Arrested By You
by SparklingFae
All Characters are property of SM, I just like to play with them. A huge Thanks to my Beta NCChris, she makes everything I do all the more better
Bella POV
My hands trembled and tears coursed over my cheeks as I frantically dialed Sam’s number on my cell phone. ‘Please be okay, Daddy’ jittered through my overwrought brain on repeat like a panicked mantra while I waited for him to answer. All I knew was I needed to hear his voice.
I sighed in relief and tried to calm myself when he answered, his voice low and sensual. At any other time, it would have made my legs weak, but not today. Today, I needed him to be my rock, to share his strength with me. Charlie had been rushed to emergency surgery when they discovered he had some internal bleeding. I was instantly terrified by the thought of losing my father, the only real family I had left.
"Hey, Bella. Everything okay?"
His voice was smooth and deep. I could hear that he was smiling. He was glad to hear from me. I hated to ruin that pleasantness.
The words tumbled out in an almost unintelligible mess. "They rushed him to surgery, Sam. I am so scared! I can't lose him…" I trailed off as the tears began again, sobbing softly into the phone.
He sucked in a sharp breath before I heard his husky voice reply, "I'm coming, Bella. I'll be there soon. I promise.” He hung up without another word, just the soft click of the disconnecting line.
Sinking down into one of the stiff cracked waiting room chairs wearily, I pushed the phone back into my pocket and wrapped my arms around myself while I waited, waited for Sam and for answers about my dad.
Time stretched on without meaning; minutes seemed like hours. Eventually, I could feel Sam arrive at the hospital. That awareness struck me as odd, but I pushed the thought away as he walked into the waiting room. I had too much to deal with and I couldn’t deal with the abrupt re-entry into the supernatural, too.
I was sobbing into his chest the moment his arms wound around me. "Sam, thank God! I am so scared and worried about him!"
He held me close, rubbing my back comfortingly. "Sssh, Honey, it's going to be okay. How about we get some coffee while we wait?" I knew he was trying to take my mind off of things, but I was grateful for the distraction.
Several hours and countless coffees later, a doctor I had never seen before finally came out to the crowded waiting area. I could tell he was a little intimidated when he saw the extraordinarily tall Quileute men of the wolf pack that had gathered there with us. Billy Black and many others from both La Push and Forks had gathered in the hospital waiting room as word spread of Charlie’s surgery. It made me proud. My father was well respected and loved in these communities. It reminded me that family came in all shapes and sizes. Sam nudged me out of my reflection when I sat a moment too long and I immediately stood and looked at the doctor with worry written all over my face.
"Ms. Swan, the surgery was successful; however, your father did have some complications. I believe that he will make a full recovery, but it may take some time. He suffered a myocardial infarction on the operating table and flat lined briefly. We were able to correct his cardiac rhythms & finish the surgery for the internal bleeding, but we won’t know the extent of the cardiac damage for a few days. He will have to make some lifestyle changes once he’s past the recovery from his injuries. The next 48 hours will be critical and he will have constant monitoring in the SICU here. He’ll be allowed only two visitors at a time and only for 15 minutes. We’ll be keeping him sedated until at least tomorrow evening. Do you have any questions, Ms. Swan?”
I couldn't help myself as I sagged into Sam, not caring as some of the La Push elders looked on in curious silence. I needed his comfort more than anything in that moment. I was grateful when Leah Clearwater came over and sat beside me as Sam lowered us down into the cursed plastic chairs. I couldn’t think; I was too overwhelmed. The doctor’s medical jargon swirling around in my head coupled with too much caffeine and too little sleep.
I listened on autopilot as Leah introduced herself to the doctor, explaining that she was a close family friend and a family nurse practitioner at the Ephraim Black Memorial Clinic in La Push and would be helping with Charlie’s convalescence once he was released. She asked several questions about dietary changes, cardiac rehabilitation plans, physical therapy schedules, medication plans, something called an angiogram and several other questions that I would have never known to ask. Eventually, she seemed satisfied with his answers and thanked him, murmuring that she would explain all that in layman’s terms to me when I was ready.
