1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

15.

Bambi pulls her bag higher on her shoulder as she leaves the school, the rain has stopped, but the parking lot is full of water and patches of black ice. Bambi sees her sister leaning against her truck, waiting for her, even though they'll drive separately. Bambi looks up and across the lot to where Edward stands by his silver Volvo with his siblings, about to climb in. A moment as their eyes meet...he offers her a small smile, she gives him a smaller one back, then both of them look toward the sound of a high pitched screech, that quickly grows louder. Bambi's heart picks up speed, a van, skidding on the ice, careening out of control, heading directly for Bella.

"No" Bambi whispers and then takes a step forward, a solid arm wraps around her waist and pulls her back against solid chest, as the van is about to hit Bella's truck, with her standing in between, when suddenly, something knocks Bella down, pinning her to the ground. She looks up - Connor is on top of her. Bambi's eyes widen as the van smashes into the back of Bella's truck then spins around, once again careening toward her and Connor, then suddenly Connor's hand is creating a deep dent in the side of the van's body as it shudders to a stop, a foot from Bella. Connor literally pushes the van away. Then silence. A long beat, void of any sound, as Bella looks at Connor, trying to absorb what just happened. Bambi looks to the person holding her still, Edward looks down at her, worry etched into his face, she frowns back at him, his hand curling around her waist as they stare at one another. Then the screaming begins, yelling, calls for help, Bambi cringes and reaches for her head. Edward frowns down at her. "Bells" She whimpers and stumbles back from Edward, who takes her elbow and steadies her.

"Wait" he tells her as her eyes glaze and unglaze, he can tell, even if he can't hear her mind, that she's hearing everyone else's.

"I have to..." she mumbles and looks to her sister.

"She'll be fine, you need to sit down" she shakes her head, he nods. "Yes, if I let go of you right now, you'll probably collapse" she looks to him, he shoots her a look and she nods, he moves her to her car and she sits on the hood. Edward looks over to his siblings and then to Connor who pretty much escapes from the scene. Their family giving them disapproving looks.

................

Bambi moves to climb into her car as the ambulance leaves, she's managed to talk Bella into it, just anyway, with the promise that she'll be at the hospital with her. Bambi opens her car door and looks across at Edward and his siblings, they seem to be having some form of heated argument, Bambi rolls her eyes and climbs into her car slamming the door shut behind her.

..............

Bambi sits with Bella in the treatment area, the younger twin leaning against Bambi's side as they wait, Bambi threads her fingers with Bella and kisses her head. On the next gurney over, Tyler, the van's driver, lies with a mild head wound. An ER doctor approaches the twins and motions to Bella's head just as the double doors bursts open as Charlie runs in, face white with terror. He spots the twins and rushes towards them.

"Girls" he looks over both of them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, dad. Calm down" Bella tells him.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I tried to stop" Tyler tells them.

"It's okay, Tyler"

"It sure as hell is not okay" Charlie snaps.

"Dad, it's not his fault,...." Bambi tells him.

"We nearly lost Bella" he interrupts.

"But we didn't" Bambi corrects. He'd hug her, if that was who he, or who she was. Instead, he glares at Tyler.

"You can kiss your license goodbye"

"I heard the Chief's daughter was here" They look up as Dr. Carlisle Cullen, mid 30's, approaches, blond, movie star handsome. His face is kind, but pale, tired.

"Good. Dr. Cullen" Charlie states. Dr. Cullen looks to the E.R. Doctor.

"I've got this one, Jackie" The E.R. Doctor hands Dr. Cullen the chart, exits. Dr. Cullen reviews her chart, then feels the back of Bella's head. "You have a nice knot growing back there, but your x-rays show no indication of concussion"

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm really...." Bambi abruptly pulls the curtain between them. She and Charlie share a look, Bambi crossing her arms over her chest.

"It would have been a lot worse if Connor hadn't knocked me out of the way" Bella answers.

"Connor?" Charlie asks and looks to the Dr. "Your boy?" Dr. Cullen quickly looks back at the chart. Bella's intuition flickers, sensing he knows something. She presses.

"It was amazing he got to me so fast. He was nowhere near me" Dr. Cullen smiles.

"As long as you're safe" he offers, Bambi looks to Bella before leaning closer.

"What are you doing?" she asks, Bella looks to her. They share a look, Bella shrugs. Bambi sighs and shakes her head. "I'm hungry" she tells her father and her sister. "I'll meet you outside" she turns and leaves.

...................

Bambi's cell phone rings and she sighs where she sits in reception, a bag of gummy bears open in her lap, she grabs her phone and then smiles.

"Caleb" she greets. "Bella's fine" she tells him. He chuckles nervously and she smiles.

"How'd you know?" he asks.

"Please, I know you better than any one....I just figured it out" she smiles. "It's just a bump on the head" Her phone beeps again and she pulls it back to check the id before she sighs and places it back to her ear. "Listen, mom's on the other line"

"Yeah, no go, we both know how Renee gets"

"Yeah, Dad probably told her, I call you later"

"Thanks" she hangs up and answers the call from her mother.

"Mom" she greets and her mother flies off into a worried rant, Bambi sighs and rolls her eyes fondly. Their mother worries too much.