The Peace Keeper

You know those mornings, probably a Monday...And you're having a wonderful dream, deep asleep, cocooned in warm blankets? And you just don't want to get up? Even though, you have to?

That's the feeling I had now... Only times that feeling by 1,000.

I was warm and comfortable, right where I was.

Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew I had to wake up sometime soon.

It was quite honestly the hardest thing I've ever done.

~~~

"So, are you ready to see her?" Carlisle asked Jacob.

In return, Jacob heaved a huge sigh, and nodded.

Carlisle smiled, then turned, and pushed room 302's door open. Taking a step over, he motioned for Jacob to walk in. With eyes clamped shut, Jacob took the two necessary steps in to Emma's hospital room.

After another second, he opened them... And immediately regretted it.

Emma's condition was worse than he thought...And this is after over three weeks of recovery! Ragged, bloodied, and bruised...? Her skin was deathly pale, contrast to the coppery tan he remembered. That alone sent him into a spiral of self-hate. He was the cause of this. All the pain she must have felt, the deformities, the blood, the broken bones... All his fault.

Jacob dared not to look at Emma's face...

"Jacob," Carlisle called from the doorway. "It's not as bad as it looks. She's recovering quickly. Remember what I just told you."

Jake's eyes stayed at his feet, he couldn't look at Emma again. "I didn't think she'd be this bad off... That she'd look so inhuman." But still beautiful to him...

"That's only temporary. She'll be back to normal soon."

~~~

Victor rushed through the hospital corridors, as quickly as possible without causing a scene.

Carlisle had called him the day before, informing him of Emma's good news. He was so grateful and excited, Victor couldn't get to the door quick enough!

Finally, room 302!

Victor entered the room, and his eyes immediately went to Emma.

A slight color had returned to her skin, the bruising was less noticeable, and there were less bandages covering her. Emma's face was now mostly visible. There was a nasty scab on her forehead, and a greenish bruise on her cheek...but other then that, same old Emma.

Victor smiled in relief and stepped farther into the room, pulling a plastic chair up to her bedside.

"Victor," Victor's eyes moved to the other side of the room, where Carlisle and another man were sitting in similar chairs. "Glad you could make it."

Victor smiled wider. "She's waking up, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Carlisle returned the gesture. "Now... I'm sure you have questions." His face got serious again.

Victor's smile dropped. "I didn't want to mention it earlier...but I know no one can recover fully after falling off a cliff..."

"But Doc," The other man jumped up, his voice panicked. "You said she'd be fine!"

"Who's this?" Victor questioned, allowing his Q&A with Carlisle to be postponed. With narrow eyes he continued, "I haven't seen him here before."

Carlisle remained calm, "Victor, this is Jacob, a friend of Emma's. Jacob," He turned to the other man, "This is Victor, Emma's twin brother."

Jacob just nodded in Victor's direction. Victor glared back. "So you're the one they've told me about."

"Who?"

"The other vampires... And I suppose your pack has mentioned you once or twice." Victor got a keen look on his face. Normally, he only held this look in the heat of battle, when he would strategically take down an enemy. "Isn't that odd? You're own kind, avoiding conversation to keep you under wraps. But those vamps spoke of you freely. In fact, the only time they avoided speaking about you is when the topic of Emma-Kate's accident came up. You were there, weren't you?"

Jacob gulped, "Yes, I was."

"Then you can tell me which dog pushed her, can't you?"

"Victor!" Carlisle interjecting in a chiding manner, "I've told you before, it was an accident. Nobody pushed Emma-Kate."

"Doc," Jacob spoke up. He gave Carlisle a hard and serious look in the eyes. Carlisle frowned a bit, but nodded nonetheless, and stepped down. Jacob turned to Victor, also looking him in the eyes, and said, "I was the one who pushed Emma."

Victor flew up from his chair, knocking it over the in process. "You bastard! How dare you even show your face here!!"

Jacob stood, not arguing one bit.

Victor took a few steps closer, "You could've killed her, asshole! She nearly DIED because of you!!"

Carlisle put an arm out, separating Victor from Jacob, "Victor, this behavior will not be accepted in my hospital."

"Shut up!" Victor's glare kept on Jacob. "I swear, I'll kill him!"

"Please just--" Carlisle's consolation was cut off by the noise of Emma's heart rate machine.

Before, it was quite slow...

But it has suddenly speed up... Just to the point of a conscience person's heart beat, still steady as ever, luckily.

Emma's breathing had also become apparent, becoming deeper and fuller.

"What's happening...?" Jacob asked. "Is she...?"

Victor's aggressive anger melted away. "She's waking up..." His eyes began to well up, a relieved smile spread across his face.

~~~

Jeez, whoever's yelling, please stop. My head hurts enough as it is.

I took a deep breath, and the muffled voices around me stopped.

I began to see again, even though my eyes were closed. Those weird colors you see when you close your eyes on purpose... They're awful pretty, if you think about it...

But, back to my immense headache that started around the same time that nagging "wake up!" feeling sprouted up.

I moaned a bit, and tried to move my arm, as to rub my sore cranium.

"Don't let her move!" I hushed but urgent voice commanded. It was then I felt two warm hands gently hold down my arm by holding one hand and placing the other near my elbow.

"Emma....can you hear me?" A voice from my opposite side asked gently. I recognized that voice easily. It was Victor!

All I could muster for an answer was a meek noise from the back of my throat.

Victor sighed, ecstatic.

"Emma-Kate," Another voice addressed me. I knew that one too... Soothing and wise, it was Carlise! But if he has cold hands... And Victor's on my right side... Who's holding my left arm? "Can you try to open your eyes?"

I made another noise and forced my lids open... My eyes were dry and the light was painful, so I shut them again. But, as not to disappoint, I opened, blinked, and finally, saw who were standing above me.

Victor hovered nearest to my face, standing parallel to my right shoulder, with Carlisle next to him. They both smiled, Victor being slightly weepy himself, down at me.

On my left was who I really wanted to see. Jacob stood tall, a similar look to Victor's, only he had that big dopey grin that I liked so much... I smiled weakly back.