Home At Last
by Momma2fan
Chapter 19
Paul forced Bella to clean up her bloody hands and clothes before he took her to the clinic where Sam was being cared for by Doc Redfeather. Regardless of who she was to him though, the doc refused to allow Bella anywhere but the waiting area, saying she didn’t need to see her husband in that condition. Paul stayed by her side, knowing that if they lost Sam, not only would the pack never be the same, neither would he and Bella.
Bella curled into Paul’s lap, careful of his still healing wound. “I can’t lose him, Paul.”
“I know, Bella. I told you I heard his heart beating before they pulled away. Sam is going to be fine. I can feel it.” He wrapped his arms protectively around her, his hand resting on her belly. With his heightened senses he could feel the baby moving around and he gently rubbed his palm over it.
They waited and waited, eventually Bella fell asleep in Paul’s arms while waiting for word. Sue came out and looked at his wound, declaring it fully healed.
Hearing her voice, Bella sat up. “Any news?”
“Not yet, sweetie. Last I checked they were still working on Sam. Jacob is out of surgery and it looks like he’ll make a full recovery.”
“That’s great.” Bella looked over at Angela, who smiled through her tears.
“Sam will be fine, Bella.” Sue placed her hand on her stepdaughters.
Bella could only nod, but got up to leave the waiting room. She couldn’t breathe, she needed some air. She walked out and into the forest, letting the rain wash over her, taking with it the terror from Emily’s destructive visit, but not the worry about her husband. Needing to let go of her pain and anger, she let loose a loud scream. Had she been inside, she would have rattled the windows.
Paul ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. “Let it out, baby.”
While Paul comforted his distraught wife, Charlie sat in the waiting area with his head in his hands. If only he had fired sooner, shot her as soon as she’d pulled the trigger the first time, they wouldn't be waiting like this. If only he’d done something sooner.
“It’s not your fault, Charlie,” Leah put her arm around her stepfather. “No one knew it would escalate to this.”
“We all heard the prophecy, Le. I should have shot her sooner. Then my daughter wouldn’t be worrying she was gonna lose the father of her child, her husband and soulmate.”
“Oh, Daddy. I don’t blame you.” Bella walked in, Paul behind her. “Emily was a loose cannon, we all knew that. I shouldn’t have goaded her, Sam saying he never wanted her was the final thing that sealed our fates. We can’t live in the shoulda, woulda, coulda world, Dad. It’ll eat us all up.”
“Bella?” She stood up and saw Doctor Redfeather standing in the doorway.
“Nathan? How is he?” She grabbed Paul’s hand as Charlie stood and put his hand on her shoulder.
“He’s going to be fine. I’m keeping him heavily sedated so his lung can heal, but the bullets missed all of his major arteries. With his healing abilities I should be able to wake him up in a few days. You saved his life, Bella. If you hadn’t put that chest tube in, he would have surely died, supernatural or not.”
“Can I...can I see him?” Bella whispered.
“Yeah, but only you for right now.”
She looked up at Paul, “Go, baby. I’ll be waiting here.”
Reaching up, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you.”
Paul smiled at her, “I love you, too.”
Bella followed the Doc down the hallway as all the inhabitants of the waiting area breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their Alpha was going to be fine.
Bella walked into the room where her husband lay prone on the bed surrounded by white sheets. She choked back a sob as she went to him, pressing her lips to his cheeks, forehead and finally his lip. She lay her head on his shoulder, whispering her love for him. She prayed to the spirits, thanking them for saving him and asking for further healing.
“Bella?” She turned and saw Sue in the doorway. “It’s time to go, sweetie. Sam needs to recuperate and you need to think about that baby. Go home with Paul. You can come back in the morning.”
Nodding, she whispered in his ear. “I love you, Sam Uley. You come back to us.” She pressed a kiss to his lips and walked out of the room, leaving half of her heart behind.
**HaL**
Bella and Paul walked in their house and found Kim and Jared inside cleaning up. All of the blood and supplies used on Sam were gone and Jared was cleaning up where Jacob had been on the floor.
“Kim? Jelly-bean?”
