Jacob held Bella to him, keeping his focus on her breathing and heartbeat. As long as he could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest, he knew for the moment that she would be alright. He was thankful she was resting, but the anxiety that pricked at his mind refused to entertain the idea of sleep. He had spent all night thinking, wondering what could have happened to her in the time that he was away. After tucking her securely into bed several hours before, he had taken the opportunity to clean up all traces of blood and dirt from the bathroom. The last thing either of them needed was to alert Charlie that something was off.
As he cleaned, he glanced at the trash bag he had hung on the door containing Bella's ruined clothes. The thin plastic did little to hide the smell from his overly sensitive nose, but at least they were shielded from Bella having to look at them. As he stood up, intending to throw the blood and dirt stained towels away with them, it occurred to him that underneath the smell of Bella's blood, the scents of the vampires she had interacted with still lingered on the fabric.
The only scent he could recognize without a doubt belonged to the patriarch of the Cullen clan, Carlisle. He must have been the one that tended to Bella, stitching her wound with precision unmatched by any human hands. Hesitantly, Jacob pulled the shirt out of the bag trying not to think of the way Bella's dried blood made the fabric stiffen. Checking behind him to ensure Bella was still asleep, he brought the garment to his nose and inhaled deeply, searching for more clues.
There were 5 distinct vampire scents embedded into the shirt. He knew Carlisle's, as they had briefly met during a discussion with Sam, and there were three more that he was pretty sure belonged to other members of the Cullen family. In the back of his mind, he was relieved to notice the garment was missing the scent of the only other Cullen he knew, Edward. If he had smelled his disgusting stench on his Bella, Jacob was sure he wouldn't be able to contain his rage. Aside from those two, he had yet to meet the rest of the Cullen clan and he didn't care to, either. He was familiar enough with the unpleasant odors as he patrolled the border between the two territories.
There was one final scent that he couldn't place. He knew he had encountered it before, but for the life of him he couldn't remember when or where. It was vastly different from the other's, in that it smelled even more repugnant and stale. He didn't know much about vampires, aside from what he had been told by his packmates, but if he had to guess this vampire was old. Maybe even older than Carlisle, for all he knew.
Although the clothing served as a reminder of Bella's trauma, and he wanted to burn it until it was nothing but ash, Jacob resigned with the fact that this was now the only trace of her attack that they had to go off of. It would be wise of him to save it, maybe bring it to Sam, so they could work out where they had encountered it before. Speaking of which, he also wanted Emily to take a look at Bella too when she woke. It was a safe bet that Carlisle had probably saved her life, but he wanted to make sure Bella healed and had everything she needed to recover from this incident, and he'd be damned before he asked the leeches for help. In his mind, Jacob pondered whether or not it was one of the Cullens who attacked her in the first place. According to Bella, it wouldn't be the first time, so who knew what had transpired while she was alone? Whether or not they were guilty, the fact remained that one of their kind had almost killed her, so they were implicit on some level.
Bella wasn't safe when they were around her. The fact reverberated in his mind, clear as a bell, and repeated itself over and over again. He fought to control his anger, taking multiple deep breaths to steady himself. After everything that had happened, after Bella had been through so much pain, Jacob felt something inside of him click into place. Placing the shirt back into the trash bag, he strode to the side of Bella's bed, running a finger across the clammy surface of her cheek.
"I promise you, Bella, I am never going to let any of them hurt you again. I will protect you from vampires until my final breath." She didn't react, still blissfully in the clutches of sleep, but he felt the truth of his words as he spoke them. His Bells. His imprint. His best friend. His everything. Jacob felt the instinct deep in his bones, letting it wash over him and strengthen his resolve. She was his. His to protect, his to love. His to fight for, and his to cherish. Jacob would die before Bella ever felt pain like this again. Feeling slightly less exasperated, he crept to the other side of her bed and slid in beside her, careful not to wake her, and let the steady thrum of her heartbeat relax him until she woke.
