Chapter Warnings:
brief mentions of SA (kissing without consent), getting hurt, torn limbs
A Broken Hand
Time passed in routine again. Standing watch, hunting, for Sascha spending most her time at the house. The others wrapping up the last few days of school that were left for them.
It was a peaceful afternoon. Sascha was sitting on the porch to the living room with the door still open behind her, Rosalie sat on one of the sofas, reading the newspaper. They both seemed to enjoy their comfortable silence.
Sascha hunched over her hands as she carefully carved away at a stone she had grabbed during her last hunt. She found it was the kind of rock that could also be used for sculpting. She had tried to carve wood already as a matter of passing time, but it would keep breaking between her fingers as she still couldn't figure out how much pressure to use. Stones were more forgiving in that matter.
She was going for a full, spheric moon at the time being. Wanting to start with something simple.
However, she got startled out of her process when she heard a car rushing to a stop in front of the house, followed by the slamming of doors and Edward's pleasant voice.
„Carlisle?!"
Sascha straightened up, frowning at his tone of voice. She and Rosalie shared a confused look. The front door opened then and Bella and Edward stepped inside. Sascha noticed Bella was cradling her right hand to herself gingerly.
Sascha worried immediately. Had Bella been attacked while Edward was out hunting? „What happened?"
„Where's Carlisle?"
Sascha had merely started pointing upstairs, when Edward already began moving. „In his study but-", and he was gone so Sascha rushed over to the human, „Bella, what happened?" She carefully guided her over to the middle of the room. Bella still seemed quite flustered.
She helplessly shook her head, trying to formulate a sentence. „I-it was Jacob. I broke my hand when I punched him in the face."
Sascha tried to reign in her look of shock as much as she could. She didn't want to cause even more distress than what Bella was evidently already in. On the inside though… It was good Edward wasn't around to listen to her confusion. It was proper loud.
„Here, let me take a look", Sascha asked softly and held her hands out, „Jacob? From the… pack?"
Bella nodded and pressed her lips together tightly. She breathed out in relief when Sascha's cold hands came in contact with hers. The latter reckoned it must feel good against her bruising knuckles.
Sascha looked at her hand closely, trying to spot any kind of displacement of her fingers or the joints. She stroked Bella's knuckles absentmindedly with her thumbs. „Why would you punch him? Aren't you close?" Sascha's thoughts were chaos. Then her fingers stilled. „What did he do?"
Bella winced at Sascha's tone. „He… he kissed me against my will."
This time it was impossible to mask away. Sascha's eyes widened in shock. „He did the fuck what? Oh my god, are you okay?!"
„Goddamn mutts", Rosalie spat in disgust, though her nose was still stuck in her paper.
„Yeah, I'm fine. Other than-"
That's when Edward and Carlisle returned to the living room, the latter carrying his first aid kit under his arm.
„Let's see about your hand, Bella."
Sascha took a step back to let Carlisle do his work, though she frowned when she saw Bella moving the fingers of her injured hand tentatively, a frown mirroring Sascha's pulling her brows. That's when Sascha noticed the numb stinging in her own hand and looked down. There were some fine cracks along her knuckles.
Carlisle and Edward stilled.
„What did you do?" Edward looked at Sascha, confused, and without a doubt digging into her mind.
Sascha mistook his tone as an accusation. „Nothing! I just looked at her hand."
„It- it doesn't hurt anymore."
„What?"
Carlisle reached for Bella's arm carefully. „Let me check."
Sascha shook her own hand out to release the tension and saw the cracks fading away, only leaving faint imprints.
„Your hand is completely fine, Bella", Carlisle stated.
Edward's frown deepened. „I saw in Jacob's mind how hard she hit him. It should be broken."
„Or at least sprained", Carlisle concluded. „Sascha, what exactly did you do?"
Emmett and Jasper entered the living room then too, having come back from their day watch over the Swan household. Both looked confused at the scene in front of them.
„I just looked at her hand, I didn't do anything", Sascha repeated, borderline frantically, not knowing what else to say.
Edward narrowed her eyes at her, reading her thoughts more clearly. She could almost feel him shuffling through the images. „I think you- I think you healed her."
Sascha sputtered incredulously. „And how would I have done that?"
Edward suddenly stepped forward to grab Sascha's wrist, he spotted the cracked knuckles too. „Carlisle, look."
As Carlisle did, Emmett leaned over the counter curiously. Jasper remained closer to the entrance way, though he watched intently as well.
„Interesting", Carlisle muttered as he inspected Sascha's knuckles. „Those look like the kind of hairline fractures you would see in bones after a severe hit."
Sascha stared at him in wonder. „What in the world?" Then she remembered all the times she'd held Anna, back in the ruins. Every time after the girl had gotten hurt after a fight. A torn arm, cracked wrists and fingers. Sascha quickly pushed the sleeves of her shirt up and took a closer look at the rest of her skin. So did Edward, having followed her thoughts.
That was also the first time all the others got to see her bite marks. The atmosphere shifted a little in that moment, Sascha could feel it. She chose to ignore it.
Sascha traced her scars for a few beats of silence. There were more than there should be - she could remember every instance of when she'd gotten injured. Some were definitely not hers. She realised with a start, that they were Anna's. The most faint ones.
„I took her injuries", Sascha mumbled to herself.
Emmett frowned in confusion. „What?"
„Sascha seems to have done this before, for another newborn where they were kept", Edward explained for the rest. „Curing her pain after fights."
„Like she just did with me."
