Leah's POV:

Jake and I follow Seth back in a state of silence, allowing my brother to calm himself down. He doesn't usually get this worked up and I'm a bit worried about him. His shoulders are tense and his spine is abnormally straightened. All of his muscles are stiff and tense the entire walk back to the Cullen's. Jake glances at my sideways a few times, as if wanting to discuss this but I just shake my head at him and he lets it go. His eyes remain on Seth's back though, a look of worry in them.

What I didn't expect is for Seth's demeanor to completely change the moment we walked inside the house. His shoulders loosened and his jaw unclenched and I watched a gentle smile rise on his face as soon as he found Gwen sitting on the couch, taking her turn holding the newborn baby. She holds her so gently in her arms, smiling down at her innocent face.

She really is a beautiful baby. It's frightening how small she is knowing how much pain Bella was in throughout her whole pregnancy. I can admit that I didn't like Bella Swan the first time I met her, or really the few times after that. It took quite a while for me to warm to her, but what really did it was seeing how strong and resilient she was throughout everything. Maybe I didn't respect her decisions at first, especially as they involved Edward and the Cullen's.

What I couldn't help but admire though was her strength the moment she learned she was pregnant. No one was going to tell Bella she wasn't going to have that baby. No one. She changed overnight from a scared vampire lover to an independent and strong mother. How could I not admire and respect her? It was an easy call to make leaving Sam's pack, but really it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the principle of it all.

As soon as Gwen glances up and her eyes land on Jake she immediately offers the baby to him, knowing he's probably dying to hold her. I can see my brothers smile widen at that too. Jake eagerly excuses himself to wash his hands first, which I have never seen him do. I take a seat next to Esme on the couch opposite of Gwen and watch Seth occupy the chair that sits in between the two couches.

"Is everything okay?" Gwen frowns up at me, and then at Seth.

I nod quickly, dismissing it. "All good. How's your cuts looking? Did there need to be stitches?" I motion to her. Sometimes it scares the shit out of me that Gwen's still a human while being wrapped up in this world. She's so vulnerable to the dangers around us, but she's so stubborn and desperate to assist everyone else. She never thinks of herself.

Despite my hate for him, I know Sam would never intentionally harm Gwen. Not ever. That only shows how dangerous a mere accident can be to her. Her skin is still soft and has no healing properties like us wolves. Her skin can scar and her bones can break and take weeks to recover.

"I'm fine, Carlisle's going to check me out later." She assures us all too fast.

Seth turns to Esme, his eyes are big, pleading even. Esme smothers a sigh, "She needed three stitches in on of the scratches." She admits quietly. The rooms falls deeply silent until Jake returns with a large smile, eager for his turn. Gwen returns his smile and waits until Jake's seated beside her to carefully hand off the baby. Jake's eyes light up at the sight of her. He's so gentle, as if he might just break her.

"I was able to give her a full exam and she's doing really well." Gwen informs him, knowing it would be his concern. I don't miss the way she winces silently when she slowly stands up. She's now wearing an oversized t-shirt, likely Emmetts, as it replaced her ripped up one. She quietly pads over to Carlisle's office, likely offering them help yet again.

Once she's out of the room Esme turns to us. "She's going to need to take it easy the next few days and keep up on her medicine and the cream. Carlisle's going to take a good look at her when he's done with Bella, but I've done stitches for years. The scratches are very clean but we never know if an infection might pop up, it needs to be looked at closely every day to ensure it's healing right." I nod along with her, taking in the information.

"Is she hurting? Does she have pain medicine to take?" Seth asks in a quiet voice, sounding very gentle and caring.

Esme purses her lips, "She'll never admit it but from the looks of those cuts they must hurt terrible, though there was a lot of adrenaline going through her body. She may not feel the full pain until tomorrow, still she'll have pain medicine to take too. No lifting heavy things or exercising for a while for her either."

Seth runs a hand over his mouth, nodding his head. My heart hurts seeing my brother so worried over someone who he clearly cares deeply for. I'll never understand Taha Aki or why he chooses what he does. I would love for Seth to be with Gwen, for the two of them to be happy. I wonder if he has any idea how she feels for him or if he'll just keep crushing on her in silence until he imprints on someone else.

Edward emerges from Carlisle's office looking exhausted, but he's cleaned up now. There's no blood on his skin anymore and his clothes are fresh. Jake rises from the couch and passes the baby along to her father without being asked, which I didn't expect. That's very mature of him, knowing his place, gauging his boundaries with him. "I think I'm going to take her up to bed, if you want to join me?" Edward offers, clutching the baby to his chest. "Bella had plans for reading to her during her first nice, I thought I'd do that." Jake looks a little caught off guard by the offer but he eagerly agrees and follows Edward up the stairs.

"How's Bella doing?" I ask Esme.

She merely shakes her head, running a hand through her dark hair. "Relatively the same, though Carlisle says that Gwen, Jake, and Edward did everything perfectly. He patched up her skin and they cleaned her up, but she's still in a coma. This is to be expected, everyone responds differently." I can still see the worry and exhaustion in her eyes. They've all grown to love Bella, that's easy to see. It's a disappointment today went like this, that Bella didn't get to spend the night with her daughter and husband.