“We didn’t want you to have to come home and see this.” Jared commented as he finished his task. “I’ve already boarded up the windows she shot out, so those will be good until the replacements come in.”
“Thanks, guys. We really appreciate this.” Paul told his brother. “I’m gonna get her in the shower.”
“Yeah, bro, no problem. We’ll lock up on our way out.”
Paul picked Bella up and carried her to their bathroom, starting the water and letting it warm up, he gently undressed his wife. “Kitten, you’re starting to worry me.”
Looking into his eyes, she felt hers fill with tears. “I could have lost you both tonight.”
“But you didn’t, baby.” Once he had stripped, he lifted her into the shower with him. “I’m fine and Sam will wake up in a few days.
“I’ll just feel better when he’s here with us.”
“I know,” Paul pushed her under the warm spray. “Just let me take care of you right now.”
Paul ran his hands through her hair, getting it wet before grabbing her shampoo and lathering it into her dark tresses. He tried to control his body’s reaction to her as she moaned when his fingers scrubbed her scalp, but she was his wife and he couldn't help it. Pushing her back under the spray, he rinsed her hair and then soaped up her loofa and ran it gently over her body.
When she was clean, Bella turned and did the same to him. Washing all of his skin, watching as the pink swirls from the leftover blood on him washed down the drain. She couldn’t choke back the sob in her throat and clung to him as she cried.
Paul turned the water off and picked her up, carrying her to their bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, just holding her to him as she let all the stress of the evening's events out through her tears.
Bella wrapped her arms and legs around Paul, holding him as close to her as she could, but it still wasn’t close enough. She shifted against him and felt him hard and hot against her belly. “Paul,” she whimpered.
He pulled away and looked at her face, “Are you sure?”
Bella nodded, "I need to be close.”
Paul helped her shift on his lap and helped her lower herself down on him. Both of them sighed at the connection, both needing to feel the bond of the imprint. It wasn’t about a release this time, it was about them being alive. Breathing in unison, hearts beating as one, they moved together as tears flowed freely down their faces. When they climaxed, they cried out together, sighing that they hadn’t lost one another, that they hadn’t lost Sam.
Paul forced Bella to clean up her bloody hands and clothes before he took her to the clinic where Sam was being cared for by Doc Redfeather. Regardless of who she was to him though, the doc refused to allow Bella anywhere but the waiting area, saying she didn’t need to see her husband in that condition. Paul stayed by her side, knowing that if they lost Sam, not only would the pack never be the same, neither would he and Bella.
Bella curled into Paul’s lap, careful of his still healing wound. “I can’t lose him, Paul.”
“I know, Bella. I told you I heard his heart beating before they pulled away. Sam is going to be fine. I can feel it.” He wrapped his arms protectively around her, his hand resting on her belly. With his heightened senses he could feel the baby moving around and he gently rubbed his palm over it.
They waited and waited, eventually Bella fell asleep in Paul’s arms while waiting for word. Sue came out and looked at his wound, declaring it fully healed.
Hearing her voice, Bella sat up. “Any news?”
“Not yet, sweetie. Last I checked they were still working on Sam. Jacob is out of surgery and it looks like he’ll make a full recovery.”
“That’s great.” Bella looked over at Angela, who smiled through her tears.
“Sam will be fine, Bella.” Sue placed her hand on her stepdaughters.
Bella could only nod, but got up to leave the waiting room. She couldn’t breathe, she needed some air. She walked out and into the forest, letting the rain wash over her, taking with it the terror from Emily’s destructive visit, but not the worry about her husband. Needing to let go of her pain and anger, she let loose a loud scream. Had she been inside, she would have rattled the windows.
Paul ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. “Let it out, baby.”
While Paul comforted his distraught wife, Charlie sat in the waiting area with his head in his hands. If only he had fired sooner, shot her as soon as she’d pulled the trigger the first time, they wouldn't be waiting like this. If only he’d done something sooner.
“It’s not your fault, Charlie,” Leah put her arm around her stepfather. “No one knew it would escalate to this.”
“We all heard the prophecy, Le. I should have shot her sooner. Then my daughter wouldn’t be worrying she was gonna lose the father of her child, her husband and soulmate.”
