Bella is crashing through the forest, her desperation growing with every small incremental loss of light, panic taking over her thought process even more than before. She runs over a small flat patch covered with needles and ferns and hears a rustling sound behind her.

Terrified, she turns in spite of herself, expecting to see a wolf or a bear tracking her down, ready to attack—but it's Bosphorus, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, a look of joy in his eyes as he bounds towards his favorite person.

Bella stands frozen, unable to believe the happy turn of events, until Bozzie runs up and jumps up on her; then she laughs and pets and hugs him, accepting all his doggy kisses with relief, gratitude, and of course love.

She's so relieved her legs give out and she plops down right where she was standing, Bosphorus circling around then settling in her lap, his contented head on her knee. "Oh, Bozzie, I am so glad to see you!" Bella breathes out against his soft head as she pets and hugs him to herself.

Releasing him from her embrace but still petting him as he lays in her lap, she starts to think more rationally again, and hopes that the dog will lead her back to the road. She's just starting to feel a little kernel of nervousness about how she will find the road without running into any Cullens when she hears another crashing through the underbrush, this time paired with "Bozzie! Bella! Bosphorus, come on, man, don't run off without me!"

She thinks that she would almost prefer an angry bear, and just has time to cover her madly-blushing face with her hands before Jasper breaks into their little clearing.

"Bella! Thank God!" is all she hears before she checks out for a little bit, willfully closing her ears to the rapid and low-voiced phone conversations Jasper has next. Finally, with a lick on the cheek from Bosphorus, she finds the strength to stand up and open her eyes.

She sees Jasper crouching on the ground, rummaging through a backpack he's set down next to him, his phone tucked between his shoulder and ear. She hears him say, "She's up; I've got to go," and watches him disconnect the call and slowly, like he's trying not to scare any wild animals, put his phone in his back pocket.

As his eyes rise to meet hers, the panic returns, and Bella pivots to run away but makes it only two steps before tripping over a dead branch and falling, hard, twisting her ankle as she lands.

"Bella! Shit!" is Jasper's response as he hurries over to where the girl he was so relieved to find is now a trembling heap on the ground. Any hesitation he had felt about taking her over until Edward can get to them is gone now; she is clearly a danger to herself and needs immediate intervention—he is just hoping it's not too late to avoid serious injury.

Placing both his hands on her heaving back, for she's sobbing now too with humiliation and the sharp pain from her ankle, Jasper crouches down as one hand goes around her side and one carefully under her bent legs then up behind her knees. "I've got you, darlin'" he says as he stands up with her in his arms.

"I'm-" [sob] "so-" [sob] "sorry!" Bella gets out, her body rigid in Jasper's arms, her hands over her face again.

Jasper is gingerly feeling with one hand along the ankle he saw twist as she went down, and is saying "Thank you, Jesus," as he feels no broken bones or compound fractures, just Bella flinching in pain as he gently probes the area.

"Is that sore, baby girl?" he asks, and Bella nods, then cries harder and says, "I'm sorry!" again.

Jasper has made it back to his backpack on the ground, and he squats down with his best friend's sobbing girlfriend in his arms to pick up the jacket he had already retrieved from the backpack.

"Darlin'," he said in his most soothing, Southern voice, "you don't have a damn thing to be sorry for. Ali and I, especially me, well, we played you wrong, and we're the ones who are sorry, very sorry; not you."

"But—" Bella tries to break in.

Jasper is starting to pull the jacket on the shaking girl, and she is unthinkingly cooperating, pushing first one arm through then the other as her mind is focused on his words. "No buts, sweetheart; this one's all on me. I hope you can forgive me, and I promise I won't leave you hangin' like that again."

The jacket's now all the way on, and Jasper is fumbling one-handed, trying to get it zipped.

He manages and is zipping it up as Bella says, a little calmer now, "But Jazzy, I'm the one who ran away!"

Jasper smiles, hearing Alice's nickname for him coming out of Bella's unthinking mouth. He was slower to warm up to Bella than either Alice or Edward, being skeptical at first that any person could be both that needy and that innocent, his own life experiences having taught him about a much different brand of female neediness, a sort he has no intention of ever getting caught up in ever again.

But this, she, is different. He sees the shame that weighs Bella down as he feels his own shame, and he has seen, over and over again, enough to convince even him that Bella has no ulterior motive other than loving and being loved, that she will do anything, pay any cost, to please the people around her. And he has even more reason than Edward or Alice, with their sheltered lives, to understand how rare and how valuable that quality is.

So he wraps both arms around her again and, leaning her back up against the backpack a little so as to get the angle he wants on her eyes, looks straight at her and says, "Well, sugar, I'm the one who let you, and as your big brother, I promise you that won't ever be happening again."

Bella is speechless at these words, and Jasper smiles, then says, "We better get a move on before we need to get out the flashlights."

He puts the backpack on then picks her up again, adjusting her so her arms are around his neck and she is tilted in to his chest, while he holds her head against him with one hand. "How's the ankle, sweetheart? Can you manage like this?"

Bella nods, and he feels it. "Just tell me if it starts to hurt worse, okay darlin'? I have a wrap in the first-aid kit but I'd rather us be hustling out of the forest before dark if it's not botherin' you too bad."

This time she says, "I'm OK, Jasper. I think I could walk—"

"Not on your life, young lady. Bosphorus, find Ali!" and like he knows exactly what is happening, the dog prances ahead, Jasper hoping he knows where the road is but at least confident they're starting off in the right direction having checked his GPS as soon as he found Bella.

