It Hurts Because It's Real

"You think it's weird, don't you?" Isaac asked. He was leaning against the counter next to Allison's ice-bath, whereas Bella was opposite him and closest to Scott. He had been watching her watch the water for the past few hours. She hadn't slept –– she was going out of her mind and he knew it.

Bella knew exactly what he was talking about; she didn't look up at him. "What? That you have an emotional connection with a girl that stabbed you twenty times? No, I think that's totally understandable."

He sighed. "I've just been spending a lot of time with her lately. Since, you know, you've fiercely hated me for the past few weeks."

"With good reason."

"Yeah, I get that." Isaac replied back bitterly.

"So, do you like her?" Bella asked and he raised his eyebrows at her; her eyes flickered to him for the first time. "I'm asking for Scott's sake. Obviously." She was, partly, but she was also asking for own peace of mind.

"Obviously." Isaac mocked slightly. "No, I don't." He replied and waited for her reaction; she just looked back to the metal containers and nodded. "She's been my only friend for a while, that's it."

"That's stupid. You live in our house." Bella said and squinted at him.

"Oh, you noticed?"

Bella scoffed and shook her head. She had been ignoring him for the past two weeks, but she told herself that it was fair ––– which it probably wasn't.

"What would you of done if I said yes?" Isaac asked curiously. "About Allison."

"Nothing." Bella answered truthfully. "I don't own you. I mean, I'd be sad, for Scott. But.. that's it."

"That's it?" Isaac asked. He didn't believe her; he knew that he meant more to her than that.

Bella paused for a moment before muttering her reply. "That's it."

Isaac opened his mouth to reply but he was interrupted by the splashes of water. Allison came up for air first, then Stiles and then Scott. All three of them tried to catch their breath by taking huge gasps of air as they climbed out of the bathtubs. Isaac and Bella moved to stand in front of them as Deaton came back into the room.

Scott looked up to Deaton after glancing at his sister. "I saw it, I know where it is."

"We walked past it, this huge tree ––– well it's not huge anymore, it was cut down ––– it's still big though. Very big." Stiles explained in a low and urgent voice.

"It was the night we were looking for the body."

"Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter."

"I was there too, in the car with my mother –– we almost hit someone." Allison added.

"That was me, you almost hit me." Scott replied and then turned to the three people standing in front of him. "We can find it."

"What? What is it?" Stiles asked when he noticed the look on Bella's face; he thought that she would of been happy to see that they were okay. And she was, but another feeling was more overpowering.

"You guys were out a long time." Isaac responded.

"How long's a long time?"

"Sixteen hours." Deaton told them.

"We were in the water for sixteen hours?"

"And the full moon rises in less than four."

-

"So what happened whilst we were out?" Stiles asked as he drove along the dust road.

"Nothing." Bella told him nonchalantly. "I was worried so much that Isaac thought I was gonna pass out."

"Isaac?" Stiles replied and Bella just looked at him. "What did he do? Did he, you know, make a move on you, or anything?"

"What are you talking about?" Bella countered. "Of course he didn't."

"It's just... " Stiles sighed. "I see the way he looks at you. Still. It's like nothing's changed."

"It doesn't matter to me so it shouldn't matter to you." Bella replied and looked at the road, which was becoming hard to find because of the storm.

"Yeah, but, I think it does matter to you, Bella." Stiles said; his tone was a mixture of exhaustion and anger as he looked at her. Bella scoffed because she didn't know how else to respond; maybe he was right.

Something suddenly brushed passed Stiles' Jeep. As he turned to see what it was the car drifted to the left; Bella screamed out as the headlights shone on a tree that was directly in their path. Stiles tried quickly to swerve the Jeep back onto the road but it was too late. The car jolted into the tree, knocking the two teenagers into unconsciousness.

Bella's eyes flung open moments later and her heart starting beating rapidly when she remembered what had happened. She turned her head slowly to see that Stiles was leaning against the car door –– his head was bleeding and his eyes were still shut. She yelled out his name, ignoring the pain it caused her, in fear that he wasn't just unconscious. Tears starting spilling out of her eyes as she reached for her phone that had thankfully stayed put in her back pocket. It burned to do so but she knew that she had to call for help. Bella went into her contacts and called the first name that she thought would be able to help, and that was Allison. She pressed the speaker button and tried to stop crying so that Allison would be able to understand her.

"Hey, Bella, where are you?" Allison's voice came through the phone.

