A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Chapter Forty-Two

Disclaimer: All characters are not mine. No copyright infringement was intended. Thank you to Stephenie Meyer for creating Edward and Bella for our enjoyment. I just like playing with them, making them my own ... even for just a little while.

Okay, so I wrote the previous chapter in like two hours. That's the fastest I've written a chapter in almost three years. Yes, it's short. Yes, it's got another cliffhanger (don't throw sharp objects at me). But, we found out what happened with Bella. Very simply, Jake was driving a POS van with next-to-no traction control, in the snow and ice, with some psychopaths following him. He could have slowed down, but he needed to get Bella out of there.

Think of Princess Diana ... how she died ...

But, Bella will not die (nor will Jake). Do you all know me? HEA, baby! There's going to be bumps along the way. Leave me your thoughts. Thanks for reading (and sticking with me!)

Chapter Forty-Two

Masen

With Seth, we drove to Brooklyn. I'd called Charlie and he was coming with me to Rochester. Seth used his police connections to find out where Bella and Jake had been transported after their car accident. Jake was airlifted back to the same hospital where Rosalie had her baby. He was in stable, but critical condition. Bella was also taken there, but in an ambulance. Her injuries were not life-threatening, but still serious.

What worried them the most was the fact that she wouldn't wake up after she was extracted from the rental van. She was still unconscious. I prayed she was okay. I needed her. She was my other half. She was my soul mate and the woman who would rule by my side. I was nothing without her.

I couldn't lose her. I refused to lose her.

Arriving in Brooklyn, Seth ran up to get Charlie from Linda's apartment. They both came down. Charlie was disheveled. His hair was messy and he was a bit confused. "You okay, Charlie?" I asked.

"My daughter is in some hospital in Rochester. I'm far from okay," Charlie snapped as he got into the car, struggling to buckle in.

"Do you need your medicine?" I asked, feeling the sting of Charlie's anger. With steady hands, I helped him buckle up and he grumbled under his breath.

"I'm waiting for it to kick in," he said, giving me a sheepish look. "Sorry for being grumpy. My baby girl was in an accident and there's nothing I can do about it. And thank you for helping me with the seatbelt."

"We'll be in Rochester by morning. I wanted to fly, but with the weather being as crazy as it's been, Luc couldn't get clearance to land. It's still snowing. We're driving," I explained. "You can get some more sleep in the car."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep until I lay eyes on Bella," Charlie said, his hands shaking and shifting uncomfortably next to me. "Do they know why Jake was in the accident? What happened?"

With a sigh, I handed him my phone. I showed him the various articles from the tabloid sites, online magazines and local news media. Pictures of Bella's engagement ring were clear as day as she was photographed with Jake as he hugged her, consoled her and protected her. The past few days had wrung my fiancée through the emotional blender. Jake was being a friend – only a friend. In the pictures, there was no obvious affection, only friendship.

An unnamed source said that they'd heard Jake and Bella 'go at it' in a broom closet. There were even a few photos of Roger Hale from the back. The article said that when Bella wasn't with Jake, she was flirting relentlessly with an older man. "It's all lies," I sneered.