I do not own it.

Family Tree

Chapter 25

BPOV

The rock seems to fall in slow motion toward my head. It's painfully slow and alarmingly quick. I close my eyes and brace for the impact, the beginning of my oblivion.

I hear a large crashing sound but I don't feel the pain. I hold my breath, waiting for my death.

It's taking far too long.

I open my eyes. The rock is lying next to my head. I blink back the tears that are threatening to fall.

I hear footsteps and cringe away.

"Bella, are you all right? Shit. Of course not. Hold on. I'm going to take you to the hospital."

I stare in shock at Jake. He bends down and picks me up as though I weigh nothing.

"Jacob—what are you doing?"

"Saving your butt, of course."

He grins down at me and I begin to cry in relief. He wipes away the tears and looks at me with such love and concern I stop crying, staring back in wonder.

"Didn't I tell you to call me when practice was over?" He asks softly, smoothing down my hair.

"What happened with Leah? Where is she?" I try to sit up in his arms but he holds me close so that I can't.

"She is in no condition to hurt you, don't worry."

The solemn way he said those words alerted me. "Jacob- what did you do?"

"I stopped her from killing you. She's not dead, if that's what you're asking."

"Is she hurt?"

"Most definitely but she'll recover. I'm more worried about you."

I laugh weakly. "I can't believe what happened."

"I know. I should have been here, propriety be damned."

"Did you know she would do this?" I ask him, outraged.

"No! I thought she might try to talk some smack but I didn't think she'd actually hurt you."

I nod and he begins to walk, carrying me in his arms. He takes me all the way to my truck and puts me in the passenger seat. He borrows my cell phone and calls the hospital, telling them that I will be arriving in half an hour. He also places a call to Sam and tells him where to find Leah and what happened.

"Can you buckle your seatbelt, or should I do it for you?"

"I can't really feel my hand so if you wouldn't mind…" I grimace as a pang travels from my elbow up my arm. My whole body hurts and I wish I had some aspirin or something.

Jake leans over and buckles me in. He then backs out of his driveway and within minutes, we are on the highway, going as fast as my pathetic truck will allow. Jake is careful to avoid the bumps and potholes in the road. I'm incredibly grateful.

"Jacob?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"No thanks are necessary Bella. It shouldn't have happened."

I bite my lip. I don't really understand why it happened in the first place. Why does Leah hate me so much?

"Jacob?"

"Yes?"

"Why did she do it?"

"Because she's jealous and thinks you don't belong here. She's been hurt and it's twisted her view on everything. I think she might need some psychiatric help."

"I'll say," I mutter bitterly.

Jake guns the engine; for all the good that will do. My truck shudders in response and the needle creeps up a tiny bit.

"I think I need to work on this truck some more," Jake mentions in a frustrated tone.

"It's fine for my needs."

He looks over at me and lifts a brow. "You've got to be kidding me."

I giggle and then grimace when a sharp pain shoots across my back. I gasp.

"Bella?" Jake looks over at me, clearly concerned.

"Ok, just need morphine. Be fine. Don't worry." I can't seem to get out long sentences at the moment. God this hurts.

Jake turns back to the road and ten minutes later we arrive at the familiar grey building with blue glass doors. He turns the engine off and runs around the front of the truck before opening my door and unbuckling me. He lifts me carefully and walks me into the hospital emergency waiting room.

"Is that Bella Swan again?"

Wanda of admittance is looking at me and shaking her head. She pushes a clipboard through a slot and hands over a pen. "Just fill out the top part, I can do the rest from her other forms."

Jacob sits down in a chair with me in his lap. He scribbles my information in and doesn't have to ask anything. I can't help but be a little impressed.

"Bella? We're ready for you."

Doctor Morrow ushers us into a room in the emergency area. "What happened this time?"

I smile weakly. "Just another accident. I fell, again."

He glances up from his clipboard and his eyes narrow. "Hmm. What about those bruises?"

I look at him confused. "What bruises?"

He looks at me queerly. "The ones all around your neck. Did someone assault you?" He glances over at Jacob with distrust.

"Um. Yes. A girl down at La Push…" I look over at Jacob questioningly. I don't know what I should do or say at this point. He nods at me that it's ok.

"Can you please describe what you remember of the attack? It might help with the diagnosis…"

I tell him in detail what happened to me physically. He tells Jake to leave the room so that he can look me over. I shrug out of my clothes and he gasps when he sees my back. I don't know what it looks like but from how it feels paired with his reaction, I'm guessing it's bad.

"Bella- I'm going to need to bring in Dr. Cullen on this one. Hold on a moment."

He pages Carlisle and I grimace. This is so not good.

Within a few minutes Carlisle arrives and the younger intern leaves the area, pulling the curtain closed behind him.

"Bella- this looks horrific."

"I'd gathered," I say in a wry tone.

"We're going to need to scan the area. I think you may have a punctured kidney."

"Charlie is going to kill me," I moan.

"He's not the only one," a familiar voice growls from behind the curtain.

I can't see him and he can't see me but it doesn't matter. I can feel his eyes burning a hole through the curtain.

"Edward? What are you doing here?" I ask cautiously, afraid of his response.

"I'm about to kill Jacob Black actually."

"No you're not! He had nothing to do with this," I shout.

"Edward, son, I'm sorry but you need to leave now. We can discuss this later, at home."

"Carlisle…"

"Edward."

"I'm not leaving without her."

"Well, I'm going to have to ask you to wait in the waiting room."

Edward sighs, exasperated and though I don't hear his footsteps, I know that he left the area.

"Now then, Bella, I'm going to lift you onto this gurney and we'll take you down to Imaging."