…
In the still, quiet darkness, Bella slept next to Jacob. Behind her eyelids, her head was spinning as she tried to sort through everything that had happened as her body worked to repair the damage done to it. Memories plagued her tired mind, from earlier that day all the way back to the Ballet studio, moments with the Cullens interspersed between. Some were happy, others terrifying, yet they all painted a clear picture of danger. With both her mind and her body too tired to fight, nothing could stop the onslaught of memories and fears and questions running rampant in her dreams, until she felt herself pulled into a warm embrace.
The warm feeling encompassed her arms and torso, spreading slowly throughout her whole body. As she unconsciously let out a content sigh, she breathed in a familiar comforting scent. It smelled like pine, earth and the salty winds of the sea. Even asleep, the smell of Jacob brought her comfort, drawing her in further to the warmth and safety of his grip. She stayed in his arms, unmoving, for almost 12 hours.
When she finally woke, she noticed the room was washed in a pale, pre-dawn light coming in from the window. Jacob was out of bed and standing next to her before she could blink, leaning down to meet her gaze.
"Bella…?" He asked her, nervousness and concern making his voice waver.
"Thank you, Jake…" She said wearily, trying to sit up so she could speak to him properly.
"Bella, I'm so sorry. I should have been there, I should have done more to protect you, I left you vulnerable and I can't ever-" Bella held up her hand, silencing him instantly. She could see the guilt and hurt in his eyes, but she knew she had to shut it down before he started spiraling.
"Jake, stop that. It wasn't your fault. I'm the one who wandered too deep into the woods."
"It was my fault." Jacob retorted instantly, his words harsh and full of self-hatred. "None of this would have happened if I had been there. I was careless with your safety, Bella, and I'm an idiot. I won't let that happen ever again."
"Jacob…" She pleaded with him, concern for him etching her features into a deep frown. "I'm glad you weren't there. He was targeting me, if you had been there he would have killed you instantly." Jacob opened his mouth to protest, but the full weight of her words stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait, what? What do you mean? Who was targeting you? I thought the Cullens skipped town… if one of them came back to hurt you, I swear I'll-"
"It wasn't one of them. It was a nomad… Laurent. He's a friend of Victoria's, she sent him to keep tabs on me, but he decided to…he tried to…" Bella spoke, barely above a whisper. She took a deep breath, swallowing a mysterious lump in her throat before continuing. "She's the one who wants me dead. He said that she planned to kill me slowly, that he was offering me mercy…but he…he…"
Jacob sat on the edge of the bed next to her, wiping the tears falling from her eyes off of her cheeks. She lent into his shoulder, trying desperately to keep it together, but the hammering of her heart and her erratic breathing were enough for him to tell she'd had enough. His mind was swirling with questions, who these people were and why they could possibly want to hurt Bella, but all of that could wait.
"It's okay, Bella. You don't have to say any more." She nodded tearfully, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. Regaining a little of her composure, she turned to meet his eyes once more.
"Thank you for coming, and for staying with me…taking care of me, after all that. I'm sorry I scared you."
"It was nothing, Bella. I'll always be there to help you. And I promise, nothing like this will ever happen to you again."
Bella said nothing, content to just appreciate the warmth of his grip as he placed an arm around her and rested his cheek on her head. Internally, she cringed, knowing that Jacob had no idea what kind of promise he was trying to make. His protective nature made it easy for him to say things like that, but Bella knew that he probably had no idea what he was actually up against. Protecting his tribe from dangerous people and animals was one thing, she had seen firsthand how fast and strong they were when in wolf form, but against vampires… he was out of his mind.
Vampires were the apex predators of the world, and the ones she knew delighted in taking down the largest animal prey they could find. From what she could remember, Emmett had a particular fondness for grizzly bears. The wolves were strong, and powerful, but she was suddenly overcome with the image of Jacob's wolf form lying on the ground as they fed from him… Bella shook her head, trying to dislodge the horrifying image from her mind.
It had been made clear to her that all of the members of the pack held a particular disdain for the Cullens, calling them things like "leeches" and "bloodsuckers", but nobody had really gone into detail about why they hated them so much. She guessed it was because they recognized the danger they represented. Bella recalled Jacob's telling of the Quileute legends as they walked along La Push, in particular the story of the Cullens hunting on their land. Jacob had mentioned they made a treaty, something about them promising to stay off their land to avoid being exposed.
