Chapter seventeen-

Going Home-

Edward POV-

I woke up from the sound of a rattling cart being pushed into the room. Connor sighed in his sleep, and rolled over. Oh. Bellas breakfast. I looked at the clock, realizing that it was almost eight. Bella was lying in her bed, flipping through channels on the television. She sat up when she saw the breakfast cart being pushed into her room. I got up, knowing that she would want something better than hospital food for breakfast. At least, I wanted her to eat something better than hospital food for breakfast.

As soon as the lady left I got up. "I'll go and get us some breakfast, okay?" I asked her. She nodded and closed her eyes again. I changed and put clean clothes on the still sleeping Connor. I was surprised that he'd slept through it, and put him in his car seat, heading to the nearest Perkins.

I picked Perkins because I knew that I could ask for food to go. I had done it before. Although most people sat and ate, I didn't have time for that today. I ordered eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns, and a couple of muffins. I didn't know how hungry Bella was, or Connor, for that matter, who woke up in my arms as soon as the boxes were in my hands. He must be hungry. I gave him a piece of toast after I had put him in his car seat. He seemed happy with it, and munched as I drove back to the hospital.

"Hey, Bella." I said, walking into her room.

"Mm. That smells much better than this does. Although Connor might like the applesauce." She reached out for a container, and I handed hers to her. She chuckled at how much food I had gotten for her. I opened mine, sitting on the edge of the bed, and started to eat. Connor was still chewing on his piece of toast, and he sat beside me.

"Dada." He said, holding out the toast to me.

"No, that's yours. Here." I lifted it up to his mouth, and he took a bite. "Cow." He said, chewing. I couldn't help but laugh. He had no idea what it meant, and I felt bad for laughing at him, but he was being cute and I couldn't help it. I noticed that Bella was laughing, too.

"How do you feel?" I asked, as she rolled her eyes.

"I feel much better, actually. Then again it might be the pain pills. What time can we check out?" She asked.

"As soon as the doctor gives the okay. He should be here soon." I ran my fingers through her hair a few times, as we ate. When Connor finished with his toast he came over and crawled into my lap. To have me feed him, I was sure. He seemed to understand that he couldn't crawl all over Bella, though, which was good. I fed him some egg, made him a bottle. I was surprised that such a little kid could eat so much. He was like a bottomless pit. I thought that wasn't supposed to kick in until he was a teenager.

I burped Connor and the doctor came in. I wish that I could have my dad look at her, but that wouldn't exactly have been the best way for them to meet. He worked at this hospital, but I'd asked for the other. I couldn't wait for them to meet, but I didn't want it to be this way. I didn't want anyone other than her friends to see her this way. And even then, I only wanted them to see her because I knew that seeing them would make her feel better, as if things were more normal.

He did his exam, and changed the bandages on her. I paid attention so that I could change them for her at home, and the doctor gave me extras to use. He decided that Bella could go home, as long as I kept an eye on the cuts that were at risk for infection. He knew that Carlisle was my father, so he trusted that I could recognize infection. I'd actually gotten a medical degree, and had been a doctor for a while, but not many people knew that. I had worked in the childrens ward, and after seeing so many babies died, I decided to become a lawyer. I loved my work now, and couldn't see changing careers again.

I probably could have taken care of Bella, but I didn't have all of the supplies at my house, and I wanted the fact that she'd been hospitalized on the records, for the case I knew was coming up. Jacob was sitting at the local jail, at least I hoped so. I doubted that he would be able to make bail, and I doubted that it had even been set yet. Hopefully Bella would agree to press charges this time. If she even wanted to come, technically she didn't have to. She could just send a statement with me, and it would be fine. Especially since she was supposed to stay in bed for at least a week.

I knew that it was going to be a long week. Bella didn't like to sit still, and I doubted that lying in bed for a week straight would be any different. I would have to make sure to rent lots of movies, and take her lots of books. It would drive me crazy to have to stay in bed that long, and I found myself already pitying her.

I had known that Jacob would find her, and I blamed myself for not being there for her. The least I could do was take care of her while she recovered. Jacob had always had connections. Not exactly good ones, either. I wouldn't be surprised if I had a hit man on me right now.

"Edward? Let's go home now." Bellas voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I carefully lifted her, putting her in her wheelchair the hospital had provided. She looked a lot better already. I hoped that she would heal fast.

I set Connor in her lap and brought her out to the car. Once both she and Connor were settled I went back and grabbed the rest of her things, then I went to the counter to check out.

"Oh, hey, dad." I said, as Carlisle walked into the front office.

