First I want to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter posted. My hubby hasn't wanted to share the internet lately, so blame him for how late this is! And on top of that, the hubby got laid off of work, so the inspiration to write has been far down on my list of priorities.

I wanted to say this before you all read the chapter. This story is about the struggle to overcome being raped. All of the feelings that Bella is feeling in this story is normal. The internal struggle is so hard to overcome because your head and heart say two totally different things. Ok, Rant over.

Also, Thanks to the reviewers. You guys make my day every time I read a review.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I haven't taken ownership of anything Twilight. I'd like to take Edward and run away. Maybe Emmett can come too! But until then, I still only own my laptop and a few packages of Ramen Noodles in my cabinet.

Bella Pov

"Bella, I'm not going to hurt you. It's Edward. I promise love, your safe."

Edward? What was he doing here? Where is here anyway? I saw something out the corner of my eyes, and saw Jasper and Emmett standing in the doorway. Last night's events came back to my mind like a sledgehammer hitting a wall. I couldn't fight the tears in my eyes, seeing the looks on their faces. I sobbed, falling against something to keep me on my feet. I felt Alice's small hands on me at the same time I saw Edward go to move towards me. I felt so ashamed when I met his eyes. Rosalie wrapped her strong arms around me and all the strength in my legs went out, and I crumpled to the floor.

"It's ok Bella. We're here for you." Alice whispered in my ear. God why had this happened to me? I felt sick to my stomach, but I couldn't let my brothers see that.

"Make them leave. I don't want to see them. Any of them" I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

I felt Rosalie leave my side, but I couldn't bring myself to look. I'd see him. That look in his eyes. Pity. Disgust. Of course disgust. He's probably thinking I got what I deserved. I'd kidded myself into thinking that he had the same feelings about me that I had for him. Stupid but true. Why would he feel anything for me. Plain, ordinary Bella. Jacob had been right all those times he'd said no one would ever love me. A man like Edward wouldn't want someone like me. He deserved glamour, sophistication. He'd never like me.

"Sweets they're gone." Rosalie said, kneeling in front of me. "Come on Bella, let's get off the floor."

Between she and Alice, they managed to drag me off the floor and into the bed. No one said anything for a while. I curled up into a ball, crying and rocking myself. Alice and Rosalie layed next to me, curling themselves around me, like a fort. I was thankful for them. For not making me feel worse about myself. For just letting me cry and scream and fall apart. I hadn't seen disgust in their eyes. All I had seen was love, and worry. I knew that Rosalie had been abused by a boyfriend before Emmett. Alice had let it slip once. She hadn't given me many details, but enough to let me know that if I needed to talk to her about things, Rosalie was the best one to go to. I think that she secretly knew about how Jacob really treated me, but she's never let on. Great thing about best friends, they knew when to stay out of things.

After about an hour of laying there, I knew that I had to say something. I knew they would have questions. I wasn't sure what I was going to tell them, or how I was going to explain what had happened between Jacob and I, but I knew that they'd want to know. They were the closest people I had in my life, apart from my brothers, and they deserved the truth. Or the readers digest version of the truth. No way could I tell them everything. The rape was something I didn't plan to tell anyone. It was going to be hard enough to tell them how long I'd been living like that. How many times I'd covered black eyes with makeup, or wore long sleeves in 80 degree weather to cover the finger marks he'd left from squeezing my arms too tightly. Emmett was going to go nuts. Jasper, not so much, because he was my calm brother. Always willing to rationalize things, to listen to reason. I had a chance to make him see things my way.

I didn't want them to rush over and hurt Jacob. Somewhere, in my heart, I knew that what he'd done was wrong, but that part was so small compared to the part that said he'd done what he needed to do. I hadn't cooked what he asked me to. I'm pretty sure there was a mess in the house that I hadn't picked up right away. Little things I could have done to make sure that he was always in a good mood. I'd caused every hit, every slap he'd given me. If only I'd been better for him.

"Bella?" Alice's small voice rang out in the darkness of the room. "Do you want something to eat or drink?" Our little mother.

I shook my head. I don't think I could handle anything at this point. The thought of food made my stomach turn.

"Honey, do you want to talk about it? About what happened?" Rosalie tried. She put her hand on my side and I winced. Jacob had gotten some good hits there. "Oh I'm sorry." She said, and moved her hand to my back, and once again, pain shot through me. I tried to hold back the gasp that threatened to escape, failing miserably.

"Alice, turn on that lamp." She said, moving to a sitting position in the bed. Light floooded the room, and I realized for the first time I was in Rosalie's bedroom. Before I could say anything, not that I had thought of anything to say, she had grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it up.

"Oh my god!" She said, loudly, staring down at the black and blue marks littering my side.

Alice teared up again, and gasped. "Oh Bella."

I sat up and tried to pull down my shirt. But Rosalie had other ideas.

"What in the hell did he to you" She asked, anger in her voice. "Bella, I think you need to let Edward look over you."

"NO!" I wheezed out. "No please, don't let him in. Don't let him touch me."

"Bella, something could be wrong. You need to be checked out by a doctor-"

I cut her off. "NO Rose. Please, don't let him touch me. Please don't let him hurt me." I cried out. She met my eyes, and I don't know what she saw there, but something in her eyes told me that she understood exactly what was going on. I was starting to panic. The girls I could take. Soft gentle hands. But his. I don't think I could take it. What if he thought the way Jacob did? That I deserved to be hurt. What would he do to me if they left the room?

