:::TW- Sexual Assault, Violence-::::::::::
This chapter contains a scene depicting sexual assault, I kept things pretty mild but read at your own discretion.
I'm glad I finally got to sort this story out, I wrote this before I wrote the last chapter and had a hard time tying them together. I didn't want to move things along too quickly, but the stretch of time between chapter three and this was giving me a hard time so I decided to just move it right along so I can keep going. This is a long chapter, and it took me months of writing, rewriting, and editing. I hope you like it, and if you do I would love to hear from you in the comments!
After all of the excitement the last week had brought, Bella thought she'd be grateful for the monotony of school upon her return from spring break, but nothing could be further from the truth. As she climbed into her truck Friday afternoon, all she could do was lean her head back on her leather seats, close her eyes, and let out a long sigh. She couldn't be more grateful this week was over. Bella wasn't sure what she was expecting to be different, but she certainly wasn't prepared for everything to be just the way she left it.
Over Spring Break she had stared death in the face, found out her best friend was a werewolf, imprinted with him and admitted her true feelings, smacked another werewolf across the face, and begun the long road to repairing her life after the Cullens had left it in shambles. Nothing in her average high school life was going to compare to that, but as she shuffled from class to class and sat with her friends at lunch, her mind ran in circles. How could all these people go about their day when her whole world had been turned upside down?
During all of those months when she was deep in the throes of depression, her grades had slipped considerably, prompting a meeting with the guidance counselor first thing that morning. How was she supposed to focus on grades when two days ago she had been standing at a cliff's edge, ready to jump? How was she supposed to think about repairing her friendships, when all she could think about was Jacob and what their relationship would look like now?
After finally coming to terms with her problems, Bella realized she almost missed the numbness of the last few months. When she was forced to admit she did care and let her feelings go, she hadn't realized it would open the doors to suddenly caring about everything all at once. Being able to feel again meant she'd have just as much bad to deal with as good to look forward to, and as she drove towards her house, she realized just how much feeling sucked. When her every waking thought was consumed by him, she hadn't realized how much she had given up staying devoted to seeing visions of him.
Her friends had welcomed her back into her spot at their table, yet it was easy to see there was still plenty of tension surrounding her presence. During the most boring hour of her life, her guidance counselor had gone through every missing assignment and subpar test score to come out of the last few months, giving her a laundry list of papers and extra credit to do to get back on track for graduation. Between her personal life, her school life and her love life, Bella wasn't sure she'd ever have normalcy again. It seemed her life was destined to be one calamity after another.
As Bella pulled up to the house, she was relieved to see Charlie's cruiser was absent from his spot in front of the house. She was thrilled to be on good terms with him again, but things were still pretty awkward. A week of feeling better couldn't erase the months of arguments and sleepless nights between them. Every time Charlie saw her it was like he was walking on eggshells around her, and every time he tried to reason with her Bella would only get frustrated that he didn't understand and didn't seem to care about her feelings. It had taken up to now for her to realize that closing herself off from Charlie and everyone else had only made her feel worse. Aside from the pain and trauma of losing the Cullens, she had unknowingly isolated herself from everyone that cared about her, then just assumed that nobody cared or wanted to help. Repairing the relationships between Charlie and her friends would take a lot of work, but Bella reasoned it was what she deserved for pushing everyone away in the first place.
As she walked into the house, she set down her backpack and took a look around the small house. Bella hadn't realized just how much Charlie had gotten used to her help keeping the house clean. There were piles of paper plates, empty beer cans, and random dishes scattered through the living room, as well as random papers scattered across the kitchen table. Turning the corner into the kitchen, she also noted with some disgust there was a mountain of dishes in the sink and empty pizza boxes and takeout containers stuffed haphazardly into the overflowing trash can.
Bella was shocked at the state of the house. She had gotten into the habit of cleaning up after herself and Charlie, as well as doing a majority of the cooking, but in the past few months she had stopped and Charlie hadn't picked up any of the slack. In the back of her mind, she understood how it had gotten so bad, yet being faced with it was another story. It served as a visual reminder she had let her relationship with her father crumble. Of course she hadn't seen the problems piling up, metaphorically and literally, when every day she would come home and make a beeline for her room to be alone and sulk. She hadn't paid attention to any of the dishes when she didn't cook anymore, and didn't know about the trash piling up when she left Charlie to fend for himself.
Exhaling deeply through her nose, Bella made the decision to figure out her homework problems later. She couldn't stand to see the house this way, and kicked herself for letting things get this bad. Grabbing a trash bag from underneath the sink, she began the process of cleaning up the house, getting lost in her thoughts. She made her way from room to room, slowly clearing out the garbage and tidying up, until all that remained was her bedroom. Once again, she took a long look around the room and realized just how much her depressed state made her neglect her surroundings. The first thing she elected to do was rid her room of any and all Cullen reminders, tearing pictures from the wall and trinkets from her desk and putting them straight into the trash. As the minutes passed, Bella felt herself more and more relieved as the trash disappeared, her laundry was finally off the floor, and the mess that was her desk was finally sorted out. Satisfied with her work, she tied the last bag into a knot before heading down the stairs and out the back door.
