Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related- probably a good thing, too many ideas on how to mess with the characters!
Authors Note: Okay so this chapter is going to be a tiny bit different than normal! It's going to have more than one point of view so I hope you don't find that too confusing. Please read and enjoy!
Jasper's POV:
It was so cold and dark and I felt like I couldn't move. I had a searing pain in my chest and my body felt weighed down by a ton of bricks.
I could hear voices fading in and out but could never really understand what they were saying.
Something really wasn't right and I hoped whoever was around me was trying to make it better. I just wanted to go home.
I felt like I had a responsibility and someone, somewhere was counting on me. I had to figure a way out of this place- wherever the hell it was.
Bella's POV:
Sunday morning I woke up at five with Cole and simply sat in Rose's rocking chair in the living room with him snuggled to my chest.
I was supposed to protect him and Charlotte and I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it without the love of my life.
"Momma?" Cole looked up at me with wide eyes "Dadda?" He looked so perplexed and I knew that even at only one year old he knew something wasn't right with his family.
"Daddy will be home soon," I promised and kissed his head lovingly. I continued to run my hand up and down his back and he dozed off.
"Aunty Bella," Peter ran down the stairs as the sun started coming up a couple of hours later with Charlotte just steps behind him. "Aunty Rosie said she'd make us breakfast."
"Waffafels!" Charlotte grinned and Cole started rubbing sleep out of his eyes and pushing up off my chest when he heard his sister's voice.
"Guys don't bug Bella!" Emmett shouted down the stairs "I'll be there in a minute to play."
"It's okay Em" I laughed "I'm awake, thanks though!"
He practically leapt down the stairs a couple minutes later, Brooke laughing maniacally in his arms as he tickled her belly.
Rose bounded down the stairs a moment after him telling him to let up a little and not to be too rough.
"Charlotte, Peter why don't you guy's meet me in the kitchen for the waffles," Rose suggested and they both raced off after Emmett's retreating form.
Cole looked between us and pretty much started chewing on his fist.
Rose sat on the couch across from me and asked "How you doing today?"
I shrugged and shifted my son so he was facing forward. "I'm doing okay. I'm stressed and worried but I don't really know what to do with myself- all I know is that I have to keep going."
She reached out and clasped my hand sympathetically and I gave her a small smile "Can you take Cole? I think I'm going to go and shower and head to the hospital to see how he's doing."
"Sounds like a good plan," She nodded and her blonde hair bounced as she took Cole from my arms "We'll just be in the kitchen. Don't leave without coming to say goodbye."
"I won't," I chuckled and we went our separate ways- her to the kitchen, me to their guest bathroom to shower and change.
I was just rinsing soap out of my hair when I heard a ruckus downstairs. I shut off the water and paused listening, my stomach knotted nervously.
I wrapped a large red towel around my body and slowly made my way to the top of the stairs.
The sound of children's laughter eased the knot but I could hear my older brother whisper arguing with another man at the front door.
"Emmett what's up?" I called down anxiously as I held the towel tightly against my chest.
"Nothing for you to worry about Bells," He called back "Finish your shower."
I stepped down a couple of stairs and asked "Who is it?"
"Reporter," He practically growled and his raised his voice louder "I said, get the hell off my property and leave my family alone. I'm not going to let you people sensationalize the tragic event that could take my best friend from me."
I raced down the rest of the stairs seething to tell this person off just in time to hear him say "Sorry to break it to you but it's already on new stations across the country." As the unwelcome visitor turned tail and left our steps and I finally noticed the congregation of news vans around our street.
"I'm going to go tell them off," Emmett grumbled already bending to tie his shoes "You should go and get dressed."
"What does he mean it's already on news stations?" I asked hardly recognizing the shaky voice that came out.
"It was on the local news last night." He said calmly his hand resting on the door handle "I guess it must have hit the bigger stations this morning."
"Of course," I sighed "Young police detective shot in own home- it would make a good story. Thank god the kids aren't old enough to really understand what's going on. Don't bother going out there."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Ya. Dad and Sue should be over from the hotel soon. As soon as they get here I am going to take off." I started back up the stairs when Charlotte suddenly ran into the room covered in flour.
"Mommy," She said softly "Bing daddy home. He needs to eat my waffafels!"
Tears pricked at the edges of my eyes and I gave her a weak smile "I'll try baby girl, go eat up for me okay?"
"Okay." She grinned and bounced off. I watched as she went and tried my hardest not to break down again.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
Charlie and Sue showed up an hour later- Sue trying to calm a furiously grumbling Charlie. "Goddamn nosy reporters."
"Dad we're going to keep the kids inside today and pretty much every day until this settles down, I'm going to the hospital now but I'll be back for dinner."
"Be careful," Sue and Charlie said in unison and my dad hugged me tightly. "I love you princess."
"Love you too daddy," I gave him as broad a smile as I could possibly muster.
"Sam said his friend Quil is going to follow you to the hospital to make sure you get there safely. Give us a call." Rose said from where she was leaning just outside the living room where the kids were all playing quietly.
