Disclaimer: Do not own.

Chapter Five- What Isn't There

"So if you love me let me go

And run away before I know

My heart is just too dark to care

I can't destroy what isn't there"

-Slipknot- "Snuff"

Rosalie

The next morning, Alice and I got Bella dressed, fed and ready to go. Then I drove her to the hospital while Charlie went to file the police report on Bella's return. She wouldn't talk to anyone so he couldn't file her statement yet. We hoped this was just shock and it would pass in a few days.

When we checked in, I specifically requested a female doctor. Luckily my request wasn't ignored.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Collins," she said when she entered the exam room. Then she stopped. "And you're Bella Swan."

"Yes, she is," I said.

"How are you feeling, Bella?"

When Bella didn't answer, Alice said, "She's refusing to talk to anyone. We think it's from shock or something."

Dr. Collins walked over to the bed and asked Bella to pull up her sleeves so she could see the bruises on her arms. She performed her exam and said, "Well, there's no infection on the cuts or ligature marks. We'll get some X-Rays so we can see her ribs, as there was some heavy bruising there. I'll prescribe some pain killers." She made a note on Bella's chart and then left the room.

A nurse came to take Bella to get her X-Rays. Alice and I waited around until they came back. When the doctor came in she reported the news. "There's some slight fracturing, that seems to be the worst of the injuries." She looked at Bella. "Physically, at least. Bella, I'm gonna write a referral to a psychiatrist. I'd like you to go see him."

"No men, please," Alice said.

Dr. Collins nodded. "I want you to open up when you go, it'll help." She touched Bella's shoulder, Bella flinched away. "You'll get better, I promise." She handed me the discharge sheet and then left.

Edward

"Thanks, Alice," I said. "Call me if she says anything." I hung up my phone and let it fall next to me on the couch. I covered my face with my hands.

"I'm sorry about all this," Jasper said behind me.

"It's not your fault," I replied.

"I can't help but think it is."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Guys, stop. We've been through this before."

"That we have," I said.

Edward had just dropped Bella off at her house after Jasper nearly attacked her. He was standing in the living room looking at the mess.

"This is my fault," Jasper said. "If I could control my bloodlust, this wouldn't have happened."

"If I hadn't brought a human into a vampire's den this wouldn't have happened. It's not your fault, Jazz." Edward used his brother's nickname to show he really wasn't mad.

"You fell in love with her. You can't control that. My bloodlust, I can control that. Well, actually it appears I can't. But you see what I'm saying," Jasper said.

"I see. Don't be sorry, it's not your fault."

"It's not yours."

"It's nobody's fault," Emmett said. "What is it with you guys? 'It's my fault', 'No, it's mine'. You're like a bunch of kids fighting over a toy, except in this case the toy is blame and it sucks. What's wrong with you guys?"

Jasper and Edward looked at each other shamefully. Emmett Cullen was lecturing his brothers on acting like children.

"No one is to blame. Edward, you can't help you fell in love with a human. Jasper, everyone has weak moments. So both of you sack up and get over it already. Stop blaming yourselves. I thought people were supposed to blame each other when something went wrong. But, no, in this family everyone blames themselves."

"Emmett, we get it," Jasper said with a laugh.

"Do you now?" He looked at them both in turn.

"Yes," Edward said, agreeing with Jasper. "We get it."

"Good," Emmett said, crossing his arms with a smile on his face. "I don't want to have this conversation again."

"This situation is a little different from then, Emmett," I said. "I mean, I left-"

"So you left her in the woods, did you happen to notice it was practically in her backyard, twenty foot from her back door? You didn't know she would follow you out so far, in fact that's a pretty stupid move on Bella's part," Emmett said honestly.

I stood up, but Jasper pushed me back down. Emmett went on. "What happened, happened. Nothing you say or do can change about that. Now you just gotta sit back, and be there for Bella, no matter what. But don't push her. She probably still loves you, she's just afraid right now. She needs you more than ever, whether she knows it or not."

To be honest I hadn't even thought about it Bella still loved me or not. I hadn't thought about what our relationship was. I had only been concerned with getting her home and getting her healthy. What would I do if she wanted nothing to do with me? I blamed myself for getting her in this situation, what was I going to do if she blamed me too?

I sat in my room, staring at the forest. My notebook open on my lap. I had just finished my letter and put it in the box with the others. I just hadn't yet found the motivation to get up. Desperately I wanted to go to Bella to check on her, but I knew she wasn't ready to see me yet. From what Alice and Rose said, she wouldn't be ready for a while. I threw the notebook in the floor and stretched out on my couch, staring at the world outside.

Two Weeks Later

Rosalie

Two weeks had passed and the only change in Bella was her skin looked less waxy. Her hair was clean and getting back to its former luscious locks. She had gained a little weight so she didn't look like a skeleton anymore. Aside from that, there had been no change. She still hadn't spoken a word. One might think she lost her ability so speak until they heard her screams at night.

There had been a small change in her, she no longer stayed in her room twenty-four hours a day. She actually came downstairs when Charlie was at work. At the moment she was sitting on the couch, watching TV. Charlie was in his chair. He'd been shocked when she came down. He tried talking to her but gave it up after a few failed tries, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

She looked anything but comfortable though. Bella sat hunched over, curled into the couch almost. Charlie sipped his beer, watching his daughter from the corner of his eye.

Alice and I were perched on the loveseat, pretending to watch the show as well. Suddenly, Alice went rigid.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"I don't know, my vision is blurry," she whispered back.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can't see what's going to happen." She looked at me, her distress clearly visible in her eyes.

The door bell rang then. Alice and I looked at each other, instantly on the alert. Charlie set his beer on the table and got up. Bella looked a little concerned, not sure if she was up for visitors at the moment.

Charlie greeted the visitors as the smell of wet dog hit my nose. I shot up from the couch, immediately on red alert. Alice stood behind me, mirroring my posture.

"What is that smell?" she whispered.

"Werewolf."

Charlie came into the living room, looking cautiously at his daughter. "Hey, Bells. Billy and Jake are here." Behind Charlie was a man in a wheelchair and his teenage son, the son being the source of the stench. Both of them stared at Alice and I as if we were a diseased animal.

Jake glared at us before he stepped forward, talking to Bella. "I'm glad you're okay. We were worried about you on the reservation." He reached out to take her hand.

"Don't touch her," I warned him.

His mistook my warning and glared at me. "Don't tell me what to do." Bella tried to pull away from him but he took her hand anyway.

Bella freaked. She screamed and started thrashing on the couch. I shoved the dog out of the way and Alice knelt down to talk to Bella. Charlie stood behind the couch, looking as if he were going to cry.

My sister finally calmed Bella enough so Alice and Charlie could take her into the kitchen. I rounded on the oversized dog, who was a good four inches taller than me, even in my four inch heels. "Listen, mutt, you don't know what Bella's been through."

"Listen, leech, you can go to hell."

"Jake," his father warned from his seat in his wheelchair by the couch.

I pushed him against the wall. "You will leave right now, or so help me god I will drag you outside and break your bones until all there's left for your father to bury is a pile of splinters."

His father grabbed his arm and whispered, "Jake." I could see the fear in his eyes. Good thing for him, he knew I wasn't kidding.

The dog backed off. His father called into the kitchen, "Charlie, we'll come back later."

Charlie came into the room. "That'd probably be the best. Thanks for coming anyway." He kept his eyes on the floor. Billy and Jake left pretty quick after that.

Alice took Bella up to her room to rest, where she stayed for the rest of the day and the next. Back to square one.

A/N: Please excuse my obvious love for Rosalie, haha. And Emmett telling it like it is. Thoughts? ~JLL