Heaving with effort, Bella managed to get the lid of the bear-proof trash can to come undone and swung it over the edge. She placed the three bags of trash that she was able to bring outside into the container one by one, sighing as the last one finally toppled inside. Noting the two remaining bags of trash at the bottom of the stairs, she started to make her way back towards the side door when she heard the slight cracking of twigs coming from the edge of the woods. She whipped around, half expecting to see Jacob bounding through the trees as he often would, but instead saw nothing.
As if spurred by her gaze, there was another unmistakable sound of branches snapping and leaves crunching from farther into the woods. Bella chuckled to herself as she realized those noises were definitely footsteps. If it wasn't Jake, it was most likely one of the other Quileute boys out on patrol and playing a practical joke on her. It was Friday, after all. With no pack obligations over the weekend, they were probably taking the chance to goof off and mess with her on their last patrol of the week.
"Come on, you guys," she said jovially. "Joke's over, you got me." She listened for the sound of boyish laughter, but heard nothing other than the defiant snap of a larger branch. Curiosity piqued, she took a couple of hesitant steps forward, listening intently for more noises. It fell strangely quiet after that, leading her to believe she would see the massive form of Embry or Jared trying to hide behind a tree if she ventured a little further. Hoping to get the drop on them, Bella tread as softly as possible through the bushes and into the cover of the dense trees.
She looked around as she went farther in, making sure to keep her steps quiet and her ears pricked. She heard more rustling in the distance, even seeing the shaking body of a fern a few feet in front of her. She crept closer, seeing the foliage in front of her wiggle, until she was right in front of it. She suddenly parted the bushes quickly with her arm, making a sort of "ah-ha!" sound, but was confused and disappointed to see nothing.
"Looking for something?" Bella jumped as she heard a deep voice behind her. She spun around, her heart pounding in her chest as the voice belonged to someone she never thought she'd see again.
"Laurent…" She said breathlessly, backing up to the tree closest to her. "What are you doing here?"
"I went to visit the Cullens but...the house was empty. I'm surprised they left you behind. Aren't you sort of a pet of theirs?"
"I…" Bella flinched at the name, feeling the familiar pangs of sadness and longing she had fought so hard to rid herself of come creeping back. The last time she had seen him was when he had come to warn the Cullens of James's abilities, before she had been chased to Phoenix and lured to the ballet studio.
"I guess…" She shrugged, trying to avoid the gaze of the vampire standing before her. His blood red eyes bore into hers, making her even more on edge. They looked exactly like James' eyes, giving her flashbacks to the ballet studio. His crazed ruby eyes staring into her terrified brown ones as he pressed into her leg, snapping the bone…
Laurent must have seen the turmoil she was in, his elevated hearing picking up on the rapid increase in her breathing and the wild hammering of her heart. He smirked as he took a casual step closer to the panicked human girl, seemingly innocent but menacing nonetheless.
"Do they visit often?" He asked, one eyebrow raised. He immediately noticed another hitch in her breath, a dead giveaway that she was about to lie once more.
"Oh yeah, all the time. I can tell them you stopped by." Bella rambled on, trying to quell the fear that had settled deep into her chest. It was making her vision blurry and impossible to think straight. If she could just lie convincingly enough, maybe he would buy it… She mustered as much courage as possible and looked him in the eyes, as if to try and feign confidence, but he only looked at her with an amused expression.
"They're far away, aren't they?" He asked, smirking as he studied her more closely.
"What do you want, anyway?" Bella asked, frustrated that he saw right through her. She let the anger and frustration bubble, hoping to show Laurent that she wasn't in the mood to be messed with.
"I came as a favor to Victoria. She asked me to see if you were still under the protection of the Cullens. Victoria feels it's only fair to kill Edward's mate, given that he killed hers. An eye for an eye."
Bella felt her stomach drop as he explained about Victoria. Had she been watching her this whole time? And Laurent…? How had they gotten past the wolves?
"Well, I'm not exactly his mate anymore. You should tell her to find some other way to get revenge."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he mused, shaking his head even though his smirk was still plastered to his face. "I don't think that's going to change her mind though. He'll see your death as a direct challenge." He stalked towards her, until his torso was pressed against hers, keeping her pinned to the tree. She shivered as his cold, dark hand caressed the side of her face. She shut her eyes as she felt his cool breath on her ear.
"You smell...mouthwatering," He whispered, drawing in a deep breath as he caressed her hair.
"I only came here to observe you, I never thought you'd wander off into the woods, all alone... Victoria won't be happy about this… but how can I resist?"
"P-please…" Bella stuttered, sheer panic coursing through her veins as she feebly tried to escape his grasp. "They'll know who did it. They'll… they'll come after you." Laurent only chuckled darkly, wrenching her head to the side and letting his tongue glide over the skin above her pulse.
"I don't think they will," he taunted her, "besides, you said it yourself. He left you here, defenseless…He doesn't care about you anymore."
Bella resisted the urge to cry out as both the fear and the pain clawed at her chest. Every sense was overshadowed by her blind terror, and any grasp on her thoughts or emotions was gone. He noticed a stray tear squeezed from her tightly clenched eyes, and wiped it away with his free hand.
