EPOV

I watched, and I waited, hidden in the trees outside the kitchen window. Minutes after I left the house, Dan was parking on the curb and stomping his way to the front door. Bella pace back and forth in the kitchen nervously, her hands shook with light tremors.

"Honey?" Dan called as he opened the door. I involuntarily clenched my hand at hearing the fake affection in his voice. Bella's pacing stopped and her entire demeanor changed. It went from worried, almost frazzled, to defeat in an instant. I swallowed past a hard lump in my throat and watched as she served his plate, then hers, and ate beside him.

Dan talked mostly about his day, the stress of it all. His thoughts hit me immediately, plowing into me like a sledge hammer. I fought to maintain control, but knowing that he aimed to repeat last nights events made it almost impossible to do so. Soon after, it became apparent to Bella as well. Fear registered across her features momentarily, but she rearranged them and cleared her throat quietly.

"Gosh, I'm tellin' ya," he droned on, "things have been hectic at work preparing for this award ceremony. Charlie's like a robot, he never stops with the planning and the guest lists and the catering."

It suddenly became apparent to me why Bella was here in the first place: Charlie. At the mention of his name, Bella's eyes softened. She was doing this for him. Even as a teenager, she put more energy into caring for Charlie than she did herself.

"This stress is just killing me," he continued. Bella's eyes flickered toward the window; she exhaled slowly and began to clear off the table, maneuvering herself so she wouldn't come into any contact with Dan when picking up his plate. As she rinsed them off in the sink, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

I choked back a growl and gripped the branch above my head. I cold feel the venom glaze over my eyes and I fought past the blinding rage that was consuming my body. As Dan grabbed Bella's hand and towed her toward the stairs, she shot a glance at me and shook her head quickly, panicking.

For a moment, I was torn. On one hand, I knew that intervening at this moment would most likely make things more difficult. Dan fantasized, imagining Bella's body in the most insensitive of ways, aiming to damage her more than anything else.

Every sound was drilling into my mind, the bedroom door creaking open, the rustle of cotton as Dan as he pulled his shirt off, and then Bella's protests. I couldn't help but sigh in relief. Maybe she could stop it herself.

"Dan, no," she said weakly. Then growing stronger, "Not tonight." He was silent, his heart rate accelerated, and to my horror, it appeared as though he was more excited than angry.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"I said no," she replied. "Not tonight." His pulse quickened once more.

"And why the hell not? I say what goes and what doesn't in this house. You're my wife, you do what I say." I couldn't breathe. Bella gasped as he threw her against the bed, her breath quickened in fear as he tore her shirt. Through her panicked breathing and hysteria, I heard the one thing I needed: she whispered my name.

My mind raced. I needed to create a distraction, anything to make him stop. I snapped the branch that I was holding in my hand and hurled it through the window, hoping it would be enough to make him stop.

The breaking glass shattered all over the kitchen, the deafening sound echoing off the walls. Dan swore and shoved hard against Bella, but quickly stopped. He bound down the stairs, zipping up his pants in the process. As soon as I knew he wouldn't be returning to her immediately, I sprang onto the roof and ducked into her bedroom window.

BPOV

This wasn't happened. Not now. Not with Edward right outside. I fought past the tears and mustered any strength that I could find. I loved Edward, forever and always. I didn't belong to this man. As Dan began to push against me, groping anything he could get his hands on, I ignored the pain and embarrassment that I felt and, for the first time, I said no.

I knew it would make Dan angry, and there was no possibility of him stopping by his own will, but I could only hope it would buy some time. Dan shoved me back, more rough than he had ever been with me, grinding against my body with such a violent intensity, ripping my shirt in the process.

All it took was for me to whisper Edward's name. I didn't know how this episode would end, but I knew he would hear me either way. In seconds, an ear-splitting crash startled the both of us. The panic stopped. I didn't care that a window in the house was broken and I didn't care how he did it.