Jasper is also confident that the cavalry is on their way, with the benefit of his phone's GPS position, so it is a brisk but not overly anxious walk towards the road. After a few quiet minutes, excepting the brief conversation Jasper has with Alice over the walkie-talkie, Bella says softly, "Jasper, really, I can walk."

But he just says again, "Not on your life, darlin'. I'd say you've taken your last stroll in the woods for quite some time if Edward has anything to say about it."

And as if he's been summoned into existence by his name, Edward appears just then from over a rise, moving at a jog that picks up to a run when he sees Bella in Jasper's arms.

"Jesus, Bella, Jesus!" he breathes out as his hands move over her body, looking for injury and reassuring himself she is really there. She flinches as he passes over her ankle, and Edward lifts an eyebrow at Jasper, who's gone a little pale himself at confronting his good-as brother with the evidence of Jasper's failure at protecting Edward's girl.

"Yeah, she turned it when she tried to run away from me," Jasper reluctantly confirms. "I checked for signs of a break—"

But Edward has been busy checking it out himself, and like Jasper was before, is relieved to feel nothing out of place, just an obvious tenderness and a slight swelling of the ankle. "That's my girl," he says as he starts to gather her into his arms, handing off the blanket he'd been carrying to Jasper as he adjusts Bella against him the same way Jasper had earlier, albeit with far less hesitancy.

As Bella feels her weight shifted from one set of arms to another, and smells Edward's skin snugged up next to her, she braves half-opening her eyes, catching him looking down at her. The look in Edward's eyes burns with such intensity, such possessive love, she closes her eyes again immediately and buries her face in his neck, tightening her arms as well, sobbing softly.

"Jesus, Bella," he says again as he pulls her head tightly against him with a hand at the back of her head and holds it there for a couple very grateful breaths. Then, blinking back the tears that have sprung from the incredible relief he is feeling, he reaches for the blanket Jasper has been shaking out. Tucking it around her, he turns back the way he came and spares a comment to the dog who has been waiting for them: "Good dog, Bosphorus; very good dog."

Bozzie barks his pleasure; normally Edward takes little notice of him, but when he does cover dog duties for his sister, he is an excellent ear-scratcher but strict—making his praise a real reward. "Find Alice," Edward echoes Jasper, and Bosphorus resumes his proud leading of the little group back the way Edward had come, Jasper bringing up the rear.

Just as it is getting too dark to see what's ahead of them, Bosphorus gives a happy bark and races ahead, and then Edward and Jasper see the car lights shining on the road beyond one more rise. Carefully going up and then down again, calling for lights from the happy people greeting Bozzie on the roadway, Edward, Bella and Jasper emerge from the forest into the waiting arms of their family.

Chief Swan and Esme crowd around Bella and Edward while Alice and Jasper reunite more quietly than usual, both of them sharing guilt-laden but grateful looks with one another; Emmett comes up and clasps Jasper on the arm, saying in his usual loud and tactless way, "Shit am I glad you found her, man; I was sure we were going to have to call out the National Guard to search the forest."

"Nah, we just needed the right dog," Jasper says, more calmly than he feels, and with a proud look at Alice.

"See! I told you Bozzie could do it, didn't I Jazzy?"

"Yeah, Ali; you did." And for a couple of moments, there's no more talking from the two of them, though their PDA is much less graphic and much more grateful than usual.

Edward cuts them short with a brisk throat-clearing, followed by, "Jazz, if you and Ali would follow us in my car, Chief Swan is going to give us a ride to the hospital for Dad to check Bella's ankle."

Then Edward turned back to his mother, who is still stroking down Bella's hair and saying, "I'm so glad to see you, sweetheart; so glad!" and breaks in with, "Mom, could you please call Dad and tell him to expect us at the ER?"

Esme looks up, pats Bella's head one last time and pulls away. "Of course! Alice called him already but I'll call him right now to say you're on your way, and Rose and Emmett and I will head back to the house to get dinner ready. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, we just need a once-over on the ankle, hopefully confirm it's just a sprain, then dinner and bed will be perfect. Thanks, everyone, for moving so fast. This could have been a lot worse," and as he says that, he pulls Bella farther into his chest, and leans down to kiss her once.

Pretty much everyone feels guilty at how much better it could have been too, and it is quiet as they all move to the three cars parked nearby.

After a quick peck on Bella's head, and a whispered, "I love you, Bells," returned with a quiet and embarrased, "Love you too, Dad," Charlie opens the front passenger door of his police cruiser, but Edward shakes his head and says, "The back seat, please, Chief Swan; I want to make sure she's safe."

Charlie nods grimly; shuts the front door and opens the back. "Good thinking," he mutters, then says a little more loudly, "And I think it's about time you called me Charlie instead of Chief."

Edward pauses getting in with Bella, looks up at his de facto father-in-law, and grins. "Alright then, Charlie."

Charlie just says "Hmm" back, but has a little smile on his face after he slams the locked door shut—and it's only partly because his daughter is safe and her boyfriend is locked up in his police cruiser.

Bella drowses against Edward during the ride to the hospital, and Edward just stares down at the precious brown head that is his once more, promising himself never to lose it—lose her—again.

XxXxXx

Carlisle is waiting for them with a gurney and a nurse's aide at the ER entrance cul-de-sac, having left the hospital earlier but been caught by Alice's phone call while making a quick stop at the grocery store, making it easy to head right back in to work. Really, he should excuse himself from Bella's care now, but he's taking advantage of the fact that no one else at the hospital knows his connection to her yet, and he's a control freak just like his younger son so would much prefer to be the one evaluating and treating her tonight.