"Shh, shh shh shhh…" He chided her, "I'm doing you a kindness. Victoria plans on killing you slowly...painfully… whereas I will make it quick. Once I'm finished with you, that is…"
The connotation behind his words made Bella's blood run cold. Not only was he planning on killing her, but the mercy killing would only follow whatever sick perversions he had planned for her. She struggled as hard as she could against him, trying to push him off of her as his hands skirted down to her hips.
Laurent only chuckled, gathering her clumsy limbs into one hand and slamming them into the tree above her head. Bella cried out as she felt the rough bark scratch her skin, resorting to kicking out in a desperate escape attempt. It was like trying to push a house, made of stone and unmoving, but the unbridled adrenaline that flowed through her refused to let her give up. She cringed as he gathered her flannel shirt in the other hand, pulling the fabric and tearing it from her body with one fluid motion and discarding it on the ground beneath them.
The cami she had underneath did little to protect her from the rough bark of the tree, nor the roving eyes of the vampire pinning her down. He bent his head down to her chest, drawing his fingernail swiftly across her exposed skin above her heart. A thick red line followed his touch, Bella whimpering as her blood seeped from the wound. He grasped her breast roughly with his hand, licking along the wound with a hum of satisfaction.
"So sweet... Edward was a fool to resist you." He taunted her, sinking his fangs into her flesh. Bella cried out in fear as he latched onto the gash, taking swift gulps of her precious blood as his free hand roamed lazily around her chest, kneading and squeezing her as he pleased.
"Jacob!" She screamed out, thrashing and hoping with everything in her being that he might be close enough to hear her. "Jacob! Please, Jacob help!"
"Nobody is coming," he teased, leaving her increasingly bleeding wound and putting his face inches from hers. His eyes were crazed and wild, and his lips were stained crimson with her blood. "You should thank me for such a merciful end."
Bella struggled against his grip still, feeling her strength ebb as he sucked more of her blood. She knew if he really wanted to, he could empty her body of it in a matter of seconds. He seemed to be dragging it out, torturing her even more as he drank her blood and harshly groped her. Her strength was failing fast, as she felt her legs tremble and her vision getting blurry. Her shoulders sagged as she slumped forward, causing him to lift his head. He smirked, grabbing her chin and slamming her head back roughly into the tree.
"Not just yet, my dear. There's still more fun to be had…" He pulled himself away from her bleeding cut, watching with a lustful gaze as the red dripped down from her collarbone and stained her white shirt. He kept his eye contact with her, slowly licking his lips as he used his one free hand to yank her belt and jeans down her thighs. Bella let out another whimper as she heard the fabric tear, feeling the cold air on her exposed legs giving her goosebumps.
"There's nothing in this world like human women," he mused to himself, skimming his fingertips down her torso. "What a treat."
"Please, don't…" Bella whispered, her head slumping to the side as her strength continued to fail. "Please… Jacob…" She shut her eyes tightly as she felt him return to her wound. He began taking deeper sips as the malevolent cold touch crept up the outside of her thigh, higher and higher despite her feeble kicks.
Suddenly she heard a snarl from the side of them, before she felt herself being violently taken to the ground. She felt the air leave her lungs as she slid across the ground, her body slamming against a tree. Laurent's ice cold grip suddenly vanished as he snarled at the interruption. The adrenaline once again coursed through her body and Bella opened her eyes wide as she gasped for breath.
At first it felt like she was dreaming, seeing the forms of Alice and Jasper before her. They were crouching, snarling at Laurent as he took a defensive stance. Jasper's face showed a serious expression, whereas Alice looked completely beside herself with rage. Familiar faces to her, yet seeming far away and distant as the pain swept over her body.
Seeing that he was outnumbered, Laurent quickly turned and fled into the trees at a superhuman speed. Alice was hot on his heels and gone in the blink of an eye, however Jasper stayed behind. He looked in Alice's direction for only a moment, before turning to Bella on the ground gasping for air.
Black spots began to dance over Bella's eyes and her vision went in and out of focus. As soon as she saw movement beside her, she moved her arms feebly to pull herself away from the vampire before her. Deep down, a very small but rational part of her recognized them, but the hammering of her heart and the mind numbing panic overshadowed everything else. There was no way they were here, it couldn't really be them… these were his accomplices, they had to be. They were here to take their share, torture and maim her just like he had been.
"Stop..." She pleaded weakly, trying to will her limbs into allowing her to stand and run. Her legs refused to cooperate, feeling clunky and useless as she pulled herself closer to the trunk of the tree she had careened into.
"Bella, it's me. It's Jasper. You're safe." He said to her, speaking calmly and softly. He crouched down to her, assessing her condition in a second. He draped her in his coat, scooping her into his arms quickly and noting with concern how she still fought desperately to pull away from him. He did his best to fix her clothing so she wouldn't be so exposed, but the gesture only seemed to add fuel to the fire as panic raced through her.
"Let me go! Please, please let me go!" She cried out, thrashing about with every ounce of energy she still had. Her eyes were screwed shut, her heart hammering as she punched, kicked, and scratched at him, but his grip only seemed to tighten.
"It's alright, Bella. You're gonna be alright." He stood silently, his eyes darting back and forth taking in her wounds as he tried to think of a way to safely transport her. She wasn't going to fight her way out of his arms, but as her blood stained his clothing and her pulse grew weaker, his iron-clad grip only tightened and made her struggle harder.
