A/N: Yay, I'm back! Miss me?
So, this was originally a lot longer, but I split the chapter in two. So good news is that you'll have chapter nine in a few days. And in my opinion, the best stuff happens in that part :) I was quite excited as I wrote it.
Above me, Bella's breathing and heart rate spiked and fear ran through her. "Jasper?" she whispered, and I felt myself being torn in two—part of me needed to ensure the Bella was unharmed, and a more dominant part was ready to bound over the destroyed cars and drain Tyler dry.
Bella's eyes were wide as she took in my expression. "Oh my Lord," she muttered under her breath as her hand rose to cover her mouth in shock.
My mind was still mainly focused on Tyler. From what I'd heard people saying, he had suffered a head wound when he hit the steering wheel on impact—an injury notorious for bleeding profusely. My body was still primed to attack, but my mind was now more relaxed from the contact with Bella.
"Grab Jasper," I heard Alice instruct Emmett and Rosalie at vampire speed. "I've got Bella. Get him inside away from the smell." Her hands rested on Bella's arms. "Come on, sweetie, let's get both of you inside for some water and rest."
"I'm fine," Bella insisted softly.
"Just humor me, okay? Jasper, let's go," Alice instructed.
"I'm fine, too."
We both knew I wasn't. Alice hissed lowly, and I felt Emmett and Rosalie's hands gripping my upper arms.
I could feel a rumbling growl echoing low in my chest as my eyes flicked back and forth between Bella and Tyler. My limbs remained tense and coiled to pounce as my siblings led me toward the closest empty classroom. I was forced into a chair near the front of the class while Bella settled herself on the desk across the aisle from me. Emmett stood sentry at the door, and Rosalie went around ensuring all the windows were closed tightly, not allowing any air in from the chaos outside. With all the doors and windows closed and the scent of blood diminished, I felt complete control coming back to me.
Alice glanced at me warily. "Can I check her properly for injuries now?" she asked at a volume Bella wouldn't hear.
"No," I responded at the same level. "I need to do it." I wasn't really sure why I felt the need to do it myself; the Pereche bond, I assumed. "She barely knows you, anyway."
Alice nodded once and stepped away, giving me space to kneel in front of Bella.
Her beautiful brown eyes were wide as she smiled shakily down at me.
I reached out hesitantly to touch her, running my hands gently over the socially acceptable areas of her body to check for any injuries. The electricity sparking through my hands at the touch almost distracted me from my task. "Are you okay? Are you in pain at all?"
"No. Nothing to worry about," she said breathily just before my hand touched her shoulder, causing her to wince.
I raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked abashed. "I'm going to worry regardless," I told her, trying to keep my tone playful when I felt anything but. "That wasn't the question. It was whether you were in pain."
She took a deep, shuddering breath and focused her gaze on my eyes. "A bit. I'm sure it's just bruised, though." Her emotions told me that she truly believed her assessment.
"Still, I'd rather you got checked out." I heard the pleading tone in my voice. "Our father is a doctor at the hospital. He can check you over."
"What about you?" She didn't answer my question. "You took the impact of the fall. You need to be checked out too…"
"I'm fine," I reassured her. "Honestly, I wasn't hurt at all."
"Jasper—" Her tone had a warning in it.
My hands rose up to curl the ends of her hair around my fingers as I considered our options logically. The strands felt so soft against my skin. "Okay. I'll go to the hospital. But only if you come too."
She nodded, satisfied.
"The ambulance is out there," Rosalie informed us from her position by the window. "They're taking Tyler. Bella, your father has just arrived too."
Bella sighed. "He'll overreact. More than you have," she said, smirking slightly.
"Come on." I helped her off the desk and guided her after my siblings, my hand resting ever so lightly on her back. We emerged outside just as the ambulance was pulling out of the parking lot, taking with it the object of my earlier desire. I felt relief as it drove away.
At our emergence, Chief Swan ran over, peppering Bella with questions about her health.
"Actually," Alice interrupted. "Both Bella and Jasper got knocked around a bit, so Emmett was going to take them to get checked out by our father." Concern flooded him as he looked the two of us over. "It's nothing serious. I'm positive. Just a few bruises," Alice reassured him. "We're just being extra vigilant."
Once Alice convinced him—with only a tiny bit of trust thrown at him from me—that the best thing he could do was to stay and do his job, Bella, Emmett and I took off with a warning that Chief Swan would follow to the hospital once he was done sorting out the damaged cars. Alice whispered to me as we left that she would call Carlisle to warn him we were coming and that I was in a delicate state, bloodlust wise.
We were quiet on the drive to the hospital. I spent the minutes monitoring Bella's emotions. She emitted a steady stream of curiosity and would periodically turn from her seat in the front to glance at me. Her forehead would furrow as she caught my eye, and she would turn back to look out the windshield, deep in thought.
"God, sometimes I wish Edward was here so I knew what was going through that pretty little head," I muttered lowly, causing amusement to spring from my brother.