The doctor paused, looked around at everyone gathered and cleared his throat to address us all.
"Chief Swan has a long road in front of him, but I believe his prognosis is excellent and it is obvious that he has dedicated friends and family ready to help him with his recovery. Ms. Swan, there’s really nothing more you can do here tonight. Make sure the nurses have your contact information. They’ll call you if there are any changes to your father’s condition.”
I felt torn between hope and worry as the doctor made his way out of the waiting room.
"Come on, Honey, let’s go get something to eat and head home." Sam said, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, rubbing my upper arm gently with his warm palm.
I sighed tiredly, emotionally and physically exhausted, "Alright, let’s go."
We stopped by the nurses’ station and made sure they had my cell number, Sam’s home number, and his cell number in case I was unreachable for some reason. The charge nurse smiled kindly and reassured me that they would take good care of Dad for me and would call if they needed me. After thanking her, I let Sam guide me down the bland institutional halls of the hospital and out to his truck.
"Thank you, Sam," I said, after slipping into the passenger side. I scooted across the bench seat to curl into his side when he got behind the wheel a moment later. I knew we hadn’t really talked about the attraction between us, but I just needed him and for once I was going to worry about consequences later and take what I needed. I smiled wanly when he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked, while rubbing small soothing circles on my shoulder while he drove us back down to La Push.
"I will be...” I murmured, not wanting to really talk about it more at the moment. He accepted my answer and simply moved on. "Sue's diner okay? We’ll have to go grocery shopping soon." Nodding, I laid my head against his broad shoulder and closed my eyes, soaking up his warmth and the easy comfort he was offering.
I was feeling a little better by the time he pulled up to the diner and helped me out of the truck. It was hard to describe the comforting feeling that just being near him gave me and after such an emotionally wrought day, but I needed it.
"Thank you, Sam," I murmured as we walked into the diner, quickly finding a quiet corner and settling ourselves into it. It surprised me a little, but wasn't unwelcome, when he took my hand and began rubbing his thumb lightly against the back of it. In fact, it was relaxing.
I let my eyes drift over his fine form; his strong jaw and virile masculinity were the two things that stood out to me the most. I tried to remember how he had looked when we had first met and I found that I couldn’t really remember. It had been a bad time for me. I was an emotional wreck for months and just when I had started to heal, Jake had ended our friendship. I’d really only known Sam by reputation in those days.
Eventually, I left Forks behind me and made a good life for myself in San Francisco. I had fun going to UC Davis and gaining extensive knowledge on various Native American tribes as I earned my degree. I hadn’t thought of Sam Uley in more than passing for years until he’d come knocking on my door and when I did, it wasn’t with fondness. Obviously, my feelings had changed. I would have to deal with it eventually, but not tonight.
I picked at my salad, my appetite not really there, while Sam devoured both of his hamburgers and orders of fries. I was in awe as I watched him eat every bite like it was his last meal.
He looked up at me with an almost sheepish look. "Sorry. I was hungry." I let a small laugh out and took a few more bites of my salad before offering it to him. He ate it, too, as soon as he had finished his food.
Once we were back at his place, I needed a few minutes to decompress after such an emotional day, so I settled on the couch next to him. I nestled into his side and watched The Hangover 2, well I attempted to. I only lasted halfway through the movie before I was out like a light. I woke up sometime later in the guest room with Sam sound asleep next to me. I was conflicted as I laid there, my eyes running over his face, thinking to myself that he looked rather innocent when he was asleep.
My perusing glance didn't stop at his face, it shifted down to his chest and I fought with myself not to reach out and trace the glorious abs that led down to his happy trail. I had to quit these damn thoughts; I admonished myself for even going there on a day that was so full of uncertainty. Heaving a soft sigh, I quietly slipped out of the bed and went to sit on his deck, needing a little time to think.
With a soft huff, I settled and began thinking over everything that had taken place in the past week, frankly amazed that it had only been seven short days. I could hear some rustling in the woods by Sam's house, but I didn’t think much of it. This was the Pacific Northwest. The woods teemed with wildlife.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice him step out of the woods until he spoke.
