Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter sixteen of 'Into the Shadows.' This chapter features the first appearances of Carlisle and Esme. It brings the Cullens and Quileutes together. I feel it is important for them to set their differences aside and be there for Bella as that is what she would have wanted. Stay tuned for chapter seventeen.

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Chapter 16: Much Anger/Arrivals

Edward and Alice sat in the first and second of five chairs in the middle of the waiting room seven minutes later. The room was large and had chairs set against all the walls. Next to the majority of them were end tables with magazines. Five chairs were across from Edward and Alice. Both sets had chairs set against them. The walls were painted magenta.

Edward sighed heavily. He wished he could be at Bella's side, as he believed she felt uncomfortable with being examined. Alice sympathized with him, as she wanted to be with her too. However, they knew the doctors couldn't be disturbed with gathering evidence for the police, as it was possible Mike may have had other victims. They hoped that wasn't the case.

Alice rubbed her brother's back very gently. She brought her other hand to his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She patted so lightly that it seemed she wasn't even touching it. He looked at his sister as if he were about to cry. Guilt was present on his face as well. She pressed her lips together and tilted her head a bit.

"This is my fault, Alice. This whole situation is my fault," Edward muttered.

"No, it's not, Edward," Bella said quietly.

"Yes, it is!" Edward growled angrily. "If I had been here, this wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't be here right now."

"We can't protect Bella from everything," Alice said. "We took the opportunity to go hunting while we could. There's nothing any of us could've done to prevent what happened."

"I want to rip Mike's throat out when I get my hands on him," Edward hissed, balling his hand into a fist. "He deserves it."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Emmett wants to do the same," Alice commented. "However, getting revenge on someone isn't you, Edward. It isn't any of us. Of course, Rosalie killed Royce and his friends out of revenge for beating and raping her. That was a long time ago, though. She vowed to never do that again."

"That doesn't change how I feel about Mike," Edward declared.

"I understand, but you can't let that hate control you," Alice whispered and took her hands away from him. "You'll turn into someone Bella doesn't recognize. You'll lose her. You don't want that, do you?"

He choked back a sob. He wished he could shed tears, but he couldn't. "No, I don't. Still, I just—"

She shushed him soothingly. "Just focus on seeing Bella after she gets out of the ER, all right?"

Edward nodded at his sister. They heard footfalls approaching and looked up to see Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper coming into view through the window. They stood up as the group walked in.

"Guys," Alice said.

"How's Bella?" Esme asked worryingly.

"She's being examined in the ER at the moment. I called Jacob and informed him of what happened. He's on his way here," Edward explained. He cringed when he heard Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie gasp in shock.

"You actually called that guy?" Emmett asked. "That doesn't sound normal, especially for you."

"Bella wanted me to call Jacob, Emmett," Edward responded. "I couldn't deny her that. Besides, he's her friend."

Rosalie scoffed irritatingly. "Well, don't expect me to welcome him or any of his friends with open arms."

Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "Nobody is expecting you to, Rosalie."

"Though I'm not thrilled that Jacob is coming here, I'm willing to grin and bear it," Emmett said.

"So am I," Jasper said calmly.

Alice showed much pride. "You can count me in on that."

"The same goes for me," Carlisle added.

"Don't forget me," Esme said. She saw her husband shoot a glance toward the doorway. He shifted his attention back to her and the others.

"I'm going to see if I can assist with Bella," Carlisle said.

Esme nodded. "Okay."

Edward, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie watched Carlisle walk out of the room and down the hallway. They glanced at each other. Emmett grabbed his hair with both hands. He emitted a heavy sigh.

"What a homecoming," Emmett muttered tensely.

"You're telling me. This isn't something you expect every day," Jasper said with a shake of his head.

"I'll tear Mike limb from limb when I get my hands on him," Emmet growled angrily and punched his hand into his fist.

Rosalie glanced at him eagerly. "I hope you'll let me help you with that."

"Be my guest," Emmett replied, turning to his wife. He received a wink from her. They heard Alice sigh and looked at her. "What?"

"I understand you both want to kill Mike, but that won't solve anything. It'll just make things worse," Alice pointed out.

