Bella's Point of View

Although his gaze on me was frightening, I couldn't help but reach out towards the only person here that could possibly help me. His glare cut harshly through me. A chill ran down my spine. My heart was racing tightly in my chest, my lips parted, but my voice had escaped me. I couldn't form a single word, I couldn't take in a breath. It felt like the world had slowed down around me as I watched Edward take a step in my direction. His body was completely tense, his dark eyes didn't move away from my open wounds.

"E-Edward," I muttered quietly, but I couldn't focus. The blood loss was starting to get to me. I usually got a little light-headed when it came to seeing blood. Or I suppose it was more or less the smell of it that tended to nauseate me. My stomach was beginning to churn as the smell of rust filled my nose. The pain didn't help matters, I felt like I needed to move, but the agony I was in kept me immobile for the moment. I carefully peeled my eyes away from Edward to look up the hill that I had just slid down over. It was much higher than I had thought. It was a sharp ninety degree incline that went at least fifteen feet up. I was lucky that my injuries weren't too extreme.

As my eyes returned to Edward, I noticed that he had moved a bit closer, torment was dancing in his topaz orbs. His beautiful face was twisted into a scowl. Still his gaze didn't leave my wounds. He was so still… like he had turned to stone right before my eyes. With a bit of courage, I attempted to get his attention again.

"Edward, I really need some help here, please." My mouth was very dry, my voice had been a bit strained, but my words seemed to unfreeze him. His shoulders slumped and immediately he held his breath, taking a few steps away from me.

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach. Was he about to leave me here?

But to my relief, Edward paused only for a minute and turned just in time for another man to stroll forward, passing through the trees and into view. This man wasn't familiar to me. He was a bit older, honey blonde hair and those striking golden eyes. The same as Edward and Emmet. Was this another relation?

This man's presence had a very soothing effect on the situation. The look on his face put me at ease as he slowly walked past Edward and immediately over to me. A kind smile and a calm demeanor. I noticed that Edward still was turned away from me, his shoulders were tense, I couldn't tell if he was breathing. But he did exchange a look with the man now standing in front of me.

"Hello miss, don't worry, I'm a doctor," His voice was just as kind and gentle as he appeared. Without hesitation he began assessing me, careful to never jostle me too much. But I couldn't keep my eyes off of Edward. My attention was focused on his strange reaction. He seemed so… unhinged. It was as if he was trying to restrain himself. I couldn't understand him, he was such a mysterious person. I wanted answers. I wanted to understand him.

"Are you alright Edward?" I called out to him softly. He had his hands clenched into tight fits down at his sides. There was a shudder that sent his body trembling. I was beginning to get concerned. Had he gotten hurt?

The doctor lifted his head, glancing in Edward's direction as well. His face remained somber, even as Edward refused to reply.

"Let's worry more about you at the moment. It looks like you have a closed fracture to your leg. I'll need to split the leg here." The blonde doctor spoke quietly. "Edward, would you get my supplies from the car?"

With a fast, jerky nod, Edward turned abruptly and bolted from the scene. There was an uncomfortable pinch to my chest in his absence. I had thought we were on good terms. He had been so kind to me in class. Now he was acting so differently… almost the same way he had reacted to me when we first met. Had I done something wrong?

"Is he going to be alright… he seemed… troubled."

The doctor didn't meet my gaze, instead he watched the area that Edward had disappeared in. "He will be alright. It's been a very stressful day for him. All this excitement might have pushed him a little over the edge. Seeing you injured."

"I guess that makes sense." I allowed. Although there was a part of me that was doubting his words. It's possible he had a stressful day and it's true seeing your student hurt like this would be distressing… but it didn't call for this kind of reaction. Not from a doctor. He froze. He looked furious. Did he think someone had done this to me? Was he angry that I was such a clumsy person? I didn't know what his problem was, but I would be sure to ask him when we had a moment alone.