As Jasper looked into Bella's terrified, unfocused eyes, he released a sigh of resignation. There was no reasoning with her, nor was there time to make sure she was calm. He just had to focus on getting Bella to safety, putting aside her terror for the moment. Taking a deep breath to avoid more of the scent of her blood, Jasper secured his grip on her and sped off through the woods.
Bella felt a whoosh as he took off running, but it didn't stop her from prying at his fingers. Bella kicked, thrashed, and clawed at him, anything she could do to escape his grip as he ran. She realized that he wasn't loosening his grip no matter what she did, so instead she pushed herself downwards, causing her body to drop down as he ran.
"Bella, please… You're going to hurt yourself, stop struggling. Just take a deep breath, I'm gonna get you outta here." His words fell on deaf ears as he re-adjusted his grip more firmly on her, hard enough to keep her restrained but not enough to hurt her. Jasper noted her emotions swinging wildly and unrestrained. She was in full on flight mode, running on desperation and adrenaline. Despite the blind panic she was in, her pulse was growing weaker by the moment. Jasper wasn't quite sure how much blood she had lost, but he knew things weren't looking good. Pushing himself to run faster, while still holding his breath, he soared over fallen trees and flew through the brush as fast as his superhuman speed would allow.
He was relieved as he noted the familiar trees and rocks on the outskirts of their old house. He slowed to a stop at the front steps, feeling Bella's escape attempts growing weaker as the seconds dragged on.
"Alice!" He shouted, before taking a knee to assess Bella's condition. She took the opportunity to push herself out of his arms, scrambling a few feet away. She reached the planter boxes, using them to lean on as the overwhelming urge to be sick overtook her. Bella puked onto the ground, heaving with the effort and reeling from the dizzying speed and sudden stop. As she purged even more from her stomach, her balance gave out and sent her to the ground once more with only a shaking arm to prop herself up.
"Bella, you're safe now. It's us." Jasper spoke once again, taking a few small steps closer to her.
She paid him no mind as he approached, keeping her eyes squeezed firmly shut to stop her head from spinning.
"Bella!" She heard another voice, female this time, cry out her name as it approached from the trees. She felt cold hands grasp her arms, sending another wave of fear coursing through her veins. The vampire caught her gaze, concerned auburn eyes meeting terrified brown ones. Any remembrance of who this person was had long gone, along with any rational thought. The only thing to register in her mind was that this was a vampire, and they were here to do her more harm.
"No, no no no no!" She whimpered to herself deliriously, shaking her head and pulling away from the cold grasp on her. This time there was no restraint, as Alice released her with a deeply concerned and confused expression. Bella slumped against the wall with her knees bound tightly to her chest, her shaking pale arms held up in a defensive posture.
"Jazz?" Alice looked to Jasper, bewildered as to what to do in this situation.
"Where's Carlisle?" Jasper growled, frustrated that the blonde doctor had yet to come outside.
"They're almost here." She said, standing and backing away from Bella.
"Tell him to hurry," Jasper said, replacing Alice as he knelt down beside Bella. Using his gift, he honed in on her once more to find that while she was still terrified, her strength was fading quickly and she was on the verge of unconsciousness. Deciding it might be easier to just let her rest, he sent her calming waves of emotion. Her limbs dropped to her sides and her head lolled as she meagerly fought against it, trying to stay awake.
"C'mon, Bella… it's alright now. Just relax…" He focused even harder, steering her attention from the pain and terror towards the fatigue he could sense growing with each passing second. The suggestion was enough to pull her under, as Bella succumbed to the exhaustion and slumped forward.
"He's on his way." Alice said, coming around the side of the house once again. She let out a frustrated sigh, coming to stand behind Jasper as he scooped Bella off of the ground. "I should have seen this sooner, we could have stopped it. I could have caught him…"
"It's not your fault," he responded quietly. "There was nothing more we could have done."
"She didn't even recognize us... How could she have forgotten us?" Alice wondered sadly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The important thing is that she's safe now. Carlisle will know what to do." Jasper added.
"How are you doing?" Alice asked him suddenly, realizing how much of Bella's blood stained his clothing.
"I'm fine. I promise." He said, meeting her gaze and giving her a small nod.
"Are you sure? If you need to take a break I can-"
"I'm fine, it's not bothering me. I hunted on the way here, remember? I promise. If I need help I'll say so."
"Alright then, just… don't push yourself. It hasn't been that long since the last time…"
"I'm just focused on keeping her alive. Where the hell is Carlisle?" Jasper asked, frustration growing in his chest.
"2 minutes," Alice said solemnly, looking over Bella's unconscious form crumpled in on herself in Jasper's arms. She looked so small and fragile, her body covered in blood and dirt. She noticed Bella was drastically thinner than she was when they had left, and her face showed signs of prolonged stress and assumed lack of sleep. Dark circles ringed her eyes, making her other features look pale and listless. Not even counting the injuries she had just sustained, Bella looked downright awful, and Alice couldn't help the overwhelming shame, knowing it was all their fault.
Jasper placed a hand on the small of her back, sensing that she was feeling incredibly guilty and ashamed. The gesture reassured her some, but what she really needed was to have a long conversation with Bella and sincerely apologize for her role in it. That would have to wait a while though, as she heard the approach of Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett.
