Chapter Warnings:

serious injury, painful recovery, briefest mention of blood

16. A Hand Shake

They had decided to go back to the Cullen's as soon as possible. Edward had insisted on Bella getting a proper meal and Esme had been more than happy to prepare something for her. Especially after what had happened to Jacob, Bella was still more than shaken up. On the way there, Edward and Bella had told the others what had happened up in the mountains.

The fight against Victoria and Riley. Bella cutting herself to draw their attention. Edward finally being able to bring Victoria down. The story had been told quickly, but it had been intense nonetheless, of course. Though Sascha had remained antsy about what exactly had happened to Riley. Edward hadn't specified anything. From what he had told them, he had been busy dealing with Victoria.

Back at the house, Carlisle immediately went to get his med kit, while the others gathered in the kitchen. Nobody was really in the mood for talking, but the silence seemed uncomfortable as well. Sascha leaned against the kitchen isle, tugging at her torn sleeves with pursed lips. With a sigh, she tore them off slowly, turning it into a t-shirt. She'd throw it out later anyway, but she couldn't stand the frayed holes and tears a moment longer.

Emmett, who stood next to her, cringed when he saw her skin. „Oh, you got bit there, huh?"

Sascha rolled her eyes and nodded. „Shoulder too. So stupid."

„Use your venom", Jasper suggested. „It should smoothen them at least. They'll fade over time."

„Yeah…" She was grateful the others didn't keep looking when she gingerly licked her own thumb and ran it across the fresh bite marks. To her surprise, it actually felt soothing.

Alice sighed heavily across from her. „That poor girl."

„Those damned bastards", Emmett balled his hands into fists, „Take away their power, see how brave they are then."

Sascha raised an eyebrow tiredly. „Isn't that the whole point?"

„They are vile", Esme agreed as she turned around and put a plate with an expertly cut and topped sandwich in front of Bella.

Carlisle returned from upstairs, bag under his arm. He seemed to hesitate for a moment.

Edward cleared his throat. „Just ask her."

Sascha felt a certain level of satisfaction when she noticed everyone reacting at least a little bit annoyed.

„Sascha, would you feel comfortable coming with me?"

Earlier she had considered that for a moment herself. She nodded and pushed herself off the kitchen isle. „Yeah, sure."

It didn't go unnoticed by her that no one seemed too happy about the idea. Not even Carlisle himself. However, Jasper and Alice looked particularly uncertain. She moved around the counter and gave Alice a quick side hug and squeezed Jasper's shoulder. „See you guys later."

„Be careful." Jasper looked just as tired as she felt.

„Always am."

Alice scoffed, though there was a tiny smile on her face. „Only if that were true."

When they got to the Reservation, and Carlisle pulled the car over, Sascha could tell he was tense about being there. It had to be weird for him. A decades old feud and reluctant truce. Long nurtured hatred. And now he was stepping on their land. Sascha didn't have her own emotional connection to it, but even to her it seemed out of place. At least seeing Carlisle so out of character.

For a moment, Carlisle didn't move, hands still on the steering wheel. Then he heaved a heavy sigh. „Let's get going."

After getting out the car, Sascha waited by the car boot as Carlisle grabbed his equipment and let him walk ahead. The pack were waiting for them. Sascha's gaze flitted around the group and started to wring her hands uncomfortably when their entire mood shifted upon seeing her. Even if they were not in their wolf form, she could practically feel the inaudible growls of them all. The air was thick with tension.

„Wait", the leader, Sam, if Sascha remembered correctly, took a demanding step forward. „What is the Red-Eye doing here?"

„My eyes aren't even red anymore. What's your problem?" Sascha felt irritation creep up inside of her.

Another one stepped forward, expression hard with anger. „We only allowed you, doctor."

„Sascha has healing abilities", Carlisle quickly interjected, raising his hands in a non-threatening manner, „She'll assist me in setting Jacob's bones."

„We don't need help healing!", Sam spat in disgust.

Sascha was just about to snap back, when the door to the house opened and a middle-aged man using a wheelchair came out. A woman with long flowing black hair walked behind him, aiding him outside. „Sam, let them." His face was ridden with worry and pain. „He's inside, doc. In his room."

Carlisle nodded and gently put a hand on Sascha's back, guiding her to walk in front of him. Sascha reckoned he didn't want her to be out of his sight in this situation. They quickly entered the house, Sascha wanted the staring to stop.

It wasn't difficult to find where Jacob's room was. Sascha only had to follow her nose. Jacob was laying on his bed, covered in sweat and wet towels around him, a bucket of water on the floor next to him.

He looked at Sascha in displeased confusion. „What are you doing here?" His voice was soar, and weak.

Sascha only rolled her eyes, not in the mood to give more stupid explanations that wouldn't be appreciated anyway. Carlisle took over the situation immediately. He quickly moved over to Jacob and put his medical kit on the floor.