"I'm Carlisle, by the way, Edward's adoptive father," The doctor smiled faintly. "I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

I felt my face getting warm immediately. "You're his dad, wow, and a doctor too," I stumbled over my words a bit out of nervousness. "I'm Bella Swan," I held my hand out, nicely shaking his hand. I was a bit surprised at how cold his hand was, but it was pretty cold outside tonight. I was just thankful it hasn't started to rain yet.

Suddenly Carlisle went completely still, he turned his sights up to the top of the cliff. His body language instantly changed. He appeared to be bracing himself for something. As if waves of hostility were about to start slamming into him. He took a small step back from me. His expression was unreadable.

I turned to see what he was looking at. At the top of the cliff stood Jacob. The look on his face was something I couldn't even put into words. I'd never seen him so furious. He truly looked like a menacing werewolf, ready to attack. He bared his teeth - something he did from time to time, especially while he was in his wolf form. His nostrils flared, I could see his body trembling. He was ready to kill. His eyes never left Carlisle.

There was a rustling sound coming from behind me, it captured my attention for a moment. I quickly turned back to where Edward had disappeared, just in time to see him stroll back into view.

I wasn't the only one to notice his arrival. Jacob ripped his sights off Carlisle and onto Edward, who appeared much calmer now. He had returned with Carlisle's supplies, but I also noticed there was a slight tint of pink to his lips

Edward clutched a medical bag tightly in his hands, sensing the change in atmosphere. He locked his eyes on Jacob, in seconds. As if he had already known exactly where he was. The moment their gazes met, I noticed a sour look come to Edward's face. He didn't seem intimidated by Jacob's death stare at all. He only appeared mildly irritated.

I guess that was a better response than what he had previously. Instead of becoming cautious, like Carlisle, Edward made his way right over to us with the supplies. He seemed to be completely under control. His sudden closeness sent my heart fluttering in my chest. He bent down, quietly inspecting me.

Wordlessly he quickly began cleaning the small, shallow wounds across my arms and legs, treating the minor bruising and scratches where the tree limbs had come into contact with me. I averted my eyes, feeling the blood washing down off my skin. I was thankful that at the very least the bleeding had stopped.

"His name is Jacob Black," Edward muttered to Carlisle almost in a whisper.

Carlisle nodded, turning fully to Jacob. "We mean her no harm, she took a fall off the cliff side. We are just providing her some medical care."

I peeked up at Edward with a raised brow. As distracting as it was, having him so close to me and feeling the feather-like touches of his fingertips against my aching skin, I forced myself to stay focused. "How did you know his name?"

Edward tensed for a moment, but didn't bother making eye contact with me. His face remained somber as he shrugged his shoulders. He was ignoring my question. I was a bit taken off guard by his cold, detached response. This surprisingly annoyed me. I narrowed my eyes in his direction, but he didn't pay me any attention, he just continued to carefully treat my minor wounds.

"Keep your filthy hands off her." Jacob growled, with a darkness in his eyes that I've never seen before. His body trembled with violent intentions. He was so far away from where I was, but it wasn't hard to see he was struggling with his temper. I wasn't sure what had him so upset. I've never seen Jacob act like this. He wasn't usually an angry man. He was always laid back and accepting of others. But there was real venom behind his words. He didn't like Edward or Carlisle at all. He didn't trust them.

Fear prickled inside of me as Mia came to mind. "Jake, our daughter is on your back. You need to calm down, before you lose your head." I called out to him quickly. I was careful not to use words that might suggest his supernature side. If Jake wasn't careful, he could accidentally phase into a wolf. With Mia strapped to his back. That would be an absolute nightmare. I didn't want her getting hurt. And I knew that was the last thing that Jacob wanted as well.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye Edward's demeanor changed, but I couldn't tell the meaning behind it. My eyes could have been playing tricks on me, but I almost got the feeling that he had turned a little glum. But that couldn't be the case. Carlisle on the other hand slowly took a step towards me, digging through his medical supplies.

