Title: Breathe Me

Summary: He took her when she was small and has kept her ever since. But after her captor makes the mistake of a lifetime, Bella is able to escape into the woods surrounding her prison. And they find her, as they were always meant to. AU with J/B/E/E (no incest), R/A, and C/E. M for abuse, non-con, and later lemons.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Unfortunately.

Warnings: There is non-con (though not described only mentioned), physical abuse, and lemons, though they will be much later in the story. Also a multi-person and lesbian relationship. You have been warned, so if you don't like it, don't read it. I don't need any flamers please.

A/N: So, first fic that I've posted on fanficton dot com. I'm very excited and want to thank you for visiting and reading my first chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1: Leaving

The concrete floor was cold. It leached the heat from her body as she laid there. She was usually prone to shivering, but her body was completely still as she gathered herself. He left the door open. The light streaming from the crack shattered her vision as she basked in it. She could run. She could be gone in five minutes. She knew he wasn't there. The front door had slammed ten minutes ago and the car was turned on and gone with a quick rumble of the engine. She hoped he crashed and killed himself. She'd watched earlier as he had consumed the bottle of Jack, and then half of another, as the light amber rivulets ran down his throat. When it dripped onto the floor she'd been ready with a rag to clean it up. He had still screamed at her and punished her; she was sure her ring finger was broken and the print of his boot permanently etched into her hand. She could still remember his laugh as he ground his boot harder into her foot, as he heard the hitch in her breath as she tried not to scream.

Her ribs creaked as she sat up, the rest of her body shouting for her to just lay there, to not risk even more retaliation for her existence. But he was gone. She could make it. Even if it killed her. Maybe it would kill her.

The bare soles of her feet scraped the dirty ground and her fingernails screeched against the wall, ripping and cracking them further. Her knee knocked against the wood paneling and she wanted to scream as her bruises pounded harder, the blood close to bursting from her skin. But she continued to pull herself up, to fight.

Bella huffed her breaths as she stumbled towards the doorway. She grasped the shiny golden doorknob tightly; the locks did not rattle as they usually did when she jiggled it. She gave it a rough pull and fell on the stairs when she lost balance. It seemed as if the house stood with her tonight; the third stair up did not screech loudly as per usual and the door has swung open on silent hinges. As silly as it may have been, she thanked it silently as she continued to struggle up the steps, tears leaking from her eyes and quiet sobs escaping from her throat as she did. It did not matter that he was not there. She still felt his presence, his breath against her neck, his hands against her skin, the needle that he inserted in her veins, drawing out her blood to make her weaker, to make him stronger. She knew that he drank it, like the psychopath he was.

Her soft but harsh cries were the only thing that broke the silence. Bella bit her lips harshly to stop herself from making noise. She paused, willing her hearing to stretch. She crept further into the room, stepping off the stairs, arms clutching her abdomen and head low. Her breath stilled in her chest as she stood in the doorway. The glass was still scattered around the room, the pieces near the table bloodied. Bella fingered her scalp, wincing at the cuts and scabs she found there.

She froze as she set her eyes on the front door. He had forgotten to lock that too. Was this all a trick? A way to further justify his punishments? Because, Bella knew, she knew that if he ever caught her trying to escape he would kill her. It would be a drawn out torture, maybe worse than the other ones she'd had before, and she wouldn't survive it. Even on the off chance her heart kept beating, she wouldn't survive it.

She stepped lightly onto the front porch. The rough, cobbled stones dug deeply into her feet and she wished for shoes. She couldn't remember that last time she'd worn a pair of shoes. The fresh air caressed her lungs as she gulped it in gratefully, but she was still aware that he could come back at any moment.

Bella shuffled her feet down the three steps leading away from the house and into the woods. She knew that there were no houses for miles, that he wouldn't have allowed any possibility of help for her. So what chance did she have? Did she really want to leave? The house loomed behind her and the door slammed shut from a sudden wind. She shivered. Her thin t-shirt and cotton sleep shorts offered her little protection.