Gwen's POV:

I come into Carlisle's office to check up on Bella, only to find that they had moved her into the guest room next door to his office. Likely to give her body some privacy as it takes time to heal. Carlisle is merely cleaning up the space now, and turns to greet me with a smile. "You make me proud Gwen, you saved our Bella and the baby." His fatherly praise feels good, it reminds me of how desperately I've wanted that from my own dad. For him to be aware and sober enough to look at me and think I've done well in the past few years.

I push that pang of pain out of my mind faster than it slipped in.

"It was mostly Jake and Edward." I answer honestly, not taking the praise well. "Either way I'm thankful she's going to be okay." I look over her, inspecting her. She looks so peaceful like this, it's nice knowing she's not in pain anymore. I'm thankful she was able to see the baby despite all that was going on before she fell unconscious.

"How are your wounds? My wife knows how to do a mean stitch, she learned from the best after all." He playfully smiles, motioning to my chest. I absently brush my fingers over the gauze, biting back a wince. Esme was gentle, thank god, but I still cried throughout the process. I'm glad Leah, Seth, and Jake left so they didn't see me looking so weak and pathetic. None of them have ever cried getting patched up and I've seen some pretty awful wounds in my time being here.

Emmett walked in on it and insisted on holding my hand, despite my embarrassment. Still I let him and honestly it helped me a bit. It's not always easy for me to ask for help and it's even harder to accept it. "Better."

Carlisle runs through the medication I have to take and hands me all of the supplies I'll need in a paper bag. I have to come over or meet him at the hospital for check ups to make sure they heal properly and eventually the stitches will be removed, luckily. I've never needed a stitch in my life and I was horrified when Esme broke the news to me. That was the worst part.

Carlisle excuses himself and a moment later Seth walks in, giving me a smile. "Hey you." His voice is smooth, soft. A part of me wants to break down in his arms right now and let out all my emotions. The adrenaline coursing through me has all my emotions heightened and I'd really like to sink into him. I want him to run his fingers through my hair and rub my back until I fall asleep. I want him to lay in bed with me all day tomorrow and the next day. I guess a small part of me wants to be babied a little. Instead, I feel deeply alone right now and a lump forms in my throat, tears stinging my eyes.

I clear my throat, turning away from him, pretending to busy myself with the medicines in my bag. "Hey, how are you feeling? I saw, um, Paul and you going at it." My voice wobbles a little despite doing my best not to. I don't know why I'm so upset, there's nothing to be upset about. I think I'm just upset I got hurt.

"Hey." His voice drops, concern laced in his word. He takes steps closer to me and I squeeze my eyes shut, begging the tears to fall back.

Emmett, with his perfect timing, finds himself in the doorway. "Clearwater, you better get those cuts checked out man." He lightens the mood instantly and I feel like I can breath a little better. "Who knows where that guys paw has been. Aw cute, you and Gwen can match." He teases playfully. It's like he knows it's exactly what I need right now.

I manage to suck in a breath that rids the lump and tears as I turn back to the two, this time smiling. "I'll get the stuff, you go sit on the couch." I instruct him, shooing him away. He gives me a look that I can't really read before he quietly makes his way into the living room.

I push out a breath and move to the supplies, looking over what I'll need. "Gwen, I need to talk to you for a sec." He declares loud enough for everyone to hear before he shuts the door behind him, leaning against it. I look at him over my shoulder at him and he gives me a look.

"You okay?" He doesn't speak as he mouths the words, not wanting the others to hear him. I frown, stringing my eyebrows together as if I have no idea what he speaks of. I nod, dismissing his worry right away. I turn back to what I'm doing, chewing on my bottom lip as my emotions bubble up again. "Gwen." This time he speaks, but his voice is low and knowing. He knows I'm not.

There's silence for a few moments until I can't hold back the tears anymore. I sniffle and that's the only warning he gets before I can't stop sniffling and the tears begin streaming down my cheeks. I cover my mouth, trying to suffocate the noises that threaten to erupt from my throat. I shake my head, not looking at him. I know he's there, I feel his eyes pouring into the back of my head. Still he says nothing, not moving an inch.

It's me who rushes into him, clutching onto his hoodies as silent sobs escape and I fill his shirt with tears. I shake against him, shuttering sob after sob out of my system. He gently pats my back, occasionally running soothing circles over it. He's cold beneath his hoodie, so different from how Seth feels. Still I feel safe, protected even just a little bit. Emmett's like a big brother to me.

The emotions of the day get the best of me, it's been an overall bad day for me. First Seth, then all of this mess.

He peels himself from me but remains close as he leans down, pulling my chin a tap so I look up at him. I can imagine I look red faced and puffy eyed, but he doesn't mention it. "You're okay." The words are hardly a whisper, nearly impossible to hear. "It's okay to cry, but you're okay." He squeezes my shoulder. "Do you want to stay here for the night?" I think on it, but shake my head. I think I'd like to be in my own bed, my safe space. He nods, understandingly. "Can I get you anything?" I shake my head. "A tissue, you look a little snotty." He grimaces at me, but he manages to make a smile grow on my lips.

