AN: GAH! I'm so sorry this took two weeks! I hate being so busy sometimes! I'm working on the next chapter now, its a little fuzzy in my head right now so I can't promise an update for next week either. And yes, I'm still working on poor Embry's story as well, but the first chapters are proving rather difficult. Thank you all for the amazing reviews and a special thank you to itslikenature for calming me down and helping me focus! :) Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Taken Care Of

Everything turned into a blur for a long time from then. The only thing that kept me calm was whenever I gained some semblance of consciousness, Anna's scent surrounded me and sometimes she was physically there with me. For that time all I could register was Anna and the calling to succumb to the dark tunnel. I'll admit, it was kind of nice, not having to deal with all the crap and still feeling Anna around, but all things must end.

I could smell the morning air meet me along with the sun that made the tunnel disappear. I wanted to crawl back under the covers but I could smell bacon coming from the kitchen and my stomach had a stronger need for food than my laziness.

I tried to roll out of bed, like I normally did, but I was met with brain-splitting pain. My whole right side was consumed in pain. Staying in bed was starting to feel like a better option. Out of stubbornness I continued to try and get out of bed.

"You shouldn't move so much." The familiar, and unwanted voice, of Carlisle Cullen told me from my door way.

I growled and looked up at him. He walked right into my room with his stupid doctor bag. "What are you doing here?" I snapped.

"Checking to see how you're healing." He answered coolly, examining my injured side.

He started prodding me and my ribs and I had to resist throwing him through a wall. "How long have I been out?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Three days. Long enough for the fractures in your ribs to heal, as well as your shoulder," he told me as he started to grope my shoulder.

"Doesn't feel like it." I hissed.

"The bruising should dissipate soon." He said confidently. I was apt to believe him for the moment because he actually was a doctor. Even if he was a vampire.

He took a small step away from my bed and looked down at me. "Can you rotate your arm for me?" He asked.

I looked at him like he was a Martian crack-whore.

"I need to check your mobility." He said nodding at my shoulder.

I snarled and slowly raised my arm, ignoring all the searing pain and swung it back before letting it fall.

"Excellent." He smiled, like a normal doctor would. "I believe my work is done here." He said proudly.

"Where's Anna?" I asked shortly. Some of her scent was on him, not enough for me to think she was dead, but enough to be jealous.

"At school, I would believe." He answered.

Oh right, its Tuesday. "Thanks Doc," I muttered so low, I almost didn't hear it.

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "My pleasure," he said before leaving.

My mother passed him in the hallway with a tray in her hands and stopped in my doorway to watch him leave. "I like him," she sighed.

"Stop staring at his ass Mom." I growled, sinking back into my bed.

"Here, eat, maybe you won't be so cranky then." She said dropping the tray of nothing but food on my bed.

Half the full pound of bacon that was on the tray was gone in a few seconds. "Is Anna okay?" I asked while chewing.

Mom sat on the edge of my bed and nodded. "I think so." She answered, not too sure.

"You think so?" I demanded.

She rolled her eyes at me. "She hasn't said much." She clarified. That didn't make me feel better at all. "She spent all of Sunday holed up in your room with Dr. Cullen. Then yesterday she went to school and work, came back here and went back your room to watch over you." She explained. I almost ground me teeth into my jaw hearing she had spent an entire day alone in the room with a vampire while I was unconscious.

"She's been here this whole time?" I asked, sitting up fully.

"She has." She confirmed with a nod.

I felt like I had just missed out on something I'd never get a chance to do again. She had willingly stayed by my side with the leech doctor and I was out on pain killers the whole time.

Mom patted my knee. "Eat," She told me before she left.

I begrudgingly sat in my bed and ate all the food I was given. Eating it all wasn't the hard part. It was sitting and doing nothing. I lasted twenty minutes after all my food was gone, I couldn't take it after that, I needed to leave my room. Getting up hurt, but I pushed through it and shuffled through the house to the garage.

"Where do you think your going?" Mom demanded as I passed the kitchen.