„Let me see…"

Carlisle carefully felt around Jacob's shoulder, arm and torso. Jacob flinched every now and again. Sascha stood in a corner uneasily, craning her neck a little to look over Carlisle's shoulder, and cringed. She could see Jacob's rib cage bending sideways in a way it shouldn't. So was his upper arm.

She heard another pair of footsteps entering the house, and took a step back from the door frame to make way for whoever it was. She didn't want to be too close to anyone she didn't need to. It was Sam.

„How's it looking, doc?"

Carlisle didn't look away from Jacob, feeling out the extent of his injuries. „Jacob, most of your bones have already healed themselves, I'm afraid. They're not positioned how they should be. I wish I could have set them immediately."

„What does that-", a cough interrupted Jacob, visibly bringing him pain. He took a deep breath before he continued. „What does that mean?"

Carlisle carefully put Jacob's arm back down and gave him an apologetic look. „I have to re-break your bones, so I can set them." He turned around to look at Sascha. „Do you think you can heal him immediately as I do so, to minimise the pain as much as possible?"

Sascha nodded. „I can try."

When she wanted to move closer to Jacob, Sam's hand clamped down on her shoulder.

„What do you think you're doing?"

Sascha groaned in annoyance. „Healing him? Don't act like I'm trying to kill him."

„Heal him from here."

„For heaven's sake… I need to touch him to be able to heal him. Just let me help."

„We don't know you, so don't expect me to trust-"

Before Sam could finish his sentence, Sascha swiftly turned, grabbed him by his wrist and slashed a fingernail across his lower arm, drawing some blood. It was only on the surface level. Immediately, Sam started growling dangerously, so did Jacob, but before anything else could happen, Sam's expression changed from furious, to confused as he watched the cut disappear immediately. Without a trace.

She dropped Sam's arm and showed him her own, sporting a thin silvery line. „See? Didn't feel that much, right?" She was really tired of this kindergarten. Couldn't they bother someone else with their testosterone?

Sam only grunted in response and nodded his head in Jacob's direction. Giving her permission. As if she needed that from him.

„Besides", she bit at him, „We just fought an army together. A little bit of trust would be nice."

Sascha kneeled on the ground next to Jacob and waited for Carlisle's instructions. He was currently gathering bandages out of his medical kit, presumably to stabilise Jacob's limbs once he'd have them set. Then, he fetched a needle and a small medicine bottle and pulled some of the liquid into the syringe.

„I'll give you some morphine before we start, okay?"

Jacob nodded tensely, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Carlisle prepped the needle and made quick work to inject Jacob with it. „Sascha, I'll work from his torso up."

„Alright", Sascha hesitantly reached for Jacob's hand, „I know you won't care for it, but you can press down on my hand if it all gets too much. I'll do my best to work against the pain."

„Whatever. Let's just get this over with." Despite his words, Sascha could feel his hand tighten ever so slightly in anticipation. He probably didn't realise himself.

Carlisle looked at Jacob, then Sascha. „Ready?"

They nodded again. Sascha sat a little straighter and closed her eyes, concentrating on Jacob's blood flow and heart beat. She still wasn't sure how healing worked, but even just from that she could feel in her own body that his bones were not set correctly.

She heard the first of Jacob's bones crack then. Jacob screamed out in pain, his hand clamping around Sascha's like a vice, as she felt stinging pain around her ribs. Sascha quickly reached to clasp her other hand around Jacob's as well. She ground her teeth, trying to breathe deeply. She did her best to let her ability take over so her mind wouldn't get in the way. It seemed to work.

Broken bones were not the same as a cut. It was much harder to immediately take away the pain. But she was successful to some extent. Sascha's healing in combination with the morphine helped lessen the pain at least to a level where Jacob didn't have to scream his soul out after a couple of set bones.

When the doctor was done with Jacob's torso, both Sascha and Jacob turned Carlisle's offer for a pause down. Both wanted it done as quickly as possible.

Though Sascha had to admit, at least to herself, she was feeling herself grow tired. Her grip on her ability was weakening. So she had her limits here, too. She felt disappointed in herself when Jacob's grunts of pain were becoming a little louder again. She adjusted her grip on him, one hand on his wrist, the other reached for his uninjured shoulder, as Carlisle started working on Jacob's crooked arm. At least they were almost done.

Sam decided to try and break her concentration then. „Weren't you supposed to take the pain away?"

Sascha snarled a little, paired with a grunt of pain when Carlisle set another bone. „This is a lot harder than it looks, and I don't think you realise that."

That shut Sam up immediately. Good. Fucking prick. Before she could let her thoughts run rampant with annoyance, the sound of a car approaching distracted her. Then Bella's scent hit her nose.

„Is that Bella's car?", Jacob gasped out between his heavy breaths.

Carlisle hummed in confirmation. „Two more, son, you're almost through", he tried to reassure. „You're doing well, Sascha."

When he set the last bone, Sascha gasped out in pain as well as she felt the stinging sensation in two places in her own lower arm a second later. Though her sounds of pain were still much quieter than those of Jacob.

