Bring Him Home - Chapter 26

A/N -  I can see from the reviews that some of you are starting to get restless, Bella isn't dealing with -Jacob, Edward isn't dealing with Bella and no one seems to be sorting out the videos. I understand it's frustrating but anyone who has read my other stories will know I'm a great believer in slow burn so patience please, I assure you we are nearly there - Alicia x

Ok AJG thought it was time that we heard from Edward so I'm going to backtrack a little which takes us back to the park bench where he is sitting waiting for Emmett and Bella to show up.

EPOV

I look up at the clock in the park and see that it 1.30pm, I know I'm really early for the meeting but I‘m anxious to see my brother, it's been so long since I've spoken to him. I'm putting a lot of faith in Bella who I've come to rely on as the bridge to my family and I hope she can convince him to come and meet me.

 As I sit in the sunshine trying to wish the time away I have to admit I just can't live like this anymore. No matter what my punishment is when I finally give myself up it's got to be easier than living this nomadic aimless filthy life.  I'm hoping that Emmett and my Dad will let me have a few days to sort myself out before we go to the authorities but if they don't I'll deal with it, hell at least I'll have a bed every night and three meals a day. Right on cue my stomach grumbles, I haven't eaten yet today, I know I should have tried to find something but I just couldn't bring myself to go through the dumpsters. I open the wrapper on the protein bar that I got at the shelter last night and as I take a bite I imagine a huge steak with all the trimmings followed by chocolate cake and a really nice glass of red wine and coffee, a proper hot steaming coffee. I hope that Emmett will spring for some dinner tonight because I‘ll be too late to get the shelter after our meeting, and if things don't go well I will be looking for somewhere to sleep tonight. I can't help but worry though that he won't turn up or that even if he does he'll turn me away, I've caused so much heartache, and I really worry they just won't be able to forgive me.

The sun is warm and as I sit on the bench with the heat on my face I start to doze, I didn't get much sleep last night, a fight broke out in the dorm room of the shelter I managed to get into and it took forever to sort out. As the warmth from the sun finally makes it into my permanently cold bones I let my eye lids droop for just a few minutes.

Like clockwork I'm awake ten minutes later, I can cat nap with the best of them, I have to be able to keep my wits about me because this life is ruthless. I once watched as a guy was virtually stripped naked in his sleep by other homeless guys who wanted his clothes. As I stretch to wake myself up I try to decide whether to have a walk around the park or to just wait here, I can't really afford to lose this bench so I decide to stay put. I'm not really used to being still anymore, the luxury of lie-ins and lazy days on the couch no longer an option and haven't been for a long time, still doesn't mean I don't think about them, a lot.

As the clock strikes 2.00pm I notice three guys walking towards me, they are on the path that leads through the park towards the down town area, the only people who go that way are usually the joggers doing a circuit or the guys cutting through to go to the shady area of the city. I'm on alert, even though they are dressed in business suits you just never know, anything can happen from me being totally ignored to them giving me cash or deciding I needed a good kicking for no reason at all.

As they draw closer one of them is looking at me intently so I lower my eyes, I'm back in my home city so I really don't want to be recognised before I speak to my family. I know it unlikely but I need to be careful.

"Hey Embry, isn't that the guy in the YouTube clip?"

I had no idea what they were talking about but I knew they had stopped walking; this was not a good sign.

"Could be Quill, could be, what do you think J?"

I looked up to see what they were doing and they had moved towards me, making a semi-circle around me on the bench.

I knew instantly what was going to happen but I had nowhere to run to, I needed to be here to meet Emmett later so I wasn't going to leave. I felt the first punch as I heard one of them say "Yes it is him"

I stood my ground, I‘d been in enough fights over the years to know how to defend myself but against three strong fit men, I was heavily outnumbered. I tried to stay on my feet because I knew that if I went down it would be far worse, but I just couldn't, and as one of them took my legs from under me I fell to the floor, several heavy kicks to the head and ribs later they were running off and I was drifting in and out of consciousness.  My last thought as I finally slipped into the darkness was about Emmett and whether he would find me here.

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I'm not really sure where I am when I finally open my eyes, I can tell I'm in a great deal of pain but from the noises and the smell I'm guessing I'm in a hospital bed, but I can't remember getting here. I try to move but I'm just too tired and sore and for the first time in longer than I care to remember I give myself over to proper sleep and drift off. Before I do though I am sure someone is here by the bed, my head and neck ache too much for me to move and I suppose it's just a nurse anyway so I let myself relax.

