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Elena laid on Emily's living room couch passed out. Emily was checking vitals and having the Sam gets blankets to pile on top of her while Leah fetches new clothes from the bedroom. Emily tried to steady her hands while she looked over the girl, she was so use to working on wolves that she was worried she was going to miss something. The boys could heal quickly, even when they were really hurt they seemed to heal within a week no issues.
"Her pluse is there but a little weak. She has had to have lost like twenty pounds over the last five months...she has soot all over her clothes and parts of them are burned. Her hair is burnt in places. Sam...did she have these tiny lines by her eyes before?" Emily was staring at her face, she had wrinkles around the outer corners of her eyes. Emily could have sworn she had perfect skin before so where did these come from?
"No, she never had those. Shh...here they come," Sam stood up straight and watched as the doorknob turned. Leah came down the hallway and placed warm clothes on the side table before also looking towards the door. Emily kept working, checking bones and trying not to cringe when she felt ribs under skin.
"Where is she?" Paul's voice boomed into the house, the other boys followed close behind ready to pull himself back outside the moment he started shaking.
"You need to be quiet," Emily snapped at him as she pulled the blood pressure pump off Elenas arm and shoved it back in her doctors kit Carlisle made for her.
"What's wrong? Why isn't she awake? I saw she was awake!" Paul looked at Sam for answers but he just shook his head sadly.
"She's weak Paul. She's lost a lot of weight and has obviously been through something. She's alive but I think her mind needs time to heal," Emily glared at the man who was trying to charge over but was blocked by Leah and Sam.
"How long will that take?" Paul's shoulders fell as Leah walked to the couch to help Emily strip the girl down and change her into warm, dry clothes.
"I don't know. I'm not a witch like her, I don't know how to help other then just letting her rest," Emily sighed as they worked on Elena. The boys backed off and went into the kitchen for privacy. Sam stayed close by just in case still.
"Then we call Carlisle," Paul pulled out his cellphone but didn't take his eye off Elena as he passed it off to Sam. Sam sighed before finding the number and dialing it.
"Paul, she'll be okay. I did everything I can and Carlisle I'm sure will come and help too," Emily laid a hand on the defeated mans shoulder before stepping into the kitchen to make tea. Leah shrugged and followed suit while Sam hung up the phone and nodded, giving the signal that help was on the way. Paul walked and sat on the floor next to the couch staring at the front door waiting for the doctor to come through. He turned to look at Elena closely when his anxiety started raising. He looked at how pale she was, the bags under her eyes, the wrinkles that were never there before and started to worry more.
"What happened to you, El?" Paul whispered as he moved a peice of burnt hair away from her face. He could smell smoke on her and wondered where she had been all this time.
"Paul?" Carlisle broke the heartbroken man out of his head. Paul looked up to see Carlisle, Alice, Jasper and Edward all standing with frowns in their faces. Jacob was behind them leaned against the wall, he never wanted to know what it felt like for the past five months for Paul to wonder where his imprint was.
"Emily says her mind is weak," Paul got up and out of the way. He knew he had to trust the vampire to do his job with him getting in the way.
"But I can read it..." Edward looked confused as he stared at the girl. He was never able to read her mind before so why could be now?
"How is that possible? You said you couldn't. Her mind is a shield," Alice stepped closer to her unconscious friend. Jasper followed close behind readin only Elenas mood.
"She's not scared though, Paul. Take comfort in knowing she feels relieved," Jasper sent a calm energy wave through the room help any uneasy moods. All Paul could do was nod as he watched Carlisle slip on white gloves and start an IV.
"Paul, do you know where she was the last five months?" Edwards face read concern as he stared at Elena. He was seeing her dreams that played inside her mind. It was a look from the girl he's never seen before.
"No, why?" Paul still didn't turn his attention away from Carlisle and Elena. He trusted the doctor because Elena trusted him but his wolf instincts still told him he was an idiot.
"I think her mind is replaying things that happened. It's scary in there and I'm the one saying this," Edward scoffed at the fact that he was anxious seeing some of the demonic faces in her mind.
"What do you mean?" Paul instantly grew more worrisome.
"She was in a dark room. Or was it a room at all? I don't know but there was other people there. A man with a cane. A group of ugly...beings. A woman that looks like her but older. Flames, lots of flames," Edward was trying to peice everything together but he could only see what Elena saw which wasn't a whole lot due to darkness and the fire.
"That would explain the burns and smoke smell," Alice said from the arm of the couch. The insides of her nose tickled from it.
