Jodie's POV

I was walking alone down the road between Forks and port angles. Walking down the abandoned high way in the middle of the night was not such a smart move. The chilly night air was getting to me, and all that I thought to bring as I hastily left the house was a thin cardigan, which I was now wearing over my flimsy singlet.

I had to leave Forks; the place where I was used abused, and hurt. I was chained and tormented. Forks… the place where I lost my parents, and the place where I was fostered. Forks- is place that I never want to have to go back to.

I kept walking, for what felt like a long time. I was feeling drowsy when I came to what looked like a driveway. There was a mailbox out the driveway. I looked horrible, I looked briefly at a bruised and beat up face in the shiny white mailbox.

I started my way down the driveway. My head was starting to ache and I was feeling seriously dizzy. I could feel involuntary tears starting to roll down my face. I couldn't keep walking down the main road only wearing underpants and a singlet and cardigan.

Through my watery and blurry vision from my tears this beautiful modern mansion came into my view. I walked up to the front door of the most amazing house I had ever seen…. I felt like I was looking at something from a modern fairy tale. As soon as I raised my hand to knock on the door, it swung open, and the most beautiful woman I had ever seen stood in its wake.

Esme's POV

I was home alone and some one was walking up our drive way, from what I could hear it seemed like the person was crying, poor thing. I would go and see who it was, but I didn't want to startle them so I would wait until they knock. I was home alone, and by the smell it was a human so no danger and nothing that I would need to worry about.

I saw her approaching the house through the window, it was only a girl, a teenager maybe thirteen of fourteen, she had bruise marks all over her face, hand prints on her neck and tears streaming down her face. This poor little darling. What was she doing out here at this time of night? She must be freezing. She only looked about fourteen, not the kind of age that should be roaming the street at night solo.

As she walked up the steps to the front door I could wait any longer, she was crying. This little girl was crying, and I would help her. I opened the door, as she was about to knock. She gasped as she took in my appearance. I took in hers as well, she had long caramel coloured hair- much like my own, that was untidy yet beautiful. She had a heart shaped face and beautiful big brown eyes that were glassy from the tears. Although she was absolutely beautiful she was covered in marks from physical abuse, old cuts to body, many bruises that were bluish purple.

"H-hi" The girl spluttered.

"Hello Sweetheart, come in out of the cold!" She must be freezing; all she was wearing was a singlet, a cardigan and underwear. I put my arm around the fragile girl and led her inside. I didn't want her to be frightened of me, but that was human's natural reactions to our kind.

"I couldn't stay out there anymore. I have been walking and I'm cold. I'm so tired, I don't want to impose. I don't know why I am here I'm sorry." She spoke. She looked so confused. I wanted to help her- I would help her in anyway that I could.

I led her to a couch in the lounge room; I sat her down and got her a blanket to drape over herself. I didn't want her to feel more exposed than she obviously already was.

"My name is Jodie." She politely and quietly stated. As her eyes quickly darted around the room.

"My name is Esme Cullen darling." I replied.

"Thank you, for letting me into your home. I don't want to be a problem I just don't want to go back to him. I don't want him to hurt me again." She mumbled while looking down obviously embarrassed. Suddenly this feeling came over me, that I needed to protect this little girl. I couldn't explain it – yet I knew that I had to.

"I won't let anyone hurt you okay Jodie? I promise."

"Thank you Mrs Cullen." She replied.

"Just Esme sweetheart, just call me Esme."

"Okay Esme. Thank you." She was just so polite, and how I hoped my child would have acted, if he had lived.

"You must be freezing, and I can't let you sit around in those clothes. I will get some of my other daughters clothing for you to wear darling Jodie." I couldn't let her feel even more exposed, embarrassed and afraid than she was probably feeling. "Would you also like to take a shower? I can set you up in one of the spare rooms where you can shower and sleep tonight, and we can work out a plan tomorrow?"

"Thankyou that would be nice."

She looked a bit out of it, like distant; I would have to talk to Carlisle about that when he got home with my other children.

She reached out for my hand; this was such a nice gesture. As most of what I considered my children, were all ready grown up- and all though they thought of me as a mother, they could look after themselves and didn't really need me to help them physically. Was I thinking of Jodie as my daughter? I had only just met her… I took her hand in my own.

"I'm sorry Jodie, my hands are cold." I said.

"I don't mind Esme." She replied kindly.

We got to the door of one of the spare rooms, which had and unsuit- I led her into the bathroom and got out two fluffy white towels and a bath robe, as well as a mat for the floor.

Jodie still looked kind of distant, so I ran the shower for her. I had never run a shower as a vampire for a human so I had no idea what would and wouldn't be to hot.