"The garage," I answered without stopping.

She rushed out and stepped between me and the door. "Paul, you need to be resting." She ordered.

"I was completely unconscious for three days." I said blankly.

"Yes, and if you were human you would probably be dead." She pointed out.

"But I'm not." I countered. She glared at me. "Doc said everything is healed, its just bruises left. I'm just going to work in the garage. I promise I won't leave." I promised.

She huffed. "Fine." She said hotly and stepped out of my way.

I went into the garage without looking at her and almost slammed the door behind me. I opened the garage and saw it was complete misery outside. Rain spitted down through the sickly gray sky and it fit my mood perfectly. I went to Anna's Challenger and popped the hood and got to work. I only vaguely noticed my truck was missing.

I was probably only alone for half an hour when Sam appeared at the end of my driveway, shirtless and shoeless.

"She called you?" I asked irritated.

"Yep," He answered lamely.

I almost threw the wrench I had through the goddamn wall.

"Feeling okay?" He asked moving closer to the car.

"I've felt better." I grumbled, leaning back under the hood. Sam didn't say anything and I was grateful for it because I had questions of my own. "What's been going on with Anna?" I asked, still not looking at him.

He turned himself to lean against the side of the car and looked away from me. "I can't say for sure, but I think she just doesn't know what to do. She reminds me a lot of Emily when she's lost. She just keeps doing things to keep her busy." He answered in his irritatingly wise way.

I stopped what I was doing and moved away from the car to look at Sam. "Has she asked any questions about… anything?" I asked desperately.

"No, she hasn't said much." He answered with a shrug. So my mother was right.

I couldn't figure out if this was bad news or good.

"She'll be back from school in a few hours, think about what you want to tell her." He offered, patting the shoulder that didn't get dislocated.

I just nodded silently. There wasn't much anyone could say that would make me feel better at the moment. Sam left me after that, he knew he had done all he could.

I kept working alone in the garage, I don't know for how long but it had gotten dark enough outside that I needed to get out the spot lights to see what I was doing. I wasn't working as fast I could, since my side and shoulder were still killing me but I needed something to get my mind away from Anna until I saw her again. Not that it helped much anyway…

The rain went from the depressing drizzle, to a steady stream of cold, pounding rain just as my truck pulled into the driveway. I didn't need any of my wolf senses to know who was driving it. No one else would have been allowed to drive it without my permission. Anna stepped out of my truck, with her backpack slung on her shoulder and stared at me through the rain. I felt a huge case of nerves settle on me.

She walked up to me cautiously from my truck and stood under the cover of the garage with me. "Hey," I said awkwardly.

"Should you be out of bed?" She asked confused.

"I needed to, I was going crazy." I answered, scratching the back of my head.

"Oh," She murmured, looking down at her feet.

"You okay?" I asked looking down at her, trying to find any sign that she was hurt.

She looked up at me. "Yeah, nothing that won't heal." She said, touching the scarf at her neck.

"I wasn't just talking about the bruises." I said stepping closer to her.

Her eyes were full of confusion. That kind of confusion that made my heart fall to my toes and curl up and die.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know." I promised.

She was quiet for a long time, shuffling her feet and wringing her hands before she finally held eye contact for more than a few seconds. "Everyone keeps saying she was a 'vampire', is that true?" She asked quietly.

I'll admit, it hurt that her first question was about the damn leech. "Yes," I answered.

"So, I guess my understanding of vampires is a little off." She said with knitted brows.

"Its basically all the same. Stronger, faster, marble tough skin, no heartbeat, but in direct sunlight they don't explode, they sparkle like princess-outfit." I answered trying not to snicker.

The smallest and tiniest giggle came out of her lips, but it didn't stay long. "Why did she want me?" She asked tucking some of her damp hair behind her ear.

"To get to us." I grumbled. I could feel that panic all over again, even though she was safe.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?" She asked shaking her head.

