a/n You all know the original story and characters belong to SM.

its a short chapter but I thought I'd put it out there.

Chapter 34

In the background Bella could hear Sue fussing over and critiquing every step of the machines set up. "Is she going to recheck everything?" She asked, amazed at the patients Carlisle had with every move he made being questioned. "She does know he knows what he is doing, right?"

"She knows. But it makes her feel better." Leah smiled sadly.

"I can understand that." Bella admitted.

Glancing over at the empty bed on the other side of the room. The one she imagined was for Jacob. Bella pressed her lips together. "He went home." Leah answered her unspoken question. "The lucky asshole got a free pass while Embry and I were stuck here all night."

Bella glanced over her shoulder to where she could feel Edward staring at her.

Leah narrowed her eyes and continued. "He was able to get up and walk around on his own so the doc said he could go… with conditions." Bella looked at her with wide eyes silently begging her for more information. "He is not allowed to drive and has to come back today for a follow up."

Bella sighed out a breath of relief. Leah laughed. "You are so easy to read, Swan. it's kind of ridiculous that yours is the only mind that…"

"Leah!" Bella warned.

"He… can't read." Leah pressed her lips together and her nostrils flared but she refrained from calling Edward any nasty names.

Bella smiled. "Thank you."

Pushing her lips even farther into her mouth, Leah responded with a strained voice. "Mhm."

"Alright," Carlisle moved the privacy screen closest to them. "Let's get those bones fixed."

Sue rushed over to her daughter's side. "It's okay baby, I'm going to be right here with you the whole time."

"Mom," Leah said exasperated. "There is a reason surgeons aren't allowed to work on their own family."

"I guess it's a good thing I am not a surgeon then. Plus I helped yesterday with no problems."

"You mean other than criticizing the amount of meds I was given, cringing each time they fixed a bone and even going as far as hitting a vampire?"

Sue crossed her arms. "You hit him first."

"You're right I don't actually mind that part. But then you tried to bury me alive with blankets and don't think I didn't hear the way you broke down after you went downstairs."

Sue's eyes welled up. "I can't stand the Idea of you being in pain. Knowing that there's more to come. I just…" Sue's words cut off in a shuddering breath.

"Sue, why don't you come teach me how to cook something?" Charlie suggested. "From what I know about the wolves so far, I'm sure Leah will be hungry when this is over. I would offer to make her something myself, but I am not great in the kitchen. Just ask my daughter." Bella shook her head confirming his statement. "We will use their fancy kitchen, this way you can stay close by. You know, just in case she needs you."

"That sounds like a great idea." Leah said gratefully. "Please mom, give Bella a break from cooking."

"I can show you where everything is." Alice's voice made all the humans jump. She must have been upstairs.

"Okay," Sue finally agreed. "but I am not going any farther than the kitchen."

Leah let out a relieved breath. "You're going to be nearby too?" She asked Bella.

"Mhm." Bella said, "I won't leave the property."

"And you'll let me shit talk your boyfriend when this is over?"

"Don't push it."

"Let's give them some space to work, love." Bella started to protest, but Edward whispered. "You can't be in the room while the machine is in use." A little louder he said, "We can take a walk around out front."

Bella looked over and assured Leah, "I am going to be right outside." Edward held out his arm for Bella to take, then he led her out the front door.

It was a few minutes before he spoke again. "This is going to take a while. We should go for a ride."

"What?"

"We could go to our meadow." He smiled sweetly.

"No, Edward, I told Leah I would stay close."

"I'm not sure why you did that."

"Because she needs a friend right now. And I am going to be that friend."

"Perhaps that's not the best idea."

"Edward, if this is about her being a wolf."

"It's not."

"Then why would you say that?"

"Because she is the most crude, vulgar, unrefined woman that I have ever met and in just two days around her she has you cursing like a sailor."

"Edward, I haven't cursed that much. And a swear word now and then isn't going to hurt anyone. Besides, I am a good influence on her. I got her to stop calling you nasty names."

"You didn't hear her mind."

"We can't police peoples' thoughts."

Edward continued speaking, completely disregarding Bella's words. "Swearing is not for you. Using those words makes you sound…"

"More human?" Bella shot back.

"Uneducated." He replied.

It was at that moment Leah's first scream echoed out of the house. It whipped around Bella like a physical sensation rattling her bones. She wrapped her arms around herself and faced the house. Taking a deep breath she lifted her chin preparing for the impact of the next screams.