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The next time my eyes opened it took me a minute or two to focus. I was sure that I could see my Dad and Emmett at the bottom of the bed talking, now I knew I wasn't dead, I could hear the machines beeping but I wasn't sure how they would know I was even in here. I listened as they discussed how and when they were going to tell me about the allegations against me and what they needed to get for me in the short term. I almost smiled when Emmett mentioned clothing because I was too skinny to wear anything of his. A few days ago I was wondering where my next meal was going to come from and there they are worrying about clothes, although my street clothes have probably been incinerated by now.

Some things don't change however long ago you last saw them and when Dad pulled out his ever present notebook and pen from is pocket to start making a list I knew I needed to let them know I was awake. I slowly lifted my arm up to attract their attention, it took a couple of attempts but finally Dad caught the movement.

"Oh son thank goodness you're back with us, it's been torture sitting here waiting for you to wake up"

I tried to say sorry but my voice just wouldn't work, I'd hardly said more than couple of dozen words in the last six years, so speaking was no longer a natural thing. I'd been very careful to hide my identity from people early on and then as time moved on it just became easier not to talk to people.

"Don't you worry about anything, we are going to get you the best care money can buy and then when you are fit and well we will take you home." Dad said as he came over and took my hand. That was another thing I'd missed the touch of another person, I don't think anyone had touched me other than to punch me in a very long time.

"Hey guys I bought coffee and doughnuts"

The voice startled me as the door opened but I relaxed as soon as I realised it was Bella, lovely, kind, trusting, beautiful Bella. She was here in my hospital room. I couldn't work out why or how she could be here but I was distracted when my Dad spoke to her as though he knew her.

"Bella, how are you? I'm so sorry about earlier, everything got just a little bit too much for me. I've been looking forward to this moment for a very long time and I really didn't want it to take place in a hospital "

"It's ok, I'm only just realising what a big day it is for you all, why don't I leave these for you and I'll go, you all have a lot of catching up to do".

No she was leaving, I didn't want that, I wanted her to stay, how would I get in touch with her again if she left? My mind wasn't exactly functioning properly at this point in time, but I knew I didn't want her to disappear.

"No don't go"

Shit that hurt to speak, I wondered if I'd taken a kick to the throat.

"Oh thank fuck, I was beginning to think you couldn't speak anymore" Emmett said as he leaned over the bed towards me.

"I don't think he has actually spoken for quite some time, apart from those few words to me when he was trying to find you Emmett, I get the impression he hasn't wanted to talk".

She understood me perfectly, how I wasn't sure, but  it wasn't that I couldn't speak, I'd just got out of the habit.

"It's ok son, you have nothing to worry about, everything has long since been sorted out and dismissed, we've been looking for you all this time to tell you, you have nothing to run from or fear "

The relief was instant, I couldn't believe that I was in the clear, then it struck me if I'd have been braver and come home sooner all this would have been sorted out earlier. All that time on the streets could have been avoided. I was too tired to think about that now but I knew it was something I was going to have to deal with later.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of tests and people prodding and poking me, my blood pressure was all over the place, and every test result that came back seemed to indicate that I was deficient I something or other. Finally after I'd evaded most of the questions I wasn't ready to answer the medical staff left me to have a peaceful night's sleep. 

I'd been asked all sorts of questions the most embarrassing one's being about if I'd sold my body to fund a drug habit or to get money. The look of pure terror on my Dad's face was enough to let me know he had reached his limit for the day so I started to tell him to go home and get some rest. Before I could even get the whole sentence out he interrupted me

"You ARE coming home with me, no excuses, no arguments, no discussion, the company can look after itself for a couple of weeks while I get you well and we sort out this mess you think you are in".

I wasn't going to fight him on that, the thought of being in my own bed safe and well had been at one point just too much to hope for

"I thought it would never happen, I thought you wouldn't want me back, but I hoped so much, I can't go back out there Dad, I can't live like that any longer".

At that point everything became too much and I just let my emotions take over, I sobbed like a baby as my Dad then Emmett engulfed me in their arms and started to cry too. I was home finally.

As we finally all settled down and the hugging and crying stopped Emmett was the first to ask about the attack.

"Do you know who attacked you Edward, all the police could tell us was that you were found in the park badly beaten"

I tried to remember what had happened, I knew it was three guys in suits but other than that I could remember any specifics.

"That gives us somewhere to start Bro, don't worry" he said as he patted my forearm, I couldn't help but smile, he'd managed to find the only place that didn't hurt !!

It wasn't until later that I realised Bella had quietly left the room at some point, and she went without saying goodbye.  I wasn't that worried now though, both Emmett and my Dad knew her so I could focus on getting myself better and then I would go and say thank you to her for saving me.

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Thank you to AJG and edlovesme for their continued support, they keep me sane.

I'm aware that someone has been recing this on face book so thank you so much I'm very grateful.