A/N: I really do have the worst luck with computers! After I got the replacement cord for my laptop, I discovered the battery refuses to charge any longer. Grrr. So I broke down and ordered a brand new Toshiba laptop (I'd been wanting one anyway). It arrived Friday, worked perfectly for 24 hours, and then on Saturday for no reason at all the cord shorted out and refused to charge any longer. I then had to go buy a new universal cord, so that I can continue to use the new laptop until Toshiba sends me the replacement cord (thank god for warranties). Honestly, do I have some sort of powercord curse??? This is my FIFTH powercord for a laptop in less than 3 years!!!

So anyway, if all goes well, I plan to write out at least Chapter 4 while on vacation this coming week. I have 2 long flights each way and a 6 hour layover in JFK on the way back (blech!). At least it's plenty of time for writing and I'm hoping to have a couple chapters to post when I get back.

Thanks again everyone for the encouraging reviews! I appreciate them so much!!! Please continue to add your thoughts, it really does inspire me to write more sooner.

Thanks also to my Beta Aprilbaby19!

As we all know, only Stephanie Meyer owns the twilight copyrights, she just lets us play with her characters. Thank you!!!

Chapter 3:

When Jasper left, Edward slid into his vacated chair to continue their search for information on the girl in the next room. He listened to Carlisle administer the vital fluids and could tell the instant the needle was inserted into her arm to withdraw a sample; the scent of her blood was released and the burn in the back of his throat increased. Luckily the scent of her was mostly confined to the room she was in and Carlisle's expertise kept the blood exposure to a minimum. Had he been in the same room as them, he doubted his control would have been as strong. Carlisle's restraint never ceased to amaze him.

Down the hall, Esme and Alice's thoughts were of Bella's deplorable treatment and what they could do for her when she awoke. Their complete confidence in Carlisle's medical abilities was unwavering. Alice continued to search ahead for clues as to when Bella would awaken, thus far nothing they had chosen to do bringing her out of her current state. To Alice though, this simply meant they hadn't decided on the correct course of action so far. To her, the world was a unique blend of unchanging destiny and unlimited possibilities.

Their gentle dialogue over furniture, clothing and other needs was soothing in the back of Edward's mind as he continued flipping through the details of missing children. Alice loved any excuse for another shopping adventure and already intended to set out shortly for Seattle to get all they would need. From the list going in her head, she'd need to hire a delivery truck to bring it all back with her. How much could one small human girl really use?

"Esme, Alice." Carlisle's voice rang calmly through the house. "As soon as she's finished with these fluids, I'd like to get her cleaned up a bit. I imagine she'll be much more comfortable after a warm bath." Alice immediately set to work with preparations in her large bathroom. When the fluid bag was drained, Carlisle carefully removed the needle taking extra care to release as little blood as possible. He dropped the needle into a small metal bowl, and followed by wiping the area with an alcohol sterilization pad. When he was finished, he dropped it in with the needle and poured a bit more alcohol in the bowl before lighting a match and dropping it in. The traces of blood removed by the burning alcohol, he stood aside as Alice leaned over and gently lifted the slight girl in her arms, and joined Esme who was already waiting in the bathroom.

Working together, the two quickly divested Bella of her slip and lowered her carefully into the warm bath, mindful of her injured ankle and propping it up with fresh ice on the edge of the tub. While Alice held her upright, Esme carefully washed over every inch of the girl, her eyes sparkling with tears she could never shed at the condition of Bella's body. Bruises in various stages of healing were present all over in shades of purple, blue, green and sickly yellow.

Esme gently massaged Bella's scalp with shampoo followed by conditioner, wrapping up her nearly waist length tresses in a towel. Alice lifted her carefully and together they softly dried her body. "What should we dress her in?" Esme asked Alice.

"I think Rose will be the closest in size. She has that satin nightgown from the theme day at school a few months ago." Both were sure Rosalie wouldn't mind them borrowing the gown; she'd only bought it to wear to school on pajama day during spirit week. In such a small town, they blended in better by following the crowd and at Forks High, everyone participated in spirit week's theme days. Of course Rose had refused to go in the customary flannel pants and a flirty tank top like most of the girls. Instead, she had arrived in a full length red satin nightgown direct from the Paris runways that had left nearly the entire male population of the school – students and teachers alike – completely incoherent.

Esme returned with the gown and together they slipped it over Bella's prostrate form. Her undernourished body in no way filled out the gown like Rosalie had, but with her skin flushed from the bath, Bella's natural beauty was apparent. Alice carried her back to the bed and set her down gently, holding her torso up so Esme could carefully comb the tangles from her damp hair. In the soft light of the room, Bella's mahogany locks gleamed. Both women were stunned at Bella's appearance now that she was clean. Even with her obvious injuries and poor health, she was a beautiful girl. They tucked her under the covers of the bed and turned out the light, leaving her to rest as comfortably as possible while the family met below to discuss what would take place next.