He'd also arranged to have Bella's sizable medical records printed out that day, requesting them as her physician, but having a form ready for Charlie to sign to release the records to Carlisle Cullen, private citizen. He doesn't need the release for his own sake, but for Edward's—as he realizes now it was a mistake not to do this step first, before allowing his son to take responsibility for the girl. He's quite disgusted with himself at the moment, but determined to start getting things right with the newest member of his family.

He puts this plan in action as soon as the squad car pulls up, moving forward to greet Charlie Swan as he gets out and moves around to the back door, stopping to shake Dr. Cullen's hand first.

"Charlie, I'm so glad they found her."

"Me too, Carlisle; me too."

And with those formalities out of the way and a meaningful glance between two wary middle-aged men always bracing for the next disaster and hoping it's in someone else's life and not their own, Charlie swings open the back door and helps Edward lift Bella out.

"There she is," Carlisle says with humor and relief. Motioning the nurse's aide forward with the gurney, he says "Go ahead and set her down, son, and we'll walk her in to get changed; x-ray is ready for us as soon as we are."

Edward says, "Okay, Dad," and sets Bella carefully down on the gurney, supporting her injured leg and ankle as he stretches it out.

"That's the injured leg?" Carlisle confirms, and Edward nods, adding "Yes, she twisted the ankle running from Jazz."

Carlisle looks up from the cursory inspection he can't help but do before letting the aide start rolling the gurney in the hospital and stares at Edward for a brief wry moment, eyebrows raised; Edward snorts, says, "I know."

Bella finally finds her voice, and from her sheltered position within Edward's arms—for he has set her down on the gurney but not let go of her, nor does he intend to—speaks up, "Um, Dr. Cullen?"

Everyone present pauses and looks at her; Charlie with tears in his eyes as the relief and the fear are both catching up with him now that she's safe. Wanting to recover emotional control in private, he quickly side hugs her around Edward's arms, saying "I'll be right back, Bells; I've got to park the car," then turns to Carlisle and repeats that.

Carlisle says, "Of course, Charlie; come on in and find us when you're done; we'll be in Exam Room 2 or at x-ray."

Then he turns and leans in towards Bella, one gentle hand on her injured leg to hold it steady for the gurney ride. "Yes, Bella? What do you need, honey?"

"Um, I don't think there's anything wrong with me," Bella asserts shyly.

Edward snorts and rolls his eyes, but Carlisle smiles paternally at her, reaching up with his free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and to better see her face as he responds, "That's good, sweetheart, but we're going to check you over just to make sure, OK?"

Then he turns to the nurse's aide and says, "Let's get going, Joanne," and the aide nods and steps on the brake release pedal, pushing the gurney towards the automatic ER doors.

Bella starts to panic, and tries to get out of Edward's (and Carlisle's) hold and off the gurney. Both men gently tighten their grips and walk faster, Carlisle saying to the aide, "Let's pick up the pace, please."

The aide is a little surprised; it's not like there's any blood present and it doesn't look like an emergency at all to her, but she starts the quick-step jog that she'd be doing if they were rushing an accident victim to surgery, and Edward and Carlisle follow suit.

So before she can quite believe what's happening, Bella is ensconced in ER Room 2, a lab tech busy prepping the IV Carlisle has ordered and a nurse bringing in a gown.

There's a confrontation immediately, for when the lab tech asks for Bella's hand, she draws it in towards herself and tries again to get off the gurney.

Edward holds tight and laces his fingers through hers, extending one pair of hands out to the lab tech as he says, "Carlisle, do you want to help me here?"

Carlisle says, "Of course, son," and holds on to Bella's forcibly extended hand with one of his under and one around her wrist, supporting it for the lab tech to get the right angle for IV insertion.

It goes smoothly, although the sharp pain and shock of the needle makes Bella yelp and try to pull back, Edward shushing her as he holds her steady, "Shhhhh, Bella baby, you're okay honey," while Carlisle says, "That's it, kiddo. The iv's in now."

Bella is getting agitated (which Carlisle expected and is why he ordered the iv), and says, "But I don't need an iv, Dr. Cullen! I'm fine!"

At which Edward snorts again and Carlisle instructs the nurse, "You're going to have to gown her with us present; let's get her top done first," then turns back towards Bella and says, "I know you are, sweetheart, just humor us, will you? Edward and I want to make sure you're better than fine, and I think we're going to need to wrap your ankle."

"But Dr. Cullen, I didn't do anything bad, I promise! I didn't hurt myself! I just fell by accident!" Bella's getting really worked up now, starting to sob, fighting again against the hands holding her in place.

"Edward, talk to Bella and tell her what a good girl she is, please," Carlisle says towards Bella and Edward, then leans back over his shoulder and directs the nurse's aide in his no-nonsense OR room staccato, "Joanne, cut her clothes off her please. We need her gowned now." The nurse's aide grabs the shears while Carlisle continues to the nurse, "Lisa, get pharmacy to prep an IV Ativan stat, max dosage for her weight. Check her last office visit weight and subtract 5 pounds, it'll be close enough."

Turning back towards Edward, who is now rocking Bella in his arms and singing an Ed Sheeran song while Bella cries and struggles against him, Carlisle sees the nurse's aide just standing off to the side, shears in hand. "Do it now," he says to her, while to Edward he says, "Son, we're going to have to cut her free of her clothes so we can get the gown on. Keep a hold of her but try and let Joanne in; it will work best cutting down the back."

Edward nods without stopping the song or the rocking, and shifts his arms while leaning Bella towards him to give Joanne a clear shot at the back of Bella, jacket and all. As the aide moves the shears into position, Edward clamps down on Bella, still singing. "When I saw you in the woods, looking so beautiful; I don't deserve you, you look perfect tonight."