Now, with everything she knew about them, she understood the hidden meaning behind what their "exposure" meant, but Bella couldn't wrap her head around it. Why would the Cullens be afraid of them, or willing to make a deal with them? Sure, they had a moral code about what they hunted, but would they really make a deal instead of killing in order to protect their secret? It made her wonder how seriously the Cullens took their "vegetarianism", putting that above their own safety from the Volturi. To her, as much as she cared about the Quileutes, it sounded like the Cullens had left a serious loose thread, and she shuddered to think what could happen if it ever got pulled. Despite that, Bella tried to push the thoughts and questions out of her mind. It sounded like a dispute between supernatural creatures, and being just a human left her little room to question either of them on it.
Bella felt a slight vibration at her hip, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at Jacob, but he hadn't made any move to reach for the cellphone in his pocket.
"Need to get that?" She asked him curiously.
"Nah. I'll talk to Sam later, you're more important. Speaking of which, would it be alright if we went to the Rez today? I need to talk to him at some point, plus I'd like to see if Emily can take a look at you." Seeing the quizzical look in her eyes and the arch in her eyebrow, he added, "She's a nurse. She won't ask questions."
Bella nodded in understanding, slowly untangling herself from his limbs and standing up. She felt a bit of vertigo, but managed to take a few steps towards her dresser, grabbing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt from her closet. She gave Jacob a last look, seeing him engrossed into his cellphone, before disappearing into the bathroom to change out of her pajamas.
As she closed the door to the bright, porcelain space, memories of yesterday flooded her mind. Though she was still nowhere near 100%, she felt much better this morning as compared to how Jacob found her yesterday. She remembered bits and pieces, fading in and out of consciousness for a lot of it. Jacob cradling her close to his chest. Him placing her gently onto the toilet seat, wetting a cloth under the faucet. It was then that she remembered him delicately removing her clothing, feeling the same terror wash over her as he went to undo her jeans.
She still hadn't told him exactly what had happened to her, but she remembered feebly trying to push his hand away. He had been extremely kind and patient, promising her that he would help her, before she relented. She remembered feeling terrified at first, before realizing that Jacob would never hurt her. Jacob was warm, and safe, and gentle with her when she was at her most vulnerable. It may have only been in an attempt to clean her off and assess her injuries, but the significance of that moment was not lost on Bella. Though she was barely lucid, the sheer trust she had placed in him was instant. She had known, deep down in her soul, that he was there to help her and she could trust him. The momentum of that thought flooded her with peace and serenity, allowing her to focus on the moment at hand and quickly dress herself.
Trying her best not to look at the deep purple bruises scattered across her legs, arms, and torso, she dressed herself and found a brush to start attempting to detangle her hair. Bella scowled at her reflection, seeing she had twigs and little bits of leaves interspersed in her long hair. Pulling them all out and thoroughly cleaning and styling it would take some time, which Bella didn't have the patience for at the moment. Annoyed, she did her best to gather it on top of her head into a messy bun, before returning to find her room empty. She could hear Jacob speaking in hushed tones coming from downstairs, so she grabbed her belongings and headed down to meet him.
Descending the last step, Bella noted with confusion that Jacob was in the kitchen, holding his cellphone between his ear and shoulder as he stirred something on the stove. Upon closer examination, she saw he was scrambling eggs as he listened to the person on the other end of the conversation.
"Yeah, got it. Just getting her something to eat and we'll head your way…No, I don't think so… We can talk about it more in a few minutes, let me finish up here… OK… Bye." He ended the call, before stuffing the phone back into his pocket and sliding the eggs onto a plate for her. He motioned for her to sit at the kitchen table, so she took a seat near the door.
"Once you're done, we can head over to Sam's." He said nonchalantly. Bella stared at the giant pile of fluffy yellow food before her apprehensively.
"None for you?" She asked him, watching as he set the items down before her and retreated back a few steps.
"I'm fine. You need your strength." He said, leaning on the counter next to her.