"I heard you were back."
Bella POV
My hands trembled and tears coursed over my cheeks as I frantically dialed Sam’s number on my cell phone. ‘Please be okay, Daddy’ jittered through my overwrought brain on repeat like a panicked mantra while I waited for him to answer. All I knew was I needed to hear his voice.
I sighed in relief and tried to calm myself when he answered, his voice low and sensual. At any other time, it would have made my legs weak, but not today. Today, I needed him to be my rock, to share his strength with me. Charlie had been rushed to emergency surgery when they discovered he had some internal bleeding. I was instantly terrified by the thought of losing my father, the only real family I had left.
"Hey, Bella. Everything okay?"
His voice was smooth and deep. I could hear that he was smiling. He was glad to hear from me. I hated to ruin that pleasantness.
The words tumbled out in an almost unintelligible mess. "They rushed him to surgery, Sam. I am so scared! I can't lose him…" I trailed off as the tears began again, sobbing softly into the phone.
He sucked in a sharp breath before I heard his husky voice reply, "I'm coming, Bella. I'll be there soon. I promise.” He hung up without another word, just the soft click of the disconnecting line.
Sinking down into one of the stiff cracked waiting room chairs wearily, I pushed the phone back into my pocket and wrapped my arms around myself while I waited, waited for Sam and for answers about my dad.
Time stretched on without meaning; minutes seemed like hours. Eventually, I could feel Sam arrive at the hospital. That awareness struck me as odd, but I pushed the thought away as he walked into the waiting room. I had too much to deal with and I couldn’t deal with the abrupt re-entry into the supernatural, too.
I was sobbing into his chest the moment his arms wound around me. "Sam, thank God! I am so scared and worried about him!"
He held me close, rubbing my back comfortingly. "Sssh, Honey, it's going to be okay. How about we get some coffee while we wait?" I knew he was trying to take my mind off of things, but I was grateful for the distraction.
Several hours and countless coffees later, a doctor I had never seen before finally came out to the crowded waiting area. I could tell he was a little intimidated when he saw the extraordinarily tall Quileute men of the wolf pack that had gathered there with us. Billy Black and many others from both La Push and Forks had gathered in the hospital waiting room as word spread of Charlie’s surgery. It made me proud. My father was well respected and loved in these communities. It reminded me that family came in all shapes and sizes. Sam nudged me out of my reflection when I sat a moment too long and I immediately stood and looked at the doctor with worry written all over my face.
"Ms. Swan, the surgery was successful; however, your father did have some complications. I believe that he will make a full recovery, but it may take some time. He suffered a myocardial infarction on the operating table and flat lined briefly. We were able to correct his cardiac rhythms & finish the surgery for the internal bleeding, but we won’t know the extent of the cardiac damage for a few days. He will have to make some lifestyle changes once he’s past the recovery from his injuries. The next 48 hours will be critical and he will have constant monitoring in the SICU here. He’ll be allowed only two visitors at a time and only for 15 minutes. We’ll be keeping him sedated until at least tomorrow evening. Do you have any questions, Ms. Swan?”
I couldn't help myself as I sagged into Sam, not caring as some of the La Push elders looked on in curious silence. I needed his comfort more than anything in that moment. I was grateful when Leah Clearwater came over and sat beside me as Sam lowered us down into the cursed plastic chairs. I couldn’t think; I was too overwhelmed. The doctor’s medical jargon swirling around in my head coupled with too much caffeine and too little sleep.
I listened on autopilot as Leah introduced herself to the doctor, explaining that she was a close family friend and a family nurse practitioner at the Ephraim Black Memorial Clinic in La Push and would be helping with Charlie’s convalescence once he was released. She asked several questions about dietary changes, cardiac rehabilitation plans, physical therapy schedules, medication plans, something called an angiogram and several other questions that I would have never known to ask. Eventually, she seemed satisfied with his answers and thanked him, murmuring that she would explain all that in layman’s terms to me when I was ready.
The doctor paused, looked around at everyone gathered and cleared his throat to address us all.