Bella's sobs have quieted in response to the singing and the masterful control of her body, and she is working on dissociating herself from the whole situation when she feels cold air on her back and squeaks in surprise.

Edward reaches a break in the song and says, "We'll do this fast, Baby; hang in there with me," then barks to his Dad and Joanne, "Left arm!" letting go of that arm and giving Carlisle the opportunity to pull off the half-clothing, carefully managing the IV port, and Joanne the chance to pull up the gown.

Bella is just realizing her left arm is free when it's pinned to Edward again and Joanne is pulling off the right side clothes and then the gown up, faster than before as there's no IV to manage, and then Edward has both arms snug against him again and Joanne is tying up the gown in back.

"Nice work, Joanne, Edward," Carlisle says, pleased. Joanne smiles at him and says, "Thanks," but Edward just nods and keeps singing, having moved on to James Arthur's "Say You Won't Let Go," with some lyric changes ("I met you in the class; you were so shy; Didn't want to talk to me or look in my eyes; We'll dance the night away, I love you so much; I'll hold your heart always, never growing up…").

Bella is giving in to him again; Edward can feel it, and he's in the zone with her letting Joanne manage unbuttoning and removing Bella's jeans, though he lifts her when needed and helps pull one side down, his long fingers carefully sliding down the jeans past her panties as his singing continues and his eyes stay trained on Bella's bent head.

When the shoes, socks and jeans are off, Carlisle says, "Alright, let's get her into the bed now; Edward, you lift her body and I'll get her leg; Joanne you pull the covers back please and make sure we get her centered. Ready?" And seeing Edward's head nod and hearing Joanne's, "Yes," Carlisle continues, "On the count of 3: 1, 2, 3!" and Bella is hoisted effortlessly off the transport gurney and into the ER bed, blankets are pulled up and Joanne is sent off with the no-longer needed gurney just as the nurse comes back in with a bag of saline.

"Good timing, Lisa," Carlisle says, "go ahead and start the saline and we'll wait for the Ativan before going down to x-ray."

"Yes, Dr. Cullen," the nurse says as she hangs the IV bag, then connects the saline line to Bella's iv.

"Should I do the admitting forms so we can get her id bracelet?" the nurse asks next, and Carlisle agrees, "That seems the smart thing to do. I can answer most of the questions; let's get started."

So between him and the nurse, they work through most of the admissions questions, Carlisle indicating that he is the responsible party for payment much to the nurse's surprise. When they get to questions about pain levels and any recent medications, Carlisle speaks softly to Edward.

"Son, we need to ask Bella a few questions now. Can you help us please?"

Edward stops singing and repeats what Carlisle has said to Bella, "Sweetheart, we've got to answer a few questions for Carlisle now. Just keep your eyes closed and tell me, ok?"

And Bella has calmed enough to nod, and to say "2" when asked to rate her pain on a scale of 1 to 10, and then to whisper "No," when Edward asks if she's taken any medicine that day.

"Nothing at all, baby girl?"

"Nothing, Edward, I promise," Bella says earnestly, and Edward grins.

"I believe you, sweetheart; just making sure," he says back, stroking through her hair and pulling her head under his chin.

The nurse prints out an id bracelet and threads it on around the wrist that Edward holds out for her by gently clasping Bella's fingers in his own; when Bella feels the hospital bracelet on she pulls her wrist in to look at it and Edward lets her, his hand moving with hers.

She starts to cry again, and says, "But Edward, I didn't hurt myself, I promise!"

Edward doesn't really understand what she means, thinking she's trying to deny she turned her ankle, and says, "It doesn't look broken, sweetheart, but we really need to get your ankle x-rayed just in case. Can you do that for me, please?"

And Bella nods her head, but she's starting to cry harder, and Edward is perplexed, looking across to his father who has come up to them after paging pharmacy and asking them to hurry up with the sedative he's ordered.

Unlike Edward, Carlisle knows what Bella is afraid of, and so he comes over to reassure her after getting a promise from the pharmacy for the sedative to be delivered in five minutes, half-sitting on the side of the bed to be able to talk straight towards her and hopefully be heard over her crying.

"Bella, sweetheart, can you listen to me for a moment?" Carlisle asks gently, and Bella nods, but doesn't stop crying.

"Bella, you haven't done anything wrong, sweetheart. We know you didn't try to hurt yourself. You were just trying to walk home, right?"

Bella nods her head, and her crying slows.

"So you don't have to worry about anyone thinking anything bad about you. First of all, Edward and I won't let them, right Edward?"

Edward is puzzled about the reference to hurting herself, and starting to feel concerned that there's something at play here concerning his girl that he doesn't know about, and he looks it, but he manages to chime in with a convincing, "Absolutely not, Dad; no one hurts my girl."

This makes Bella sniffle, smile and blush, turning her head to hide her face once more in Edward's chest.

"Okay, then; that's better, isn't it Bella?" Carlisle asks, smiling, and Bella nods, "Yes."

Just at that moment the nurse comes back in carrying the Ativan IV bag, and Carlisle sighs with relief. "Good, Lisa, get that running please."

And without even having to move Bella's hand, the sedative starts dripping in. It isn't too many minutes after that and her eyelids are getting droopy, her head starting to nod.

Edward had been singing again, but when he feels her head leaning more heavily against him and watches her chest rise and fall with more regular, slow breaths, he gradually stops and checks to see if she's really sleeping.

Satisfied that she's out, he says to his father, "Dad, what's going on with the 'hurting herself' comments?"

