As Always, I don't own any characters. They are solely the creation of Stephanie Meyers

Repairing Her Broken Soul

Shaila Lynne Langston

Chapter Three

"Charlie, Bella has taken a hundred dollars out of my purse. I know it had to be her, as I put it in there this morning and placed my purse on top of the icebox hoping the little thief wouldn't find it again. That money was meant to pay bills and now we are going to go without electricity if she doesn't tell me what she did with it." Renee said over dinner.

"Bella, did you take money from your mother's purse again?"

"No, daddy, I promise I didn't."

"So you are telling me that she is lying and the money walked off, all by itself?"

"I don't know. I didn't take it though."

"Bella why would you're mother lie?"

"I don't know?"

"Tell me the truth Bella, what did you do with the money?"

Seven year old Bella felt the threatening tears puncture her eyes. She felt trapped. She knew that she wasn't the one that took the money. She had been kept in the closet all weekend. How could she have gotten the money? Bella was trying to tell the truth, but Charlie kept calling her a liar. She knew she wasn't lying, why couldn't Charlie tell?

"I didn't take the money, daddy. I promise."

"Bella, you and I both know you're lying. Now, just tell us the truth, what did you do with the money?"

"Daddy, I do anything with the money."

"Charlie, I can't stand to look at little thief anymore. Please, just send her away from my sight. I am losing my appetite just looking at her." Renee sneered.

"Girl, you're ruining dinner with your lies. Leave my table and go wait on the couch." Charlie bit out.

"Yes, sir," Bella said as she rose, leaving her near full plate sitting at the table. She took her seat on the couch and watched as Renee and Charlie finished their dinner. Bella wanted so bad to get to eat some more of her food. She was very hungry after only getting her daily rations of three crackers, a slice of cheese, and a slice of bologna on Saturday. Luckily Charlie came home before bedtime today. It meant she might have a shot at something decent to eat, but once again, hope only left her disappointed and hungry.

Renee and Charlie soon finished eating and walked into the living room, taking a seat on the larger couch.

"Now, let's try this without all the lies, Isabella." Renee spat as she took her seat.

"But, I am not lying!" Bella exclaimed.

"Isabella, really? You are nothing but a thief and a liar. Why are we to start believing you now?"

"I don't lie." Bella said softly.

"Bella, just tell us what you did with the money." Charlie said thinly.

"Daddy, I promise, I didn't take the money. I didn't even go in the kitchen today. I was grounded for spilling my milk after school."

"So, you thought you would sneak in the kitchen and steal the money to get back at me then?" Renee screeched in false disbelief.

"No, I didn't. I didn't take the money." Bella said as the tears finally began to fall down her cheeks.

"Bella, your tears have no effect on us. Dry them up now." Renee spat.

Bella sniffled and tried to stop crying. Why couldn't they see she wasn't lying? She knew not to touch Renee's purse. She learned that when she was five and had found it fallen over beside the couch. She was only trying to put everything back in it when Renee walked in and went wild with anger, slapping and yelling at Bella for touching her personal property.

Bella sat drying her tears as Charlie told her that lying was only going to make punishment worse. It would be best to just tell the truth and get it over with. Bella was telling the truth and these statements just confused her even further. The questions and accusations kept flying. Bella steadily denied taking anything from Renee's purse repeatedly as she watched the living room darken and the sky beyond the window turn black. Bella's eyes began to close tiredly. She was so sleepy and it felt as if Charlie and Renee would never stop.

"Bella, for the last time, what did you do with the damn money?" Charlie yelled.

"I-I bought candy, daddy. I took the money for candy." Bella said as tears of despair and sleepiness overtook her.

"See, was that so hard? Now go get the rest of the money and bring it here."

"I can't." Bella whispered. How could she return money she had never had?

"Why not," Charlie asked.

"I don't have any money."

"You, you're such a stupid girl!" Renee screeched once again. "You spent all of the money?"

"I guess."

"Charlie, what am I going to do? The bill is due tomorrow." Renee asked.

Charlie stood and opening his wallet gave Renee a crisp bill. Then turning, glared down at Bella.

"Go to your room and wait."

"Yes, sir," Bella said standing and quickly leaving the room. She entered her tiny bedroom and sat on the bed, knowing it would be long before Charlie and Renee came in. Moments later, Charlie, followed by Renee walked in.

