A/N: Hello, hello! Cherry is awesome for getting this done on her vacation and sending it back earlier than anticipated! I had thought about holding off posting until the planned day of Monday, but clearly decided to be nice, lol! Happy Early Update!

SM owns all things Twilight. Everything else is mine.

Chapter 2: Escape

EPOV

Have you ever said something, and then the moment it's out of your mouth you wish you hadn't? Yeah, that's me. I wish I hadn't promised her anything. Making a promise I don't know if I can keep is something I learned about the hard way. I loved my father, but back when I was younger and his gambling problem was bad, there were times he'd make promises and never follow through. But, as I look in my mirror at the beaten, broken woman in the backseat, I vow that I will keep my promise.

I'll keep it no matter what it takes.

After throwing punches with the guy in her room, I grabbed a lamp and broke it over his head. I didn't think it would do much since he was so big, but I hoped it would buy us enough time to get away. He fell to the floor and didn't move, so I thought fast and grabbed the lamp cord and tied his hands behind his back as best as I could.

I rushed to her and she looked terrible. Her lips were swollen and bleeding, her right eye was already bruising, her nose was bloodied, and her shirt was torn. She was a crumpled mess on the floor and I knew I needed to get her to a hospital. I grabbed her bag, picked her up while talking to her, and headed out.

I only got about ten feet out of the room when two figures coming from my left caught my eye. I hissed out a "fuck," and picked up my pace. I had really hoped this wouldn't happen. I got her in the backseat and quickly got in the driver's. There was no way out other than flooring it. I just had to pray that we made it to the hospital without a tail. All I could do was tell her to hold on as I started the car and peeled out of the lot, almost hitting the same two guys from the house.

UW Medicine is the opposite direction of the airport, but we can't fly out yet. She needs to get looked at first and it's the closest place. Hospitals ask questions, though; questions I don't know how to answer, and I'm not sure what she wants to do. Talking to her might be a good thing anyway, as she might a have a concussion.

"Hey. How are you doing back there?" I ask as calmly as I can.

"I'll be okay, but I hurt everywhere … and I want to sleep. I'm so tired," she whimpers out.

"I know, but I need you to stay awake, okay? I don't know if you have a concussion, so I'd rather be safe than sorry. Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"No," she says firmly, despite her pain. "No hospital. I just want to be free. They'll call him or he'll find me there."

"Okay. We can skip the hospital, but I need to have someone look you over. We need some type of 'go-ahead' so I know we won't do any more damage. I have a friend who's a doctor that can meet us somewhere. Is that okay?" I ask. She just whimpers out an "okay," so I continue my course.

By now I've driven a few zigzags and reached the interstate again. I need to find some place out of sight where it will be difficult for them to find me—to find us. There's a wooded area in Federal Way called West Hyland Wetlands Park, with lots of trees and even a cabin or two. I need to call Emmett and ask if he can meet me there. Shit! I don't even know her name! Good job, Cullen.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Bella. Bella Swan."

Nodding, I say to myself, "Bella," and then louder so she can hear, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but who was he?" I have to ask. Both of our situations are bad, but together they could get worse.

"My husband," Bella whispers just loud enough to hear over the sound of the wind outside. She clears her throat a little and with a louder voice says, "I finally left him today, but he found me."

"Well, if I can help it, he won't hurt you again." Maybe if I say it enough, we'll both believe it and strive for it. "I'm going to call my friend and have him meet us." She responds with a weak "okay," and I hit Emmett's number.

Once he answers, I get straight to the point. He hates that something happened, but agrees to meet us at the park.

"Em, it might be a good idea to bring Rose with. Bella's husband is a big guy—at least as big as you. She might feel a bit more comfortable with another female there."

"Yeah, good idea. I'm sure she''' be up to it," he says.

I peek back at Bella to assess what she might need. "Could you bring us both a hoodie? We kind of just hightailed it out of there and I didn't have the time to grab my bag." I glance in the mirror again and notice something missing. "And a pair of sneakers for her, too. I don't know if she has any extra."

"Will do man, but what about you? What will you wear?" my friend asks.

"I'm not worried about me. We'll find a break and I can go to the store."

"Okay, well, the longer we talk, the later we'll be," Emmett points out.

"Right, see you there." We disconnect and I put the phone down in the cup holder.