"Stiles and I.. we were in a car crash." Bella said, having no time to avoid the point of the phone call.

"What–––" Allison started to say but she was cut off by someone taking the phone from her.

"Bella, are you okay?" Isaac's voice replaced Allison's. "Tell me that you're okay."

"I.. I don't know." She replied honestly; she knew that nothing was broken but she could feel blood running down the back of her head and neck. "I think so. But Stiles, Stiles, he –– he wont wake up."

"Tell me your name. Do you remember your name?" Isaac asked urgently.

"Isaac–––"

"Just do it."

"Bella McCall." The girl exhaled with closed eyes.

"Your full name."

"Isabella Caroline McCall." She replied and heard Isaac sigh shakily through the phone. "Isaac, Stiles needs help way more than I do. Just please come get us, or send someone else, I –––"

"I'm coming. Do you know where you are?" Isaac said and Bella could hear the engine of a car starting up.

"I think.. I think we're on the road that leads to the lookout point. We were on our––––" Bella started coughing and her eyes widened when she pulled her hand back from her mouth and saw blood.

"Bella, hey, are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing, it's okay." She replied and turned her head to look at Stiles again; he hadn't moved. "Isaac, please be quick."

"I will. I promise. I'm on my way." Isaac told her as he drove back down the road he and Allison had just drove along. "Don't fall asleep, alright? I'll be there soon."

A few moments later, what felt like hours to Bella, Isaac's car skidded to a stop next to Stiles' Jeep. He climbed out and flung open the passenger side door, almost pulling it off it's hinges. Bella turned her head to look at him; her eyes were stinging and everything burned.

"Hey, hey, it's me." Isaac said and put his hand on the back of her head; he pulled it back when he felt blood. Bella watched him stare at the liquid on his hand before looking back up at her; he attempted a comforting smile. "Okay, come on." He said and undid her seat-belt before he started lifting her.

Bella shook her head at him. "Get him out first."

Isaac breathed heavily as he squinted at her; his eyes flickered to Stiles for the first time. It was at this point when it hit him that Stiles had been driving; this was his fault. "No, c'mon, I've gotta get you to hospital." He said and went to lift her again.

"I'm not leaving without him." She said as fiercely as she could.

Isaac sighed. "Fine, just let me get you out first." He pleaded but Bella just shook her head again. Isaac stared at her for a moment; looked at the blood trickling down her neck, her tear-stained cheeks and her bloodshot eyes that still captured him. He touched his hand to her cheek before he moved to Stiles' side of the car. Bella closed her eyes in his absence. He opened the door with the same urgency, determined to get them both to hospital before they became any worse. He ripped Stiles' seat-belt recklessly and picked the boy up. Isaac moved quickly to his car and set Stiles down along the back seats. He ran back to Bella and his blood turned cold when he noticed her closed eyes. "Hey, Bella, you cannot go to sleep, alright? Don't do that to me." Isaac said as he lifted her out of the Jeep and carried her to the passenger side of his own car. Bella slowly opened her eyes and Isaac closed his for a second in relief before he placed her in the passenger seat. He closed the door and ran to the driver's side. He glanced at Bella again as he started the car. "Stay with me, okay?"

-

When Bella's eyes opened again she was lying in a hospital bed with an annoying machine that wouldn't stop beeping next to her. However, she decided that the beeping was probably a good thing.

"Hey, how you feeling?" A voice that she recognized immediately came from beside her. Bella shifted her eyes to look at him. "The nurse knocked you out with something, I don't know what. I thought you were supposed to stay awake, in case of concussion, you know. But she obviously knows better, I mean, she's a nurse, so." Isaac stopped babbling and stared at her. "You remember who you are, right?"

Bella laughed lightly and nodded. "I remember who you are too. And I remember–––" She stopped herself when everything came flooding back. The car crash, their parents, Stiles. "Oh my god. I've gotta get out of here." She muttered and pulled the cannula out of her arm as she pushed herself out of her bed; she was surprised when she didn't fall back down.

"No, no way, no, no, no." Isaac stuttered and rushed to stand in front of her.

"Stiles. Where's Stiles?" Bella asked and looked past Isaac.

"In a room down the hall. But you can't just–––" Isaac started to say but Bella listened to the only thing she wanted to hear and pushed past him. "Bella, wait!" He called after her as she walked down the hall, looking through the window of each room until she found him. She opened the door and paused when she noticed the nurse standing at the side of his bed, blocking her view of him. The nurse turned slowly as Isaac arrived behind Bella.