"I'm not really hungry, Jake…" She sighed. It was a sweet gesture on his part, but the thought of eating right now made her nauseous. All the anxiety she felt, coupled with the fact he had made enough to feed an army had her on edge. She had to fight to roll her eyes at his statement, seriously doubting his words. Even at peak physical strength, there was no way she'd ever have escaped Laurent's clutches. A few scrambled eggs wouldn't make up the difference between a clumsy, fragile human and a vampire. Being healthy only seemed to make her even more enticing to predators, her blood irresistible to some and a strong temptation to others. Just one of the infinite ways her stupid, fragile body had let her down.
She'd never be fast like the Cullens, or strong like Jake, or anything other than a disaster waiting to happen. To her, eating represented all of her human faults that she had been so desperate to rid herself of. In the beginning, when the Cullens had first left, she had been too depressed and anxious to even think about eating, but as time went on it began to hold more significance to her. Making herself unhealthy, potentially harming herself… It was one of the many tactics she tried to lure him back to her. Now, after what had happened with Laurent, her determination had only increased. She didn't want to be looked at like a meal ever again. She didn't want to be desirable to anyone. Maybe keeping herself frail and weak would deter them from wanting her so much… It wasn't that hard, anyways. She was always weak and frail, and always would be. She would never be capable of the physical feats done so easily by those around her, she was just a feeble human.
Bella couldn't fight, or run, or help in any regard, all because of her physical shortcomings. She rationalized with herself that she didn't deserve to eat, to take a single bite away from someone who could use it better than she could. It wouldn't fuel her, or help, or make anything better, so why even bother? There was always someone more deserving, more capable, and just plain better, it would just be a waste and she didn't want it. With everything else in her crazy, chaotic life, this was the one element that she could control, and that small measure of comfort was enough to dissuade her from a meal.
Now that Jake was around her more often, he was always trying to coax her into eating something, but it frustrated her that he couldn't understand why she didn't want it. Eating reminded her so painfully of everything she couldn't do, everything she blamed herself for. Silly, stupid, fragile humans needed to eat, and she had worked so hard to prove to herself and everyone around her that she wasn't that person. She didn't want to need, she didn't want to rely on anything or anyone to maintain herself, she wanted to just exist as effortlessly as they did, and every bite she took reminded her that she never would. Looking at her plate, Bella felt the frustration building. Of course, Jacob didn't know the rationale behind her behavior, he just gave her the same look every time. The one that said, Come on, little human, eat up! It's good for you! You'll grow biiiig and stroooong! She hated it.
"Come on, eat Bells. I made them just for you." Jacob said to her, his tone bordering on patronizing. It pushed Bella over the edge, deciding firmly that she would have no part of it. Bella scooted her seat away from the table, standing suddenly and stuffing her belongings in her pocket.
"I'm good, actually. Thanks though. Let's head over." She tried to rush out the door, but Jake caught her gently on the shoulder.
"It wasn't a question, Bella. You need to eat after yesterday." She turned to face him, her eyes flitting nervously towards the door.
"I don't, I'm fine. I just want to go." She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened slightly.
"Bella… I thought you said you'd try. It's not good for you, you need to start eating like a normal person and-"
"Don't tell me what I NEED, Jake!" She snapped, before instantly slapping a hand over her mouth. She was irritated, but she never wanted to take it out on him. She knew he didn't understand and was just trying to help. Before he could hide it, a look of pain registered on his face, for only a moment before he wore a face of scrutiny.
"I… I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to snap at you, I just… I really don't want it." She felt her cheeks burn in shame, and his face instantly softened into a look of concern.
"It's ok, Bells. I know. I'll let you off the hook for now, but when we get to Sam's will you please try? I can't stand seeing you this way…" Taking a deep breath, Bella nodded, allowing Jacob to envelop her in a hug. Deciding not to push the issue any farther, Jacob quickly discarded the food and set the dishes in the sink before following her outside.
"Where's your car?" Bella asked as he joined her outside, leaning against the house for support.
"Still at the house. I ran yesterday." He said solemnly, before opening the door of her truck for her. She smiled at him, grateful yet again for his support and care for her. She grabbed the handle of the door, trying unsuccessfully to pull herself up and into the cab. Noticing she was struggling, Jacob easily grabbed her by the waist and lifted her into her seat. She flashed another look of gratitude at him, before he shut the door and made his way into the driver's seat.