"I've got some records you're going to want to read, son, but let's save that for after the x-ray, alright?"

"Just tell me what I need to know now."

"She's got a history of self-harm, Edward; a long history."

"Shit! Why didn't you tell me this sooner? I never should have—"

"Edward, this hasn't been your business before, and technically it isn't now until Chief Swan signs the release form I have for him. I'll go page x-ray and set up transport, and see if he's waiting for us in the lobby."

Edward nods curtly at this, frustrated that there's information he hasn't had and even angrier at himself for leaving Bella in his sister's inadequate care that afternoon.

Carlisle stops on his way out of the room and puts his hand on his son's arm. Edward stiffens, but doesn't shake it off.

"Son, we can't afford any more recriminations. She can't afford it. We just have to go forward and get it right."

Edward relaxes, looks up at his father and says, "I know you're right, Dad, but Goddamnit! Why is it so hard to get things right with her?"

"Because she's ludicrously high maintenance, and this is just what it's going to be like with her. I'm assuming you're not changing your mind?" but he's asking in jest, not believing for a minute that this latest episode has done anything other than make his son more determined to take good care of Bella.

Edward laughs at the "Spaceballs" reference, previously a family joke about Alice, and shakes his head "No," in answer to his father's question, which he recognizes as the joke that it is. "Nope," he adds, popping the "p," "I'm just wanting to stop screwing up with her, so I'll need all the information I can get."

Carlisle nods. "Agreed, which is why I have the records sitting on my desk and the release form ready and waiting for Chief Swan's signature, which I'll go get now."

Edward looks at his Dad and grins, recognizing that finally, they're on the same side. "That's great, Dad; we'll be here."

Carlisle deadpans, "I sure as hell hope so" with a grin and an eyebrow raise as he walks out of the room, on his way to track down Bella's father and let him off the final hook of his daughter's care—the burden of knowledge of her extensive medical history. And for once, contemplating Bella's depressing catalogue of ER visits and psychiatrists and a variety of failed psychological interventions, Carlisle feels happy, confident that finally someone who is hurting will get exactly what they need to feel better. Finally.

XxXxXx

That's it for Sharks for now; will try to update a whole lot faster next time – I have certainly set the bar low with two or three years since the last installment, and I am sorry about that. If you're still reading, I hope you are well and happy and loved, by yourself most importantly.

Meanwhile, here's another story start for those of you who like them. Will it go anywhere? Probably not. But sometimes that's ok; I'm not going anywhere either!

Yours,

Liza

Edward Cullen hates me. How do I know this? Because he looks angry every time I accidentally come in a room where he is. Because he said to Emmett, "Why is she here?" when Emmett made me go out with them to a dance club last weekend, then stalked away and glared at me from across the room for the rest of the night.

And most of all, because today in biology, he yelled at me. Really yelled! And used a swear word. Actually, he didn't just use it, he said it at me, like this, "Go-damnit, Isabella, where the hell were you at lunch?"

Mr. Banner even asked him if there was a problem, because he came in the classroom just as Edward was finishing—that's how loud he was; Mr. Banner could hear him all the way at the front of the room!

And what do you think Edward Cullen said? "Yes, Mr. Banner; there is definitely a problem. Isabella needs to go to the nurse's office; I'll take her, please."

I could only stare at him. I think my mouth was even open. I don't need to go to the nurse's office!

But here I am, feeling beyond humiliated and ridiculous and like the worst person ever and definitely like I want to die. I really think maybe this time I could do it. I just have to be brave enough; take enough—

XxXxXx

"Isabella!" It must have come out a little louder than I meant it to, as my girl jumped off the cot in the nurse's office like she'd just been bitten, or shocked.

On the other hand, it doesn't take much volume to shock Isabella; until I learned how to modulate my tones into soothing sweetness in Biology, she flinched pretty much every time I spoke to her.

Which pisses me off so badly, it's hard to control my "angry voice," as Alice calls it. What the hell did her parents do to her?

But I can't think about that, or I look so murderous I literally make her run away. Yesterday, she took one look at me from the Bio room doorway and turned around back into the hall, sneaking in with her head down only as the tardy bell rang.

I wish I had grabbed her then; it would have saved me a sleepless night and her a number of tears, I'm certain.

On the other hand, it takes a while to work up the nerve to do what I'm doing, and you better be pretty damn sure when you do it, because nothing's going to be the same after this. I just hope it works.

XxXxXx

I cringe as I hear the door to the nurse's office open. I can feel my face burning fiercely, I'm so embarrassed. I'm trying to decide between my head hurting or thinking I'm going to vomit or—and this one is tempting but probably not possible to carry out with HIM still sitting here—something closer to the truth like, "There's nothing wrong with me but Edward Cullen just doesn't like me and wants me out of his space in science class."

The only weird thing about that statement, at least the second half of it, is that, as much as I'm certain that half is true, it doesn't explain what he is still doing in here! He should have gone back to class ten minutes ago! He should definitely be standing up to leave now, but I can tell by the lack of movement in his feet which I can see out of the corner of my eye that he is not, but remaining seated like he belongs here.

"Isabella, what's wrong? And Mr. Cullen, what are you still doing here?"

Crap, the nurse is in with the door closed and has asked the key questions and I still have no idea—

"I'm here to keep an eye on Bella, Ms. Anderson. She didn't eat lunch, and I would guess she didn't eat breakfast either."

"Aren't you feeling well, Isabella?"