"Just as long as he refrains from ripping her throat out?"
"Not funny." I growled lowly but stopped instantly when Bella looked at me, confused.
Carlisle was waiting for us at the front entrance as we pulled up and escorted the two of us into an empty examining room, careful to take a course that kept us away from the ER.
After introductions, Carlisle and I waited in the corridor while Bella changed into a paper gown.
"Alice tells me you had a bit of trouble back there."
"A bit." I sighed heavily. "As much as part of me wanted to, though, I don't think I would have actually gone after him."
He raised an eyebrow at me.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe."
We stood in silence for a few seconds while listening to the rustling of Bella's clothing and her strong heartbeat on the other side of the door.
"She would have died if we hadn't been there," I said softly. "I could have lost her today. The impact—"
Carlisle nodded, sympathy filling him. "But you didn't. You saved her. She's fine."
"I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't gotten to her on time."
His hand clamped down on my shoulder reassuringly. "Yes, you do. You would have changed her. Just like I did with Esme and Rosalie did for Emmett. Even if it meant we had to flee."
Bella's soft voice called out that she was done, and we filed back into the room. She was biting her lip nervously and swinging her legs subtly as they hung over the side of the hospital bed. Her legs—oh, Lord—were slightly paler than her face, thin and toned. The gown covered most of her thighs, but the sight of what was exposed was enough to make me freeze.
Carlisle cleared his throat unnecessarily, making me realize I was ogling her. Shaking myself out of my leg-induced stupor, I moved to sit on the mattress next to her. Hesitantly, I reached out to take her hand in my own, checking her expression for any sign that the contact was unwanted. Instead, her heart stuttered slightly, causing amusement to come from Carlisle, and she smiled softly up at me.
Carlisle proceeded with a cursory check for any broken bones or internal bleeding, which came up negative. The only injury she seemed to have was a contusion where her shoulder had hit the ground, which was quickly turning into quite an impressive bruise about the size of my hand. I couldn't help the wince that escaped me when the hospital gown was moved to expose the bruising, and I ached with regret that I hadn't protected her better. She was in pain, and it was all because I didn't angle our fall perfectly.
"There's a bit of muscle straining in that joint, also," Carlisle explained. "Nothing to worry about, but it will heal faster if you don't move it for a few days. I suggest a sling, just until Friday."
"Do I have to?" There was a hint of a whine in her voice, and annoyance filled her. I caressed her hand gently to calm her and tweaked her emotions slightly to make her more compliant.
"I'm not going to insist, but it will stop you from injuring it further."
She looked at me.
"It's just for a couple of days, sweetheart." I was evil—I knew it. I was well aware of how she seemed to melt when I used that name. But I was supportive of anything that would keep her healthy.
"Fine." She sighed but didn't seem too upset at the prospect anymore. In fact, she began to absently rub her thumb along my pinky finger. My eyes fluttered closed at the pleasure of her action.
When Carlisle returned from obtaining a sling, I was practically a puddle of goo on the floor from her gentle stroking. We hadn't spoken a word while he had been gone, and somewhere in there she had realized what her thumb was doing, a sharp jolt of embarrassment spiking through her. When she moved her hand away, I let out a soft whimper of protest, and she resumed her actions fully cognizant.
I hated that she had to pull away to get dressed and for Carlisle to fit the sling to her arm, and she seemed slightly disappointed also.
"Just appease her?" I said softly to him as he stepped away from her. "Pretend to be giving me a check-up?"
He nodded imperceptibly and gave me a similar check as he had given Bella. Obviously, he found nothing amiss. Bella watched the whole process closely; a bit too closely for my liking.
"I think you're both good to go," Carlisle announced as he finished.
"Really? He's fine?" Bella's voice betrayed her bewilderment.
"Perfectly."
"I'm just thick-skinned, I guess," I told her, sliding down from the bed and reaching out to lift her to the floor.
Her eyes narrowed and she let out an unladylike grunt.
We followed my "father" to reception, taking the long way around, away from the ER. Bella's father was waiting for us near the reception desk, his hand casually resting on his sidearm, glaring at me slightly when he saw my hand resting on the small of his daughter's back.
Bella was a pro at handling him, it seemed. She quickly reassured him that the sling was nothing but a precaution and that she was perfectly fine, before sticking the insurance papers under his nose to be signed. Once all her paperwork was finished, she ushered him out the door and back to work. He sent me a last glance before obeying her orders. He hadn't had time to say one word to me, for which I was thankful.
"I told him that you'd make sure I got home safely, and that he didn't need to waste any more time away from his job," she told me quietly, and I nodded as if I hadn't heard the entire conversation.
I glanced over at Emmett on the other side of the waiting area. He quickly strode over, informed us that he would stay and get a ride home with Carlisle, and threw me the car keys. Before I even had time to think, I was back in the enclosed space of Rosalie's car with the scent of my Bella enveloping me.
Close to her, and content.