As he started the truck, he noticed Bella leaning against the window, her eyes closed and her brow furrowed in pain.
"How are you feeling today?" He asked her, pulling out of the drive and starting towards the reservation.
"Dizzy. Tired, sore, and sluggish." She said quietly.
"I'm sure… from what it looked like, you lost a lot of blood yesterday. Don't worry, Emily said she'd be happy to help, and I know she won't pry. She'll make sure you're alright." With a slight nod, the two completed the drive in relative silence before arriving at Sam and Emily's house.
Sam and Emily both were at the door as soon as they approached, ushering the pair inside. Bella felt her ears burn in embarrassment as Emily looked her up and down. She knew she looked like hell, and the thought of people she didn't know that well seeing her made her incredibly self-conscious.
"Here, come sit on the couch. I need to grab a few things, I'll be right back." Emily offered her, as Bella took a seat on the plush leather couch. Sam and Jacob followed, electing to sit in the arm chairs across from the coffee table facing her.
"I'm sorry, Bella. I know that whole experience must have been scary for you." Sam said to her, sincerity and earnestness in his words.
"Thank you. It was, but it's over now…" Bella said sheepishly, grabbing one of the throw pillows and holding it close to her chest.
"We're going to have to shift our patrol routes, make sure that we're patrolling the woods near Bella's house now, too." Sam said to Jacob seriously. "If any vampires are attempting to get near her, we'll be closer to intercept." Jacob nodded in agreement, but Bella balked at the statement.
"Wait, I thought you guys only protected the reservation? I mean, if you did encounter a vampire what would you even do?" She asked him, getting a confused look from the wolves.
"We'd take care of it." Sam put it simply. "Especially if you're being targeted, we need to make sure you and the rest of the town aren't left defenseless."
"What do you mean, take care of it? You wouldn't try to like…fight one, would you?" Bella asked him incredulously. "I know you guys don't like vampires, but you can't kill them!"
"We won't, as long as they don't break the treaty we have." Sam mused.
"No, I mean like…you can't kill vampires. It's impossible. They're too dangerous… you'd get hurt!"
"Bella, this is what we do." Jacob spoke softly to her. "We don't bother with the Cullens, unless they bite someone and violate the Treaty."
"But… how?" She asked, skeptically.
"It's what we do, why we exist. A few "lucky guys" in the tribe have the gene. If a bloodsucker moves to town, our DNA kicks in, we reach the right age and the fever hits…"
"Mono." Bella snorted, suddenly having the missing pieces click into place as the realization hit her.
"I wish. Next thing I know, they're telling me, this is your life now." Sam shot him a look when he said that, but took the opportunity to elaborate in a bit more detail.
"We'll have to have you at our next bonfire, hear the elders tell you our history, but that's basically it. We exist to protect our tribe, we are the only creatures on the planet aside from others of their kind that can kill a vampire. Our teeth can rip them apart, then we burn the pieces."
Bella nodded slowly, taking in Sam's words. If he knew that fire was the only way to permanently destroy them, he must know what he's talking about. But still, the idea of any of them actually fighting a vampire filled her with dread.
"I figured with the Cullens leaving town, we wouldn't have to worry about it for another generation or two, but Jacob mentioned that they're back in town. Did one of them do this to you?"
"No…" She sighed, shaking her head. "It was another vampire, one that the Cullens didn't really know. They're the ones that saved me from him, but he got away."
"Why was this vampire here? Even if the Cullens were gone, their territory is still easy to recognize. I don't understand why one would try and move into their territory, especially not why they would draw so much attention to themselves by attacking people."
Jacob eyed Bella nervously, wishing Emily would hurry up gathering whatever it was she needed so Bella wouldn't be subjected to Sam's harsh line of questioning. But surprisingly, Bella sat up a little bit and looked Sam in the eye as she answered.