As the group slowed to a stop before them, they all wore various expressions of disbelief and concern at Bella's condition. Carlisle didn't hesitate, heading right up the stairs into the home.
"Bring her here." he said, immediately clearing a space for her on the small couch in his study. Jasper set her down gently on the couch, being careful not to jostle her. He continued holding his breath at the scent of her blood, still weeping from the deep cut on her chest. Carlisle reached into various cabinets, taking out medical supplies and setting them on the table beside her.
"Alright, tell me everything that happened."
…..
Bella could hear muffled voices around her, yet she couldn't recognize who they belonged to or make out the words they spoke. Her head was pounding terribly, and her stomach felt tight and hard as stone. She slowly reached out, trying to regain feeling in her extremities, when the memory of what had just happened suddenly came back to her. Her eyes snapped open as she gasped, sitting upright with a start. She collided with something solid, before feeling a cold hand placed on her shoulder.
"Easy, Bella. You're safe here. I need you to lie back down." Bella looked up to see the face of Carlisle, apparently who she'd knocked into, before looking around the room quickly for other occupants.
"C….Carlisle? What's… what's going on? Why are you here?" She spoke, a tremble evident in her voice.
"We can talk about that later, but I need you to lie back down so you don't pass out again. You've lost a lot of blood, you'll need to take it slow for a little while." Bella looked into his eyes, feeling calmed by his reassuring tone and friendly gaze. She did as she was instructed, lying back onto the sofa slowly and allowing him to resume what he was doing. He was taking a small cloth and wetting it down, before turning back to her and kneeling to her level.
"This is going to sting a bit," he warned her, "but I need to clean your wound." It took a moment for her to register what he was talking about, before looking down at her blood stained shirt and the nasty gash running across the length of her left side. She nodded, bracing herself as he came down with the alcohol soaked cloth. She grimaced as he pressed down, the stinging sensation feeling like fire on her open wound. He was quick, blotting at the cut with urgency before taking the offending object away. Once it was done, he placed a clean cloth on it and instructed her to keep it held down. Bella replaced his grip on the cloth, averting her eyes to the other side of the room.
"Other than that cut, some minor scratches and a few bruised ribs, everything else seems to be okay." Carlisle said to her softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Not great…" Bella scoffed slightly at the question, but managed that small reply.
"I know a lot has happened today, and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. I'd be happy to answer anything you'd like to know."
"I...I don't even know where to start," she said, sounding very defeated. "What are you doing here?"
"Alice was having some troubling visions of you. We didn't want to interfere, but when we saw Laurent had tracked you down we got here as fast as we could."
Bella's heartbeat sped up at the mention of Laurent, the memory of their encounter fresh and raw in her mind. She subconsciously began to shake as she felt her throat tighten.
"Everything is alright now, Bella. I promise you, we won't let him near you ever again." Carlisle spoke softly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You…you mean, he…got away?" She squeaked, feeling her stomach sink.
"For the moment. But we've come back to track him down, as well as protect you and the town from any others."
"Why would you do that?" Bella questioned him, her voice trembling slightly. "I figured when you all left it was for good."
Carlisle took a moment to gather some supplies to stitch the cut on her chest, as well as contemplate what he should say. Clearly Bella wasn't as happy to see them as they were to see her, regardless of the circumstances.
"Well… Edward wanted to give you the opportunity to have a completely normal life, without any interference from us." Carlisle explained as he stitched her wound closed. "He wanted to keep you safe, and we intended to stay away until Alice had a vision about today. When we realized your life was in danger, we couldn't stay away and leave you and the town defenseless."
"Is he….here?" She asked, fearing his answer. What would be worse? Him coming back and opening old wounds, or him staying away and proving yet again that he didn't care what happened to her?
"No. Edward wanted some space, so he went off on his own. We haven't seen him in a few months. Alice called him when she had her visions, but-"
"Wait…visions, as in plural? What did she tell him?"
"She saw the last few months, here and there. How…difficult, things have been. Although lately she hasn't been able to see you straightaway, almost like something is blocking her vision."
Despite still feeling sluggish and battered, Bella felt rage swell in her mind as he cut the thread and placed a bandage over the now-closed wound.
"She saw everything? Seriously? And she told him everything and he just ignored her? Ignored me, when I really needed someone?"
"It wasn't quite that simple, Bella," Carlisle explained as she sat up, her temper only growing. "Edward wanted to stay out of it, he knew that you would work through things on your own and-"
"Well he was wrong!" She snapped, zipping the jacket she found draped over the sofa around her body. "I didn't just "work through it". Everything fell apart when you all left. You put me through hell. I put Charlie through hell. All it would have taken was a fucking phone call! Just one! But no, he made it pretty damn clear he doesn't care about me, and so did the rest of you when you left."
"Bella," Carlisle said slowly, taken aback at her sudden cursing and strong anger, "I know after a trauma like that emotions can be all over the place. You have every right to be angry. But please, understand that we never wanted to see you upset or in pain. We wanted to give you and Edward both the chance to move on. Now that we know how serious the situation is, we won't be leaving again. I can promise you that. We won't let you or anyone in Forks be left in danger because of us."