Through the relief, tears began to wash down my cheeks. I fumbled for a blanket, trying to cover myself, trembling because of the adrenaline. As soon as Dan was gone, I felt Edward's gentle touch on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "You shouldn't have had to hear that." His face was suddenly inches from mine.

"No, you shouldn't have had to do that. Alice and Esme will help fix it tomorrow. Don't you dare blame yourself. You are the only reason I haven't snapped his neck."

I nodded slowly and hesitantly wrapped my arms around his torso. My body ached, but the pain stopped with his touch. He held me carefully, and briefly at that. "He's coming," he whispered, and then darted out the window.

"Go clean that up," Dan mumbled. "Fuckin' trees."

He collapsed on the bed, apparently over his previous determination. I left the room, intending to spend the night sweeping up broken glass. I laid the blanket out at the foot of the stairs and padded across it to keep my bare feet away from the glass. I knelt down and tried to gather the bigger pieces, but before I made much progress a pair of ice cold hands stopped mine.

"Bella, get some sleep. You're exhausted." Edward's eyes calmed me enough to actually obey. I heaved myself over to the couch, but sat up, staring at him until he got the message.

"Like old times," I whispered. Edward had somehow found a different blanket that didn't have glass engrained into it and tucked it around me. I rested my head in his lap as he sat on the other end of the couch. When the low humming started, I drifted peacefully into sleep. For the first time in years, I felt right, like I was where I belonged.

I didn't dream. At least, I didn't remember dreaming. When I woke up, I wasn't on the couch anymore, but nestled in the guest bedroom. I was startled by the different scenery; I had expected to wake up on the lumpy couch, but I grew more comfortable as I looked around. I had overslept.

Nearly jumping out of the sheets, I tripped my way out the door and hobbled down the stairs. The window! I thought in a hurry. To my surprise, Edward was frying eggs on the stovetop, and the window was replaced, all shards of glass were gone.

"Oh, Edward," I sighed. "You really didn't have to do that," I mumbled, padding across the wooden floor. He turned and smiled at me.

"Nonsense," he disagreed. "I broke it in the first place. It's only fair for me to fix it. How does breakfast sound?"

"It sounds great, thank you." It was almost ten o'clock. Thankfully, Angela was expecting me to be unavailable. In seconds, Edward had placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of me and took a seat across from mine. He stared at me, waiting patiently. I felt a hot blush creep across my cheekbones, something I thought I was immune to.

His eyes flashed momentarily.

"What is it?" I asked, swallowing my food loudly.

"It's been so long since I've seen that blush. I'm still fascinated by it," he explained. I snorted and took another bite of my eggs. I ate quickly, and then decided I would get dressed. Edward followed me, but stopped politely in the hallway and waited .

I was relieved. I knew how he would react to seeing my body. It still surprised me, even. There was a fresh splotch across my hipbone, a memory of last night. I quickly pulled on a clean pair of jeans and yet another long sleeved t-shirt. My hair wasn't a complete mess, so I just left it down. If I dressed up any more than I normally did, Dan was bound to notice.

"Can we go back to your house?" I asked as soon as I opened the door. He seemed surprised.

"If you would like that, yes," he said. I smiled and walked toward the stairs. Without warning, Edward swept me up into his arms and carried me down the stairs. "Alice warned me to take precautions today," he explained.

When he set me down, I immediately grabbed my keys and purse and threw on a jacket, moving as quickly as possible. "Okay, I'm ready," I huffed.

"Are we in a hurry?" Edward laughed quietly to himself.

"Yes, we're in a hurry," I said. "We're making up for lost time." He obliged and followed me out to his car. I rushed to put my seatbelt on, jamming it into the lock.

"Bella, calm down, they aren't going anywhere." I shot Edward a look and he turned the key in the ignition and sped toward his home.