She stepped off of the porch. The dirt of the forest was much softer than the cobbled steps. It welcomed her and she dug her toes into it. The woods called to her, beckoned her, and a swift panic set in. She was wasting time. She could enjoy the dirt when she was safe, when she was anywhere but here. She didn't know if it was her ears tricking her, but as Bella heard the faint rumble of a car engine, adrenaline coursed through her, making her ignore her pain.

She took off into the trees, stumbling over roots and falling onto logs. The points of the pine trees ripped into her cheeks and arms. Twigs tangled in her hair. Her ribs groaned as her breathing grew ragged from exertion. She didn't have the energy for this. She would kill herself. But what did it matter? She ran and ran, unstoppable. Had she seen that log before? Maybe she was going in circles. Maybe this had been a bad idea. He was certainly going to kill her if he found her. No, when he found her.

Then she saw lights. Moving lights. She sprinted towards them, coming to a break in the trees. She couldn't stop running. Her wide, startled eyes met bright headlights as her bare feet met pavement. The sleek black car swerved quickly around her and squealed to a stop about fifty yards away. Her heart stilled in her chest as a man stepped out of the car; he was tall like him, and lean like him. And the car was black, like his. Bella didn't notice that it was a different make and model; all she could see was him advancing and, in her peripherals, the two others that followed him out of the car.

Bella'd been caught. He was going to kill her. Maybe play around with her a little bit before he did. Maybe he would let the others have a go. Maybe they had a penchant for blood like him too. She could already imagine his red eyes boring into hers, corners lifted by a smile that was formed out of her pain and his maliciousness. Maybe he would finally use his teeth to rip into her arm or throat instead of the sterile needle he was always so fond of.

"No!" Bella finally screamed, startling him and the men with him. She had only meant to shout at herself, to push herself to run, but she knew that she had little time. She crossed the pavement on somewhat light feet, considering the condition she was in. Her lungs ached and her ribs came loose from their positions, making her head pound with the lack of oxygen and agony.

The branches were ripping at her again, trying to stop her from getting away. The universe was no longer on her side. It wanted her to be caught, to be killed. If there was a god he was hearing her cries and deciding to ignore her. Maybe hell would be the better end of the deal; he had always told Bella that she would end up there, after all.

Bella crumpled to the forest floor as an icy hand caught her shoulder. She knew now that it was him. His skin had always been unnaturally cold when he touched her; he had held himself to her bare body for hours upon hours once, as if her stiff cotton pad and the concrete floor weren't good enough. She'd been rewarded with the a subtle hint of frostbite. After was the first time he had bathed her; the water had been scalding and burned her skin, leaving her with light scaring across her body.

Those cold hands helped her turn over before she managed to push them away, scrambling back so her back hit a tree. She was surrounded. One held a flash light in his hand, standing directly in front of her. He was a hulking mass above her, every inch of him broad and muscled. His hair was covered by a backwards baseball cap. He could probably snap her with the strength he possessed in his thumb and pointer finger. The one to her left was shorter, with what she could tell to be long curly hair and a more lean, but still thoroughly muscled disposition to his body. As she looked into his eyes she felt calm push into her system, at war with her adrenaline and panicked emotions. And the last, the one she had assumed to be him, was standing to her right. He was the same height as the one to her left, but even more lean. He wasn't skinny, no not at all, but he gave off the aura of a slinking cat, ready to pounce or race at any moment.

He may not be there, but that didn't mean the lot of them were any more safe for her. "I'll fight you. I swear to god I will." Bella whispered fearfully. Her eyes flicked to theirs and she was surprised none of them chuckled. They all held creased, worried, even horrified emotions in their faces. Why? Why would the feel that way? Maybe he had hired them and they were afraid that they wouldn't be able to bring her back soon enough? Or that they couldn't return he alive? "I will die before I go back to him."