I was grateful for this wonderful pre-fabbed opportunity to just shake my head "No," and look half as forlorn as I feel and get out of this nightmare, (feeling like I'm going to vomit it is), but just as I start to shake my head I hear his voice again—

"She has an eating disorder, Ms. Anderson. An eating disorder that's been steadily getting worse since she came here. She needs a medical evaluation from the clinic, and I'm going to take her over there now." I couldn't help but raise my head and look at Edward Cullen after he said…that. I saw as I raised my head that Ms. Anderson was already staring at him. What high school student intervenes with a peer, not even a friend? Who is Edward Cullen that he thinks he can boss me around like this? Well, I am certainly not going to do what he says. He can't get me in his car, let alone to the clinic.

I'm just about to open my mouth to say this, or, well, something, when he finishes in the most obscenely false-obsequious tones I've ever heard: "If that's alright with you."

And I know I'm lost in this moment, that I will have to exit the nurse's office with the same cruel, terrifying person that brought me in, because the nurse and Edward Cullen are looking at each other and understanding each other without me, even though what they think they are understanding IS me, and it makes me so mad I could just scream, if only, if only, if only I could follow through on anything to change the slowly unfolding disaster that is my life. Yes, as soon as I get home, I think I can really do it tonight. This is unbearable.

XxXxXx

I saw the outrage and shame added to the usual emotional suffering in Bella's eyes when she looked up at my announcement about her eating disorder. I knew it would provoke her; it kind of works into my plan, actually, because it should keep her from saying anything until I have her safely in the car on the way to the hospital. But I still feel bad causing any more hurt for her; I'll have to make it up to her later.

It's obviously accomplishing what I need it to, for right now Ms. Anderson, the nurse, is calling over to the Clinic and making an appointment with my Dad for Bella, just like I asked her to. Poor Bella looks green, and she keeps glancing at the door, like she's planning a break for it.

And there it is!

XxXxXx

"Isabella!" I hear the nurse say in surprise but I don't care; I can't keep going in this farce any longer, and I'm halfway into the hall when two arms wrap around me from behind and pull me backwards.

The force of the impact backwards into Edward Cullen's chest and legs makes my body rebound, and my head bounces off his shoulder. It hurts me, and I can't imagine it feels good for him either. I'm just going to pretend I don't exist for a while. He won't be around much longer; he doesn't really care about me, he just wants to stop being annoyed by me. I just have to wait—

XxXxXx

I can tell she's biding her time. She knows she isn't going anywhere at the moment, but there's no way she's actually capitulated. I can feel the underlying tension in her muscles, and almost hear the protest in her must-be-exhausted, ridiculously-dramatic head. And yet I like her drama.

Which is good, because I'm sure to be in for a lot of it in the next few days. Weeks. Months. I'm kind of hoping not years, but whatever it takes. That's one thing about Cullens: we're loyal sons-of-b's.

But Bella doesn't know this. Not yet. Time to start showing her.

XxXxXx

A knock on the nurse's door breaks the shock of the moment. The nurse rises to check, as Edward murmurs, "Here's the cavalry," into Bella's hair. He's still holding her tightly against the front of him, his arms still crossed securely around the front of her, his large hands spread out and gently clutching opposite hips.

The nurse can be heard asking from the open doorway in a surprised voice, "What are you two doing here?"

But the answer comes from inside the room as first Jasper and then Emmett move unhesitatingly past the nurse and into the small confines of her office. It's Emmett who speaks first, humor in his voice as usual, "We're here for the girl," adding a little mock growliness for what he sees as humorous effect.

Whether it's the growling or the fact that her cousin is now witness to her humiliating situation, Bella cringes at Emmett's words, making Edward (immediately aware of her cringing as it is into his own body—and liking it more than he wants to admit even to himself) bite back, "Shut up, Em; you're scaring her."

Also as usual, Jasper is quickly down to business. "Where do you want me to bring the car, Edward?"

A heartbeat's pause as Edward considers his exit options, and then he's saying, "The west exit, by the gym."

Jasper is turning to carry out these instructions when Edward follows up with, "But send Em to get the car; I want your help with her, Jazz. Just in case."

Emmett protests this a bit. "But she's my cousin!"

Edward's in no mood. "Exactly. And you routinely humiliate, then ignore her. So you're not the best candidate to keep her in line now."

Emmett is genuinely hurt by Edward's characterization of his treatment of Bella. And looks it.

So Jasper intervenes, before Edward can less kindly. "Don't worry about it, Emmett. I'm sure Bella forgives you," as he flings Edward's car keys (handed off earlier at lunch) towards Emmett.

Emmett catches the keys with the reflexes of the star athlete he is, and shrugs—physically and mentally—before saying, all business now, "Fine, west exit, and don't be late." Then, at the door, he pauses a moment and says to Bella, whose head is trying to twist 180 degrees away from the direction her body is pointing and is making it at least into the hiding spot of Edward's raised arm, "Don't let him bully you, Bella-Bee. I'll beat him up for you if he does, OK?"

And Bella, recognizing Emmett's best effort at affection even from the distant spot she's tried to drag her consciousness, nods shyly in return, making everyone but the nurse grin, and Emmett finally exits with a whistle and a, "That's my girl!"

XxXxXx

Once Emmett's gone, the atmosphere in the room changes; darkens; deepens. Jasper quietly asks Edward, "Where do you want me for this?" just as the nurse announces, "Isabella, Dr. Cullen will see you at 1:30. That's in ten minutes, so you'll want to hurry. You can come back later for anything you need from school; I'll be sure to let the office know you'll be absent the rest of the day."

She pauses in her chipper-sounding instruction-giving and half-turns towards Edward, though avoiding looking at him directly because there's something…overwhelming about him right now, saying, "You as well, Edward."