"I don't expect you to understand this, Edward, but I would like to spend as much time as possible out of my house right now. Nothing good has happened in the place at all," I said hoarsely. "Well, maybe a few things have, but that place is my hell. I don't want to be there if I don't have to." I felt Edward's eyes on me.

"A few things?" he asked.

"Last night was one," I answered. He made a small choking sound.

"That was a good thing? Being violated by your….husband….and having the side of your house ripped out?" I turned to look at him; his eyes were glistening, burning with anger.

"No," I said weakly. "Falling asleep with you was a good thing." His features softened and I looked out at my window. He didn't speak until we pulled up in the driveway.

I stepped out of the car and stared at the front door of the house. This should have been my home, I should have married Edward and lived happily ever after. It wasn't until I felt Edward's arms around me that I realized that hadn't moved or even blinked. I was simply thinking.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have said those things." I cleared my throat.

"No, don't apologize. You couldn't have known." At that moment, Alice burst through the front door and flitted down the front steps.

"Are you two going to stand out there all day? Do you have any idea of how long I've been waiting?" She shoved Edward out of the way and threw her arms around me. "We have a serious makeover to tackle today," she said, towing me up the front stairs.

"Why?" I asked. "I don't need to be dolled up right now, do I?"

"Alice," Edward warned. She hissed at him and turned to me.

"Yes, you do," she said. "You have the banquet tomorrow night, and we've got to do something about the circles under your eyes." Years ago, I would have protested and fought relentlessly with her. Now, I was grateful to simply be in her presence. She could do whatever she wanted.

We walked into the living room and I was greeted Esme. Emmett was watching a football game, but he cheered and waved excitedly when he saw me. I grinned back at him and shrugged my jacket off. Edward took it from me and hung it on a coat rack.

Carlisle came into the room and I felt Edward immediately tense next to me. "Good morning, Bella," he greeted.

"Good morning," I returned. Edward had his hand on my elbow now, and I didn't miss the look exchanged between him and his father. Something was going on. Carlisle turned back to me.

"If it's not too much to ask, I would like to discuss a few things with you." Everyone in the room was suddenly gravely serious. Even Alice, who was fidgeting with excitement moments ago.

"A-alright, it's no problem." And suddenly, they all cleared out of the room. Esme hurried into the kitchen, Alice pulled Emmett up the stairs.

"It might be easier if we spoke in my office," Carlisle suggested, trailing off. Edward and I followed behind as he walked briskly toward his study. Before going in, Carlisle cleared his throat and turned to us. "Edward, this might be easier if you weren't in the room." Edward's jaw clenched.

"No, I don't mind," I lied. Dread was seeping through my entire body. I knew what Carlisle wanted to speak to me about, and I knew that Edward would hear every word of our conversation whether he was in the room or not. On top of Carlisle's desk was a thick manila envelope, marked by a bright orange tag with my name printed across it. I could only guess that it was my medical file.

I sighed and sank into one of the cushioned seats in front of his desk and stared across at Carlisle. Edward lowered himself into the chair next to me; he hadn't relaxed in the slightest.

"Bella, speaking as a medical professional and someone who cares very much for you, I cannot express how worried I am about you," Carlisle started. "Looking through your medical file…there's been so much damage. I hardly understand how someone hasn't caught on yet. Truth be told, you've had your fair share of accidents, but this many injuries is outrageous, even for you."

My voice was hard to find; I couldn't speak.

"I would like to look a few things over," he continued. "And if you would allow it, I would like to go over a brief examination with you. If there's anything that can be treated, we need to start right away. Bella, your health is at serious risk." He looked at me with the concerned eyes of a father.

I exhaled slowly. "Where?" I asked.

"If you give me a few moments to gather some equipment, we could find an empty room. I'm sure it won't take long, I just need an overview of things." I nodded once and watched as he exited the room. Edward was staring blankly out the window.

"Edward?" I asked. He turned to me and grabbed my hand. He looked broken, yet again. "What is it?" I asked, stupidly.