"You're not going to die tonight." The one to her left said, advancing a couple of steps closer. Bella tried to become one with the tree and her body rebelled against her, curling in on itself without her permission. "You need to come with us. We can help you." He crouched down beside her and she felt familiarity and trust flood her body, causing her to lean into the offered arm of support. And he was cold, so cold, but she couldn't care at this point. The adrenaline high had come crashing down. She wanted to fight her emotions, to gain back her sense of fear; that had been the emotion to save her from one too many beatings, not trust. "We can keep you safe."

"No. No!" She murmured with gentle urgency, fighting weakly as he picked her up. She cried out in pain when her body seized against his hold.

"Bro, be careful!" She heard the giant one hiss to him. But being careful didn't matter anymore with her. She was either going to die or go back to him. Tears began to leak from her eyes and she sobbed softly.

"Shh, Bella. Try to sleep darlin'."

"You'll take me back. You're going to take me back. He hired you, I know he hired you. He'll never stop. He'll keep me until I... how do you know my name?" Fear gripped her before it was shouted down by trust and the feeling of safeness once again. Bella had never told him her name and he had never cared enough to find out. She had only been referred to as "pet" during the time he decided to spend with her. So how did these men know what it was?

Her head lolled back to meet the last one's eyes. They were golden and from what light shone on him, she could tell that his hair had a coppery tint to it and was incredibly untamed. Her body swung softly as the man holding her began to walk slowly so not to startle her. "It doesn't matter now. Please just try and sleep. We promise to not try anything or harm you in any way." And for some odd reason, Bella believed him. It may be the unwelcome emotions coming from unknown source, but Bella didn't think so. He had an honesty in his eyes. As she looked to the others she could detect the same protection and honesty from them.

"Please..." Bella wasn't able to finish her sentence before sleep was loaded into her brain. Everything went dark as her eyes slipped shut and she drifted off peacefully.

The men were silent as they walked back to the car at human speed. They were wary of going any faster in fear that it would wake Bella, though plenty of tiredness has been pushed to her to let her sleep for hours. A very small, pixie-like person was waiting for them next to a convertible, now parked next to the men's. She was vibrating with anxiousness and gasped when she saw Bella in his arms.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Not like this! I didn't see it! How did I not see it?!" She rubbed her temples furiously with tiny hands while a tall, beautiful blonde stepped from the convertible and placed her arms around her. She stroked the pixie's hair and kissed her forehead lightly. "You can't see everything Alice. You can't blame yourself for this. And humans are so fragile. It's not surprising that this happened."

Alice broke away from her embrace and approached the men. "Don't be mad at Rosalie. She doesn't understand yet." Alice answered cryptically to the glares they were sending Rosalie. "I'm so sorry, Jasper, Edward, Emmett. I didn't see... this is my fault. I should have known." Her voice cracked and Alice let out a dry sob.

Edward wrapped her in a tight hug at her words. "I don't blame you Alice. We don't blame you. And I would know." He winked and Alice giggled quickly at this humor before becoming solemn once again.

"Carlilse is worried. He wants to see her as soon as possible. And Esme is going out of her mind." Alice sighed and appeared in the passenger seat of the convertible, foregoing the doors and seatbelt. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper did the same, forgetting the human façade for a moment. Edward drove rapidly back to the house. Jasper still held Bella in his arms, careful of her injuries, and kept control of her emotions in the back with Emmett stroking her hair. After so long Emmett just needed to feel her, know that she was tangible. Alice had told them about her long ago, but they'd never expected to find her like this. So lost. So broken.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Emmett asked, sounding like a small child.

"We have her now. We'll make everything okay." Edward said reverently, glancing back at the girl held in his brother's arms.

A/N: Well, that was an exciting first chapter! I really enjoyed writing it and I would like to know people's opinions before I continue. Future chapters may be longer than this, but will at least be the same size. Thanks for reading and please drop a review for me.

~Lunatastic