2brown-eyes reads!

Mistakes are mine!

"What's the consensus, Stitch?" Edward is hovering beside me, too wound up to sit while also refusing to leave my side as I get checked out. "How bad is it?"

"Give her a chance. I told you, I feel fine."

"That arm doesn't look fine," he comments, brows furrowing as the doc rewraps my left arm. It took the brunt of my dive onto the roadway. "You may need a skin graft or something."

Stitch makes eye contact with me, and she's fighting a smile. "It's not pretty, Edward, but it's not that serious. Keeping it wrapped and covered with antibiotic ointment for the next few days should help it not to scar." She finishes wrapping it and lifts it to check the range of motion. "How badly does it hurt when I move it?"

"It's manageable." It burns, but I'll never let Edward see just how much. He's already carrying a heavy enough burden, and it's made obvious by the creases on his forehead as I shift my gaze to him. "Definitely not enough to stop me from coming with you."

"We have all the time in the world." His expression softens. "They can wait for as long as you need."

Before I can respond, yelling from the other side of the door catches my attention, and Edward sighs, rubbing his temples.

"What's going on?" I'm on alert now, since Edward seems to immediately know what this is about. "Is that Alice?" When Edward doesn't answer right away, I turn to the doctor. "Stitch, could you open the door please?"

Instead of following my request, she looks to Edward for approval. It makes me angry, so I shove past them both as I march to the door and throw it open. Stitch slinks out past me as Alice comes charging in.

She falls into my arms. "Bella, you're safe!" She hugs me hard and quickly before moving me aside and focusing her attention straight ahead. "You'd better take me to Jasper right now!"

I'm left in the doorway, my eyes wide.

Alice is pissed, and Edward stands there with his arms crossed. "No can do."

She doesn't stop until she's standing toe-to-toe, looking up at him with fury coursing through her. "He saved me! You have no right to do this! I need to see him!"

I come up behind her, my eyes on my husband. "What's going on?"

He doesn't even look at me.

"I need to know where he stands before I can allow that."

She loses it, then, and starts pounding him in the chest. "How dare you! You don't get to dictate my life! He'd die to protect me! He killed to protect you! No one sent Bella away from you when she showed up out of the blue, and you can't do this to me!" She stops hitting him and glares through her tears. "Don't make me go above your head."

Edward's jaw throbs. "I fucking dare you."

The explicit is so forceful that I gasp, causing his eyes to finally jump to mine. "Edward," I say, my chest tightening. "Please tell me you aren't planning on torturing Jasper."

He doesn't respond, but his stance softens just a tiny bit.

"I should've known." Alice is bitter, and when her gaze lands on mine, it's mocking. "I love you, Bella, but I'd appreciate it if you'd just butt out. We wouldn't be in this predicament if it weren't for you."

I draw back as if I've been slapped.

"Alice!" Edward is fuming again, but his sister has no intention of backing down, and I don't blame her.

And neither should Edward.

"She's right." Tears spring to my eyes and I back away. "This is all my fault."

"See what you did?" Edward snaps, moving toward me.

I bat his hands away. "It's true. Look at her, Edward." I throw my hand toward a bruised and battered Alice. "She's suffering because of me, and now you have Jasper. And then there's Seth." The truth hurts. "I've singlehandedly dismantled this family. Maybe my father did win in the end."

Alice rushes past a stunned Edward to close her arms around me. "Stop it," she says, and her voice is forceful. "I'm so sorry, B. I didn't mean it. I'm angry, true, but it's Edward's dumb ass who's really ticking me off."

It's nice of her to apologize, but her anger is well-placed. Ever since that very first day, this family has done nothing but give. Alice and Angela with their immediate acceptance, Jake with his natural kindness, Garrett suspecting yet still teaching me to defend myself, and Edward, agreeing to marry me from day one.

They changed my life.

The least I can do is help Alice with Jasper.

"It happens." I nod, sucking up my tears. "He can be a real hardass."

For the first time since Alice walked into the room, she laughs, and it's contagious. Both of us share a soul-lifting chuckle at the harshness of this life we live.

"Gah," Alice says, wiping away tears. "Us arguing would make them happy, and that's the last thing I want."

"Right," I reply, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly before focusing on the man of the hour. The love of my life. My husband. Edward "lock up his sister's boyfriend" Cullen. Alice catches on, and between the two of us, he isn't able to stay silent much longer.

"What?" He palms the back of his neck. "I'm not changing my mind."

Alice sighs. "Don't make this turn ugly again, Edward."

"I'm with her." I narrow my eyes. "I get your point, but Alice should be in charge when it comes to uncovering Jasper's motives." I pause, lifting my chin. "Much like I will be when we confront Eleazar and my father."

Edward pinches the bridge of his nose, his head tilted back.

We wait him out, arm in arm.

He mumbles under his breath.

There's some pacing.

More mumbling.

A glare.

Alice looks at me, rolling her eyes.

I snicker.

Edward narrows his eyes.

Back to mumbling under his breath.

Before, finally, he faces us, crossing his strong arms over his solid chest. Damn, did he look this good ten minutes ago? "Fine!"

Alice cups her ear. "I can't hear you."

"What was that?" I ask at the same time.

We break into a fit of giggles.

He clears his throat. "As happy as it makes me to see you two in better spirits, this is serious."

Alice and I straighten up, faces blank.

"Sorry," she mumbles.

"I propose this," he says, his green gaze shifting from me to her and back again. "Let's eat dinner, get a good night's sleep, and in the morning, we'll go see the prisoners together."

Alice huffs. "Have Jasper taken to a nice hotel and kept under guard, and you have yourself a deal."

"For your information," he says, lifting a haughty brow. "Jasper is in a comfortable place. I'm only looking out for you, sis."

Alice blinks back tears as she rushes into her big brother's open arms. He looks at me over her head and smiles, lifting his chin for me to join them. I rush over, and he pulls me into their embrace. My arm smarts a little in such close confines, but it's so worth it.

I wasn't sure I'd ever have a moment like this again, yet here it is. The family who took me in, last name and all, and showed me what it felt like to live, has once again, saved me.

And now, I'm one of them.

For life.

Not what you expected I'm sure, and there will be another chapter, Monday, before we get to the salivated for chapter, Wednesday, which is also the FINAL chapter, aside from a short epi, Nxt Friday.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys

XOXOXO