"You all put me in danger because you left, Carlisle." Taking a deep breath, Bella pulled on her shoes and took a few steps, testing her balance. "Look, I appreciate you patching me up, and thank you for saving me, but I don't want your help anymore. Any of you. He left me on my own and you all followed him. As far as I'm concerned you all hurt me."
"I understand, Bella. I want you to know that we all care for you and we all want what's best for you. I'm deeply sorry for how our actions affected you, and I know everybody wants to make things right." Carlisle said, remorse and sadness present in his eyes.
"If someone gives me a ride home, we'll call it even. After that I don't want any more help…from anyone." Bella replied curtly. She wasn't burning with rage anymore, instead feeling a cold, hard indifference to what he had to say. It didn't matter what they wanted or intended, all that mattered to Bella was what they did. They all abandoned her. They all put her in danger. They all knew what she had been through and ignored it. After she was dropped off at her house, she saw no reason to speak to any of them ever again.
"I think it would be wise to stay a little while longer. If you'd prefer to be left alone, I can go downstairs, but you've lost a lot of blood. I've given you some pain medicine, but it will wear off soon and you aren't in good shape to go home. If it weren't for the circumstances I'd recommend going to the hospital, but I'm able to help you here if you'll let me." Carlisle advised her, resigning that his presence wasn't wanted anymore.
Bella tried to keep her composure, but a whirlwind of emotions flowed through her and she couldn't keep them inside anymore.
"I don't care, Carlisle. I want to go home, I don't care if I don't feel well. If someone won't give me a ride that's fine, I'll just walk. I don't want to be in this house anymore."
"Alright," Carlisle said solemnly, "if that's truly what you want, I can have Emmett give you a ride home."
"Thanks." She said, grabbing the handle and opening the door. "I'm sorry for shouting, but I just… this is just… too much."
"I know. And again, I am really, truly sorry for everything that has happened."
"I…thanks." She said, stopping just short of "It's okay". It wasn't okay, and Bella didn't forgive him or any of the Cullens. It didn't matter that they had saved her, she wouldn't have been in danger if they hadn't left in the first place.
Leaning on the handrail, Bella slowly made her way down the stairs and out into the living room. She made a point not to look at any of the vampires waiting in the living room, keeping her eyes focused on making it outside.
"Bella… Please, Bella, can we talk? I never wanted to leave, I-"
"I don't care, Alice." Bella said coldly, without sparing a glance. "You left. You ignored me when I needed you. I don't have anything to say to you."
As she opened the front door, she heard a shuddery breath behind her. If vampires were capable of crying, she thought Alice may be in tears, but Bella didn't care. Alice had seen her in tears a lot, apparently, and didn't reach out even once. Some friend.
Bella descended the several front steps before reaching Emmett's Jeep, which was already running with him inside. She opened the door, and grabbing the handle tried to pull herself up and inside. Finding her strength depleted, she didn't lift off of the ground and tried again. Emmett outstretched a hand, but Bella ignored it as she heaved and was able to crawl into the seat. Shutting the door, she fastened her seatbelt without a word.
"Dang, that's harsh…" Emmett said playfully, looking at her expectantly before putting the Jeep into drive. When he didn't receive any reply, he tried again.
"I know you're upset, Bella. I mean, I get it, we left pretty suddenly. Edward really screwed that up, but all we wanted was to keep you safe."
Bella scoffed in the seat next to him.
"Job well done." She said dryly. She kept her eyes forward, not sparing him a glance, but she could see in her peripheral vision her words had hurt him.
"Bella if we had known… We would have never left if we knew things would turn out that way. I'm sorry. We're all sorry. But do you really hate us now?"
"I don't hate you guys. I don't feel anything for your family anymore. Leave again, for all I care." Bella shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to calm her hammering heart.
"After everything, you'd rather we just leave and never see you again? I know we made a mistake but we're trying to make it up to you and-"
"Well, you can't." Bella said matter-of-factly. A small part of her was cringing at how harsh she was being, especially to the Cullens who had been kind to her, but the larger part told her she'd be better off if she cut all contact on her own terms. No matter how guilty they were, she knew deep down none of them cared enough to check on her or come back and help her when she was at her lowest. They'd all abandoned her, and she wasn't ever going to give them an opportunity to hurt her again.
"If…if that's how you really feel, I guess…" Emmett said, his voice heavy with sadness and regret. He made the final turn onto her street before pulling up behind her truck. Bella opened the door, undid her seatbelt and shimmied out of the lifted vehicle.
"So… I guess I'll see you at school Monday." Emmett tried one final time, before Bella turned around. Meeting his gaze and his friendly smile, Bella returned it with a cool glare and a straight face.
"I'd rather you didn't." And with that, Bella shrugged off Jasper's coat, leaving it on the seat as she pushed the door closed and made her way inside.
As the door closed behind her and she heard the rumble of the Jeep fade, Bella trudged up the stairs, relying heavily on the handrail. She knew Carlisle was probably right, that after losing so much blood she shouldn't have left, but Bella knew she couldn't stay another second in that house without unraveling completely. She pushed the door open to her room, feeling her energy fail her as her knees wobbled. She was able to grab her cell off of the dresser before sinking down to the floor. Flipping it open, she pressed the keys with shaking hands until she heard the dialing tone.