"Bella, there is no reason you need to put yourself through this." As the screams continued, Edward begged. "Let me take you away." Bella shook her head. "There is no reason you need to torture yourself by listening to this. At least let me take you just far enough so you can't hear the screams."

"No Edward, I promised I wouldn't leave."

"She won't even know."

"I will."

"I don't understand why you're being so difficult."

"I told her I would stay," Bella blinked away her tears but she couldn't stop memories from crashing into her. The flashes of a different hospital room, her, lying broken in the bed, begging him not to leave. Edwards voice whispering promises.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the memory washed over her; {"Do you swear you won't leave me?" She whispered to Edward.

He put his hands on either side of her face and brought his face close to hers. His eyes were wide and serious. "I swear."}

Her mind jumped forward to the day he broke that assurance. {"Bella, we're leaving."

"When you say we–," She whispered.

"I mean my family and myself."

"You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay–"

"As long as that was best for you," he interrupted to correct her.}

She squeezed her eyes tighter, she was wrong there was no stopping them. Moisture escaped her lids and pooled on her lashes. Shaking her head she refused to brake. Blinking the tears and the memories away she straightened her back and with a clear voice stated, "I'm staying!"

…

The whirring sound of the machine stopped, Sue froze. Charlie was unsure if she was even breathing. Her daughter's painful screams reverberated throughout the house. The strong woman he knew for most of his life collapsed and broke in front of him. For the second time in two days she needed someone to hold her together.

He rushed over, knelt on the floor and pulled the sobbing woman into his arms. He didn't bother with platitudes. He just held her and rocked back and forth.

Alice looked over at them then to the pot on the stove. Sighing she grabbed a book off the shelf and opened it to a random page. "Venison with wild rice and garlic asparagus it is."

…

Leah laid on her stomach, grinding her teeth, she blinked away the sweat that dripped into her eyes. She breathed deeply, wincing at the burning scent flooding her nostrils. The big vamp knelt next to her his large arms pinning her upper body down. "Ugh, why do you have to stink so bad."

Calmly he replied. "You don't smell that great to me either."

"Yeah, well you don't have to breathe. I do."

"Sucks for you."

The doctor's cold hands pushed against her lower back snapping the bone. She screamed, not able to hold it in. There was the prick of another needle right before the tug of the vertebrae being set back into the right place. She breathed in deeply once more, regretting it all over again.

…

Bella kept her back to Edward and her eyes on the front door until she heard a car pulling into the driveway. Jared stepped out of the driver's seat and after a minute Jacob slowly got out of the passenger's side.

Bella blinked at her friend. He walked around the front of the car with his head hanging low. Leaning against the driver's door he lifted his eyes and only his eyes to look at her.

"Hey Bells,"

She wrinkled her forehead. "Jake," scanning him from head to toe she took in his dark gray hoodie, his long dark blue jeans and brown work boots. Her eyes flashed back up to his, his studying her reaction, his head still hung low. "You're wearing a sweater."

He lifted a shoulder. "It's cold."

Her shoulders tensed. "You don't get cold." She stepped toward him. Edward stepped closer to her. Swallowing thickly she asked. "Are you okay?"

Even with his head tucked down she could see his lips lift in a placating smile. "I'm fine, Bells."

"No, don't do that."

"Do what honey."

"You're not the one who does that. You're the one I can count on to tell the truth no matter how bad it is."

"I am telling the truth. I'm fine. Nothing for you to worry about."

She heard the door open behind her but kept her eyes on him. Carlisle's voice saying his name made Jake automatically lift his head giving Bella a full view of the large jagged scar that spanned the front half of his neck.

Bella gasped and was halfway to him before she could even think to move her legs. He stepped forward, catching her in his arms. Her hands rose to his throat stopping just before touching the ruff raw looking skin. He gently grasped her forearms and held them against his chest. She could feel the cold hands stroking her hair and back.

"I'm fine, Bells really. It looks worse than it is." He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. One of his hands pressing her cheek to his chest and the other wrapping around her lower back. A cold hand rested on her upper back. She concentrated on the warmth soaking into her skin from Jacob not because she rathered the warmth but because it wasn't warm enough.

Pulling him away from his chest he looked at her. "I like the way you look in that shirt." He reached down and tugged at what she thought was the hem. The cloth sliding against the skin of her arm and chest proved her wrong. You can keep it if you want." he told her as the actual hem fell right above her knees.

She hung her head and closed her eyes in embarrassment. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Of course, she was wearing Jacob's shirt, because of course she was. Now all the comments throughout the day made sense.

a/n Edward fans try not to hate me, couples argue.