"He was here for me. Last year, another of his coven tried to kill … He was obsessed with me, and because I was with the Cullens it was a challenge. Like a game to him… He chased me all the way to Phoenix, and tried to turn me…" She said, lifting her arm and pulling down her sleeve to reveal the bite mark on her wrist. Sam looked at it deeply, his face set in a deep frown as he noted the bite along with the deep purple bruises on her arm. Jacob tried to quell his rising anger as he realized the bruises matched the shape of fingers digging into her flesh.
"The Cullens stopped him in time. They killed him, and were able to get the venom out in time. But since then, his mate Victoria has been planning to kill me. He said…" Bella paused, taking a shaky breath, before continuing.
"He said that she was planning to kill me. Slowly, and painfully, as revenge for what the Cullens did to James. He told me that he was just watching me, making sure that I was unprotected, but when I went off into the woods he saw the opportunity and decided to kill me himself…after he was done with me…"
Jacob gripped the arm of his chair so hard he thought it would break. So, his first vampire kill's name was Laurent. He was going to make him pay dearly for laying a single finger on her. Sam placed a calming hand on his shoulder, nodding in understanding of what Bella was saying. After taking a moment to calm his nerves, he waited patiently for Bella to continue, proud of her for having the courage to talk about it so soon after.
"He cut me, deep… He drank my blood, but he made sure I was awake for everything. He wanted to… he wanted to "have fun" with me first. I couldn't stop him, I was too weak to fight back… He just kept grabbing me and touching me, he ripped my clothes… I just kept screaming, until I thought I'd pass out, when Alice and Jasper showed up. They took me back to the Cullen's house, and Carlisle stopped the bleeding. They tried to talk to me, but I didn't let them. I didn't want to hear it, anything they had to say, so one of them gave me a ride home. That's when I called Jacob."
"That son of a bitch…" Jacob swore, feeling his inner wolf howling and clawing to get out. "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna make sure he suffers, I'll never let a filthy fucking bloodsucker anywhere near you again, Bella, I swear. I-"
"Jacob, go outside. Take some time to cool off and calm down. Let's give Em a chance to see to Bella, and I can call a meeting to discuss what we do next." Jacob looked at him, about to protest, but sighed deeply when he realized Sam had given him a direct order, not a suggestion. He gave Bella a final glance, seeing her curled in on herself on the couch, before heading to the door. Emily would be furious if he phased in here, and he knew it was coming. He couldn't hold back the rage for much longer.
After hearing the door shut, and the unmistakable sound of Jacob roaring in fury, Sam gave her a sympathetic look. It took a lot of courage for Bella to speak so openly about what had happened, and it was definitely not what Sam was expecting to hear. He held out his hand to her, and after a moment of confusion Bella took it.
"Thank you, Bella. I'm truly sorry you had to go through that. I can promise you, me and the guys will make sure you're kept safe. We'll track down the nomad and destroy him. We already have his scent, he shouldn't be too hard to find."
"Thanks, Sam…" She said, softly smiling at the kind gesture. She hadn't known Sam for long, but she got the feeling that these types of interactions from him were rare. "What do you mean you already have his scent? How is that possible?"
"Jacob brought some of your clothes from yesterday to me. There was one scent that wasn't a Cullen, it's the same one we smelled that day on the beach. It'll be impossible to miss when we come across it again."
"The beach…" Bella repeated slowly, before it dawned on her what he was referring to. The second time she had seen Jacob phase, when all the pack members followed Sam into the woods at the drop of a hat… They had smelled Laurent? And Jacob kept it from her?
"Sam, you should go out there and talk to him. Poor kid is probably losing his mind." Emily said to Sam, returning from down the hall with an armful of various things. Sam nodded to her, before stepping out onto the patio to deal with him.
"I'm so sorry, Bella. That must have been so awful. But don't worry, the guys are experts at this sort of thing. You won't need to worry about him ever again." Emily smiled kindly at her, before sitting down next to her and placing the box on the floor.
"I just hope they don't get themselves hurt… but I mean, at least they have you. Jacob said you're a nurse." Emily laughed at the statement, surprising her.
"He said that? Well, that's flattering, but not true. The actual nurse around here is Sue,my aunt and Leah and Seth's mom. I'm in school for it now, but I've got a long way to go before I'm actually licensed. I've learned a lot from her, and most of my knowledge is first aid, but I still want to help if I can."