"Lay down." Charlie said coolly as he raised his belt high above his head. Bella turned and lay across her bed and only second later she felt the sting of the belt across her back and hips. The belt bit her time after time, Bella counting out loud for Charlie. When Bella choked out the number ten, Charlie stepped back. "That was for taking the money. Now you get ten more for lying." Bella felt as this time the large metal of the buckle bit into her. This hurt. It was much worse than the metal studded leather. Bella screamed out and lost count, having to start again.

Losing count again, Bella screamed for Charlie to stop. Her pleading and the beating only stopped when Bella's voice became hoarse and broken, her tears long since dried.

Bella awoke to a foreign sound. She awoke nightly to tear stained cheeks and her grandmother's frightened plea for her to wake up, that she was safe now.

Grandma Swan was sure the dreams would eventually fade, but in the last month, she woke up every night, during the early morning hours, to Bella screaming out and begging her father to stop. Bella never would say what she had nightmares about, but Marie Swan was not blind as to what was happening. Bella had been seeing a counselor, but it felt as if Bella was getting worse. She was such a quiet child, careful to make no noise at all. She made no fuss and would play quietly in her head. At least that is what Grandma Swan was hoping. She would find Bella hidden between the wall and bed in her bedroom staring down at her treasured doll. Bella would sit so still silently communicating with the doll, never moving or speaking.

It broke Grandma Swan to see such a shattered child, being so terrified of her own shadow. A child of ten should be running and laughing, not hiding in shadows scared of speaking or moving. Grandma Swan would tuck Bella into bed each night, before retreating to her own bed, saying a silent prayer and drifting off to a light sleep. She only began to feel a lightness dance on her heart, when after four months; Bella's cries did not wake her nightly and began to fade to about three or four times a week. Bella was beginning to heal, but it was still a long road before the child would ever accept the normalcy of what life would be without abuse and neglect.

"Bella, come and eat dear." Grandma Swan called out. "I made your favorite, spaghetti!"

"Coming," Bella called out as she rose from her homework and walked to the table.

"So, summer is starting next week. What would you like to do?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I have a friend in Seattle and she has grandchildren your age. How about we go visit them for a week or so?"

"Okay." Bella said.

That was how, just two days after school, Bella found herself in the home of Mrs. Betty. Mrs. Betty had several grandchildren and Bella was amazed when Grandma Swan allowed her to go swing and play with them. Renee and Charlie never allowed her friends. It felt wonderful and new. Bella learned games such as chase and hide and go seek. When the week came to an end Bella was not ready to go home. Stacy and Bella had become the best of friends. Mrs. Betty promised that she would bring Stacy to Forks before school began and the two young girls hugged each other as Grandma Swan called for Bella to get in the truck. It appeared that Bella was beginning to open her heart to people around her. Grandma Swan noticed the change in Bella that summer. She wasn't as withdrawn and openly conversed with her doll and Grandma Swan herself.

Two weeks before school began; Grandma opened the front door to find her son standing on the porch.

"Charles?"

"Hi, Mother. Is Bella around?"

"Charles, you can't be here."

"Look, mother, I know I was wrong, but I love Bella. I've changed though. Renee took off and I-I'm lost. I miss my family. Please, can I please see my daughter for just a few minutes?"

"Charles, I can't allow that. Please just go."

"You can't keep my daughter from me, Mother." Charlie said as he turned and walked off the porch.

Grandma Swan turned to notice Bella was standing just behind the doorframe, out of Charlie's sight, but close enough to have heard. "Bella?" she asked the child quietly.

"He loves me. Grandma, daddy said he loved me."

"I know baby." Grandma Swan said as Bella fell into her arms, tears falling down her small face. Grandma Swan held Bella until her tears began to subside. Grandma Swan watched as Bella's once shaking body shuddered and with uneven breaths, Bella slipped into sleep. Grandma Swan eased the young girl into bed, before slipping between her own sheets. She was scared that the events of today would set Bella back in her progress.

The next morning Bella awoken with her heart and mind in turmoil. She always wanted her daddy to love her again. She hoped that with her daddy's love back, he wouldn't believe all of the lies and wouldn't hurt her anymore.

