I wasn't really sure how to write this part, because I've never adopted or been adopted. So, yeah. Here's chapter two! Thanks for the reviews! Remember the more reviews I get, the faster I update! Seriously, I'm on a roll with this story and I really want to be motivated to keep posting! Also, I don't have a beta so this isn't edited and will have errors in it probably.
"I do a good job of blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory." – Bella Swan, Twilight.
002.
"Mama?" Bella stirred in the hospital bed as she opened her eyes, thinking she had just had a nightmare. Her dark eyes took in the dreary hospital room and she gasped at the pain that surged through her body. Like a scary movie her dad used to watch, it all came back to her.
Camping. Her mother laughing, her father snoring. Leaves crunching. A pale red haired woman—
"Oh! You're awake!" The bronze haired boy from the forest interrupted her painful memories, his golden eyes burning into her dark ones. "I'll, ah, go get Carlisle."
The boy swiftly exited the room and a few seconds later came back with a pale man with blond hair. He looked so familiar, to Bella, but she was having a hard time remembering anything past her falling. He had the same golden eyes as the bronze haired boy, and flashed her a warm smile. "Ah, Isabella, how are you feeling?"
"I don't know," Bella replied softly, hearing the trembling in her voice. "Is…did my…are they?" She asked, not able to form a complete sentence.
After a brief moment of hesitation, "Your parents didn't make it," Carlisle replied with sad eyes as he checked the bump that was now forming on Bella's head. His voice held nothing but sympathy at the words he said, "I'm sorry."
Bella squeaked a bit and then began to tremble. The tears that were gathering in her eyes were beginning to fall and while she tried to hold them back, they spilled over anyways. The bronze haired boy sighed and went over to the hospital bed and said, "Sssh, Bella, it's okay. Everything will be fine,"
"N-N-No it w-w-won't." Bella cried into his shoulder and groaned at the coldness of it. "W-w-who are you?" She asked softly, not entirely meaning for him to answer. But with his strong hearing, he heard her anyways.
"My name is Edward, my family found you in the forest earlier." Edward said soothingly as he shot a nervous look to Carlisle.
"Why did that woman hurt my parents?" Bella cried louder at the mention of her mother. The image of a woman with bright red hair and matching red eyes caused her to shiver as if she were cold.
Carlisle cleared his throat, "Bella, I think you are imagining things. There was no woman there."
Bella lifted her head from Edward's shoulder and crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "Yes—there was! She…she bite my mama…she…I know she was real. She-she had bright red hair, like a cherry flavored candy! And her eyes, her eyes were the same color!"
"You hit your head, Bella." Edward said softly with a slight edge to his velvety voice. He slowly got up from the hospital bed, as if Bella offended him in some way. But instead of glaring at her, he turned his glare to Carlisle. The two stared at each other for a few moments, as if they were having a silent conversation.
"Bella," Carlisle said, walking over to Bella's bedside and sitting beside her. He made sure she was tucked in, so his cold body wouldn't send her into shock. "There will be a nice woman coming to see you later, to allow you the opportunity to find a new home."
"Can't I stay at my house?" Bella pouted, playing with the edge of her blanket and looking up at Carlisle with sad, innocent eyes.
Carlisle cleared his throat again, nervously. "Well…no, sweetie, you can't. I'm sorry—truly I am, but…I'm afraid you are going to have to find a new home. There are some lovely people out there who will take you in and give you the life you deserve."
"Oh!" The woman with caramel colored haired walked into the room. Bella remembered her soothing her in the forest, funny how she could remember this woman but barely anything else from the day. "She's awake. How are you, Bella?" She asked, concerned as she walked over to the bed and placed her hand over Bella's.
"She's fine, Esme." Edward said sharply before shaking his head. "Well, as fine as anyone in her situation can be."
"Has anyone come to talk to her, yet?" Esme asked, running a hand through Bella's dark hair, receiving a content smile in return. When no one responded, she turned to Carlisle. "No one's come yet?"
"Sharon, a social worker from the," Carlisle started but didn't want to frighten Bella too much, the poor girl was already enduring so much sadness today. "She's supposed to drop by today."
"Do you think," Esme said softly, trailing off before looking at Edward who was glaring at her again. He seemed to soften a bit and soon sighed, lifting his hands in surrender. Esme smiled at him and said. "Do you think, maybe…we could get some information on…adopting, Isabella?"
"You want to adopt me?" Bella asked, widening her eyes and staring at Esme who nodded her head. She turned her gaze to Carlisle who smiled fondly at her, and then to Edward who looked uncertain but offered her a tight smile. "But…why?"
"I'm afraid you've got me wrapped around your tiny little thumb, already." Esme smiled as she tapped the girls hand lightly, receiving a confused look from Bella in return.
"Thank you," Bella whispered as she cuddled closer to Esme, suddenly the coldness of the woman's skin chilled Bella and she sighed. "You're really cold, you should really put on a jacket. Mama said always wear a jacket if you're cold, otherwise you'll get sick."
Bella smiled up at Esme as if she was proud of herself for remembering that, but then frowned at the memory of her mother. Esme laughed a little bit and replied, "Goodness, you are right, Bella! I should be wearing a jacket."
Edward chuckled and then rolled his eyes. "Alice, you can come in now. Your bouncing around outside is really getting on my nerves."
"Hi, Bella!" Alice chirped as she walked into the room, a tan teddy bear in hand. She stepped over to Bella's bedside and kissed her cheek, giving her the teddy bear. "Oh shush, Edward, you complain to much." Alice threw in Edward's direction with a roll of her eyes and a teasing smile.