"Still better than trying to explain all this to a regular hospital." Bella commented, removing her sweatshirt so Emily could place a blood pressure cuff onto her bicep. Emily nodded, putting the nodules of a stethoscope in her ears and concentrating. After a few seconds, the pressure was released and Emily moved onto examining the various bruises that littered her arms.
"I've got some vitamin K cream I'll give you, to help with the bruising. Your blood pressure is a little low, but not in the realm of danger just yet. Jacob said you've lost a lot of blood, so you'll need to make sure you're drinking lots of water and eating things rich in iron to help build yourself back up. It looks like you're also showing signs of anemia, but if you rest and eat the right things, you'll recover quickly. Can I take a look at the wound?"
Bella nodded, taking in the information and appreciating that Emily was taking the time to actually explain to her what was happening. Carlisle meant well, but he was so vague when he was treating her. Another of the infinite ways the Cullens made her feel inferior, putting her dangerous situation simply enough for a child to comprehend. Bella glanced at the front door, making sure the men were still outside, before pulling the T-shirt up from the bottom until Emily could access the bandage.
Peeling it back with care, Emily noted the stitches and used a gloved hand to poke and prod at the area surrounding the wound. She reached into her box of supplies, pulling out a tube of antiseptic ointment, before slathering the cut in it. Bella cringed at the initial stinging sensation, but allowed her to finish her task before adding fresh gauze and medical tape over it.
"I'll give you this, too. It'll keep it from getting infected. He stitched it very well, so I have no doubt the wound will heal, but since it's so deep and long you'll have to be careful not to touch it until it's fully healed. I'd recommend changing your bandages every two days, just to be on the safe side. As far as the bruised ribs, there's not much that can be done about that besides letting them heal on their own. Just try to avoid wearing tight clothing or lifting anything more than ten pounds, and you can take ibuprofen to help with the pain."
"Thank you, Emily…" Bella said, tugging her shirt back into place. "I'll be glad when these bruises are gone." Emily nodded in agreement, using the opportunity to cover her gloved hands in the vitamin K cream and apply it to the bruises she could reach. She had seen there were more on her torso, as well as feel Bella wince whenever she touched her legs, but she figured it would be best to let Bella treat those ones herself. She didn't want Bella to feel any more exposed or violated than she already had been. After she was done, she neatly put her supplies away, before turning to Bella once more with a hairbrush in her hand.
"I was wondering if it would be okay for me to brush your hair for you. I can see there's debris in it, and I'm sure you're feeling tired and drained. May I do that for you, Bella?" Bella looked from the brush to her face, astonishment in her expression. She was so used to the way Alice would dress her up like her own personal Barbie doll, slathering her in makeup and styling her hair a touch too harshly at times, rarely asking for Bella's opinions and wants. Most of the time, Bella wanted to say no but didn't out of fear of hurting her feelings. She wasn't explicitly asked if it was ok, or if it was what she wanted, just expected to go along with Alice's insistence that she'd seen the outcome and she looked great…and that he would like it. She had never really viewed the experience in a particularly upsetting way, mild annoyance at best, but it floored her that Emily was so kind as to offer. She treated her like a person, and actually asked what she wanted.
"Yes, please… That would be nice. Thank you…" Emily smiled at her, having Bella turn away from her and lay down. Her head balanced comfortably on the pillow in Emily's lap, as she freed Bella's hair from it's elastic holding. Bella sighed in contentment as she felt her gently finger combing her hair, picking little bits of nature out of it and humming quietly to herself. Emily took her time, taking small sections of her rich brown hair and detangling them, without so much as pulling on Bella's head even once. Soon enough, Bella felt her eyelids starting to get heavy once more as she fully relaxed under her touch. She didn't try to fight it, instead choosing to relish the feeling of peace and tranquility that seemed to radiate from Emily. Though she hadn't known her long, Bella could just tell that she was a very kind, generous person, and she smiled to herself knowing that the two of them would make good friends.