"Jodie you have a shower, feel free to use any of the shampoo or conditioner in there, as well as anything else in the bathroom. I'm going to find you some clothing and I will bring them back in here and wait in the bedroom for you okay? I know that it's not much…"

Jodie's eyes looked like they snapped back into reality. I don't know if it was something that I said…

"Esme that's more than okay, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I randomly came to your house in the middle of the night, cold and alone. You have shown amazing hospitality please don't sell yourself short! Thank you." Jodie replied, louder than she usually talked, her big brown eyes looking directly into my own. Her words were laced with sincerity. Jodie was so polite, and proper, you don't often come across teenagers like that now days.

I smiled to her and as I was about to turn to leave the bathroom Jodie looked a little scared, about me leaving her alone, and with what she had obviously been though I couldn't blame her.

"Don't worry Jodie, your safe here, no one is going to be able to lay a hand on you ever again. I won't ever let that happen to you anymore." I didn't want to step over a line, but I wanted her to feel safe.

"Thank you Esme. Thanks so much." She said.

I walked out of the door, a warm smile on my face. I went to Rosalie's bedroom to find Jodie some clothes, just laid back ones that she could wear to bed, something suitable, I got her a bra, underpants, a beige cashmere jumper and some juicy couture sweat pants.

I quickly knocked on the door.

"Come in." Jodie said quietly.

"Don't worry darling I'm not looking, just going to leave these clothes here for you on the bench."

"Thankyou." She replied.

I left the clothes on the bench, and went to sit on the chair in the spare room. While waiting for darling Jodie to come out of the shower.

Jodie's POV.

I felt how I normally felt, sad yet empty, but that emptiness seemed like it was slowly lifting, I felt love for Esme, I knew what love felt like I just wasn't too familiar with it. I was so grateful to Esme for doing this for me. She didn't have to yet she still did, and that's when you know how nice someone truly is- doing things out of the goodness of their heart.

I let a few sobs come out of my mouth- now that Esme had been and gone with the clothes, she wouldn't hear me crying.

I sat down in the shower and hugged my knees, let the water rush over me and cried for a good five minutes.

That soon passed and I surrendered to the emptiness once again. I washed my hair with strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner, and washed my body with a mango and cinnamon body wash. It smelt really good. Eventually I turned off the water and dried myself of with the really soft towels that Esme had left out for me. I found myself wishing that Esme was my mom, her kids were so lucky. She seemed to young to have kids to me.

I got changed into the expensive looking clothes she had left out for me, yet my hair was still wet so I wrapped it up into a towel and left the bathroom neat and tidy.

Esme was sitting on one of the lounge chairs in the room waiting for me.

"Feel better?" Esme asked me in a loving tone.

"A bit- thankyou." I replied.

"Do you want me to braid your hair for bed?" She asked me.

"Yes please Esme." I had never had a mom to do this kind of thing with, I know Esme wasn't my mum, but I wished she were. She stood up and walked into the bathroom and came out with a hairbrush and strawberry scented detangler spray.

She ushered me to sit down on the lounge chair why she sprayed my hair, and brushed through all the knots. I never realised how long my hair was, it was a bit above my belly button. Esme quickly braided it and took the hair tie out of her own her and but it into mine. Esme had hair just like me- well the same colour.

"Bed time?" She questioned me.

"I'm not really tired." I said, hoping that she wouldn't make me sleep the bad dreams came when I slept.

"Okay how about we go and watch just a little bit of TV? Your choice of a show." She said. That was so exciting, I was never allowed to watch TV, and I didn't even remember what it was like.

"Yes please." I said a little too enthusiastically. Esme giggled a bit at my reaction. She reached for my hand this time and led me back to the open lounge room, she got a blanket for me, and she sat on the couch next to me. Esme passed me the TV remote; I had no idea how to work it.

"Esme I don't know how to work this?" I passed the remote back to her.

"That's alright darling, here I'll flick through the channels say stop when you see something you like."

"Stop. This one looks interesting." I stoped her on what I assumed was a spy show. About twenty minutes in Esme and I figured it was called Nikita, and it was a show one of her sons, Emmett often enjoyed watching (although apparently he denies it).

Esme's pov.

About thirty minutes of watching Nikita, Jodie fell asleep cuddled up next to me; she was so warm I hope that I wasn't making her cold? I tried to stand up to make her more comfortable but she hung on for dear life.

About an hour later the family came through the door at full speed and took one look at Jodie and Myself.

"Esme, what have you done?!" Edward growled at me. How impolite of him.

Authors note: Thankyou all so much for reading, please review if you wish all comments are welcome, if you liked the story like or follow- if not tell me how I can improve or I hope you find a different story that you like.

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