Jasper returned just as Alice and Esme descended the stairs to join the rest of the family in the kitchen. Rose and Emmett had arrived a few minutes before carrying several bags of assorted human foods which they proceeded to unload into various cabinets. Edward came in a moment later with a few papers in his hand. "I think I may have found our mystery girl's identity." The family quickly gathered around several pages he set on the counter.

"Isabella Swan. Where have I heard that name before?" Carlisle questioned.

"If I'm right and she is Isabella Swan, which I think I am, she's the daughter of former Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan. Apparently about 4 years ago he took his family out camping and the bodies of he and his wife were found brutally murdered at their campsite out in the woods. Bella was supposed to have been with them, but no traces of her were ever found."

"I remember hearing about that around the hospital when we moved back here. Does she have any other family?"

"There's no surviving family listed, but get this. If found, her legal guardian is Billy Black."

"Billy Black, the Quileute elder?" Carlisle questioned, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yes. Apparently his family was close friends with the Swans. He has a son Jacob about her age."

"Hmmm, that's interesting that she'd belong to them. We'll have to see how much she remembers. If they find out we have her in her current state, it could become a very uncomfortable situation." Carlisle quickly read through the rest of the report, noting she was 17 years old, had no known food allergies, and was allergic to penicillin.

"Well, I guess now we know they kept her real name. Carlisle have you had any further thoughts about what we can do to bring her back around?" Jasper asked.

"Have you tried dumping cold water on her face? I've seen that in a lot of movies and TV shows and they always wake right up." Emmett suggested with a grin.

"Shut up Emmett" Edward rebuked with no real enthusiasm. It was obvious he was joking.

"Just trying to be helpful!" he laughed back

Carlisle rolled his eyes and addressed Jasper "Like I mentioned before, my first guess is she's just retreated too far into herself to respond. Can you feel her now?"

"Yes. She's still drowning in fear, pain and hopelessness. There's absolutely nothing positive coming from her." Jasper grimaced as he actively sought the girl out in the room above. Her emotions were definitely unpleasant for him to bear and brought his previously good mood down a few notches. "Is it alright if I try and calm her down a bit?" he asked. Carlisle considered for a moment.

"Yes, actually that may be a good idea. Take it slow to start with though. Adjusting her mood too quickly right now could be a shock to her system." Jasper nodded and carefully felt into Bella's emotions, seeking to sooth. He was careful to only do so very little to start, barely noticeable in its change.

"Well, I guess all we can do for the moment is let her rest. I'll plan to give her some more fluids in a few hours once she's absorbed the ones I just gave her" Carlisle said.

"I'm headed to Seattle; I want to get there as soon as the stores open for the day. There's so much to pick up for her! Esme, Rose, do you want to join me?" Alice asked brightly.

"I'm going to stay here; I want to tune up the Mercedes. It's been running a little rough the last few days." Rosalie answered. "Emmett, care to assist?" From the look on Emmett's face it was obvious tuning up the car wasn't the only activity they had planned.

Edward grimaced at the images floating through their minds as they walked out the door.

"She is going to be so pissed at the dents he leaves on the hood of her BMW" Alice snickered. Edward and Jasper had matching smirks on their faces as they headed off to their own pursuits for the coming day. After kissing their respective husbands, Esme and Alice followed Emmett and Rosalie to the garage to get Alice's car before the two in front of them could start anything they wouldn't want to walk in on. Carlisle headed back to check on Bella again.

He found her just as Alice and Esme had left her, amazed at the transformation a bath could bring. She really was a very pretty girl. He checked the swelling in her ankle and decided a plaster cast wouldn't be necessary, instead wrapping it carefully with a support bandage. As he worked, he thought about the connection to the Quileute's and what it could mean for their peaceful treaty. If they found her as she was, it was unlikely his family would be able to remain in the area. The Quileute's would immediately assume his family was at fault for Bella's injuries and probably her parents deaths as well. They would attack at once, intending to rescue her. Sighing, he was once again resigned to simply wait until Bella awoke to decide what to do next. He left the room, closing the door softly behind him and went to his study to look over some files for his shift at the hospital later on.

Jasper retreated to his own study while Edward went to his room, both with plans to follow their own interests and wait for progress from Bella. As he sat down on the comfortable couch and picked up the book he'd been reading lately, he carefully monitored Bella's current state of emotion. Little by little he increased the soothing and tranquil feelings, straining to go as slowly as possible. He sat back to read and keep a constant stream of comfort moving towards her.