She stumbles on his name a little, feeling almost as if the honorific she started with ("Mr. Cullen") is more appropriate but also feeling angry and a little embarrassed at sensing such authority in a high school student and refusing to yield to it. She is, after all, a near-retirement-age medical professional and member of school personnel, and that should count for something, shouldn't it?

Edward ignores her inner discomfort, which he can't help but be vaguely aware of as he is in most interactions, and focuses all his attention on managing the girl in his arms—the girl he is now referring to as "my girl," and meaning it with all his heart and considerable mind.

"Thank you, Ms. Howard," Edward says without looking at her, then dips his head to speak into Bella's ear. "Just close your eyes, okay, sweetheart?"

Bella flinches at the "Sweetheart." It is both so overwhelmingly wonderful and frightening—she can't imagine what she will do after this; how she will pick up the pieces and go back to pretending she's alright; that she can manage; that she is normal. (Unbeknownst to her, she hasn't been fooling anyone, especially Edward.)

But she doesn't know what else to do, and definitely not what to say, and Edward Cullen's smell is so comforting and the nearness of his body is so soothing and it is just too easy to do what he says, so she does.

Edward grins. This is definitely his girl. He says so as he bends his knees and in one fluid movement sweeps Bella off her feet and into his arms, "That's my girl."

Jasper has the presence of mind to open the office door for Edward and closes it behind all of them as Edward steps into the hallway and starts off towards their meeting place with Emmett.

Half-jogging to catch up with Edward's long stride, Jasper falls in step and asks, "Do you want me to stop by your locker for anything?"

Edward shakes his head and says, "No, the nurse was right. We need to get her straight to the clinic; everything else will have to wait."

Then, as he slows down approaching the exit door outside of which they can see Emmett driving up in Edward's car, he adds with warm humor, "Besides, I think Miss Bella here is going to keep me far too busy for homework tonight."

Jasper laughs in easy agreement, holding the door open for Edward to walk through and following himself.

There's a pause outside the car as Edward considers where to sit and Jasper waits, letting him think it through.

Moving forward again as he decides, Edward says to Jasper, "Back seat, please, Jazz, and hit the child-protection lock while you're at it."

Jasper nods; this makes sense. Opening the back door and leaving room for Edward to slide in with Bella still safe in his arms, Jasper crouches down, examining the door for the catch to engage and then engaging it.

"Good to go," he announces before slamming the door shut and climbing in the front seat himself.

As he's sitting, Edward says from the back seat, having just buckled a starting-to-struggle Bella in on his lap, "Do you mind getting the other door too, please, Jasper? I want to be sure she's safe."

Embarrassed he hadn't thought of that himself, Jasper says, "Of course!" as he jumps back out of the car and jogs around the back to the driver's side, opening the back door and engaging that child-protection lock as well.

Emmett leers at Edward via the rear-view mirror. "Locking in the lady, eh, Ed?"

Edward lowers his eyebrows and glares at Emmett. "No, I'm protecting the child in the car, Emmett. At least the one not driving. Now shut it please and drive!"

Jasper having just re-entered the front seat and buckled himself, Emmett responds good-naturedly, "Okey-dokey!" and peels out of the high-school driveway onto the county road that will take them to the hospital and clinic.

Edward laughs once and rolls his eyes, almost giddy with relief to be safely out of the school with Bella in his arms. He's been thinking about doing this with her for so long, he can hardly believe it's finally happening.

Jasper's thinking the same things, and says so. "Kind of strange to actually be doing this, isn't it?"

Edward nods, his head bent, his eyes on the brown head still tucked against his chest although Bella's body is quivering and every few moments she tries (unsuccessfully) to sit up and away from him. "Strange and wonderful," he adds.

Emmett snorts at this. "I should probably beat you up for messing with my cousin," he says lightly as he pulls into the hospital and clinic parking lot just down the highway from the high school.

Edward lifts his head and glares, not amused by Emmett's idle threat for the appearance it gives to the girl in his lap that there is any disagreement whatsoever about what is about to happen to her. "Only you know my taking care of her is both non-negotiable and absolutely in her best interests, don't you, Emmett," Edward responds sharply, his tone and eyes both warning.

"Yeah, yeah," Emmett responds easily, "So you say. You okay back there, Belly-bee?"

Bella freezes when her cousin addresses her directly, her attempt to pretend she is somewhere else completely undercut now.

Edward swears quietly. More loudly, he says, "Emmett, shut up now. She doesn't want to talk to you; she's embarrassed."

This actually hurts Emmett's feelings, and makes him feel badly too. "Aw, don't be embarrassed, Bella! Maybe I should take her in to the Clinic, Edward."

Edward stares back at Emmett looking over his shoulder, still in the front seat, and says, "Em, I love you like a brother, but I will kill you if you so much as think again about getting in my way with her. You had your chance with your cousin, you blew it, she's mine now and I'm not giving her back or negotiating. Ever. Do you understand me?"

Emmett raises his hands in mostly-mock defensiveness, "Alright, alright – just take good care of her, okay man?"

To this uncharacteristically earnest plea from his oldest friend, Edward can only say, "Of course, Emmett; you know I will."

And Emmett agrees; Edward always does what he says he will, even when you wish he wouldn't. It's one of the many simultaneously admirable and annoying things about him, and Emmett is torn between feeling a little guilty that he left his cousin open to such a complete takeover, and a lot relieved that Edward has finally followed through on what he has been threatening almost since she came to live with him and his mom and dad four months before.

Her mother had been desperate for someplace to send her depressed and maddeningly unsocial daughter; having been prom queen and a social butterfly all her life, Aunt Renee could not understand what her daughter's difficulty was with the large public high school in Phoenix.