"All right."

Carlisle lifts me gently in the same position, on my side with my knees curled and deposits me on the moveable gurney. He opens the curtain and pushes me out and down the hallway. We reach the elevator a few minutes later and he maneuvers the gurney inside.

It's three floors down to Imaging and Carlisle is silent the entire way. I'm not sure if I should say anything either so I decide to be quiet.

"I'm going to have to put you into a hospital gown Bella. I'm going to help you sit up now."

Carlisle retrieves a gown and keeps his eyes averted as he rapidly undresses me and hands over the gown. He turns the machine on and it rumbles a bit before it begins to make little whooshing sounds. I pull the gown over my head and Carlisle assists me in getting onto the table. He crosses my hands and moves me into the machine.

I sit there for thirty minutes, willing myself to stay still though it's cold and my body is trembling, perhaps from shock.

At long last, I feel the conveyer under me move and I crane my neck from side to side to alleviate the stiffness that has developed.

"It will be just a few more minutes until we have your results. Here is a blanket to keep you warm."

I accept it gratefully and lay it across my legs. It's chilly down here.

As I wait for him to return, I think about Jacob and Edward. I wonder what happened to them. Were they both in the waiting room glaring at one another? Or did one leave and head home? I wouldn't blame either of them if they were gone.

"Ok Bella, the results are in. You're lucky, your kidney is bruised pretty bad but it wasn't punctured. I'm going to give you some pain medication that you need to take five times a day. I want you to take a double dose before you go to sleep. Drink plenty of water and get some rest, all right?"

"Thanks Carlisle."

"Oh- and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I'd be careful of what you say to Edward. He's waiting upstairs and he's not in the best mood."

I sigh. "Is Jacob still here?"

"No, he left when Edward arrived."

"Did you tell Edward I'd been hurt?"

Carlisle looked down, sheepish. "Well, he'd never forgive me if I didn't tell him."

"It's ok," I place my hand on Carlisle's arm. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem. I'm going to get your prescription and I'll take you back up to admittance."

Twenty minutes later and I'm being pushed in a wheelchair out of the hospital doors by Edward.

"Do you care to explain what happened to you?" He grinds out in a tight voice.

"Not right now. Can it wait til I get home? Please?"

The wheelchair stops. Edward kneels in front of me, searching my face with his eyes. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," he whispers furiously.

"I'm sorry."

He places his finger on my lips and closes his eyes tight. "It wasn't your fault."

I nod in agreement. I don't think I instigated anything; if I did, I was unaware of it.

"Can I go home now?"

"Of course, love." He pushes my wheelchair over to the shiny Volvo.

I look around the parking lot. "What happened to my truck?"

"Jacob took it home for you. He said he'd wait there until you got back."

"I thought you said you were going to kill him."

"I'd like to. You just say the word…"

"Edward!" I punch him in the arm and wince.

Edward chuckles and lifts me into the vehicle, buckling me in one smooth motion. He closes the door and walks to the other side. He turns on some soft music and pulls out of the space in one neat movement before turning the wheel. He keeps a slow steady speed all the way back to my house.

My truck is out front and Jacob is leaning against the hood.

Edward stiffens but I place my hand on his forearm to calm him. "Jacob saved my life today."

"Did he?" Edward glances at my face and back to Jacob. "I suppose I owe him my thanks."

"Maybe you should wait here for a minute until Jake leaves?"

"Nice try Bella."

Edward cuts off the engine and doesn't bother to hide his speed as he moves around the car, opens the door and lifts me out. He carries me over my lawn and keeps me cradled in his arms as he approaches Jacob.

"Bloodsucker," Jacob inclines his head slightly and then looks at me with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just some pretty major bruises."

"I'm sorry this happened Bella; it won't happen again."

"I know Jake, I know."

"Well, I'm going to leave then. Call me later?"

"Yeah if I'm awake."

Jake looks at the two of us in disgust and then turns, walking into the forest with purpose in his every step.

"He's gone now. You want to go inside?" Edward asks.

"Yeah, I'm tired."

Edward opens the front door using the key under the eave and carries me up to my bedroom. He sets me gently on the bed and crosses the room to the window, closing it firmly.

"Do you need anything else Bella? I have your medication right here."

"No, I took some before we left the hospital. I just want to lie here for awhile."

I settle down into the soft bed, pulling the covers up around me. Edward doesn't join me, but sits in the rocking chair. He stares at me for so long that I get irritated.

"What?"

"Nothing. You should sleep."

"I know you want to say something. Might as well say it."

He considers me with dark eyes. "I don't want you to go down there unprotected."

I'm not in any condition to argue just yet but I know I will go down again, at least for the ceremony. I think it's best I don't say that though. Edward's taking this better than I'd imagined.

"I may not be able to read your mind Bella, but I know what you're thinking and I won't allow it."

"What do you mean?" I ask innocently.

He shakes his head. "Tomorrow. We can discuss this tomorrow. For now, you need rest."

"Does Charlie know what happened?"

"You know the hospital policy. He'll be informed pretty soon." Edward leans back in the chair, rocking lightly.

"Uggh. He's going to kill me."

"No he won't. I think he's used to it by now." Edward smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.

I close my eyes against his beauty. For now, it's too much. I don't have the strength to deal with anything else today.

Minutes, or perhaps hours later, I wake up in the dark. "Edward?" I whisper.

"I'm here."

"Will you lay with me?"

"Of course."

In seconds his body is against mine and he pulls me close, kissing the top of my forehead.

"Sleep now, Bella."

He hums my lullabye as I drift off into a fitful sleep.