After telling her it won't be much longer, the rest of the ride is quiet. I take the exit, but instead of staying straight to get to the park, I decide to take a left. I do another big zigzag before going in, coming in from the opposite direction. Hopefully they don't catch up to us. I haven't seen anyone worth worrying about since we left, and I need to keep it that way. I know it's inevitable—that they will catch up to us—but all I have is hope right now.

About twenty minutes after making the left, I'm finally in the park. I find an off-road trail and take it. I drive a little ways in to make sure I can't be seen from the entrance. It's so dark out and there's plenty of tree coverage, so I don't have to go too far. I park my car and shut it off, lights and all.

We just sit there, in the dark quiet, waiting. The silence is welcomed, yet it isn't. It's creepy, peaceful, maddening, and mind freeing all together. I know it's weird to feel all that right now, and it is more creepy and maddening than anything. I'm too on edge for the calmness to stay and I'm sure Bella is too.

I turn around enough so I can see her better. It seems she's fallen asleep. A few minutes shouldn't do any harm, should it? Sleep is another way for the body to heal sometimes, so I'll just wake her when Emmett and Rose get there.

I look her over from head to toe. Her brown hair, which I'm sure has seen better days, is thick and wavy. Her full lips are cut and bleeding. Her stomach is exposed from the tear in her shirt and her jean-covered legs are curled up, her feet covered only with socks. I wonder what she looks like without the bruises and blood? I wonder how long she's been with him and how long this has been going on? Does she have anybody else in her life? I remember seeing the short, black-haired woman that left when I arrived. Who was she to her, and where and why did she go?

The vibration of my phone breaks my thoughts. It's Emmett saying he's here. I reach back to try and wake her gently, but even my light touch startles her. Gasping, she pops her eyes open wide and stares at me in fear.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Do you remember me?" I ask quickly. When she nods, I continue. "We're in a wetland park, away from the roads. My friend just got here, but I need to get out and show him where we are. I'll only be a few minutes, okay?"

She whispers "okay" and tries to sit up. I stop her and tell her not to move until Emmett says. She sighs and lays back down. Knowing she won't move, I get out and jog up the trail. It takes a couple of minutes but when I'm finally able to see him, I wave him forward and have him follow me in his car. Once there, both he and Rose get out. Emmett and I share a manly half hug as Rose comes around the front of their jeep.

"Thank you for coming," I say.

"I already told her why she had to come, so let's hurry up so you two can get things sorted," Emmett says as he releases his hold on my hand and grabs his medical kit. We walk over to the car with me in front to prepare her.

"Bella? Emmett's wife, Rosalie, is here. I thought maybe having another woman with would help you feel safer when he looks you over." Both Rose and Em come around to where I'm standing and say hello. Bella's eyes widen a little, and I guess it's at Emmett's size. I see concern, but understanding, on Rose's face when she looks at me and then at Emmett.

"Emmett, why don't you go around to the other side so I can stay over here?" Rosalie asks him. With a nod, he moves to the other side and opens the door. I move to get back in the front seat and Rose climbs in the back to sit with Bella. "It'll be all right, Bella. He may be big, but he's a teddy bear." Rose gives a small smile and glances over at him.

Emmett gives a dimply smile, no doubt trying to ease her worry. "Okay, let's get this done as painlessly as possible, shall we?"

*GOA*

BPOV

Emmett is huge. I don't think he's as big as Sam, but close. In the darkness that surrounds us, his figure and dark hair make him look just like him. Rosalie is a beautiful blonde and slender woman with perfect curves. She seems nice and it's comforting that she's here. I think I would have lost the trust I had in Edward—a trust I shouldn't have this fast—if she hadn't come. She sits by my feet, he's by my head, and Edward is in the driver's seat.

"I'm going to check and make sure you don't have a concussion first, okay?"

"Okay." He checks my eyes, making sure the pupils dilate and making me follow his finger. He asks if I know my name, what the date is, if I've vomited recently, and so on. "I remember everything, but I'm pretty tired."

"That's to be expected with what happened and with it being almost midnight, but you do have a mild concussion. You can sleep, but only for a couple of hours at time. You will need to be woken up to make sure it doesn't get worse. Now, I need to check the rest of you. Are you having trouble breathing?"