"I will," I promised "You guys do the same if you hear anything new. Tell Paul to drop by if you see him."
With their love and wishes of good luck helping me keep grounded I headed out to see my husband.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
"Mrs. Whitlock!" A doctor looked surprised as he almost ran into me on his way out of Jasper's room "Just the person I wanted to talk to."
"Is something wrong?" I asked panic gripping at my heart again.
But the doctor smiled instead of frowned as he continued "Your husband is doing very well for having just been shot a day and a half ago."
"He is?" I asked softly.
"Yes," He grinned "As you can see we did move him out of ICU into a private room. He's healing well and we can see no sign of infection so far which is excellent."
"Do you have any idea when he'll come out of the coma?" I asked suddenly cautiously optimistic that my husband would be home soon.
"If he continues improving as well as he has been I have no reason to believe this shouldn't last more than a few days to a week and a half at the most. It's just his body's way of trying to heal itself after such a large trauma."
"Thank god," I sighed happily "Can I go in to see him now?"
"Of course," He nodded "The nurse will be in shortly to change his dressing. Try not to worry too much Bella- he'll come out of this."
"Thanks," I said and the bounce in my step had picked up as I entered the room.
Jasper's golden curls were fanned out around the pillow like a halo and I slowly walked over and kissed him carefully.
"Hey Jazzy," I said as I settled into the chair beside the bed and clasped his hand in mine careful not to disturb the intravenous line. "I really missed you last night. I could hardly sleep without you by my side."
"I wish you would wake up soon," I sighed "I need you at home. The kids need you at home." I chuckled softly to myself at the memory of Charlotte from this morning.
"Charlotte wants you to eat the 'waffefels'," I giggled "That she and Peter made with Rose."
I sighed as I also remembered the craziness that had descended on our neighbourhood since the last time I'd been here "You're a sensation," I said softly "The story about what happened to you has been on the news all over the country."
A nurse walked into the room as I finished my sentence and replied "It's everywhere, my nana down in Texas called this morning and asked if I was looking after the poor officer who was hurt."
I groaned slightly "I didn't even know it had hit the news until this morning. I just want this all to go away. He was hurt protecting his family by a lunatic and that's all there is to it."
She changed his dressings carefully and I watched her carefully to make sure everything was done right.
She was leaving when Paul popped into the room a grim look on his face.
"We can't find either of them," He grumbled almost more to himself than to me.
He pulled a chair close to me and sat down as I asked "What do you mean you can't find them?"
"They've gone off the grid pretty much," He sighed "No sign of them since last Wednesday when Alice made a $40,000 with drawl from her trust fund."
I shook my head in frustration "Any other news?"
"None," He said and I could tell he was very frustrated.
"They'll turn up," I said without a doubt in my mind- hell I'd hunt them down myself if it came to it.
He squeezed my hand and turned to face Jasper who I realized looked like he really could just be sleeping save the tube down his throat.
"How's he doing?"
"Better than he was," I sighed and we sat in companionable silence for a little while.
I couldn't wait until I could take Jasper home, and it reminded me of when Jasper and I were waiting anxiously for Charlotte to be well enough to come home after her most recent surgery.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
It was Monday afternoon when Carlisle burst through Rose's front door to find us all lounging around the living room trying to entertain the kids.
I'd spent all morning at the hospital with Jasper and was going to go back that evening after the kids went to bed but right now my children needed some of my attention.
"Daddy!" Peter leapt up and raced into his father's and I saw Carlisle's body visibly relax "Where's momma?"
"She's bringing your surprise in from the car." Carlisle said a small smile playing on his features. "I'm so glad you're alright bud."
"Where is my big boy?" Esme's tinkling voice called out excitedly and I felt a clench in my gut- at least they knew everyone in their family was safe and they were now all together.
We were shocked though when we saw what Esme had in her arms- a beautiful red haired baby dressed in a lavender snow suit.
"Esme?" Rose asked after picking her jaw up off of the floor.
"Well these aren't the circumstances we wanted you to all meet our new daughter under but we'd like you to meet Aideen (ay-deen). She's 3 weeks old and we were going to surprise you all after we brought her home."
"My sister?" Peter asked looking in awe at the little girl.
"Yes Peter this is your baby sister." Esme grinned as she passed baby Aideen to me and hugged Peter close to her.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
We put all the kids to bed and Carlisle took Peter and the baby back home to get settled and Esme had decided to accompany me to the hospital.
"How are you dealing?" She asked as we pulled past the slowly thinning crowd of reporters.
"Better than I was. Saturday I thought for sure I was going to lose my husband and today I am more confident that he's going to come home to me soon."
"We were so worried when you called us. Of course for the children but we knew in our hearts they were alright." She said and then we sat in silence for the rest of the drive.
"Oh Bella," A young nursing assistant smiled brightly as she came down the hall; I'd worked with her a couple of times but couldn't remember her name "There's a woman in your husband's room- she says their old friends so I let her sit with him. She's been there all afternoon."