“Oh, Daddy. I don’t blame you.” Bella walked in, Paul behind her. “Emily was a loose cannon, we all knew that. I shouldn’t have goaded her, Sam saying he never wanted her was the final thing that sealed our fates. We can’t live in the shoulda, woulda, coulda world, Dad. It’ll eat us all up.”
“Bella?” She stood up and saw Doctor Redfeather standing in the doorway.
“Nathan? How is he?” She grabbed Paul’s hand as Charlie stood and put his hand on her shoulder.
“He’s going to be fine. I’m keeping him heavily sedated so his lung can heal, but the bullets missed all of his major arteries. With his healing abilities I should be able to wake him up in a few days. You saved his life, Bella. If you hadn’t put that chest tube in, he would have surely died, supernatural or not.”
“Can I...can I see him?” Bella whispered.
“Yeah, but only you for right now.”
She looked up at Paul, “Go, baby. I’ll be waiting here.”
Reaching up, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you.”
Paul smiled at her, “I love you, too.”
Bella followed the Doc down the hallway as all the inhabitants of the waiting area breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their Alpha was going to be fine.
Bella walked into the room where her husband lay prone on the bed surrounded by white sheets. She choked back a sob as she went to him, pressing her lips to his cheeks, forehead and finally his lip. She lay her head on his shoulder, whispering her love for him. She prayed to the spirits, thanking them for saving him and asking for further healing.
“Bella?” She turned and saw Sue in the doorway. “It’s time to go, sweetie. Sam needs to recuperate and you need to think about that baby. Go home with Paul. You can come back in the morning.”
Nodding, she whispered in his ear. “I love you, Sam Uley. You come back to us.” She pressed a kiss to his lips and walked out of the room, leaving half of her heart behind.
**HaL**
Bella and Paul walked in their house and found Kim and Jared inside cleaning up. All of the blood and supplies used on Sam were gone and Jared was cleaning up where Jacob had been on the floor.
“Kim? Jelly-bean?”
“We didn’t want you to have to come home and see this.” Jared commented as he finished his task. “I’ve already boarded up the windows she shot out, so those will be good until the replacements come in.”
“Thanks, guys. We really appreciate this.” Paul told his brother. “I’m gonna get her in the shower.”
“Yeah, bro, no problem. We’ll lock up on our way out.”
Paul picked Bella up and carried her to their bathroom, starting the water and letting it warm up, he gently undressed his wife. “Kitten, you’re starting to worry me.”
Looking into his eyes, she felt hers fill with tears. “I could have lost you both tonight.”
“But you didn’t, baby.” Once he had stripped, he lifted her into the shower with him. “I’m fine and Sam will wake up in a few days.
“I’ll just feel better when he’s here with us.”
“I know,” Paul pushed her under the warm spray. “Just let me take care of you right now.”
Paul ran his hands through her hair, getting it wet before grabbing her shampoo and lathering it into her dark tresses. He tried to control his body’s reaction to her as she moaned when his fingers scrubbed her scalp, but she was his wife and he couldn't help it. Pushing her back under the spray, he rinsed her hair and then soaped up her loofa and ran it gently over her body.
When she was clean, Bella turned and did the same to him. Washing all of his skin, watching as the pink swirls from the leftover blood on him washed down the drain. She couldn’t choke back the sob in her throat and clung to him as she cried.
Paul turned the water off and picked her up, carrying her to their bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, just holding her to him as she let all the stress of the evening's events out through her tears.
Bella wrapped her arms and legs around Paul, holding him as close to her as she could, but it still wasn’t close enough. She shifted against him and felt him hard and hot against her belly. “Paul,” she whimpered.
He pulled away and looked at her face, “Are you sure?”
Bella nodded, "I need to be close.”
Paul helped her shift on his lap and helped her lower herself down on him. Both of them sighed at the connection, both needing to feel the bond of the imprint. It wasn’t about a release this time, it was about them being alive. Breathing in unison, hearts beating as one, they moved together as tears flowed freely down their faces. When they climaxed, they cried out together, sighing that they hadn’t lost one another, that they hadn’t lost Sam.