"Jacob, I can assure you everything is under control down here. Bella is badly injured and needs her leg splinted before more damage occurs. I give you my word, neither one of us will hurt her." Carlisle spoke gently. He was so patient and calm, it really did put me at ease. However, it was hard to truly have peace of mind, while Jacob was acting like this.

"Your word means nothing," Jacob snapped as he began to take slow, deep breaths. He was trying to calm down. But his eyes never left Edward's hands. "I'm on my way down, once I'm at an arm's distance from her, then you can help. But not until I get down there." There was reluctance in his voice. I couldn't for the life of me understand what was going through his head. He has never acted like this before. To make matters more confusing, it really seemed like Jake knew Edward and Carlisle.

In fact, Edward had already known Jacob's name. There was something deeper going on here. I was eager to get answers. But the mind-numbing pain radiating from my leg kept my mind from wandering to any other subject.

I breathed out quietly, trying to settle my frazzled nerves, my body was still shaking a little from the shock. Edward had taken note, a frown came to his face as his eyes seemed to scan over my face. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"It's manageable,"

Carlisle looked towards me with a rueful smile. "You're doing very well, once we get your leg splinted, the emergency team should arrive by then, they will be able to safely remove you from the trails." At this point, Carlisle was completely still, waiting patiently for Jacob to make his way down to us.

I tried offering him a smile. "I really appreciate all of your help. I'm sorry for ruining your evening."

Edward made a face, before slowly shaking his head. "You haven't ruined anything. I do need to ask though, how did you fall?" He raised a brow. "Wasn't your boyfriend able to prevent something like this from happening?"

Now it was my turn to make a face, at his choice of words. "He isn't my boyfriend. But it's true, if he had been nearby I'm sure he could have prevented me from falling."

"So what happened?"

"I stopped to… relieve myself… Jacob kept on going without me, I think he was really lost in thought, he hadn't even noticed that I had stepped away. And well, it was really dark, I got a little lost and ended up tripping on something." I admitted, feeling my cheeks warm slightly under Edward's intense stare.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." His voice was genuine and full of warmth. It surprised me for a second. He had finished tending to my wounds, but his hand lingered, just barely brushing against my leg. His touch was cold, but an electric current buzzed between the contact of our skin. I was momentarily distracted by the sensation, my eyes trailed down to his hand.

It wasn't long before Jacob managed to get to us, as soon as he was within sight, Edward recoiled his hand instantly, his expression became stoic. He moved completely away from me, allowing Carlisle room to begin working on splinting my leg. Any movements were extremely painful, but I kept as quiet as possible. Somehow, Mia had fallen asleep in the middle of all this. I didn't want to disturb her, or make her worry. I'm not even sure how much of this she would be able to understand. I was just thankful that she didn't have to see me like this.

Jacob hovered over me, glaring coldly towards both Carlisle and Edward. There was mistrust in his eyes and aggression that neither of the other two demonstrated back towards him. They just remained quiet and calm. While Jacob acted like a complete ass. I didn't know what had gotten into him, but it was beginning to really get on my nerves.

"You know Jake, you don't have to stick around if you don't want to. I'd rather Mia get inside and get warmed up for the night." I said, twisting my neck enough to make eye contact with him.

He stubbornly shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone with them. End of discussion." His voice was thick with venom.

"I'm assuming there is a reason?" I glanced between him and Edward now. "Do you guys know each other?"

"Not on a personal level." Carlisle spoke up, when the other two refused to answer my question.

"How do you guys know each other?"

"That's not important. Let's just get this over with, so I can get you to the hospital." Jacob said tightly, giving me a look. I could tell he didn't want to get into detail at the moment. But I was dying for an explanation. How did Jake know the Cullen's? They come from completely different parts of the world. There is no way they could have met.

"Actually, the paramedics are already on the scene, they will be escorting her to the nearest hospital. You won't be needed." Edward commented with an even tone.

"Keep your opinions to yourself." Jacob snapped with an aggressive curl to his lips.