I sniffle, swatting at his shoulder but he chuckles, patting my back again. "Love you kid."

"Love you too, wise ass." I throw back, making him erupt with laughter.


Seth drives Leah and I back to La Push in his car and the ride is a heavy silence. I think we're all tired and burnt out from today. Everything on me pretty much aches, it's not just my chest anymore. I think I'm in need of another round of pain meds already, though Carlisle said that's to be expected. Luckily he gave me something pretty strong so it'll do me some good. Hopefully it helps me to sleep too, I'm a little bummed to be sleeping alone tonight.

I partially want to ask Leah to spend the night, but I'm sure she wants to get home and shower after a long day. She probably wants to enjoy her bed alone tonight.

I press the side of my face to the cool backseat window as Seth turns onto my road. His crappy car has only made a few alarming noises on our short ride home, so clearly it's in better shape than it was before it was towed. It does smell like him though and the smell is nearly putting me to sleep. The car comes to a stop and I sigh, collecting my stuff. "Thanks for the ride guys." I manage a lazy smile at them.

"Why don't we come in, get you settled in?" Seth suggests, looking at me through the mirror.

I part my lips to dismiss his concern when I glance at my front door, noticing two figures. A moment later my eyes settle and I realize it's Embry and Quil waiting for me to get here, leaning against my front door. "What are those two bozo's doing here?" Leah snorts, unbuckling her seat belt. We all pile out of the car and head up my driveway. Quil's smiling face greets me in the darkness, only the small porch light lighting the space.

"There she is." Quil teases as I approach. "We wanted to check on you, make sure you're doing okay." He explains, his eyes roaming over me, as if trying to detect any wounds.

I can't help but grin at the two of them. "You guys didn't have to-"

"We wanted to." Embry assures me quickly. "You worry us, ya know?" He pokes my shoulder, allowing me to move through them to unlock my door. Everyone follows me inside and when I turn to look at them I laugh. They're all crowding the small space, making my small apartment look even smaller in comparison to the sheer size of them.

"Can we convince you to move into a more wolf friendly home?" Quil's lopsided grin greets me as he moves past me, headed straight for my fridge. He ducks down to look inside and then he scoffs. "Someone needs to go grocery shopping." He teases me, emerging from the kitchen with a bottle of water.

I roll my eyes at him, shoving him as he passes me. My eyes drop down to his swollen and bruised fist. "Shit what happened there?" I frown at the sight of it. It looks pretty uncomfortable, I'm curious if he fell on it or hit it off a tree during everything. He takes a seat on my couch, glancing down at his hand casually.

"Oh." He shrugs a shoulder, like it's nothing. "I punched the hell out of Sam when I found out what he did." He says it like it's no big deal at all. I glance at the other three, but none are making eye contact with me.

I don't know what to say for a moment. "Wha-You didn't have to do that for me." I shake my head, but my heart melts a bit. It was so sweet of Quil to stand up for me like that, especially considering it's his Alpha. I feel a little silly for crying earlier, clearly I am well protected and cared for. I move to take the seat next to him on the couch and lean over, placing a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you though." I say softly, patting his let.

He wraps an arm over my shoulder, placing his hand on the side of my head and giving my hair a good tussle. "Anything for my girl." He teases. "How's Bella doing?" He asks, sounding genuinely concerned for her well being.

"Better." Leah speaks up. She picks at my carpet as she sits on it beside Seth. Embry took over the chair closest to the door. "The venom is taking it's time working through her body, but she'll be fine."

Quil and Embry nod thoughtfully. I know they cared for Bella a lot this whole time, they had both known her before Edward and her married, when she was hanging around Jake. They had always liked it, thought of her as a good friend. "Good. So now Jake's in the imprint club, that leaves the Clearwater's next I guess, who do you think is going first." He teases them. "Does my bud Devon have a chance, Leah?"

I notice Leah's tan face turn a shade of red as she shoos him off. "Shut up, no." She says confidently, but there's embarrassment on her face making us all laugh. "Not doing that again." She shakes it off. I'm a little surprised to hear that, I thought it went well with the two of them.

"Bummer, he's a good guy." Quil shrugs, kicking a leg on my coffee table. I scoff and he immediately drops his foot back to the floor with a sigh. "Little Clearwater?" He tips his chin to Seth who looks a little lost in his own head at the moment.

Seth's eyes land on me, not Quil's as he shakes his head. "Not worried about imprinting anytime soon." He looks away, not smiling as he talks. His normally cheery attitude isn't really there. He must be exhausted from today's events.

"You guys don't have to hang here if you don't want to, it was a long day." I speak up, feeling bad. I hope they're not all worried about me, I'll be just fine.

Quil knocks my knee with his. "Trying to get rid of us so soon? Hurt, I'm hurt." He teases.