And as usual when she felt overwhelmed, she called her big brother, Emmett's father. And also as usual, Emmett's father couldn't tell her "No," and so despite his wife's lack of enthusiasm for the plan, Bella found herself on a plane to Washington the very next week.

At first it had seemed an improvement; Bella had gone to the much-smaller Forks High School with a sense of relief at having escaped the giant prison-like setting she had come from. But soon her old demons of shame and shyness caught up with her again, and she was back to self-medicating an overwhelming wish to die with sleep and escapist novels and refusing to eat.

Her uncle was irritated, her aunt pissed, and Emmett himself mostly clueless…until Edward Cullen started paying attention to the erratic appearance of his friend's sort-of little sister in the lunch room before the class they shared together, and to her terror interacting with him during labs.

He had asked Emmett about that the first week she had been in school. "Em, what the hell happened to your cousin to make her so afraid of men? Did she have an abusive step-father, or what?"

"Nah, Renee's never gotten married again since she left Bella's dad in Los Angeles. And what do you mean, afraid of men? She's not afraid of me."

"I should hope not; you're her cousin for Christ's sake, but she is definitely terrified of me. And Newton. And Crowley. And even Eric. Newton and Crowley, now that makes sense. Other of our classmates should have such good sense. But me? And Yorkie? You've got to be kidding me."

Emmett had immediately sensed Edward's fledging interest in his cousin, indicated by Edward's hurt feelings at Isabella's attempts to avoid interacting with him as much as possible, for despite his near-constant joking and bravado, Emmett has a very sensitive heart. Indeed, it is this sensitive heart that had drawn him to Rosalie Hale, long-time survivor of sexual abuse and very wounded woman warrior, and then had worn down her opposition to the mere idea of him until she was willing to date him and now to be happily engaged to him, a fact that made everybody happy.

Even Bella loved Rosalie, with all her loyal heart, and surprisingly, Rosalie loved Bella in return as a kind of kid sister she had never had. But she didn't understand Bella, and so, like Emmett, she wasn't about to intervene in what she saw as Bella's intermittent diet plan rather than the manifestation of Bella's sincere wish to die, or at least disappear from this iteration of the universe.

It was Edward who caught on, to all of it. And it was Edward who had gone to Emmett's parents, hoping to get them to intervene. They blew him off, feeling he was just making things worse by giving their problem niece attention for what they saw as her attempts to manipulate them. The thing they could never adequately explain, to Edward or to themselves, is what they thought Bella was getting out of this so-called manipulation. "She just wants attention," her aunt said dismissively, and when Edward agreed with, "She more than wants it, she needs some attention; she's starving herself to get your attention, can't you see that?" they just stared at each other; seeing the same behavior but totally apart in how they understood it and the needs and motivations of the girl acting it out.

Finally, after Bella returned from Thanksgiving break with her mother even sadder and paler than usual, then almost fainted in biology class after not eating for two days straight, Edward had had enough. He went to his parents first, and got them to agree to his plan. This part was easy, for Esme loved loving people, and was ecstatic at the idea of another wounded bird to welcome into her nest. First there had been Edward and Alice, her and Carlisle's godchildren (they had never been able to have their own after Esme's first abusive marriage and the tragic loss of a son in utero). Then they had become foster parents to Jasper and Rosalie. So it was easy for them to consider adding one more hurting teenager to their fold, especially considering how well all the others had turned out.

Edward was worried about Bella's uncle and aunt, but they proved easy to sell on Bella's relocation as well—they were both worn out by dealing with Bella, and Edward's dad was the Chief of Medicine at Forks Community Hospital, so they could easily convince themselves that Bella would be better off with the Cullens than with them. Renee, Bella's mom, took some convincing, but Edward hadn't had to do that—Bella's uncle had, and indeed they had just gotten word the night before that Renee was willing to let them try having Bella for a while…apparently Renee's time with her daughter at Thanksgiving had served to convince Renee that she wasn't willing to take her daughter back, and her brother had made it clear that he wasn't going to keep her indefinitely the way she was right now either. It was either the Cullens or a treatment center, and Renee had neither the money nor the enthusiasm for another one of those.

So they were supposed to bring Bella over that weekend for a trial run, and some time to get to know the Cullen family, although she didn't know that yet. Edward was just speeding up the timeline by a few days, having had enough earlier when Bella hid out at lunch again for the second day in a row.

The power he felt holding her fragile body in his lap was intoxicating, and he was almost disappointed when they quickly reached the clinic. He took a moment to sit there while Emmett and Jasper exited and came around to his door, hugging her gently then reaching a hand up to the side of her head and pulling it against him, saying, "I've got you, Isabella. Just keep your eyes closed and let me handle this, okay?"

And to his great happiness, she even nodded her head "Yes" in response—though he knew her well enough by now that he was pretty certain she did this only because she thought he wanted her to, not because she really was relinquishing control to him already. He knew he was going to have to fight her for that—to prove over and over again that he was determined to take care of her in spite of herself—and he was even looking forward to it, but he enjoyed the small sign that she trusted him a little bit already in the way she turned her face into his shoulder to hide as he exited from the car.

He cut any snarky comments off immediately from Emmett with a terse, "Shut it, Em—she doesn't want to hear anything from you; it makes her feel ashamed."

Hearing this made Emmett feel sad, and he looked it, but he did stay quiet. He loved his little sister-cousin, even if he didn't begin to understand her.

And so it was a quiet group walking across the parking lot to the clinic entrance, then down the hallway to the waiting room.