"Hey. Why are you here?" I had made sure that he didn't know about Bella, or more specifically, why she was here.

"Just helping a friend. I'll come by and visit soon, okay?" I asked, anxious to get out. He seemed to pick up on my anxiety, and nodded.

"Continue helping your… friend." He said, turning his clipboard.

"Yeah." I agreed. "See you later, dad."

I carried all of the stuff and put it in the car, next to Connor. I laughed, realizing that I'd been carrying a diaper bag. I wonder what my dad thought of that. I highly doubted that he believed that it was just for a friend. Although he was known to talk like that, just to tease. Especially when we were little, but I doubted that he would do it at work.

I took all of the stuff up to the apartment first, taking Connor with. I dropped him off at Emmetts. He and Rose were on the couch, watching a movie, and were happy to have him. That will make unloading Bella a lot easier. Since it was mostly her head that was injured, I just picked her up and carried her to her bed.

"Thanks, Edward." She said, snuggling in under the blankets.

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

She shook her head. I kissed her on the cheek and went over to get Connor. I knocked on the door, which Emmett kept open just a crack, so in case Bella needed something with Connor she could come over. I laughed. He was completely obsessed with this baby.

"Say… Rosalie." Emmett was talking to Connor, who was sitting on his lap, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"No."

"Say… Emmett."

"No. Dada!" He squealed when he saw me. He flung himself off of Emmetts lap, but he caught him and set him on the floor. He crawled over to me, and lifted up his arms.

"Hey, you're getting pretty good at that crawling thing. Just don't walk yet, okay? I'm not ready for that yet." I kissed his forehead.

"Thanks, Emmett. I'll let you two get back to your movie."

"Say bye bye, Connor." I waved towards Emmett and Rosalie.

He mimicked the waving motion, but he wasn't going to say it.

"Bye guys."

I went back to the apartment and played with Connor while Bella slept in the bed. Our bed. The thought made me smile. I would have to go to work tomorrow. I could get Emmett to take care of things, I was sure. But I needed to schedule the case. I needed to talk to Bella about it even more, though.

I went in the bedroom to talk to her, but she was sleeping. Good, the pain meds must have kicked back in. Connor started crying, so I decided to go and see what was going on with him. He had his finger in his mouth.

"What's wrong Connor?" I asked, pulling him into my lap, like I'd seen Bella do.

He held out his finger to me. It had two little teeth marks on it.

"What, did you forget that you have two sets of teeth now? You're getting another, too." I stuck my finger in his mouth, and felt his gums. He didn't like this, and he tried to bite me.

"No. Don't do that."

"No no?" He tilted his head to the side, and I couldn't help but smile. He doesn't even try to be cute, and somehow he pulls it off so well.

"Yeah. Come here." I set him on my stomach, because this fascinated him. He would lie there and listen to your stomach digest and gurgle as long as you would let him, trying to imitate the noises. It was highly amusing, and he loved it.

We stayed that way for quite a while, until Bella got up and went to the bathroom. At least she can get up, but she really shouldn't. I picked Connor up and looked at the clock. It was just a little past one. I made Connor a bottle and fed him, but he didn't really want that much to eat. He started fussing, so I laid him down in his crib, and he fell asleep right away. Gotcha.

"Bella? How are you feeling?" I asked, going over to her.

"Pretty sore, but most of the raw pain is gone."

"That's good. I'm going to take a nap, alright?"

She laughed, a heavenly sound. "Okay. I'll join you. She started to reach for the monitor, but I beat her to it.

"Don't try to reach at weird angles like that for a while, okay? If you insist on reaching for anything at all, that is. You really shouldn't be."

"Okay, Dr. Cullen."

"I did get my degree, you know. I could be your doctor."

"Oh, then why did you switch to being a lawyer?" Her voice was tired, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before she fell asleep.

"I worked in the childrens ward. After a while all of the death just gets to you. I couldn't handle it anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Where did Alice and Jasper go?" I asked, suddenly realizing that they weren't over at Emmetts.

"Hotel. They said that they would be over later today. They wanted you to be able to get me settled in, and get some sleep. I suspect other things." She giggled.

"You might not have to hook them up at the whole shopping thing."

"I know. Rosalie and I were thinking the same thing. Hopefully not, but we'll still do it even if they are together before then. It would be fun to go out shopping with the girls."

Bella sighed, and cuddled into me. I played with her hair until I fell asleep.

Carlisle is introduced... Alice and Jasper run off by themselves, and Emmett is cute with Connor. Hope that you liked it! let me know what you think!