"Paul, do you know if she has anything that would help her? Anything magical?" Carlisle asked once the IV was all set up. He then took a blood sample but paused, staring at it.
"Maybe a crystal? I don't know where she kept them though. Why?" Paul was angry with himself for not knowing where she would keep crystals, especially if it was something to pull her back out.
"Claire would!" Quil called from the kitchen in between bites of a sandwich he made.
"I hate to ask this but could you go get that information," Carlisle asked with an apologetic face but Quil nodded before dashing out the front door. Elena was an imprint which meant she was like family, he would do anything to help her and Paul.
"Carlisle, her blood?" Edward asked while staring at the tube himself. Paul looked as well along with Jasper moving closer to eye it.
"That's not witches blood," Jasper whispered before holding out a finger to dip in. The moment his flesh hit the red liquid though nothing happened.
"That would have burned him," Alice jumped up quickly.
"So that means...?" Paul was confused. He had seen her blood burn a vampire before so why is it not doing so now.
"She's human," Carlisle shook his head in amazement. What has happened to this girl?
"No, no that's impossible right?" Paul shook his head and closed his tired eyes. He was too tired to even focus and understand what was happening. All he knew was that she was back and safe.
"I don't know. Only she would. I think maybe we've done all that we can. I'll come back in the afternoon to hook up another IV if she isn't awake. The least we can do is keep her hydrated," Carlisle said his goodbyes before collecting his belongings and heading out with his family behind.
About an hour later Quil ran in with a tiny pink crystal, placing it in the middle of her chest. He just shrugged and shook his head. He told Paul that Claire had said it would work if he just believed. Everyone else had left or set up somewhere to sleep so Paul leaned up against the couch with his head on his girlfriends stomach. Before he knew it he was asleep praying she'd wake up soon.
Three days later Elena woke up to the smell of bacon, her stomach growled. She took a moment to stare at the white ceiling above her and realized what was happening. She was back in La Push. She was at Emily's. She was safe.
She was human.
She sat up slowly, feeling her body ache worse then it ever had before. She looked around to see sunlight just peeking in through the open living room window, curtains slightly blowing from the fan. She turned and set her feet on the ground, she started to try and stand up slowly before a hand reached out and caught her once she wobbled.
"Not so fast," Paul's voice sounded raspy, like he hadn't drank in days or talked in ages.
"Paul," Elena whispered before feeling tears fill her eyes. She took in his run down apperence. Facial hair grew on his normally clean face and his hair was longer then the buzz cut he kept. The bags under his eyes told her he wasn't sleeping well or at all. His eyes filled with tears as well though, he was trying to tell himself this was real and not a dream.
"I thought you were gone," Paul gently pulled her close to him, scared of breaking her. She slowly wrapped her arms around him taking in scent. God, she missed him.
"I didn't realize I was gone for that long. For me it only felt like an hour tops," Elena shook her head slowly as they sat down on the couch. Neither one letting each other's hand go though.
"It was five months. I searched for five months. I waited for you for five months. I almost lost hope but I knew you'd find a way back," Paul sniffled a bit and wiped his eyes. He was trying to hold himself together for her sake.
"I had two options two get out of there," Elena looked at the ground. She didn't feel ashamed that she chosehuman so she could live and be with him, she felt ashamed that she was now human and he would never grow older due to phasing. He would outlive her and she'd die grey.
"You got out though," Paul kissed her forehead, his body begging for the comfort of hers to be close.
"It was either day I'm guilty and burn or become human. Paul, I gave up my powers. Old me would have burned before I gave up my powers but...I couldn't have thought of leaving you. I couldn't be selfish when I had you waiting and worrying," Elena felt the tears flow down her face finally. She tried to cover her face in embarrassment but Paul stopped her.
"You gave up your magic for me? You silly girl," Paul laughed while his tears fell.
"I would rather be human and die with you then be a witch and die from arrogance alone," Elena nodded her head in certainty that she made the right chance.
"You're crazy," Paul shook his head before kissing her chapped lips gently to not hurt her.
"I am because now I'll grow old where you won't. You'll have to watch me die eventually," Elena felt her heart pull in sadness over the fact.
"Then I'll stop phasing," Paul said simply with a shrug of his shoulders. He'd give up the world just so she would be him forever.
"No, no you love being a protector," Elena shook her head before Paul stopped her by grabbing her chin gently.
"Elena, I love you. Yes, I love what I do but I love you more. At the end of the day, I choose you. I would choose you over and over," Paul gave a small smile before kissing her again gently. He knew that they would have the rest of their lives together and that's all that mattered to him.