He picked up after two rings.
"Hey Bells, what's up?" Jacob said cheerily. Bella held the phone limply in her hand, taking shuddering breaths to try and respond.
"…Bella? You there?" He said after a moment.
"J…Jake. I…I need…" Bella spoke quietly, between shuddering breaths.
"What's wrong, Bella?" He said, his tone becoming serious.
"I…I need you… I can't…" She spoke, trying with everything in her to keep her head up and get the words out. There was so much she needed to say, but her voice was rapidly failing her.
"Ok, I'll be there as soon as possible. I can be there in 20 minutes?"
"I need you…now Jake. I can't… oh, god… I can't do this…" Bella spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, with every muscle in her body shaking and her head pounding.
"I'll be there in 5. Just hold on, Bella." He said quickly, before the line disconnected.
Bella clutched the phone in her hands, placing her head weakly onto her knees. She guessed the pain medicine Carlisle had given her had worn off, as well as the adrenaline and anger that had fueled her. Now that she was safely home by herself, every bruised limb, scratch, and the wound on her chest battered her with wave after wave of pain. She felt so emotionally drained, she couldn't tell what she was feeling.
Bella was still feeling woozy and nauseous from the blood loss, and her vision was fading in and out. Maybe it was the lost blood making her disoriented, or the emotional gauntlet she had been through, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her thoughts straight. She had no idea how much time had passed as she fought to stay awake, curled in on herself on her bedroom floor.
The only other time in her life Bella has ever felt so weak and physically ill was in the ballet studio, over a year ago. Thankfully she'd escaped this encounter without being bitten, and without any broken limbs, but the horrible imagery of blood-red eyes and her blood being drained were the same.
Bella wondered to herself if she would ever really be safe from vampires again. How stupid was she to get tangled up in their world? Of course Edward left her, she was too weak to exist for long in his strange, supernatural life. How could she have ever looked at them and focused on the sparkling skin and supernatural strength, instead of the vicious, bloodthirsty monsters they really are underneath?
Her naivety was going to get her killed. It was obvious why Edward wouldn't want that blood on his hands. How was she supposed to compare to the strength, speed, and threatening nature of a vampire? She was a clumsy, stupid human, always on the verge of danger.
To think she even had a chance to fit in with the Cullens was laughable. Laurent was right, she was nothing more than a pet, only to be used and tossed away as they pleased. He had made that perfectly clear as he abused her, taking joy in her fear and pain. Even after her father's warnings, she had walked into the woods by herself like a lamb to the slaughter…it was only a matter of time before one of their kind picked her off. All those missing people had figured that out, how could she have ever believed it was a "wild animal"? All she wanted to do was curl up into Jacob's warm embrace, knowing he would never let a vampire touch her ever again.
As the thought of Jacob crossed her mind, she briefly wondered to herself if 5 minutes had passed yet. Or did he say 25? She couldn't remember. The only things she could focus on were taking small, shallow breaths, the rapid beating of her heart, and her inner turmoil. After another ten breaths in and out, she heard the door to the kitchen open and heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor.
She had the fleeting thought that she hoped it wasn't Charlie. He would fall over and die if he walked up here and saw her like this, covered in blood and dirt and in a state of shock. Or maybe not Charlie… Maybe Laurent was back to finish the job. She knew she didn't stand a chance, she was too tired to move, let alone fight off the world's most lethal creature. He'd make quick work of her, and that'd be that. Maybe she was always meant to die at the hands of a vampire. The Cullens, James, Victoria, Laurent, the Volturi… What difference did it really make?
It couldn't be Jacob, could it? How long had it been since she called him? She decided she'd try and check her phone to see when she called him when she heard the person downstairs call out to her.
"Bella? Where are you?" It sounded like Jake, but with the static sound in her ears and her eyes going in and out of focus, she couldn't really be sure. She tried again to lift the phone up to see the screen, but her shaking hand left her grip loose and it fell to the floor with a soft thud.
At the sound, she could faintly hear distinct footsteps on the staircase and up to her door. Outside her door was either her salvation or her damnation, but at that point she decided she didn't really care which. She was too tired and too hurt to change anything now. The door opened, and immediately the person ran to her side and crouched down to her.
"Oh my god, Bella! What the hell happened to you?" She felt her head being tilted, and through the dark spots she could see the fuzzy image of Jacob. Relief flooded her veins, feeling his warm hands slip beneath her and lift her effortlessly off the floor. In her shell-shocked mind, she reveled in the feeling of his hands on her. He was so warm and soft compared to the stone cold, iron-clad grip that had held her captive before. She allowed herself to lean into the warmth as she felt only air beneath her. Warmth meant safety… Warmth meant safety… This was the only coherent thought she could hold onto in her delirious, traumatized state.
"Bella, please. Please say something. Tell me what happened!" Jacob pleaded with her, setting her on the bed. He propped her up by her shoulders, looking over her rapidly as her head slumped downwards. She was totally out of it, covered in blood and dirt and reeking of vampires. There were so many scents coming off of her, Jacob couldn't keep them all straight. There were definitely Cullen scents on her, he could tell right away, but also another that he didn't recognize right away. It was a vampire who's scent seemed familiar, but Jacob couldn't place where he had encountered it before.
