Your Pain is My Pain

JacobxBella

Rated M

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Your Pain is My Pain

Chapter 22

Charlie ran out of the police station to his cruiser, jumping inside and peeling out of the parking lot. He had to hurry home, he needed to get to Bella. His daughter was in trouble, and he had to save her. As he drove, his cell phone began ringing in his pocket. Without taking his eyes off the road, he took his cell out and pressed the answer button, putting the device to his ear and saying, "Hello?"

"Chief, how are you?" Billy's voice spoke into his ear. "I was calling to check in. I haven't heard from you in two days."

"I can't talk right now, Billy. I'm trying to get home. There's someone in the house with Bella and I need to get there before something happens."

Quickly hanging up, Charlie tossed his phone in the passenger seat, pressing on the gas and turning on his lights and sirens. He hoped to God he made it home before Bella got hurt, or worse.

Jacob huffed as he heard his phone ringing from inside his cutoff shorts. Knowing he'd have to answer, he phased back to his human self and took the black strap from his leg, grabbing his shorts and digging into the pocket. Who was calling him right now? Everyone knew he was going to see Bella and had asked not to be disturbed. He was just half a mile from the Swan residence in the woods and didn't want to spend the time he could be having with her talking on the phone with someone else.

Grabbing hold of his cell, he saw that it was his father calling him. Answering it, he held it to his ear and asked, "What's up, dad?"

"Jake, get to Charlie's house right now if you aren't already there," Billy told him with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Charlie's already on the way, but I figured you'd get there first since you were already on your way."

"What? What's wrong?" He had been in the middle of preparing to step into his shorts but stopped doing so as his father spoke.

"Someone's in the house with Bella, an intruder. I guess she called-"

Jacob heard no more, as he dropped his cell and shorts and ran through the woods to the Swan residence, his legs quickly closing the distance to the property. His sensitive ears could already pick up the sound of a struggle as he approached the yellow house, his eyes easily seeing it in the dark. Not wasting a minute, he ran out of the woods and up to the house, grabbing the doorknob and thrusting the door open as he rushed inside. As soon as he was inside, his eyes immediately fell on Bella who was pressed against the wall by the stairs, looking badly beaten and bruised, blood dripping down her face from a headwound. And pressing her against the wall was the intruder, him trying to choke the life out of her and Bella struggling to claw his hands away from her neck. And based off the way he looked, Jacob knew this had to be none other than the Darren she had expressed her fears about.

Seeing red and absolutely furious, Jacob rushed Darren, forcing him to release his hold on the brunette. Not giving him time to recover from his attack, Jacob punched Darren in the face, not letting up as the other male tried to block his hits. Darren eventually was able to fight back, giving as good as he got while Bella had dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. Jabbing his assailant in the eye, Darren kicked him in the stomach before scrambling up from the floor and running into the kitchen, grabbing Bella on the way there and forcing her to come along. Quickly opening a drawer, he grabbed the first sharp knife he could see and turned around to face Jacob who had entered the kitchen as well, holding the knife to Bella's neck with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Not another step," Darren told him. "I'll slit her throat if you come any closer."

Bella struggled to get away from Darren and the knife, but he had her in a vice grip, and she couldn't get out. She tried some more, only to stop when she felt the tip of the blade press into the skin of her neck. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked over at Jacob, her eyes pleading for him to save her.

Knowing that he couldn't save Bella without Darren hurting or killing her first, Jacob decided to try a different tactic, one that he remembered his mother and sometimes even Billy trying whenever he was riled up. He was going to attempt to talk him down. Looking at the other teenager, Jacob asked, "Why are you doing this to Bella? What do you have against her that you feel you have to resort to this?"

Darren sneered and answered, "Because she's a sad, pathetic bitch that ruined my group. No one gets to join in, cause trouble, and leave without facing the consequences. She was sad and pathetic before she got with Cullen, while she was with him, and even more so after he and his family moved away. She's still a sad and pathetic bitch now, and everyone knows it. I gave her sanctuary at school when she was a lost soul and a place to belong, tried to help her, and how does she repay me? By taking out half my gang? I thought she was chill, but I should have listened to Mandy; she's more trouble than she's worth. Bella has crossed me and I'm going to fix my mistake, and that was the mistake of taking her in. She's not worthy of living when she makes other peoples' life hell. She's going to die, and I'll have retribution and justice for Mandy, Jeff, and myself."

Jacob frowned as he listened to Darren speak. He couldn't help but think that he sounded completely deluded. "Okay, that's how you feel. But do you even know the real Bella? I don't think you do. You claim that you tried to help her in her time of need, but did you really? The only thing you helped her do was lead her down a path she had no business on. You took advantage of her while she was vulnerable, you and your gang, and everyone knew it, but according to Bella, they're too scared to stand up to you and say so. And for you to say Bella is trouble, you don't know her at all. She isn't trouble. She's the kindest, smartest, sweetest girl that I've ever known, and she's my best friend. She could have been your friend too, but you don't friends, do you Darren? No, you want lackeys, people to boss around and do your bidding. You need people to control because you're an insecure prick, and you can't stand that Bella outgrew you. If anyone is pathetic around here, it's you, asshole."