Bella was saddened when school began again. She wouldn't get to see her grandmother all day and the kids at school had been very mean last year. They had started calling her ugly and stupid and if they caught Bella hiding behind the big tree at the back of the playground with tears falling down her cheek, they called her a crybaby. They hadn't called her any of the other names Renee said she was, so that was good, but the names still hurt. This year, the other students still didn't seem to want to relent on the name calling. They called her Big Lips and tattle tale. Forks was a small town and it didn't take long for the people there to know what had happened. Most had ignored it; Charlie and Renee had always stayed out of the limelight and had kept their daughter from public view as much as possible. The adults were saddened about the actions of the parents, but their children not really understanding the whole ordeal, just thought Bella was a tattle tale for telling what had happened to her. The only thing is that now at nearly eleven and beginning the fifth grade, Bella found out that children could be just as cruel as Charlie and Renee. They added new words that Renee would call her such as whore and bitch. Bella's mental stability once again started slipping. The only thing that brightened her days, were Grandma's hugs and seeing Charlie as he waved at her from across the street before and after school. Bella couldn't understand why he would never come close enough to talk, but it was nice to know that he loved her enough to drive all the way to the school to wave at her.

Bella retreated into herself, except within the presence of her Grandmother. Bella awoke the first day of Christmas break to find Charlie sitting on the porch. Grandma was cooking breakfast, so Bella slipped out the door to say hello to her father for the first time in a year. Charlie hugged her close and told her he loved her and wanted her to come home. He told things would be different. Bella, being excited that her father loved and wanted her, ran into the kitchen laughing and telling her Grandmother that she had gotten the best present ever. Charlie wanted her to come home. Marie Swan was mortified. She asked Bella to go into her room, as she approached Charlie.

Their voices rose and Bella could hear the angered tones, but couldn't make out the sounds. She decided to creep closer down the hall and stopped when she found her grandmother sitting on the couch with her hand over her heart, panic on her face, as Charlie leered down over her.

Charlie hearing the quick shuffle of feet as Bella ran into the room, turned facing her.

"Bella, Grandma Swan is feeling a bit ill. Gather your things quickly as you will be staying with me until she gets better."

Bella nodded and taking one last worried look at Grandma Swan ran to get her things. Charlie drove her to his new house in Port Angeles and on the way bought her candy and soda and a new toy. It was an ugly little man looking thing with a huge plume of Pink hair that would sway around in the wind. Charlie told her it was a Troll doll and was a big thing in Seattle and Port Angeles. That night Charlie made them stuffed bell peppers, which Bella found to be very delicious and then they ate popcorn and watched a movie before he sent Bella to bed.

Bella awoke the next morning to find Renee in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Bella lightly treaded into the kitchen. Renee turned as she began to sit down at the table and smiled brightly.

"Oh Bella, I am so happy to see you again. I have missed you so very much." She gushed as she ran to give Bella a hug.

"Oh, you have such a cute little girl, Renee!" Bella heard a strange voice and looked up to see a woman with a gentle face and dark hair looking down at her.

"Thank you, Penny." Renee smiled once again. Penny spent the day at Charlie and Renee's and Bella found her to be very sweet and entertaining. When Penny left, Bella waved by and headed for her room, as she was tired and ready for bed. For two weeks Bella felt loved by her parents for the first time. They took her shopping for new clothes to wear to school when it started in January. In February, Bella found out that her parents had not changed at all, as their happy façade began to wear away and the beatings and verbal slashing began once again. In May, when a strange lady appeared on the doorstep, Bella was told to act perfect and happy. Bella sat on the couch while Renee gave the lady a tour of the house. The lady sat talking with Renee for several moments. Renee had held Bella close, showering her with hugs and making Bella laugh and smile. The lady finally left when Renee announced that she needed to get dinner ready.

Upon closing the door, Renee turned to Bella and with a deadpan glare told her she had done a good job, but could spend the rest of the evening in her room. Bella nodded and retreated to her bed until she was called for dinner. Charlie and Renee were both quiet and barely spoke. Bella followed suit not wanting to get into trouble. Two days later, she came home from to school to find all of her stuff packed up and Charlie announced she was going to go stay with Grandma Swan again. Bella was elated and said nothing as Charlie led her to his car, carrying the trash bag full of her clothes.

Okay, I have never been one to care for reviews, but the fact is, out of 4 stories so far, I have very little. This is a bit disheartening, especially since this story is one that hits very close to home for me. I am taking this as my writting is subpar and starting to believe that perhaps I shouldn't continue and possibly even remove this story. I realize that this is one that isn't for everyone, but someone has to have some thoughts. Please people, review. If it sucks, tell me in a nice way. I promise I won't be offended as long as you aren't offensive by attacking me personally. Critique can be good. It allows a writer to grow.