"Thank you," Bella said softly, eyeing the bear with a strange look on her face.
"I'm glad you decided to agree with Esme, and allow her to adopt Bella." Alice whispered to Edward, who grimaced in response. "Either way, it was going to happen. I know it would have even if you would've put up a fight. She was meant to be with us, Edward."
"I still think this is a terrible idea," Edward responded after a few minutes, earning a glare from Esme and Carlisle, along with a slight shove from Alice. "But…this is for Esme's sake."
"Thank you, Edward." Esme said, nodding her head as she let Bella lay back onto the bed. Within a few minutes Bella was back asleep and Esme smiled fondly at the child. "Do you know when Sharon will arrive, Alice? And…will things go…fine?"
Alice seemed to stare off at nothing in particular, and within a few minutes she refocused on her family. She nodded, "Everything will go fine, and she'll be here within the hour. Isabella will wake up, and then she will be sent into our care as a foster child. I can't see anything beyond that right now, but, I have seen her as an older child—pre teen, possibly—and she seemed fine…so,"
"Alice, will you prepare a room for her?" Esme asked, standing up and walking over to Alice. "She'll need clothing and things to keep her entertained."
"And food," Edward said, chuckling. "Looks like you'll finally be able to use your kitchen, mother dearest."
"Stop with the sarcasm, Edward." Alice and Esme said at the same time before laughing together as if they had just told the funniest joke known to man kind.
"I'll send Emmett and Rose out for some groceries—food, toilet paper, shampoo and such. And, Jasper and I will go to the mall for clothing and toys." Alice said eagerly as she skipped to the door.
"I'll see you guys at home," the pixie-like girl added as she opened the door and quietly shut it.
"No—No, please…not mama….no…so much red…" Bella thrashed in her sleep, causing Esme to jump over to her side and whisper soothing words.
"Bella," Esme said softly, shaking her gently. "Bella, wake up you're having a bad dream."
Bella's eyes opened quickly and she squinted to take in her surroundings. Immediately her cheeks were a pale shade of pink and she cried. "Mama,"
"Oh, dear." Esme said, grabbing Bella and pulling her to her chest again. She rocked back and forth, whispering calming things to Bella in hopes to get her to calm down. "Honey, it's okay. Everything's fine—don't cry. You're safe,"
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," A nasally voice came from the doorway and closed the door rather loudly as the person stepped in. "My name is Sharon Mallory, from Concord Child Protective Services." She pushed a piece of her dark red hair out of her face and knelt down by Bella's bed. "You must be Isabella."
"Bella," Bella responded, hugging herself tighter to Esme.
Esme chuckled softly and shook her head. "I'm sorry, she was just having a nightmare. So, I think she'll be cranky for a few minutes."
"Of course," Sharon responded, narrowing her eyes at Esme. "And who, might I ask, are you?"
"My wife, Esme." Carlisle stated from behind Sharon and crossed his arms. "We spoke on the phone earlier—I'm Carlisle Cullen, as I've said this is my wife," He nodded towards Esme again and smiled lovingly. "And this is one of my sons, Edward."
Edward nodded and said, "I'll excuse myself, now." As he exited the hospital room, throwing one smirk in Carlisle's direction. The smirk said 'Ha-ha, you have to talk to a grade-a bitch for the next few hours'.
"I see," Sharon responded, nodding her head and sighing. "I went through young Isabella's files—"
"My name's Bella." Bella said again, staring down at the social worker and frowning.
Sharon cleared her throat. "I went through Bella's files—and it seems she doesn't have any living relatives. When I spoke with you earlier, Carlisle, you said you would take her in. I looked into your files, and you already have several adoptive children—5, to be exact. Not to mention you're a full-time doctor, do you really think it would be wise to take in Isabella?"
"Bella!" Bella shouted, sounding truly like her seven year old self.
"Especially since she seems to be a handful, I'm not sure, Dr. Cullen, if that would be a wise choice." Sharon continued as she eyed Bella as if she were a piece of gum on her shoe.
"I'm sorry—but, you've been in the room but five minutes and you're judging her behavior? I think she has the right to seem angry since she just lost both of her parents at such a young age," Esme said, glaring down Sharon, who's facial expression turned surprised and glanced down at the folder nervously.
"I think, it would be best if we moved Bella into a children's home for the time being—see where the chips fall, surely a nice family would come and adopt her within a year." Sharon said, while reading the folder in her lap. "What do you think, Isabella?"
"I want to stay with them," Bella responded, motioning with her tiny hands toward Carlisle and Esme who both beamed in response. "They're nice and they get my name right."
Sharon cleared her throat. "Well, then, I guess you will be put in foster care with the Cullen's," She said after a minute of hesitation. "Carlisle, if you could step outside with me and fill out some of these papers, I'll be on my way. According to these papers, Isabella will have access to a trust fund when she turns eighteen and she is able to go to her old house and pick up some belongings."
Carlisle nodded his head, "Of course."
"There will also be monthly exams of your house," Sharon smirked, as if she thought that after a month Bella would be taken away from them. "I, along with a therapist from Concord, will be doing a thorough exam of the house and check to see Isabella's needs are being met. After the first month, you will be able to adopt if we find the environment suitable and if it's what the entire family wants."
"Of course," Carlisle said again, smiling warmly at Sharon. "Shall we?" He said, signaling her to follow him out the door and to his office to sign the needed papers.
"It was nice to see you, Isabella." Sharon said with a tight smile as she waved at Bella, who was still glaring at her.
"You to, Sherry." Bella smirked as she leaned back in the bed and received a chuckle from Esme.