Tensing with a look of rage on his face, Darren made to retort, only to stop at hearing police sirens approach. Still looking pissed, Darren began making his way around the kitchen towards the threshold with Bella in hand, telling Jacob not to move or he would kill her. Making it to the kitchen entrance, he backed out of it with the brunette, Jacob still standing there, though he had also turned to face the armed male. Looking the tall man in the eye, a weird gleam came over his before he said, "I may be a pathetic asshole, but I'm not going to be the one lying dead."

In a quick motion, he brought the knife up and prepared to thrust it into Bella's chest, causing Bella to scream and Jacob to shout, only for the air to be pierced by the sound of a gunshot. Bella quickly turned around and gasped as she watched Darren drop the knife, a look of shock conveyed on his face before he dropped to his knees, falling face first on the floor. Blood stained his back at his laid there not moving a single inch; Darren was dead.

Standing behind Darren's body was Charlie, his gun in hand. He had made it inside just in time to shoot the intruder in the back in defense of his daughter, killing him instantly. Putting his gun away, he looked at Bella and asked, "Kiddo! Are you alright?!"

Tears welled up in Bella's eyes and spilled over, a sob escaping her throat as she rushed into her father's arms, holding him tightly as she cried into his chest. Charlie held her closely, comforting her as she cried. As for Jacob, he just closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, glad that Bella was still alive.

It was a spectacle outside of the Swan household. Several more police cars were present, as well as onlookers made up of the neighbors, as the little yellow house had now become an official crime scene. It was all the neighbors could talk about. Chief Swan's house had become a crime scene due to a breaking and entering, an attempted kidnapping and homicide, and the stopping of the perpetrator. This was something that they were sure to talk about for weeks. As for Charlie, he was busy speaking to Deputy Mark and some of his other men, giving them orders and accounts of what happened from his own knowledge.

On the back porch out of sight from the onlookers sat Jacob and Bella, Bella's face now clean from blood for the most part, though still stained red. She was wrapped in a blanket and was leaning against Jacob's strong frame, his arm wrapped around her comfortingly. They were silent, simply listening to the bustle on the other side of the house, as well as to the officers inside looking around and standing with Darren's body. The two of them said nothing, until Jacob finally decided to break the silence.

"You okay, Bells?" he asked her, looking down at the top of her head, her hair matted with blood from her headwound.

Bella nodded and replied softly, "Yes, I'm okay."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks for coming to rescue me."

"It's no problem, Bells. I'll always be there for you when you need me, even when it isn't life threatening."

Wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, Bella seemed to snuggle closer to Jacob before speaking again. "I also want to thank you for saying all those nice things about me to Darren. I know they're not true, but it was nice to hear them anyway."

"What are you talking about, Bells?" Jacob asked in confusion, a frown present on his face. He pulled away from her and tilted her head to look up at him. Looking into her beautiful chocolate eyes, he told her, "I meant every word that I said, and still do. You're special Bella, and anyone would be crazy to take you and your friendship for granted. You're my best friend above all else, and you mean more to me that you'll ever really know. I know I've told you once before, but I'll say it again. I like you Bella, as more than a friend, and want to be with you as such, but I won't cross that line. I hate seeing you upset or scared. It makes me sad when you are, and I'm scared when you are. Your pain is my pain, remember? And you may not think or feel that you're beautiful, but I'll show you every day that you are."

He placed his hand over her heart and smiled a sweet smile. "I'm right here, whenever you need me."

Bella felt her heart swell in her chest from Jacob's words, her heart full and completely touched. A heavy blush decorated her face, her heart beating double time and skipping a few beats underneath Jacob's hand. Jacob had just bared his entire heart out to her, and here she was staring up at him like some dummy, thought he didn't seem to mind. He simply smiled and kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her once again.

As he held her, Bella suddenly came to a realization, one that had been brewing for a while. She realized that the time that she had reconnected with Jacob and spent time with him, him going out of his way to help her out of her depressive funk and make her smile again because he cared, she had fallen for him. She liked Jacob, reciprocated his feelings in return. She wasn't sure when exactly she fell for him, but she knew that she had and that she wanted to be with him. Especially after tonight, she knew that she didn't want to be without him. But first, she had to tell him how she felt.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Charlie opening the back door and stepping outside with them. Turning to look at her father, she asked, "What is it, dad?"

"You need to go to the hospital, kiddo," Charlie told her. "They've got to look at that head injury, as well as check you out for more injuries you may have."

"Shouldn't I give my statement for the police?"

"That can be taken at the hospital while you're there. I'll send one of my men to get it from you while I handle things here."

Charlie then turned to Jacob, telling him that he too needed to give a statement about what had transpired before he shot Darren. He looked him over and frowned, an incensed look coming over his face. Putting his hands on his hips, he looked Jacob in the eyes and said, "But first, answer me one question?"

"Yes?" Jacob asked.

"Why aren't you wearing pants? Why are you naked, boy?!"

Author's Note: Finally, Bella's troubles with the delinquent crew are over. Yes, I know there are two more, but they're not going to mess with her. Not only that, but she's finally realized how she feels about Jacob. Now all she has to do it tell him. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stayed tuned for more to come. XOXO, SehunsBae37.