"Edward," Carlisle interjected, his expression remaining neutral, not appearing bothered in the least bit of Jacob's comments. "It's not our business, now that the paramedics are here, we should take our leave."

Just as Carlisle had said, I watched as a team of people came barreling through the trees, all in uniform. They surrounded me quickly. Jacob allowed them, without any hint of disapproval. He kept his sharp gaze on Edward.

"I'll meet you back at home." Edward stated, with no emotion in his voice. I couldn't read him. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. But the way his eyes seemed to linger on me, I felt my heart squeeze uncomfortably in my chest. "Bella is one of my students, I'd prefer to make sure she is looked after."

Edward moved a bit closer, taking a few steps in my direction. The other paramedics eyed him nervously, but continued to run through some assessments on me. They were taking note of all my injuries and had started putting me on a stretcher.

"Back the fuck off," Jacob threatened, moving to block Edward from reaching me.

"Jake," I muttered quietly. I'd never heard him use language like that. This was completely out of character for him. I didn't know what was going on, but from my body getting moved around so much, the pain distracted me. I lost the ability to pay much attention to what was happening. Tears rolled down my cheeks as they strapped me onto the stretcher. It was agony.

There was so much talking and commotion going on around me, it gave me a mild headache. I closed my eyes shut tightly against the throbbing in my head. I could vividly feel my body getting carried. There were four men, carrying the stretcher through a thick grove of forest. There wasn't a path for them to follow, so getting out the woods was a bit of a challenge. With every bump I felt, I had to bite down on my lip to hold back my whimpering. I didn't bother opening my eyes at all. I just listened to everything that was happening around me.

The paramedics were all silent, I could only hear their labored breathing and one of them had a nasty cough. Every once in a while I would hear a big throaty cough, followed by the sound of someone spitting. It was truly disgusting. I prayed that I wouldn't catch whatever illness that man had.

Directly behind the paramedics, I could hear Jacob rattling off profanities and aggression, along with Edward's detached responses. Edward had a much better handle on his emotions than Jacob. That much was clear. But it was easy to see that Edward didn't like Jacob whatsoever. The way he had looked at Jacob… it was as if he was disgusted. Did they really know each other? And if so, how? Why didn't either one of them want to explain themselves?

Carlisle had disappeared from the group. He went off in the opposite direction than us. I wasn't sure where he planned on going, it wasn't really my business. But I don't know who in their right mind would continue hiking through this forest in the dark like this. Wasn't he worried about coming across a wild animal? I've heard from Rene there are plenty of dangerous creatures prowling the woods at night in this area.

It felt like it had taken hours to get out of the forest. Thankfully the paramedics had been a great physical shape, they didn't trip or fall with me once. Of course it wasn't too smooth of a trip, but it could have been worse. They took their time loading me into the back of the ambulance. There was a tense look on all of their faces as they completed their tasks, they didn't make eye contact with me. I wasn't sure what the issue was and I was too afraid to ask.

Edward climbed into the back of the ambulance with a scornful look on his face. His eyes glistened in the moonlight, fiery gold. Jacob stood outside of the ambulance, furious. His mouth twisted in rage as he watched. Mia was still strapped to his back, but she was awake. I heard her crying quietly. My heart wrenched at the sound. I wanted nothing more than to go to her and soothe her. But I was strapped down.

Tears came to my eyes again. "Jake, go ahead and take her home. I think it's safe to say our 'family weekend' has come to an end."

Jacob snapped his eyes in my direction, pain covered his face. As if my words had dealt a devastating blow to his emotions. "I-I can't just leave… you can't stay here anymore Bella. It's not safe. You need to come back to Forks with me."

Now I was angry. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

He angrily shook his head. "End of discussion Bella. You aren't staying. Once you are out of the hospital, I'm taking you both home, whether you like it or not."

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I had some complications with my pregnancy and ended up delivering my daughter sooner than expected. It's been a long few months, but we are both doing much better now! I'll attempt to keep these updates coming more frequently.

Again, thank you soooo much for reading!