"That bastard needs to pay for what he did to our sister, Alice," Emmett retorted.

"She didn't deserve to be raped," Rosalie yelled in a fierce voice.

"The best way for us to deal with this is to be there for Bella. She'd rather us be here with her than pursuing Mike. That's the police's job, not ours," Alice said seriously.

Emmett scoffed in irritation. "But he could be anywhere by the time the police get a lead on him."

Esme waved her hands in the air. "We don't have a choice. We can't risk losing control if we were to go after him ourselves."

Emmett and Rosalie sighed heavily. They knew Esme was right. Though they didn't like the idea of standing around, they were willing to be there for Bella. They started to calm down.

"The police had better arrest Mike soon. He needs to face justice for what he has done," Emmett said.

"Nothing will make me feel more satisfied than seeing him behind bars," Edward said in much determination. Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie voiced their agreement. They began talking about the camping trip.

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In the ER, Bella lay on her back on a bed as thirty-six-year-old Vanessa Bracker swabbed her vaginal area while sitting on a stool. Her legs were spread apart, and her knees were bent. A sheet covered her lower body and was folded up to her knees. Her hands were on the bottom of her chest. The curtain was closed around them.

Bella tensed somewhat as she felt the swab go upward. She hated she was having to undergo this examination. She saw this as the worst thing that had happened to her. Even more so, she wanted Edward back at her side. She longed for his comforting words as well as that of Charlie's, but she knew that was impossible in here due to the possibility things could get hectic if someone with a serious injury was brought in.

Vanessa took slow yet even breaths as she moved the swab downward. She looked uncomfortable doing this, but she stayed focused. Being Caucasian, she was tall for a woman and somewhat heavyset. Her skin was light, and her black hair was tied up in a bun with a few strands hanging out of it. Her eyes were dark blue. They contained bags underneath them. Her face had freckles here and here.

Forty-year-old Ryan Meeker stood near Vanessa. He held the rape kit in his hands. He shifted his feet a little uncomfortably. He was African-American and was very tall and rather muscular. His skin was very dark. His head was completely bald and looked as if it could reflect light. His dark brown eyes had scars at their corners. The upper part of his left arm had a birth mark in the shape of a line.

Vanessa whispered inaudible words while tilting her head somewhat. Bella emitted a shuddering breath. Vanessa finished with the swabbing and looked up at Ryan. She took out a piece of gauze and a tube. She covered the swab's tip and placed it inside the tube. She looked at him and presented it to him. He took it from her as she wiped sweat off her brow.

"Okay. That should be enough for the police to look at," Vanessa said and breathed deeply.

"Thanks, Vanessa," Ryan said and put it inside the kit next to two other tubes.

"Thank God that's over," Bella whispered in relief and put her legs down on the bed. She moved them a little bit, as they felt like they were asleep after holding them still for an extended amount of time. She didn't want to go through that again. "Whoo!"

Vanessa pulled the sheet down, covering the young woman's legs. Ryan closed the kit and placed it on a small table behind him, where a chart laid. Bella put her hand over her face, beginning to cry.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with this tonight," Bella blubbered.

Ryan shushed her soothingly. "Don't be, Bella. You did nothing to cause this."

"If anyone is to blame, it's Mike," Vanessa added and made a disgusted face. "That guy should be shot on sight for what he did to you."

"Don't talk like that in front of Bella, Vanessa," Ryan scolded.

Vanessa looked at him as if she wanted to slap him. "Why not? He deserves it."

"Maybe he does according to you, but Bella may not think the same way," Ryan pointed out. "Besides, anyone thinking about vengeance makes me uncomfortable."

Vanessa waved Ryan off, ignoring his irritated scoff. Bella removed her hand from her face. She took deep breaths to calm down. Just then, the curtain opened to reveal Carlisle. Bella, Ryan, and Vanessa glanced at him with much surprise.

"Carlisle, what are you doing here?" Vanessa wondered.

"I wanted to offer my assistance," Carlisle answered.

"There's no need," Ryan said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the kit. "Everything is ready to go for the police."

