This isn't in the main story, but I've been asked about keeping it here so that people can know how Carys and Carlisle would have reacted. This is what would have happened had Jacob assaulted Bella.
TRIGGER WARNING SUMMARY OF THE ASSAULT BELOW
She said no and he kissed her, then she fought and he used his strength to subdue her. She then went numb and lax until he was done and mentally escaped the situation. He forced her jaw open and put his tongue in her mouth. Then, when he finally stopped kissing her, she punched him and he told her off for hurting herself because she should have known how hard his jaw was, and then gaslit her. Lines such as "you kissed me back", "I thought it was pretty incredible myself", "You're going to think about it tonight. When he thinks you're asleep, you'll be thinking about your options", "You will. Tonight. And I'll be thinking about you while you're thinking about me." etc etc... And then Charlie laughs at Bella having hurt herself punching Jacob. When he finds out Jacob kissed her, he congratulates him, and then sides with Jacob and doesn't seem to see what's wrong... The more he talks, the worse it gets.
TRIGGER WARNING OVER.
The below takes place after the assault when Bella's gone to Carlisle to get her hand checked out. She was left with a fractured knuckle after punching Jacob. I've made a change, that there's no violence by the wolves towards Jacob mentioned!
"I hope Charlie's reading him the riot act in gaol after taking a baseball bat to his crotch," said Carys.
Bella seethed. "He's not. I think he was on Jacob's side. He laughed at first and then congratulated him."
Carlisle's head snapped up. "He didn't?"
Bella nodded, a little hesitant now.
"Would you mind if I handled this on your behalf?" Carlisle calmly inquired as he adjusted the brace one last time. "Insofar as Charlie is concerned?"
"You'd do that?"
"I would be worried enough that a man might congratulate another following an assault. It concerns me greatly that that man is both your father and the Chief of Police."
"I didn't go into much detail," Bella admitted.
"You arrived home with a broken hand from having punched someone who kissed you against your will. That is more enough information to begin with."
The worry that had subdued Bella didn't seem to have left her completely, but a determination had been added.
"Yes... Thank you."
Carlisle nodded and grabbed his phone from the table. It was at his ear a mere second later.
"Charlie, hello," he greeted after a few seconds, "yes, I have Bella here. Her knuckle is indeed broken... Yes..." He paced away, his voice increasingly difficult to hear. "Perhaps things have changed since I last checked, but I had thought ignoring verbal and non-verbal refusal and using force to-" He moved out of range.
"I have Billy's number," Carys said, turning back to the pair. "And Sue's. And Leah's. You may not be able to take a baseball bat to him yourself given your condition, but I doubt the Council or some of the wolves would take kindly to-"
"Do it," Bella said with a fierce grin.
Carys pulled her phone from her back pocket and paced away in the opposite direction to Carlisle. She did exactly as she said she would. She related the entirety of the situation, almost word for word as Bella had described it.
Her first call was to Billy, who was shocked and mortified, insistent that he hadn't brought his son up in that manner, apologised furiously, said he would deal with him, and understood he wouldn't be her only call. Her second was to Leah, who was furious and, upon telling Paul and Jared with whom she was having an early dinner, informed Carys that the two were on their way to find him and she would follow. Her third was to Sue who simply said she understood in little more than a fierce growl and immediately hung up.
Carys took that Sue's reaction to mean much the same as Leah's.
Tracking back across the room at the same time as Carlisle, she shoved her phone into her back pocket. They reached Bella at the same time.
"Done," Carlisle said.
"And dusted," Carys confirmed with a curt nod. "Right now I'd be willing to go over there and beat his arse myself, but I think Sue's going after what's left of him."
"What's left?"
"Paul and Jared don't take kindly to assault. Neither does Leah. And Billy... Well, he sent you his apologies."
"Charlie claims he hadn't realised the full extent of the issue," Carlisle relayed. There was a slight edge to his voice as he spoke. "I believe he was shamed at his reaction by the time I was done. It was around the point of reminding him that his position expects him to protect victims that he truly changed his tune."
"That's another friendship down the drain... I'm shedding them left right and center these days," Carys sighed, pulling her phone from her pocket when it began to ring. She sent it to voicemail. "Charlie," she explained, glancing up.
It rang again and she cancelled that call as well.
"Does Charlie know I'm here?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Carlisle said as she cancelled yet another call. "He's expecting Bella's return, however. He plans on apologising in person." He had turned to Bella as he said the last.
Carys' phone rang again. This time she accepted the call.
"Society for people who don't congratulate those who sexually harass or assault," she reeled off as Bella clapped her uninjured hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Isabella Swan's one day step-mother-in-law speaking. How can we help you today?"
"There's no need for that," Charlie grumbled in his gruff voice. "I made a mistake."
"One you shouldn't have made."
"Yes... Well..." He sighed heavily. "Billy says you've already spoken to him?"