The nurses' eyes flickered to the blood running down Bella's arm; the forceful removing of the cannula probably wasn't the best idea. "I think you should come with me."

"I just need a minute. I'll go back after I've seen him."

The nurse sighed. "Two minutes." She compromised and walked out of the room.

Bella watched her go and then looked to Stiles; she exhaled and felt her lungs work properly again. He was awake. She moved to him and knelt down beside his bed. "Hey, oh my god, hey. You're okay." He had a scar across his forehead that disappeared into his hairline and Bella had become insanely tired of seeing him bruised and scarred.

Stiles smiled faintly and put his hand on the back of her head; he frowned when he felt the bandage that was covering her wound. A sudden wave of guilt washed over him and he pulled his hand back. "Are you?"

Bella went to say that she was fine but Isaac took her place. "No, she's not. Thanks to you." He growled and Bella turned to frown at him.

"I'm fine." She said as she turned back to Stiles. "It's just a cut, like yours."

Stiles nodded but felt his heart sink. "Wait, what time is it? I mean, did we miss the Eclipse?" He directed to Isaac and Bella held her breath. "Our parents are okay, right?"

"Allison found them." Isaac replied. "Scott's getting them out the cellar safely and then they're coming here."

"Wait, so they're okay?" Bella asked and Isaac nodded. Bella dropped her head on Stiles' bed in relief as she exhaled. Stiles smiled down at her. He was so unbelievably happy that she was okay; that everyone was okay.

"Bella, you should probably get back to your room." Isaac said.

"Yeah, he's right. Get some rest." Stiles added. "I'll come see you soon."

Bella nodded and stood up, hiding her bloody arm behind her back. She leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead, at the edge of his scar. Stiles smiled adoringly at her as she turned to walk out of the room. As Bella went off to find the nurse, Isaac looked back to Stiles. He thought about screaming at him about how he should've been more careful, but he decided on something else.

"If it wasn't for her, you'd be way worse than you are right now." Isaac told him. "I only brought you here for her. So be thankful."

"I am. Of course I am." Stiles replied and shook his head.

"Then act like it." And with that Isaac slammed the door shut.

-

"Thank you." Bella said out of the blue as she fiddled with her newly put in cannula. Isaac looked up at her. "For getting us here. And.. for staying with me."

Isaac watched her for a moment. "Yeah, sure. Of course. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I am, thanks to you." Bella said and he smiled. "Really, Isaac, I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there." She told him honestly. Isaac blinked at her and felt like his heart had melted into his stomach; she had never said anything like that to him before, and he knew she meant it because he was listening to her pulse. Isaac opened his mouth to reply when the door opened. "Oh my god, Mom." Bella grinned when she saw her mother enter her room. She went to run to her but she didn't want to rip out her cannula again. She embraced her Mom and squeezed her so tight she thought she might cut off her blood circulation. "Are you okay?"

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Melissa smiled and glanced at Isaac; she nodded at him in thanks to which he smiled briefly.

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm just so glad you're okay." She told her and looked at the door. "Is Scott here? And Stiles' Dad?"

"Scott's checking when you can both leave. And yes, the Sheriff is with Stiles now." Melissa replied and Bella exhaled, letting every worry leave her body. "Also.. your father's here."

"What?"

"He's outside. Do you want him to come in?" Melissa spoke hesitantly.

Bella shook her head slightly, completely taken aback and unsure of what to do. She looked to Isaac who only stared back at her. "Um, yeah. Yeah, okay."

Melissa nodded and went to the door, stepped out for a moment and came back in with Bella and Scott's father.

"Hi, Isabella."

"It's Bella."

Her father raised his eyebrows for a moment and nodded. "Okay, Bella. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Bella replied quickly.

He nodded and paused for a moment. "You liking your car?"

"Oh... oh, yeah! Totally. Mhm." Bella responded as her blood turned icy. She hadn't even told her mother about her wrecked car yet. It had happened almost a month ago and she had just been telling her Mom that she wanted to walk more ––– which was a ridiculous excuse. "Okay, actually, about the car–––" She started as her parents frowned at her, but she was interrupted.

"Hey, Bells," Scott greeted as he came into her room. "How're you feeling?"

"Good. I'm okay." Bella sighed and smiled at her brother before opening her arms. Scott chuckled and moved to embrace his sister. Bella swallowed when she saw her parents' expressions over her brother's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Scott said and held his hand to the back of her head; he ignored the bandage. "Everything's good."