"How's the patient?" Carlisle asked.

Vanessa grabbed the chart and gave it to him. "She is all right. Her vaginal area is torn up, but it will heal. We gave her medication to dull the pain. She has bruises all over her thighs and arms. She's not showing any signs of a concussion, in spite of the bump on her head."

Ryan scratched his ear. "We offered her the morning-after pill, but she said she didn't need it because she was on birth control."

Carlisle looked over the chart. He and the Cullens were aware that Bella was on birth control, as Alice caught a glimpse of the pills she brought with her when she had a sleepover at their house two months ago. She explained she used them to relieve painful menstrual cramps and that Charlie already knew. They didn't care at all. He learned that Jacob, Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry knew about it after she accidentally made a comment about them finding out by Leah discovering them in her room when they came over to have pizza with her three weeks ago. She mentioned they couldn't care less after she told them the reason. She asked both the Cullens and the Quileutes not to tell anyone about it to which they agreed. He knew people's opinion of her could change if they found out about it. He returned the chart to Vanessa.

"Would you mind if I had a moment alone with Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Not at all," Ryan responded.

"We'll be in the hallway," Vanessa commented.

Carlisle watched his friends go outside the curtain. He listened to their departing footfalls until they faded. He closed it and walked over to Bella. He took her hand into his.

"It's good to see you, Bella, though I wish it were under much better circumstances," Carlisle said quietly.

"So do I with you," Bella admitted, tears forming in her eyes. "I feel so dirty."

"I don't blame you," Carlisle whispered and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb very gently.

She choked back a sob as the tears fell from her eyes. "I want to see my dad and Edward so badly."

"Edward will see you in a little bit. Your father and Jacob are on their way," Carlisle said, his voice filled with comfort.

"I can't believe Mike did this to me. He said Edward would dump me if he found out," Bella cried, her body trembling badly.

"Edward would never have dumped you over being raped. He loves you. Real men do not leave their spouses over rape," Carlisle said.

"I can see that. Still, I wish—" Bella started.

He shushed her. "I know. It's okay."

Bella wiped tears from her eyes as Carlisle ran his other hand over her hair. He stroked her forehead with the back of it so lightly that it seemed he wasn't even touching it.

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Ryan and Vanessa stood close to the doors. They watched two doctors walk past them and turn the corner at the end of the hallway. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. She began pacing back and forth. She looked at her watch, letting out an impatient sigh. She dug the heel of her white tennis shoes into the floor while clicking her tongue.

"When is Carlisle going to be done talking to Bella? I need to know if we should admit her or not," Vanessa complained.

"He'll be finished soon. Don't worry," Ryan answered.

She ceased her pacing. "I know he cares for her, but that doesn't mean he should take so much time."

"You need to lay off him. He hasn't seen her all weekend," Ryan scolded annoyingly. "This was his chance to speak with her."

"Yeah, but—" Vanessa started.

He pointed his finger at her. "No buts, Vanessa. Don't you even think of going in there and interrupting them."

Ryan emitted a quiet scoff as Vanessa held up her hands and looked away. There were times where he wanted to smack her in the back of her head. This happened to be one of them. However, he wasn't the kind of man to hit women, even if they seemed to deserve it. The duo looked up when they saw Carlisle walk through the doors. They saw a concerned look on his face.

"I feel it's best if Bella is kept overnight to be safe. She may not be showing any signs of a concussion right now, but that could change," Carlisle said.

"Okay," Vanessa answered with a nod.

"We'll get her ready for a room," Ryan added.

"I'm going to let my family know," Carlisle said.

Ryan and Vanessa watched Carlisle head down the hallway toward the waiting room. They went into the ER to prep Bella for admission.

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The Cullens sat in the middle of the waiting room nine minutes later. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, and Edward were in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth chairs. Emmett and Rosalie were in the first and second chairs across from them. Two nurses walked past the window, but nobody paid attention to them at all.

Edward looked at his watch and sighed impatiently. He wondered when he and his family would know which room Bella was in. He was aching to be back at her side so badly that it seemed he was about to get up and walk out to find someone he could get information from. However, he knew the others wouldn't approve of that and would tell him to be more patient, so he stayed put.