A few hours later, Carlisle knocked on the door to Jasper's study. There was no need, Jasper could clearly hear him from anywhere in the house, but they all tried to give each other as much respect and privacy as they could, and knocking on closed doors before entering was one of the ways they did so.

"Come in," Jasper responded.

"How is she feeling now?" Carlisle asked as he stepped into the room.

"Better I think. There's less discomfort, and she's more settled. I think the fluids helped. I haven't influenced anything happy in her yet, I've just been trying to soothe her and calm her fears to a more manageable level."

"Excellent. I think that's probably the best course of action for now. Let me know if there are any significant changes or you think she might be regaining consciousness. I'm going to give her some more fluids now. I don't need to be at the hospital until this afternoon."

Jasper nodded. He headed downstairs to the kitchen while Carlisle administered the IV and held his breath, feeling he could handle being in the house with her, but if by some chance he got a whiff of her blood, wasn't sure his control would hold. From the window he watched Emmett in the driveway where he was carefully pressing the dents out of the hood of Rosalie's red BMW while she supervised with a cross expression on her face. He laughed quietly and grinned when both looked up at him, Emmett with a sheepish expression and Rosalie with a scowl. Upstairs he could here Edward's laughter at whatever they were thinking.

When he heard Carlisle finish with Bella, he returned to his study and picked up his book, continuing to monitor her for changes. There was some relief that she felt from the fluids, and Jasper wondered if Carlisle had added some mild pain killers to it as well. For now all they could do to help her was to continue as they were. If there was one thing every vampire learned in their never ending existence, it was patience.

It was a few hours later that a sudden shift in Bella's emotions and a loud thump from the room next door had him leaping for the door. Edward and Carlisle right behind him, they flew into the room in shock to see Bella cowering under a table in the corner. She looked at them franticly before tucking her head under her arms and curling up in as tight a ball as possible. Her terror was almost incapacitating as it shook her frame and it took a moment for him to regain enough sense to start trying to calm her down.

***************

Emptiness. Complete darkness. Bella backed away as far as she could from her conscious mind. For so long she'd been treated as a worthless stupid animal that finally she'd begun to believe them. It was easier to endure if she didn't think about her memories. She didn't think about friends or school or her family. Her parents were the most painful of all. No. She felt; she couldn't help but feel and react. But she never let herself form coherent thoughts any longer. She was an animal, reacting purely on instinct. Fear, hunger, pain, misery. These were things she knew. Things she let take over. Occasionally there had been small pleasures… an unexpected favorite food, a pleasing brush of her hair to get rid of those uncomfortable snarls.

At first the punishments had come often, but so had the praise. It didn't take her long to discover what they wanted: a pet. To them, she was nothing more than a stupid inferior animal. She was never to speak, never to do anything without a command. It had been like an obedience class to start with. But slowly, the novelty wore off. She had no clue why she was left alive. It wasn't like they were against killing. They'd never fed in her presence, but she knew what they were. What they did.

Over time, the treats came less often, the occasional praise being replaced with punishments for things she didn't understand. Treating her more and more like an object. She hadn't thought it could get worse than to be a pet. She was stuffed into a large crate each time they decided to move. She was chained each time in whatever residence they took up for a few days or weeks. Time began to blend in on itself. She was aware less and less of the past, only the present. She began to give up on ever being rescued. Finally she gave up entirely. She stopped eating until they force fed her. Swallowing down only to choke half of whatever she'd eaten back up. She only drank when she couldn't bear it any longer, barely wetting her lips in the stale water left in front of her.

In this last place she found the darkness. She dove into it, retreating from the loud pulsing music below her, from the pain, from the loss. She turned inward and gave up the last shred of herself. No conscious thoughts entered her mind. She had no concept of time or of her surroundings. At one point the air shifted and she felt as if she were floating, then the darkness again. There was a brief pain in her arm, then warmth around her body. Softness enveloped her. Finally! It must be nearly over! Almost imperceptibly, she felt her misery lessen. It slowly grew to comfort her. The pain and fear were still there, but now it wasn't as hopeless. Another small prick in her arm, but quickly it was gone. The ache in her body was lessening. Slowly she was aware of light behind her closed eyes. Growing to a soft glow while the warmth spread through, dulling her pain.

She opened her eyes and confusion spread through her. She blinked, clearing her vision. She was warm. It was soft underneath her. Sudden awareness of where she was lying had panic racing through her system. Bed! Punishment! Floor! Quickly reacting she dove off the bed, falling clumsily when her body refused to respond properly. A violent pain in her ankle had her crying out softly when it hit the leg of a table next to the bed. She cowered underneath the table, pressing herself as far back in the corner as she could. They would smell her on the sheets! They would know!

When the door flew open she whimpered and buried her head under her arms, cowering in the corner under the table. Shaking violently with the fear of the punishment she was about to endure. Wishing for the darkness again. But no pain came. Trembling, her damp eyes looked up into three pairs of wide golden eyes.