I sighed. I didn't have the faintest clue how to start this conversation. "You remember all the girls you were locked in the basement with?" I asked scratching my head again.

She nodded. "Yes,"

"They were our imprints." I said feeling like a bigger idiot with each word I spoke.

She frowned. "I'm lost." She said biting her lip.

Good job Paul, can't even explain imprinting to her without confusing her even more. "Do you know what I am?" I asked calmly.

"Someone that can change into a really big wolf." She answered, sounding like she wasn't sure it was the right answer.

I nodded. "Part of that is, when we see our soul mate, that perfect fit for us, we instantly know. We're pulled that person for the rest of our lives." I said slowly. Listening to myself say it, it wasn't all that bad of an answer.

Her eyes weren't so confused now. "So Emily is Sam's imprint?" She asked.

Jesus, she is smarter than me. "Yeah," I said nodding.

"Why was I taken?" She asked, looking like she was waiting for some kind of let down.

I walked up to her, closing the distance between us that was eating me inside, and cupped her cheek, wiping the rain drops on her cheeks away. "Because your mine." I said simply.

Her breath hitched and she swallowed hard. "M-me?" She stammered, wide-eyed.

"You." I confirmed. She cheeks burned a color I hadn't seen them turn before.

I could tell I was making her uncomfortable, so I dropped my hand but I didn't move away. "How did she know?" She asked trying to change the subject.

I wanted her to be as comfortable with possible, so I answered her. "She could smell me on you." I said with a shrug.

"What about all your injuries?" She asked looking at my once dislocated shoulder.

I looked down at my shoulder and rotated it a little for her to see it was okay, hiding all the pain I could from my face and voice. "Being a shape-shifter, I heal faster and can survive a lot more than a normal human." I told her, patting my shoulder.

Her eyes went big again and her breath wavered. "O-oh," She stuttered.

And that was when she looked completely overwhelmed. I grabbed her arms and held them gently, looking down into her eyes. "I know this is a lot for you, but I promise, I would never hurt you." I said with dead-seriousness.

She looked so very confused at that statement. "I never though you would." She said with a confidence I hadn't heard in her voice in a long time.

Jesus, I was about ready to cry then. If there was a perfect thing to say at that moment, it was what she just told me.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

I nodded and smiled down at her. "Perfect," I told her honestly.

She averted her eyes quickly, slipped her arms from my grasp and started to back away from me. "I should probably go home now." She said meekly.

I felt the earth fall out from under me. What happened to all that progress I made?! "Why? No one wants you to leave." I said desperately.

She stopped quickly and backed away some. "My parents are probably worried." She tried to say with some kind of conviction.

I knew it was bullshit and I didn't want her near them, not after I almost lost her to a leech. "Anna, please don't go yet." I pled with her.

"This isn't my place." She said with a shaking voice that killed me inside.

I've hurt a lot in my life, but nothing, and I mean nothing, has hurt me more than that single statement. "Yes, it is."

I watched her breath waver again as she sealed her eyes, refusing to look at me.

I didn't understand why she was doing this, why she thought she had to leave, but I couldn't make her stay. There was a part of me that could never force her into anything. "I won't make you stay if you don't want too, but don't leave because you think you have to." I said blankly.

"If I leave, what will you do?" She asked wringing her hands nervously.

"Follow you." I answered quickly and surely.

She looked at her bike, tossed over some boxes so it was out of the rain, and then out at the horrible October weather before us. I could tell she was thinking from the way her lips pursed and her eyes didn't move. There was nothing I could do but hope I meant enough to her to stay.

She took in a deep breath and crossed her arms as she turned back to face me, her eyes still avoiding my own. "I'll stay until you're fully healed." She said quietly.

I didn't care if that would probably be in a day or two, because she'd still be in my house. With me. And in a different town then her asshole parents. "I can live with that." I said smiling widely.

She nodded awkwardly then walked to garage door and left me feeling just a little bit better than I had this morning. It wasn't a full homerun yet, but I had at least made it to first-base. I think.

AN: Review!