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, and Emmett showed much sympathy for him. Even Rosalie had a little bit for him. They wanted to see Bella as much as he did. They had seen the hurt in him whenever he was away from her before. They wanted it to end, but they knew they needed to be patient. Emmett and Rosalie leaned forward.

"I am not looking forward to being questioned by police," Rosalie said, tensing somewhat.

"We can't exactly say, 'Hey, we were out feeding on animal blood. What else would you like to hear?'" Emmett added.

"You're right, Emmett," Jasper responded. "They wouldn't believe us, anyway. Vampires feeding on animal blood. What human could fathom such a thing?"

"I wouldn't if I wasn't one," Edward admitted.

Carlisle cupped his chin in his hand. "Neither would any of us. After all, humans believe vampires drink only their blood according to the ancient legends."

"They also believe that vampires can be harmed by holy water, wooden stakes, sunlight, and garlic," Rosalie said.

"Who came up with the idea that garlic can harm vampires? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Emmett scoffed in annoyance.

Alice shrugged. "Beats me."

The Cullens heard footfalls approaching and looked at the window to see Jacob, Leah, Seth, Embry, and Quil coming their way. They stood up as the group walked in.

"Jacob, you're finally here," Edward said in relief.

"You did bring your friends along for the ride. How nice," Rosalie said sarcastically.

Jacob didn't look the least bit amused. "Don't start, Blondie."

"Now's not the time for sarcasm," Leah growled.

"Ooh. You're backing him up," Rosalie taunted and let out a light chuckle. "Are you his girlfriend?"

"No, but he is my friend. Of course, I'll back him up whenever he needs it," Leah answered.

"How sweet. Judging by the rest of your company, you seem to be a bit of a tomboy," Rosalie said as she gestured toward Seth, Embry, and Quil.

Jacob took deep breaths to stay calm. "Yes, she is a tomboy. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all. In fact, it's probably better she's a tomboy. She looks quite suited for that," Rosalie said.

"And you're much more suited to be a girl," Leah said.

Rosalie smirked. "I'm glad to hear that."

Jacob and Leah rolled their eyes and mumbled inaudible words. Seth, Quil, and Embry looked at each other and shrugged while raising their eyebrows. Jacob turned to Edward.

"Edward, thank you for letting me know about Bella. You don't know how much that means to me," Jacob said.

"You're welcome, Jacob," Edward replied calmly.

"I guess I should introduce everyone. This is Leah Clearwater. That's her little brother, Seth. Those two are Embry Call and Quil Ateara," Jacob introduced, motioning to each of his friends.

"Hi," Leah, Seth, Embry, and Quil said.

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Carlisle. This is Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. You know Edward," Carlisle said, gesturing to each of his family members.

"It's nice to meet you too. I don't know what the fuss is about you on the reservation. You guys don't seem bad at all," Seth said, scoffing to himself.

"That doesn't matter right now," Esme responded gently. "What matters is we all care about Bella and want to help her through this."

Carlisle clasped his hands together. "If you want to know what's going on with Bella, she's being prepped for admission into the hospital in case she shows signs of a concussion. Her injuries are not serious and will heal well."

Jacob nodded. "Thank you."

The Cullens and Quileutes heard footfalls approaching and spotted Ryan and Vanessa coming their way. The doctor and nurse came in and stopped before them.

"We came to let you know that Bella is in her room now," Ryan said and put his hands behind his back.

"That's good. What's the room number?" Edward asked, furrowing his brow.

"It's 305," Vanessa answered.

"Thank you," Carlisle said. "We're going to see Bella now."

Leah jerked her thumb in the direction of the doorway. "Embry, Quil, and I need to call our moms and let them know we're here."

"All right. You can join us after you're done," Carlisle responded.

Quil nodded. "Okay."

Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Jacob, and Seth headed for the elevator. Leah went to the pay phone located close to the door, followed by Quil and Embry. She picked it up and grabbed a quarter from her pocket. She inserted it and proceeded to dial 344-5567 as Ryan and Vanessa passed her and her friends.