Chapter Twelve: Time to Get Some Help

It's been a month since the kidnapping, and all four of us girls felt we were finally all healed. Carlisle told me that I was almost fully healed, but I was still unable to lift heavy things. He was afraid it was still possible that my wounds could still be ripped open, the thought alone made me cringe. It has also been a few weeks since we last saw James or Peter, another good thing. It seemed like Peter came out less than James did, maybe James was controlling Peter some how and was being aggressive with him. I hated that thought, Peter seemed like a nice guy and has a huge heart. It was still a lot to get used to, having a husband who has multiple personalities, but I vowed to stay with him in sickness and in health.

Edward was working late tonight, some casualty that had almost every doctor available working. It was on the news too, some apartment building fire that they think may be a bombing. I turned off the TV shaking my head, I got off the couch and headed to the kitchen. It was four in the afternoon so I was already off of work, today we learned the importance of telling the truth. I was glad to be back at work because it seemed like I have had to take a lot of time off since the wedding. The kids were getting a little annoyed at that. I was about to make a sandwich when the phone rang, I rushed over to it answering it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey Bells." Charlie said.

"Dad! How are you?" I asked.

"Good, how have things been at home?" He asked.

"They are good, I'm just about to eat." I said.

"Where is Edward?" He asked.

"Working late, but I'm sure you know why." I said.

"Yeah, it's horrible. We are trying to figure out who did it and what happened." He said.

"Well, I'm sure everything will work out." I said.

"Bells, I called to let you know that we are keeping track of Jim." He said.

My heart stopped.

"And?" I asked.

"And, nothing. He hasn't made any attempts to get in contact with you or Edward. I don't know what that means, but I just want you to know that we aren't ignoring this." He said.

I nodded.

"Let Edward know too, I'm sure he is worried about your safety." He told me.

"I will, thanks dad." I said.

We hung up.

…

"Dad called today." I said standing in the hallway by the staircase.

"Yeah?!" Edward said from the bathroom.

"Yeah, he said they aren't having any luck finding out who started that fire." I said.

"It's a shame, a lot of people lost their lives due to that." He said walking out and drying his face.

"Yeah, but you cant save everyone I guess." I said.

"That's the worst part about being a doctor." He sighed.

"He also mentioned something else..." I said making sure to tread lightly.

"What's that?" He asked.

"He wanted to let both of us know that your father isn't trying to get in contact with us." I said.

"He isn't my father, Carlisle is my father." He said his smile disappearing.

"I mean Jim, Charlie said that they are keeping track of him." I told him.

"Call him back and tell him to stop." He said walking away.

"Edward! He wanted to let you know you don't have to worry!" I called after him.

"I don't have to worry?! I don't have to worry?! I worry everyday Bella. Every time I leave the house I worry that you will be taken again!" He screamed.

"Calm down Edward, I didn't mean to upset you." I said.

But there was a change in his behavior, he started to shake his hands and pace.

"Edward?" I asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! STOP CALLING ME EDWARD!" James screamed.

I closed my eyes.

"All Charlie wanted to do was to tell me that this wasn't being ignored! He has everything in control!" I told James.

"He needs to butt out of our lives!" He hissed.

"HEY! He is just trying to help! He isn't butting into our lives James!" I snapped.

"I have to get out of here." He snapped.

He pushed me harder then he should have, making me lose my balance.

It was like in the movies or TV shows, it seemed like everything happened in slow motion. I tripped on my own feet and fell backwards. The second I hit the stairs everything went into full speed, I tumbled down the stairs taking a few hard blows to my head when I hit it against the railings. I felt something hit my stomach hard as I rolled down to the floor. I rolled a little bit more before landing on my stomach which sharp pains were going through. My vision was kind of cloudy as I saw James grab his coat and leave.

"JAMES!" I called hoping he would come back to help.

I tried to get up, but a sharp shooting pain ripped through my stomach. I looked down to see blood on my shirt, shit. I managed to drab myself to the table where my cell phone was and dialed the one person I knew could help.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Dad?" I asked my voice shaking.

"Bella?! Bella what is wrong?" Carlisle asked noticing my voice was in panic mode.

"Ja-James he pushed me. He pushed me down the stairs! I think my wound split open, I'm bleeding." I gasped.

"How bad?" He asked, I could hear him grab his keys.

"Not too bad I guess, my head hurts." I said.

"I'm on my way!" He said.

…

"This is the last straw Bella." Carlisle said as he worked on getting the bleeding to stop.

I was laying on the couch with my shirt up over my stomach, I had a ice pack on my head trying to get the pain to go away.

"I tried not to trigger him dad." I said.

"It doesn't matter, I cant keep standing by and watching him hurt you. I called Esme on the way over, she is setting up an appointment with his therapist. I'm sorry Bella, I'm sorry we didn't do this sooner." He said.

"Don't. We thought that maybe it would go away." I told him.