"It's nothing. Let's go find Carlisle, I'm sure he's ready by now." He led me down the hallway and rapped on a door before pulling me inside the room. Carlisle had set up a makeshift examination table in the middle of the room.

"I-is this really necessary?" I asked. "Really, you didn't have to set all of this up." Carlisle gestured toward the table.

"Please, have a seat. I'm nothing if not thorough." Then he looked behind me. "Edward," he said, though it sounded more like a queue. Edward's mouth was a grim line.

"I would prefer to stay," he said through his teeth. He stayed in the back corner of the room and kept his eyes on me. Carlisle went through the usual process of a normal check-up, taking my blood pressure, listening to my hammering heartbeat, checking my reflexes. Then the situation took a dive.

"Bella, I'm going to need you to lift up your shirt," Carlisle said. "It's just so I can check for signs of internal bleeding," he explained. With trembling fingers, I lifted the hem of my shirt, terrified to meet Edward's eyes. But the higher I lifted my shirt, the harder it got to look away. Then I heard a low growl emanate from across the room.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I couldn't tell if Edward was going to gag or break something. Even Carlisle reacted. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. My skin was an unnatural shade of bluish purple, with an occasional yellow splotch. I could only hope that they wouldn't run away from me screaming.

"Edward, I suggest you leave. Now." Carlisle said curtly. Edward was gone in seconds, leaving me feeling helpless and at fault. Carlisle rested his hand on my shoulder.

"He's angry with me," I muttered.

"No. He's angry, but not with you. He's angry with himself. We're all angry with ourselves." He walked across the room and wheeled over a large machine I hadn't noticed before. "This will help me get a clearer picture of things. I'm certain there is bleeding, but nothing massive. Your body heals itself quickly." I then realized he was using an ultrasound machine.

The last time anyone had ever used this type of machine on me, I was incredibly happy. The memory sent pins and needles down my spine. I kept my eyes closed while he read the monitor, assessing the damage. When I felt him wiping the gel off my stomach and sides, I slowly opened my eyes again and tugged my shirt down self-consciously.

"I'm going to give you an injection to serve as a volume expander. It will help replace the fluids that your body has lost recently. I will administer them myself regularly. Is that okay with you?" he asked.

"Sure," I mumbled, staring at the floor. Carlisle slowly lifted my chin with his index finger.

"Listen to me," he said. "It will be okay." I sucked in a slow breath.

"Thank you, Carlisle."

Edward was waiting outside the front door with a pained expression on his face. My throat hitched closed when his stare met mine. After seeing the anger in his eyes, I couldn't keep my eyes from filling, or my voice from trembling.

"I hoped you wouldn't have to see…Edward I'm sorry." He shook his head and wiped a solitary tear off my cheek.

"No," he murmured. "It's not you who should be sorry, Bella. It is I who should be standing where you are, apologizing. Look what I've allowed to happen to you. I promised the both of us that you'd be safer with me gone."

"You can't blame yourself for this," I said stubbornly. "You didn't do this." It's my fault, I thought in the back of my mind. If I said that aloud, however, it would have set him off, make him lose control. I could see how hard he was trying right now; my chest tightened uneasily. I felt someone's tiny, cool hand grip mine.

Alice was suddenly standing next to us with dark, brooding eyes. Her expression was gentle, but like Edward, her actions and movements gave way to her true feelings. She pulled gently on my hand and led me back down the stairs to a more comfortable environment and encouraged me to sit on the couch.

"Bella, look what he's done to you," Alice murmured. She didn't need to be in the room to have seen why I looked like. "You're…broken."

"I know, Alice. I don't know how to fix this." There was an awkward pause before Alice shifted her weight and turned to face me, and Edward placed his arm lightly around my shoulders.

"There's no fixing the situation, Bella. You need to leave him."

Without a doubt, this chapter is FULL of typos, but...at least I updated! Happy new year!