"Oh sweets, it's Edward. He's not going to hurt you. Bella, I'll be right here with you the whole time. You have to let him check. It's either that or a hospital. Take your pick, but it's going to be one of them." Her voice left little to argue with, but I couldn't help doubting. I was so confused. I had feelings for him, but at the same time, I was terrified to let him touch me. How in the world did I get here? I closed my eyes, feeling the familiar tears once again.

I could feel my lungs contracting. I was getting dizzy. I knew a whopper of a panic attack coming on, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

She released me quickly. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"I. Can't. Breathe."

"Oh my god EDWARD! COME QUICK!!"

EPOV

Sitting there, waiting, was agony. She was up there, in pain, crying. And all I could do was sit there waiting. The need to protect her was overpowering. I wanted to rush out, find that bastard and teach him a lesson. It was so hard to just sit there, knowing he was out there, going about his life as if he had done nothing wrong to her.

How long had she lived like that? How often had he put his hands on her like that? She looked so broken. For a moment, when she looked at me, she looked so scared. I hated him for putting that fear in her. Why hadn't she told anyone what was going on? There's no way her brothers knew what she was going through; they would have done something.

"I'm going to kill him." Emmett had been spitting that same sentence out since we'd been banished downstairs. He'd get up, pace around for a few minutes, and say that. I wanted to tell him that killing Jacob wasn't the answer, but I couldn't agree more at this point. It was hard to watch my friends grieve like that.

"-EDWARD! COME QUICK!!" Alice's tiny voice carried down the stairs.

I flew up the stairs, Jasper and Emmett hot on my heels, and flung open the door to Rosalie's room. Bella was in the middle of the bed, gasping for breathe. Rosalie and Alice were in full blown panic mode.

"What's wrong with her?" I climed in the bed next to Bella and tried to figure out what was happening. I reached out my hands to her and the look in her eyes broke my heart even more. Pure panic. I stilled the movement of my hands, but I didn't pull them back. "Bella please. I just want to make sure you're ok. I'm not going to hurt you." Soothing tone, Edward. Don't freak her out.

I moved a little closer to her, whispering softly to her. She was having a panic attack, I was sure of it. I wanted to reassure her that I wasn't going to hurt her. I'd rather cut off my hands than touch her in any way other than love. For me to really examine her, she had to trust me, and know that I was going to keep her safe. "Bella, look at me. Look right here." I told her. She turned her eyes on me, and it took all I had to hold back from grabbing her and holding her close. "I am here to help you. I promise I will never hurt you."

"Okay." It came out in a whisper, but she acknowledged me. I watched the panic dull in her eyes, and talked her down to a more controlled breathing.

"Panic attack." I told the others. "Nothing we can do for her really, just talk to her and make her take deep breaths. She'll be fine." I inched closer to her, reaching my hands out to her again. "Bella, I'm going to ask that you let me look you over. You probably don't want to go to the hospital. This way we can make sure that nothing is seriously wrong with you and you don't have to go to the ER. I promise I won't hurt you. The girls can stay in the room with us. Please Bella believe me. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you."

She just looked at me, for a few seconds, minutes, hours; who knew how long. In her deep brown eyes, I could see her indecision. She wanted to give in, I could tell, but she was wrestleing with her fear. Once again, the rage in me boiled, the fury wanted to take over and go out to find that bastard. But I managed to reign it in. I didn't want her to see my anger. I needed to be calm and patient with her. The last thing I needed was to scare her even more. Lost in my own thoughts, I almost missed her words, fluttering out like a soft breeze.

"Edward, you'll make my brothers leave, right?" She sounded so ashamed. I doubt Jasper or Emmett could have heard her.

"If you tell me to, then yes, I'll make them wait downstairs. Whatever will make you the most comfortable is what we'll do."

"Okay. Let's get this over with." She moved forward and swung her legs off the bed, setting them on the floor. I stood and moved over to the doorway, where Jasper and Emmett were standing, with Alice and Rosalie settling on either side of Bella on the bed.

I spoke in a low voice. "She agreed to the examine, but only if the two of you wait downstairs. She'll only let the girls stay with her." Immediately Emmett went to argue with me, but before he could utter a word, Jasper cut him off.

"If that what it takes, then we'll go. Is there anything we can do?"

"No, but I'll let you know. I'll come down as soon as I'm done. She'll be ok guys. I swear, I'm going to do whatever I can for her."

"We know man. Just take care of her Edward." Emmett gave her one last look, and then he and Jasper turned and walked down the stairs.

Turning to face the three girls sitting on the bed, I set my mind to work.

"Alright Bella, we'll make this as quick as possible." I walked over to her, took her hands in mine as I knelt in front of her. It was as if Alice and Rosalie just disappeared. All I could see was her. "I promise no one will ever hurt you again. I swear it." I brought her hands up to my lips and kissed them softly, and she squeezed lightly. My heart soared! She understood. Maybe things would work out after all.

Don't stone me please! I promise not to ever make you wait that long for an update again! Like I said, things have been rough at my house. I lost inspiration half way through the chapter so I was writing blindly.

Review please!!