Some time later, after much talking, arguing, and planning, Sam had managed to get everyone in the pack on the same page about Bella's situation and the attack. Jacob had tried his best to keep his thoughts and memories to himself, but had slipped when he exploded with rage shortly after leaving Sam's house. The entire pack shared his sentiments about wanting to kill Laurent, as well as some choice feelings about the rest of the Cullens, but they had all been sympathetic to Bella's state and careful concerning their thoughts on her. Even Leah had been quiet and respectful, sharing in the pack's outrage and offering to help in whatever way she could. They had managed to meet up a short ways into the woods, Sam assigning them each their new patrol routes that led them towards town. There were no protests, but some apprehension about being farther from the Rez. Jacob could understand, as he too felt nervous about it, but he wanted to ensure Bella's safety while not stopping her from living her normal life. Everyone respected that sentiment, and united as a pack, agreed that no vampire would come anywhere near Bella without a fight.
Returning from their meeting, Sam and Jacob entered the house to find Bella sleeping peacefully on the couch and Emily not too far away, engrossed in a magazine. She smiled at them as they entered quietly, standing to greet them.
"She's going to be fine. Rest is the best thing for her right now, but I took some notes on what she'll need and what she should do in the meantime." She spoke, passing Jacob a piece of notebook paper. Tucking it in his back pocket, he strode quietly over to where she was sleeping, running a finger across her cheek.
"I can't thank you enough, Emily, for everything. You too, Sam." He said softly, taking his previous spot in the chair as he watched her. Sam nodded dutifully, before retiring to their bedroom across the house.
"Of course, Jacob. Bella's a sweet girl, and she's had so much happen in such a short time. She's lucky to have you." Emily noted, settling back into the chair they'd found her in.
"I don't know about all that," Jacob said dejectedly, not taking his eyes off of her. "I'm so afraid of doing the wrong thing, pushing her away… It's hard. She deserves so much better than she's gotten."
"It'll take time," Emily noted, giving him a kind touch on the shoulder. "But the fact that she trusted you to help her when she needed it is huge. All you can do is be there for her the best you can be, and everything will work itself out. I think having you around is the best thing she could have right now."
"I just wish I knew how to help her more. She's been doing so much better, and then this happened. I'm…I'm scared the Cullens coming back will drag her back to that dark place. She's so anxious all the time, she won't eat, and I'm worried she'll fall right back into her self-destructive habits. I wish I could just take it all away from her, carry the burdens myself."
"But you can't." She said simply, earning his gaze directly. "Believe me, there are so many times where I wish I could take away whatever stress Sam is dealing with, all the pain and heartbreak and anger with Leah, even carry the burden of what happened to me… but we can't. I've learned the best thing to do is to sit back and help when I'm asked for it, but just be supportive when I'm not. Bella's a tough girl, and she's not going to want you being a mother hen all the time. If you treat her like normal, eventually she'll feel normal, which will help her so much more."
"So… you're saying to just ignore the issues and act like nothing is wrong?" Jacob asked her, a million negative scenarios playing out in his head.
"Don't ignore them, but at the same time don't overstep either. Treat her like an equal partner, let her figure some things out on her own and make mistakes when she needs to. I know you want to, but you can't save her from everything. Just trust me, that's the best relationship advice you'll hear in your life." Jacob smiled, nodding in understanding.
"Thanks, Em. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Anytime." She said sweetly, before crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat. "Now then, why are you running around telling people I'm a nurse?"
"Well, you're the closest thing I've got to one. Besides Sue, and with all the drama between Leah and Bella I figured that wouldn't be the smartest move." Emily laughed, a joyous and positive sound putting his frayed nerves further at ease.
"Well then, you won't mind me running around telling everyone you're a mechanic. I'm sure you'll get lots of business, since you're the "closest thing we've got". How about that?" Jacob chuckled, stepping over to grab Bella gently from the sofa, intending on taking her back to his house.
"Point taken. I'm going to take her back to Billy's." Emily nodded, rising from her chair and holding the front door open for him.
"Take good care of her, Jake." She told him as he put her gently into the cab of her truck.
"Always." He said resolutely, before shutting the door and driving off towards home. There may be many uncertainties the couple would face together, but that was one thing Jacob could guarantee would never change. He'd always take care of Bella, no matter what.