Pushing that aside, he tried to locate the source of the blood, before he noticed the white bandage taped onto her chest. It looked pristine, compared to the rest of her clothing, so he assumed she was no longer in danger of bleeding to death. She had been taken care of by somebody, but who, and why? Bella was bobbing back and forth, seemingly fighting to stay upright, but she wasn't saying anything. She was taking quick, shallow breaths, and her heart was beating a million miles and hour. All these things, coupled with the fact that she wasn't speaking, scared the hell out of him. He shook her gently, rousing her enough that she was able to return his concerned and terrified gaze.
"Bella?" He asked softly, holding her head in his hand gently.
"J…Jake?" She said softly, sounding confused and exhausted.
"I'm here, Bella. It's me. You're safe now." She stared blankly at his shoulder, before giving him a tiny nod. At least she could acknowledge him, which gave him some hope.
"How can I help you, Bells? Tell me what you need, I'll get it."
"I just need… some rest. New clothes." She was able to speak in short phrases, between the pain and exhaustion.
"You got it, Bells." He said gently, caressing her cheek and using her nickname again. Despite the million things running through his mind, he knew he had to keep his composure right now. Until she could tell him what happened for herself, panicking would do no good.
"Let's get you cleaned up, then we can rest." Another tiny nod was her only reply. Jacob grabbed her once again, feeling her relax into the warmth of his chest. He held her up with one arm, using the other to grab a random t-shirt and pair of flannel pajamas from a nearby drawer. Carrying her into the bathroom, he shut the door behind him, placing her gently onto the toilet lid.
"Can you stand up to take a shower?" He asked softly. A shake of her head confirmed what he had suspected. He turned on the tap, letting the water run until it warmed.
"Ok, Bella, let's get you out of these clothes, ok? Is that alright?" She nodded, her eyes unfocused and staring at the ground. He steeled himself, trying to quell his trembling hands as he slid her shirt's straps down her shoulders. There was so much blood, the garment looked like it was almost meant to be red rather than white. No wonder she was out of it, whatever had happened she had clearly lost a lot of blood.
Ignoring the panic rising in his chest, he lifted it from the bottom and pulled it gently over her head, avoiding the bandage on her chest. He made a mental note to look under it and see how badly she was hurt. Taking a breath, he went to undo the button on her jeans, when he noticed she visibly stiffened. Her eyes were screwed shut and her breath coming in short pants. Despite her weakened state, she feebly lifted a hand and placed it on his.
"Bella?" Jacob questioned her, his own voice trembling with fear. "I need to get these off so I can clean you up. I'll get you into some fresh, clean clothes. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."
It took her a moment, but she finally jerked her head in a nod and let her hand drop. She was still visibly terrified, but was blindly trusting him to help her. What the hell had happened to her to make her so afraid?
Taking the opportunity to hurry up and get it over with, he undid the button and zipper and helped her shimmy out of the stained, torn jeans. He noted with confusion and fear that her legs were just as bruised as her arms, and equally smeared with blood and dirt. Once the offending clothing was removed and she was down to her undergarments, he grabbed a washcloth from a shelf behind her and dunked it into the spray from the faucet. He squirted body wash onto the corner, lathering it in his free hand as the other held her up. Ignoring the sickening pale hue of her skin, he took the cloth to her skin and started to scrub.
Bella jumped slightly at the contact, but slowly relaxed into the warmth of Jacob's arm holding her steady. He didn't waste any time, focusing his attention on the dried blood and dirt on her arms, torso, and legs. Once she was cleaned off he turned off the faucet, grabbing the spare clothes from the counter and dressing her. Before putting the new shirt on her, he quickly peeled back the cloth tape on her chest and lifted the gauze to take a look at the wound. It was a clean looking cut somebody had stitched closed. It was thin, but it ran a fair length, and looked deep. He smoothed the bandage back into place, tugged on the t-shirt, and picked her up to take back to her room. He grabbed her bloody clothes from the floor, making another note to throw them away the second he got the chance.
Locking her bedroom door behind him, he carried her to her bed and set her down gently. Her head lolled to the side, her entire body completely limp. He grabbed her cell phone with the intention of texting Charlie that she was going to the Rez with him, but noticed she had an unread text from him.
Hey Bells,
Got another all-nighter at the station. I'll be home sometime tomorrow afternoon. Text me if you need anything.
-Dad
Thanking his lucky stars, he placed the phone back onto the dresser and climbed into the bed with her back to him. Before he could say anything or ask her any questions, he noticed her quiet, deep breaths and realized she'd finally given into the exhaustion. He let out a small sigh of relief, glad that she was finally resting after whatever ordeal she had been through.
Jacob pulled out his own cell phone from his pocket, sending Sam a quick text.
Something serious is going on. The Cullens are back. Bella's been hurt.
After a moment, his phone vibrated in response.
Bella's been hurt? By the Cullens?
Don't know. She's resting now. I'll know more when she wakes up.
Keep me updated, phase if you have to.
Got it.
Putting his phone back into his pocket, he moved Bella's hair from off of her face gently. Her brow was furrowed deeply, and she looked like she was in pain. Jacob could only wonder what he would find out when she awoke.