I think it's a stupid question, but I answer anyway. "Not too much, but it hurts as you can imagine." He just snorts and cracks a slight smile.

"Yeah, I know that seemed stupid, but I had to ask. It probably won't be the last one either." I just sigh and nod a little. "Okay, I need to lift your shirt to see the damage."

I nod and both he and Rose help lift it. Moving hurts so much and I can't hold back the hiss and groan that escape. Having this much skin showing in front of people I barely know makes me nervous. I know it's necessary and I shouldn't feel weird, but I can't help it. I don't want to look, so I look over at Edward instead. He looks pained and pissed. One hand tugs at his copper-colored hair while the other is clenched tightly in a fist. I don't like the anger, even though I'm sure it's not at me, so I look back at Rose and Emmett. Her emotions resemble Edward's, whereas Emmett's are more professional.

He might not be as bad as I thought.

"Ow!" I say through clenched teeth as he presses a little too hard on one of my ribs.

"Sorry. Well, at least one of your ribs is cracked, if not broken, but it doesn't feel like a bad break, so there's most likely no internal bleeding from that. I need to see your back, too." They both help me roll onto my side so I face the backseat. He presses into me and then says I can turn back over. "You might have a little bit of kidney damage as well. Going to the bathroom might hurt a smidge and blood in the urine is common, so drink plenty of water."

"Em? Can I speak to Bella alone for a minute? You know, girl to girl?" Rosalie asks.

Emmett looks at her, then at me and asks, "Are you okay with that?"

I look to Rose and see her glance down real quick. I understand her reason, now. I tell them that it's okay and both Edward and Emmett leave the car. Once they're out of earshot, she looks at me and asks if I need any tampons or pads.

I don't want to tell her, this person I've known for five minutes, so I tell her without actually saying it. "No, I can't wear tampons for this and I have some pads in my bag. I should have enough," I say in a quiet voice. I hate that I have to say anything at all, and I hate that it's happened again, but it is what it is now.

She seems a little confused. "Can't wear tampons for this? I'm not sure what you mean." I stay silent, trying to gather my words and courage, but she thinks I might not answer. She asks again, "What do you mean?"

Swallowing the saliva that's pooled in my mouth, I look down and away before letting it out. "I had a miscarriage early this morning. That was the final straw for me and I left while he was at work." I can't look up at her. I don't know if I want to see the expression on her face.

She doesn't speak for what feels like forever, but it's really only about thirty seconds before I hear a couple sniffles. I decide to look up and see her wiping away a stray tear from her cheek. She composes herself and says, "I'm so sorry that happened. You don't have to elaborate if you don't want to, but I think Em needs to know this. He is the doctor and it might help."

"Okay, but I've already been to a doctor about it. I went right after he left for work." I pause, unsure if I should tell her more, but deciding I need to. "And it's not my first."

"How many?"

"There have been two others."

"Oh my God," she gasps out. "How did you put up with that? Never mind, you don't know me and it's not my business. What do you want me to do? Do you want to tell Emmett or no? I think he saw a little."

I take a moment to think. Do I want these people to know something so intimate? Sure, they're taking care of me, but how much longer am I going to be around them? Emmett and Rose surely won't be here much longer, as they're not coming with. They have their own lives to live. Besides, I did just tell her. "You can if you want to, but I don't think it's necessary since I've already seen my doctor."

"Okay. Do you want to call anyone?"

"Yeah, now that I think about it, I would like to." She hands me her phone and tells me to be aware of the time—we don't want to get caught again so soon—and leaves me to my privacy. I need to tell Alice what's happened. I take as deep a breath as I can without it hurting too much and dial. She picks up after about the third ring.

"Hello?" she asks sleepily, obviously unfamiliar with the number.

"It's me. I'm calling on someone's phone."

"Are you okay? I wasn't expecting to hear from you tonight. Do you need me to come stay with you?" Her voice rises with alarm.

"No. No, I don't need you to come stay with me, but he did find me." Alice sucks in some air and I can tell she's about to interrupt, so I quickly continue. "I'm okay, someone intervened and he helped me get away. His doctor friend and his wife came to look me over."

"Bella, I still don't like this. You don't know these people!" she whispers loudly. "Yes, they're helping you, but what if this guy happens to be some weirdo with a severe toe fetish or whatever?"