„It is probably connected to her gift", Rosalie said matter of factly. She rolled her eyes a little at the confusion in the room and folded her newspaper slightly. „She can switch places with people, right? Isn't this basically the same?" She then continued reading.
Carlisle nodded, a smile forming on his lips. „You might be right. How interesting."
„Now you definitely should start training your gift, Sherlock!"
Sascha laughed, though more out of utter astonishment than actual amusement. „You want me to go break your nose and then heal you again?"
Jasper crossed his arms. „Aside from healing broken noses, it could be a very useful asset."
Sascha looked at her own hands again. Healing abilities? How cool…
Edward breathed out a laugh at that. Sascha sent him a playful glare. Out of my head!
„How did you hurt your hand anyway?", Emmett leaned further over the counter toward Bella. „Trying to walk and chew gum at the same time again, Bella?"
A tiny, yet smug smile spread on Bella's lips. „I punched a werewolf in the face."
Emmett raised his brows and nodded, impressed. „Badass. You'll be one tough little newborn."
„Tough enough to take you on."
Sascha chuckled lightly at that, but the sudden ruffle of Rosalie's newspaper cut the mood quickly. The blonde had thrown her paper back onto the coffee table and swiftly left the room. A sour expression all over her features. More than surely directed at Bella.
Emmett saw Bella's mood fall too. „Don't worry about it."
Edward turned toward Jasper. „Any leads?" He wanted to change the topic, but Bella simply followed Rosalie out to the porch.
„No sign of the intruder. But Victoria continues to make appearances."
Emmett pushed himself onto the counter to sit. „I can't wait for next week. Finally at least a day without having to stand watch."
„Oh?", Sascha blinked in surprise, then snapped her fingers. „Ah, it's graduation, right?"
„Right", Jasper said, not looking excited at all. „Everybody will be in one place."
Emmett nudged Sascha's shoulder with his fist. „You should come with us! We could totally tell people you're a distant cousin visiting from abroad."
„I'd love to, but I don't think it's a good idea. If anyone recognises my face from the missing people cases, we'll run into a tonne of uncomfortable questions."
Carlisle nodded. „I agree."
Emmett pouted like a hurt puppy. „Wait, so you won't be joining Alice's party either?"
„Nah, you go have some fun. I might just join the after party", Sascha said with a laugh.
„I'm still not sure if a party is a good idea." Edward's quick glance in Jasper's direction didn't go unnoticed by the others.
„It will be good for Bella." Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder. „A nice way for her to celebrate this chapter of her life coming to a close."
„I won't be attending, if that's what you're worried about." Jasper still stood stiffly near the entrance. His tone wasn't accusing, but there was some sort of bite to it. „If you'll excuse me." His eyes found Sascha's last and gave her the tiniest nod before he went upstairs.
Emmett gave a sarcastic clap. „Good job, Eddie."
„I didn't-"
„-You didn't need to."
Sascha leaned a little toward Carlisle. „Should I be understanding this unresolved tension?"
„I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later." Carlisle reached for his first aid kit and gave her upper arm a light squeeze. „But it's not my story to tell. I'll be back in my study if anyone needs me."
Suddenly, Emmett's large arm slung itself around Sascha's shoulders, basically crushing her to his side. „So, about that nose thing-"
Sascha squeaked loudly, the sound followed by a crack and she stood in Edward's place. „No, not a chance."
The two guys detangled themselves quickly.
Edward sent her a glare. „Would you not always switch with me?"
„Stop whining", Sascha quickly jumped back towards the stairs, „That's only half of the karma you should be getting for always mind snooping." Her nose scrunched in a hidden smirk at Edward's look of distaste. „I'm gonna go find Alice."
„Are you sure no one should stay back and keep you company?" Alice moved one of her horses across the board.
„I'm sure", Sascha glanced up from their round of chess and smiled reassuringly before inspecting the board again, „I wouldn't want you to miss out on it."
Jasper, who was sitting on one of Alice's armchairs, lowered his book with a snort. „You do realise we've graduated plenty of times?"
„Sure." Sascha moved her rook and took one of Alice's bishops. „But this is the first one with Bella. You should experience it together. I won't die if I spend a day alone."
Alice pouted, partly also due to losing her bishop. „I'll still feel guilty. I don't want you to feel excluded."
„Don't worry." Sascha smirked in Jasper's direction. „I'll just harass Jasper while you're having fun partying."
He just breathed out a laugh and turned a page in his book. „Lucky me."
Sascha grabbed one of Alice's pawns she had captured during one of her earlier moves and chucked it in his direction. He caught it easily.
Alice sighed and took Sascha's last remaining horse with her queen. „Well, at least I don't have to worry about either of you being bored during the party."
Sascha grinned, she had been wanting to have her horse taken 3 moves ago, and took Alice's queen with her bishop. Alice gasped in shock. „Guess you didn't see this one coming."
Alice gave a fake whine, before a giggle escaped her act. „It's not how my visions work."
End Notes:
I'm so sorry that I'm posting this a day late. I'm in the midst of preparations to actually move to another country. It's been wild, let me tell you. If everything goes well, I'll be leaving in two weeks (Feb 20th). I'll do my best to keep posting until then. But I think after that I'll have to take a break for a week or two to get situated and try to not lose grasp of life all together hahah
I'll appreciate your patience
If you have some time, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Thank you to those who have already left a comment! Especially the "guest" always popping in with a couple words. I appreciate a lot!
With that said, have a nice day
Posted: 07.02.23
Last Edit: 07.02.23