************

Carlisle placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder, helping to ground him and giving him comfort to call upon. Next to him, Edward's emotions mirrored his own. What kind of abuse could elicit this kind of response so immediately?

Speaking low enough that she wouldn't hear even from just a few feet away, Jasper asked Carlisle "What should we do?"

"Bella" Carlisle spoke softly as he stepped forward to kneel a few steps in front of her. "Bella, my name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. These are my sons Jasper and Edward. They found you and brought you here for help. I promise, you are completely safe, no one is going to hurt you here." Speaking in low soothing tones, combined with Jasper's help, Bella's shivering slowed. Wet eyes turned to pear up at them over her arm. A few strands of hair fell across her cheek partially covering one eye. Tears continued to fall silently.

"Bella, do you understand what I'm saying to you" Carlisle asked, still speaking softly so as not to frighten her. "You're safe here, no one is going to hurt you, we only want to help."

There was no response from Bella. She didn't move except to blink and stare at them with wide eyes. Carlisle looked back to Jasper and Edward for a sign of her current state. "I'm still not getting anything at all from her" Edward replied quietly with a frustrated look.

Carlisle's eyebrows furrowed at the implications of that and looked to Jasper for his input. "I'm feeling distrust, fear, confusion, pain, panic… nothing to make me think she really understands what you're saying. It's similar to the reaction someone would have if you were speaking a foreign language."

Carlisle turned back to Bella and slowly reached a hand out to her. She immediately flinched away, trying without success to push deeper into the corner of the wall. Carlisle paused and spoke in soothing tones "Bella". Her eyes met his again.

"That she seems to recognize" Jasper told him quietly. "She knows her name."

"Bella" Carlisle tried again. She continued to stare at him with wide wet eyes, but made no move to come any closer to where he kneeled in front of the table. All three waited calmly while Bella's breathing slowed and the tears dried on her cheeks. They were careful not to make any sudden movements, but didn't hold so still as to alarm her. Still, after nearly 15 minutes went by, she had barely moved, only shifting her leg slightly. It was obvious her ankle was paining her, and the bruises had to be as well.

So slowly that it wouldn't have been perceptible to a human, Bella's form began to relax. Not in comfort, Jasper noted, but in exhaustion. Her weakened body was fighting to stay conscious when all it really wanted was to go back into a healing sleep. Slowly her eyes drooped. Speaking again to Carlisle in low tones so she wouldn't hear, he asked what to do. "She's exhausted. She's struggling to stay awake. I can easily put her under if you think that will help. I don't feel any changes that make me think she's going to come out on her own."

Carlisle nodded reluctantly and Jasper pushed heavy waves of calm and tranquility towards her. Carlisle stepped back slowly. Bit by bit, Bella's frame relaxed, her eyes closed, and her breathing evened out.

Edward, silently observing up until now, stepped forward and knelt down in front of the table. He reached under and carefully scooped Bella up, placing her gently back in the bed and tucking the covers over her slight frame.

"Well that went slightly worse than I'd hoped" Carlisle said quietly. Let's leave her to rest and try that again next time. If she wakes up again, I think it would be best to give her a few minutes to take in her surroundings and then for just one of us to come in. She may feel less threatened that way. Let's also bring some food up when she does. If we offer her something it may break down a few barriers and I want to get something solid into her soon. I have a feeling though she's going to need significant recovery time and a lot of patience from us. Warn Emmett he is not to approach her. His size alone could probably send her into shock right now." All three slowly exited the room, Edward pausing at the door to look back. The look in her eyes had been heartbreaking, but there was something more.

He'd seen how she looked after her bath in the minds of Alice and his parents so he hadn't been taken completely off guard when he'd come into the room. She was beautiful. Not the eternal beauty of the females in his family. He could appreciate their beauty but it didn't draw him in. Didn't fascinate him. Didn't call to him. This girl did. She appealed to something inside him beside's the monster. It left him confused, and frustrated. He didn't know her, didn't know much of anything about her, and she'd been severely traumatized. Who knew if she'd ever even fully recover. Why would these feelings be coming to him now? And for, of all people, a human girl.

Give her a few days to acclimate to us Edward. You saw her panic too. We'll bring her around. Jasper's thoughts turned him from his own. Jasper gave him a small smile before reentering his study. Softly Edward closed the door behind him as he left, leaving a part of himself inside with her. What part he didn't know yet. But already he felt less than whole away from her. Turning he walked back to his bedroom and lay down on his couch, listening to the soft but steady heartbeat down the hall. Bella.

Ending Note: Please review, it really does fuel me to write more sooner! I didn't understand that from others until I started to write one of my own.