"Alice, it's okay. If so, it's not what's important. I'm not looking for him to love me. He saved me. He pulled Sam off of me and somehow knocked him out enough to get me away from him. I didn't want to go to the hospital where I know he'd go looking, so he called his friend who brought his wife along so I would feel more comfortable. I have a minor concussion and a cracked rib—nothing that can be fixed by the hospital. Only time will heal these."

Sighing, she says, "I still don't like this, but since you're already in this and you've made up your mind, I won't try and change it. I'm just so worried about you. I don't know how he found you and that really scares me, Bells."

"I don't know either." I see shadows moving out of the corner of my eye. I look and notice Edward, Rose, and Emmett all walking towards the car. "Ali, I gotta go. We've already been in the same spot for too long and we don't want to risk anyone finding us. I'll call you again the second I get a chance." Edward opens the driver's door and gets in.

"Okay. I love you, Bells."

"Love you, too, Ali Cat," I say, calling her a childhood nickname I had learned. "Bye." I hang up as Rose and Emmett open the rear doors. I hand Rose her phone back and say thank you. Edward takes a moment to speak.

"We need to get going. Emmett, is there anything else you need to do?"

"No, I think I've done all I can here. Bella, don't sleep too long and Edward, wake her often. Obviously everything else will take time and you'll be uncomfortable for a bit with that cracked rib. You can take Tylenol or Ibuprofen for the pain. Anything else come up while I was gone?" he asks me.

I take a second to think and make sure, but other than my bleeding, there isn't anything. "No, but is there time for me to change quickly? I don't really want to stay in these."

Edward checks the time and says yes. He also asks Rosalie to help and I'm grateful for that. He grabs my bag and gets out while Rose helps me out of the backseat. After Edward and Emmett are a good distance away, I get out a pair of sweatpants, underwear, and a new pad. I change as quickly as possible. Knowing I'm a little fresher in that area makes me less self-conscious, but no less saddened by what happened. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to carry a child to term, if I can conceive at all, and the reason why makes me feel sick and disappointed.

Rosalie, somehow sensing a slight change in my mood, gives me a hug. I hug her back because it just happens to be what I need. In my ear she whispers, "It'll be okay. Edward is a great guy and he will protect you. Tell him what you want and he won't push for information. He has my number, too, if you need to talk."

I squeeze her shoulders a little tighter. "Thank you. And go ahead and tell Emmett. I just don't know if I can say it a third time in one day."

Edward comes back then and I choose the front seat this time. It reclines and I can still wear my seatbelt. Emmett and Rose get back in their jeep and drive off and we follow a few seconds later. Everything looks clear according to Edward.

"Where to now?" I ask. I feel like we need to get farther away from this part of town. The people chasing him found him, and the same for me.

"Well, I was thinking further east, like Spokane. What do you think?"

Mulling it over, I find that to be a great start. "Yeah. That sounds fine with me. I've never been, but I have seen pictures." Hopefully we can rest long enough that my face isn't too noticeable.

"Ah. Well then, it's a good thing I have. It was only a couple times, so I know my way around a enough."

"Yeah. Hopefully we can rest longer than eight hours."

"You can go back to sleep if you want," he suggests. I nod and lean my seat back and close my eyes. I hear him turn on the radio and a song starts playing, but I can't remember the name or whom it's by. I let the music lull me to sleep and I'm out before the song is over.

The next thing I know, Edward is shaking me and waking me up. He looks concerned and I ask why. He says he's been shaking me for a few minutes and that he was about to call Emmett. He thought he'd let me sleep longer than what was good and that maybe I'd slipped into a coma or something. Hmm, I guess I was really tired.

Apologizing, I sit up slowly and notice we're parked at a gas station. I can see lights on a big bridge, but there's not much else to see as it's just after three in the morning. Edward leaves to go pay for the gas and is quick to return. We're off to a Motel 6 to sleep a little more. I don't know how long we can keep running; me from Sam and him from whomever. I'll have to ask soon if I'm going to continue to trust him. I pray that no trouble comes our way for a while.

We've escaped them, for now, but I know it's coming.

A/N: Next chapter will be shorter, just so you know.

If you want to stay up to date with me and this story, the links for facebook and twitter are in my bio.

Until next time!