„That's it." Carlisle set Jacob's arm down carefully, and moved to prepare some bandages.

„I want to see her."

Boys. So simple.

Sascha sat back with an exhausted sigh and tried stretching her arm and shoulder to get some relief. It didn't really work.

Carlisle gave her a worried look. „Are you okay?"

„Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just need a moment."

Carlisle nodded, and quickly wrapped the bandages around Jacob to stabilise him. „Although you should be fully healed now, you are still quite sensitive and prone to re-break for some hours. You should keep resting for as long as you need. Given your own body's healing, I'd say you should be good by noon tomorrow."

Jacob was breathing heavily, almost like he had run a marathon. „Thank you, doc."

„Of course. I'll set up a morphine drip for you." Carlisle started packing his kit. „I'll be back in a moment. Sascha?"

Sascha pushed herself to her feet, feeling some dizziness clinging to her head. „I'm coming."

They turned to leave.

„Hey, Red-Eye."

Sascha stopped at the door and turned back to Jacob with an annoyed expression. „Do you not want to at least try to not piss me-"

„-Seth got the bloodsucker that dragged you down in this mess. Tore him to pieces", Jacob gave a weak, but cocky smirk at Sascha's speechless reaction. „Thought you'd like to know."

As far as 'thank yous' went, Sascha reckoned this was the closest Jacob would ever get to expressing that to her. She gave him a short nod, and followed Carlisle out the house. Sam closed Jacob's door behind himself.

Out front, the rest of the pack, the man (presumably his father) and the woman were waiting with Bella, who looked more than distraught. Sascha had heard one of them snapping at Leah a second before, but their conversation ceased when they exited the house. Everyone was looking at Carlisle expectantly, but also concerned.

„The worst is over. He'll be alright", Carlisle explained quickly, soothing the group. „I gave him some morphine, but his body temperature will burn it off soon. I'll come back to set up a drip."

Carlisle and Sascha made to leave for the car, when Jacob's father raised his voice.

„Thank you."

Sascha could sense Carlisle's surprise. She couldn't say she wasn't surprised herself. Given their history, this was a huge step.

Carlisle nodded at him and reached a hand out for him to shake, which the man took. Surprising Sascha further, he turned to her.

„You too, uh-"

„Sascha", she quickly offered and gave him a nod, acknowledging his appreciation.

He mirrored her action. She could see some kind of a hidden smile tug at the lines beneath his eyes. „Billy."

Carlisle turned to Bella. „He's asking for you."

Bella nodded and scrambled to enter the house without a second thought.

Though Sascha certainly did not fancy hearing whatever conversation was going to transpire between the two, she didn't follow Carlisle to the car right away. „I'll come in a moment, yeah?"

„Of course."

Sascha turned to the others, trying and failing to swallow her uneasiness. The pack looked at her weirdly. Both untrusting, and somewhat curious.

„Uh… who of you is Seth?"

The youngest looking of the group perked up upon hearing his name. A childlike excitement bubbling up in him. Sascha immediately found him likeable. He was far less hostile.

„That's me."

„Jacob said you killed one of the vampires who started this entire newborn army shit? Riley?"

Seth nodded, pride prominent in his smile. Sascha could swear, if she were still human, she would be breaking down in tears with relief. Despite herself, despite the situation, she took three quick steps forward, ignoring the sounds of protest by the others, and engulfed Seth in a hug.

„Thank you."

„Hey, get off him!", Leah yelled, but got quiet really quick when Seth carefully hugged her back.

„You're welcome."

Remembering the situation, and remembering herself, Sascha let go of the boy and cleared her throat awkwardly. She could feel that nobody really knew how to handle this situation. „Uh, yeah." She walked a few paces backwards, away from the middle of the group, gave a clumsy, yet again unnecessary, wave and zoomed back to the car. Trying to ignore the snickering of some of the guys. She was unsuccessful. Of course.

End Notes:

this is more of a filler chapter to be entirely honest with you, but I liked throwing in some beats here and there to prepare things for future chapters. I have been making some good progress with the chapter I was working on recently (I got a bit stuck with it unfortunately) soooo I'm thinking to post Chapter 17 maybe in the middle of this month! But I can't make any promises at this point. Either way, I will definitely upload it by July 1st. So:
Next update: June 15th OR July 1st

loveorpain: thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. As you can see she didn't really heal him, but she was there for the process hahah I hoped you enjoyed it

joey8: thank you so much for your lovely lovely words. It really warmed my heart. It's always so mindblowing to me when people are actually enjoying my writing and my. ideas. It's a different kind of happiness. So thank you~ I hope you will keep enjoying the future chapters as well.

As always, I'm very grateful to anyone who leaves a comment or decides to add me or my story to their favourite list. It means a lot to me.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter - I'm really looking forward to you guys reading the following! It's one of my favourites so far. I hope the wait will be worth it.

Have a nice day, and take care of yourself~

Posted: 01.06.2023

Last Edit: 01.06.2023