"Chief Swan has a long road in front of him, but I believe his prognosis is excellent and it is obvious that he has dedicated friends and family ready to help him with his recovery. Ms. Swan, there’s really nothing more you can do here tonight. Make sure the nurses have your contact information. They’ll call you if there are any changes to your father’s condition.”
I felt torn between hope and worry as the doctor made his way out of the waiting room.
"Come on, Honey, let’s go get something to eat and head home." Sam said, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, rubbing my upper arm gently with his warm palm.
I sighed tiredly, emotionally and physically exhausted, "Alright, let’s go."
We stopped by the nurses’ station and made sure they had my cell number, Sam’s home number, and his cell number in case I was unreachable for some reason. The charge nurse smiled kindly and reassured me that they would take good care of Dad for me and would call if they needed me. After thanking her, I let Sam guide me down the bland institutional halls of the hospital and out to his truck.
"Thank you, Sam," I said, after slipping into the passenger side. I scooted across the bench seat to curl into his side when he got behind the wheel a moment later. I knew we hadn’t really talked about the attraction between us, but I just needed him and for once I was going to worry about consequences later and take what I needed. I smiled wanly when he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked, while rubbing small soothing circles on my shoulder while he drove us back down to La Push.
"I will be...” I murmured, not wanting to really talk about it more at the moment. He accepted my answer and simply moved on. "Sue's diner okay? We’ll have to go grocery shopping soon." Nodding, I laid my head against his broad shoulder and closed my eyes, soaking up his warmth and the easy comfort he was offering.
I was feeling a little better by the time he pulled up to the diner and helped me out of the truck. It was hard to describe the comforting feeling that just being near him gave me and after such an emotionally wrought day, but I needed it.
"Thank you, Sam," I murmured as we walked into the diner, quickly finding a quiet corner and settling ourselves into it. It surprised me a little, but wasn't unwelcome, when he took my hand and began rubbing his thumb lightly against the back of it. In fact, it was relaxing.
I let my eyes drift over his fine form; his strong jaw and virile masculinity were the two things that stood out to me the most. I tried to remember how he had looked when we had first met and I found that I couldn’t really remember. It had been a bad time for me. I was an emotional wreck for months and just when I had started to heal, Jake had ended our friendship. I’d really only known Sam by reputation in those days.
Eventually, I left Forks behind me and made a good life for myself in San Francisco. I had fun going to UC Davis and gaining extensive knowledge on various Native American tribes as I earned my degree. I hadn’t thought of Sam Uley in more than passing for years until he’d come knocking on my door and when I did, it wasn’t with fondness. Obviously, my feelings had changed. I would have to deal with it eventually, but not tonight.
I picked at my salad, my appetite not really there, while Sam devoured both of his hamburgers and orders of fries. I was in awe as I watched him eat every bite like it was his last meal.
He looked up at me with an almost sheepish look. "Sorry. I was hungry." I let a small laugh out and took a few more bites of my salad before offering it to him. He ate it, too, as soon as he had finished his food.
Once we were back at his place, I needed a few minutes to decompress after such an emotional day, so I settled on the couch next to him. I nestled into his side and watched The Hangover 2, well I attempted to. I only lasted halfway through the movie before I was out like a light. I woke up sometime later in the guest room with Sam sound asleep next to me. I was conflicted as I laid there, my eyes running over his face, thinking to myself that he looked rather innocent when he was asleep.
My perusing glance didn't stop at his face, it shifted down to his chest and I fought with myself not to reach out and trace the glorious abs that led down to his happy trail. I had to quit these damn thoughts; I admonished myself for even going there on a day that was so full of uncertainty. Heaving a soft sigh, I quietly slipped out of the bed and went to sit on his deck, needing a little time to think.
With a soft huff, I settled and began thinking over everything that had taken place in the past week, frankly amazed that it had only been seven short days. I could hear some rustling in the woods by Sam's house, but I didn’t think much of it. This was the Pacific Northwest. The woods teemed with wildlife.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice him step out of the woods until he spoke.
"I heard you were back."