He shook his head but didn't say anything else.

Later That Night

I got dressed in my pajama pants and a tank top. The marks on my arms were still visible, but they were finally fading. I had a new mark on my forehead, a cut that I got from the fall. I walked into the bedroom where Edward was standing by the bed looking at our wedding picture. I walked over to the bed and started to pull the covers back, he looked at me. He looked at my arms, and then to my forehead. I just smiled at him, I was about to climb into bed when he said something.

"It's back, isn't it?" He asked being totally serious.

"What is?" I asked, having a feeling I knew what he was asking.

"My D.I.D, it's back... Isn't it?" He asked.

I set the blanket down slowly.

"Yeah." I whispered.

He closed his eyes.

"It was me, it was me who put those bruises on your arms." He said.

I quickly rushed over to him, I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Edward, that wasn't you. That was James." I said.

"And the cut? You didn't just hit your head... What happened?" He asked.

"James pushed me down the stairs." I said.

He closed his eyes and looked down.

"Esme set up an appointment, for tomorrow. Would you like me to be there with you?" I asked.

He shook his head, "No, no. I don't want you to see me like this. I need to do this alone."

"Okay, well I'm going to go with Esme to drop you off." I said.

He didn't say anything after that.

…

"Call when you are ready to go, take all the time you need. I will pay her when we get back." Esme said.

Edward kissed me on the lips before getting out of the car, I watched him walk into the building before we drove off.

"I didn't know that he knew he had it." I said after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah, he found out a couple years ago. He took it hard, that's when we started therapy." Esme said.

"I don't want to sound like a complete bitch, but why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't Edward tell me about this before?" I asked.

"He isn't proud of this side of himself Bella, he thinks that if you found out before you were married that you would have changed your mind. In the beginning he would lock himself in his room and refuse to come out because he was so ashamed that he had this. He didn't know how to deal with this, and then we took him to the therapist. Things got better, and we thought it was gone. We knew it wouldn't permanently be gone, but we got it under control. So we didn't think that it would be worth worrying you over." She explained.

"Were you ever going to tell me this?" I asked.

"When the time came, yes." She said.

I nodded.

We went out to lunch and waited for Edward to call.

…

"I think I may want to spend the rest of my life with her." Jake said.

"That is great! Are you going to ask her to marry you?" I asked.

"Someday, I have to think of how I want to do it." He said.

I smiled and took a bite of my lunch.

"Bella?" He asked.

"Yeah?" I said.

"How did you get that cut?" He asked motioning to my forehead.

"Oh! Funny story actually, I was playing with the kids during playtime and I went to bend down to get a toy and I smacked my forehead off the table." I laughed.

He looked at me.

"Yeah, the kids got a kick out of it." I said.

"Bella." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"You suck at lying. Tell me the truth." He said.

I sighed, "James got angry, he pushed me, I lost balance and I fell down the stairs." I said.

"He pushed you down the stairs?!" He gasped.

"He pushed me, I tripped and fell down the stairs, so no." I told him.

"Bella! You have to leave!" He demanded.

"What?!" I asked.

"This isn't safe for you!" He yelled.

I looked around the restaurant, "Your causing a scene!"

"I don't care! Bella, he is abusing you!" He snapped.

"I love him Jake!" I screamed.

He looked at me shocked.

"How can you love someone who hits you?" He whispered.

"He doesn't hit me, James does!" I told him.

"He is the same person!" He said slamming his hand on the table.

I jumped.

"Bella! It is the same person. He hits you, pushes you down the stairs! How can you stay?!" He asked.

"Because I took a vow! I vowed to love him through sickness and health! To have and to hold til death do us part! I love him Jacob! And I will stand by his side no matter what bruise he leaves on my body! I am going to help him through this! Because I am his wife!" I screamed.

I stood up and stormed out of the restaurant, he could pay the bill. I ran to my car and got in starting it and pulling out. I looked in my review mirror to see him running out of the restaurant after me. I drove to the hospital and parked next to Edward's Volvo. I practically ran inside, I asked Jerry where Edward was and he pointed to the doctors lounge. I ran in the room, Edward was standing at the window. He turned around when he heard the door open.

"Bella." He said.

I ran over to him throwing my arms around him. It took him a few seconds but he wrapped me tightly in his arms.

"What's wrong?!" He asked.

I cried into his shoulder.

"Bella! Love! What has you so upset?!" He asked, he took both of his hands and put them on my shoulder and bending down to my level.

"I had a fight with Jake!" I cried.

"About what?" He asked.

"He told me that...That I should leave b-because of what happened!" I cried getting more upset with every word.

"Shh, just breathe. Relax." He said.

I tried but I started to cry again, he pulled me in his arms kissing my hair. I clung to his back as I cried into his chest. It took a while, but I finally calmed down. Edward wiped my tears away with his thumbs before kissing my lips gently.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." I said before we kissed again.

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