward got a ticket for speeding on those wet roads."

I smiled warmly at Charlie, he was trying to make me feel better and I appreciated that immensely. Too bad that ticket is nothing but couch cushion change to him and his rich family. "Thanks Dad." Grabbing my purse I wasted no time in leading our way out of my prison and out to the freedom of the outside world.

As soon as I was in the passenger side of the police cruiser I pulled out my cell phone and starting typing out a text message to the one and only person I needed to talk to now.

Jake's POV

After the conversation I had with Leah in the parking lot of the hospital I felt a lot better, in fact the best I had felt in a really long time. I just knew we had to be tactful about this, and hopefully if we all played our cards right it would drive Edward and Vanessa out of La Push and back to New York where they really belonged.

The rest of my drive back home Bella was on my mind. The connection we shared was crazy, it was so intense and I loved every single second of it. My father had told me years ago about the connection he felt with my mother, he said that sometimes our people will find a connection like that and we just know it. It's in our blood; we find the other half of our soul.

Bella was my other half. My love. I had never loved anyone as much as I love her, and in such a short time.

Time was meaningless though. The heart wants what the heart wants.

I lay in bed that night, visions of our future running through my brain as I slept. Bella in her white dress, then round and glowing with my children and us old and gray together on our front porch swing. Sometime later in the morning I awoke to the sound of my cell phone beeping; I rolled over the plucked it off my nightstand flipping it open.

Let freedom ring! ~Love Bells.

I smiled to myself as I typed out my reply, Can't wait to see you later! I'll come pick you up at 3? I got some good news.

I couldn't wait to tell Bella about Leah and how at least someone finally knew the real story, I was crossing my fingers that Leah's help was all we needed to get rid of the ghosts of our pasts once and for all and we could start our lives together.

My phone beeped once more. Ok! Miss you!

I rolled back over and tried to get a couple more hours of shut-eye wishing that Bella was next to me so I could pull her close and we could both drift off together.

Soon. It's going to be sooner than later.

That thought made me extremely happy.

Bella's POV

I was so happy to be back at Charlie's, as we pulled up I noticed a brand spanking new Volvo XC60 sitting in my truck's old parking space. I looked at Charlie questioningly; I knew he couldn't afford to purchase such an expensive luxury car.

"I was waiting till you got home to tell you about that." Charlie reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. He didn't say a word as he got out of the cruiser and headed into the house.

I ripped open the envelope feverishly, a key falling into my lap. I recognized the elegant script on the outside of the note but it wasn't Edward's writing. Quickly I unfolded the paper, holding my breath wondering what the hell was going on.

Dearest Isabella,

Carlisle and I would like to extend our most sincere apologies to you. We received word of the accident and Edward told us he totaled your truck. He also told us the entire story of what happened, and we are both very sorry we were quick to pass judgment on you. We are also extremely sorry that our blind beliefs caused you to have to leave the city because you couldn't find a suitable job. Please know that Carlisle would love to have you back aboard Cullen Publishing if you ever decided to return.

The Volvo is a gift from us; Edward had nothing to do with it. We always thought of you as family Isabella, but Edward deceived us about what happened. Words cannot express our feelings about this situation, and even though the car isn't nearly enough to make up for what pain was caused to you we hope that it will make up for the loss of your truck.

Love, Carlisle and Esme Cullen.

My gazed returned to the black shiny menace in my parking space. What was I going to do with it? Should I keep it? I did need a vehicle because I needed to find a job and a place to live that wasn't with Charlie. How was Jake going to react to this? A million questions raced through my head. It was gift from Carlisle and Esme, not Edward. I didn't mean I was going anywhere, I loved Jake and there was no turning away. I prayed he understood. I guess I could always trade it in if I had to.

That's when it dawned on me, Carlisle and Esme. I thought they hated me, and I never understood why. Esme and I were so close, we would go on shopping trips and she and I even decorated Edward and I's apartment when we first moved in. Carlisle was always very warm and welcoming to me, he was the one who offered me the job at Cullen Publishing. My heart warmed that my second set of parents weren't upset with me and I made a mental note to call them and thank them for the gift.

I hopped out of the police cruiser and walked towards my new ride to check it out as I sent a text message off to Alice telling her she needed to come over now!

A/N – So how will Jake react to this gift from the Cullens?

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