"I called him as soon as I found out. As you should have. Sue knows as well. I figured the Council would want to be informed." For half a minute there was no response, and so Carys prompted, "Charlie?"
"I wish you would have let me deal with this," he said.
"Funnily enough, I couldn't be sure you would have bothered," she told him lightly. "He might be your friend's son, Charlie, and you might not like Edward, but-"
"I get it, I get it... I messed up. Do you know if Bella..."
"I'm sure Bella will be more open to accept your apology if she had some time to calm down," Carys said, making a snap decision. Bella stared up at her, increasingly confused, as she went on, "Understandably, she's distraught."
"I'm not-"
Carys held up a hand to cut Bella off and went on in much the same tone, "With a broken knuckle and your reaction on top of it all, she's asking if she can stay with Alice tonight. I have a mind to let her."
Realisation had dawned on Bella and Edward.
Carlisle appeared proud, as if she'd simply confirmed his suspicions. Bella clapped her hand back over her mouth. Edward didn't look quite so happy with the news. He was likely thinking about how staying at theirs would automatically see Bella attend the first meeting that night.
"I'm almost certain I can see tears in her eyes," Carys added, unsure if it was actually possible to lay it on too thick in this scenario.
Usually she would be against manipulating Charlie, but this was different. Bella deserved to be around people who had her best interests at heart. Charlie had proved himself unworthy of that. If there was one thing Carys understood, it was needing time to recharge before facing people who hurt you.
"I foresee blanket forts and action films in our immediate future."
"You think that would make her feel better?" Charlie hesitantly concluded.
"I do, yes. And knowing Jacob won't be harming her again. To think. I actually thought he was a good kid..."
"He is."
"Oh, but is he?"
"I... No, I suppose he hasn't shown that today, has he..."
"So. What do you say? I'll send Alice 'round for some clothes and Bella can stay until Sunday morning."
"Yes, that sounds like a good- hold on. Sunday, you say?"
"Yes, Sunday... Is that a problem, Charlie?"
"I... No. No. Sunday, as you say... I hope this mistake doesn't mean..."
"It goes without saying we should all play by Bella on this one. If she says she's alright, we're alright. Goodbye Charlie."
The moment Carys hung up, Bella threw her uninjured arm around her.
"Oh come off it," she complained, awkwardly freeing herself from the embrace. "It's not like I've done anything."
"Not done-" Bella cut off when Carys' phone began to play Thunderbirds Are Go.
Carys blushed a little as she answered. "Hey Sue."
"Hi Carys. I've spoken to Emily and Sam but I hear you got there first?"
"Sorry about that, I kinda did the rounds," Carys explained, scratching lightly at her hairline. "I figured Dad, Council, wolves..."
"As would I. I want you to know he's being dealt with. Sam suggests moving the meeting back until Monday night. It may take some time. He hopes this doesn't affect the plans."
"One sec," Carys said, covering the mouthpiece. "Moving to Monday doesn't eff anything up too much, does it?"
Bella, Edward and Carlisle shared a look. Bella shook her head - though she looked a little sick, as if agreeing to it was the last thing she wanted to do - and the two vampires followed her lead.
"Sue?" Carys asked, returning the phone to her ear. "It doesn't change anything. We should have time."
"Good... No. Not good really," Sue sighed. "None of this is good, is it?"
"No... But they'll be prepared when it comes."
"Yes... So, when are you visiting with me?"
Carys let out a surprised peal of laughter. "Surely-"
"When this is all over, it's expected," Sue informed her. "I won't take no for an answer."
"You drive a hard bargain... I tell you what, if you remind Leah to think about being a bridesmaid, I'll come 'round."
"A bridesmaid... And you'll share what you know...?" Sue queried. "My children and their Pack have a tendency to skip over what they deem 'minor details'."
"Alright... As long as it's not going to get me into trouble."
Sue simply laughed. "Goodbye Carys."
"Bye Sue." Carys returned her phone once more to her back pocket. "Well..." She leaned against the table and sighed. "This has been a day and a half, hasn't it? Now." Slapping the table once, she stared at Bella.
She was about to ask how Bella was feeling when the teenager spoke instead.
"I thought you would have gone down there yourself."
Carys had to agree with that... It was as the others had said. She had a history of large scale reactions. But the truth was... As much as she wanted to, she wasn't sure she could actually harm someone herself.
She took a deep breath and slowly released it.
"I might have," she said, "but I'm beginning to think there's only so much I can rail against on my own... I don't know. Maybe I'm mellowing out in my old age. Or, my full-scale blind anger needs time to recharge... Or, I'm becoming more vindictive."
Bella looked confused and so Carys clarified:
"From the sounds of things, Jacob's going to get a far worse time of it in-house. If I rocked up with a baseball bat he'd just phase or something. This way, everyone knows exactly what he's done, and there's no way he can play his cards when everyone knows they're false.
"I'd like to see him wriggle his way out of this one."
