Disclaimer: I don't believe anyone can be forced to have examination with a rape kit, it's purely for character relationship development. Since this is fanfiction I don't want to have to do a ton of research for procedures. Sorry. I'll do my best with my vast knowledge obtained from avid Lay & Order watching. :)


Innocence Lost; Chapter Four

I turned to Carlisle, if I was human tears would have been leaking from my eyes, but my eternal hell refused to let me show my emotion, "Isn't there some way to over ride her decision?"

Carlisle sat down in the chair, "An adult with a close relationship needs to sign the forms."

I looked down, I knew that it was Bella's job to tell her father and I wasn't sure she was ready for that. I also knew that evidence like this needed to be collected as close as possible to the time of the crime, and that time was already ticking away.

"Define adult?"

"Over eighteen, Edward. But you can't be-" I rushed out of the room, not letting him finish his refusal of my idea.

"Jasper! Where are the birth certificates we used to enroll at Forks?" I ran into his room, interrupting a terribly precious moment between Alice and him. It was sweet the way, a single look or touch could spread emotion through both of them.

"Top desk drawer."

"Thanks," I grabbed mine and ran back to Carlisle.

"It says I'm eighteen," he appeared as if he was going to say no.

He did, "Edward, I'm not sure it's right of you to decide something like that."

"Please, I need to put that bastard away. I don't want to have to kill him, I'm hoping the justice system can do something about him. Dad, please."

Carlisle looked away and sighed, "I'm going to be honest," I nodded, understanding the need to be, "She may hate you after this."

"And she may thank me. Imagine how disappointed she will be with herself five year down the line when realizes that she didn't do something about a rapist. Bella couldn't stand for that, she would hate to know that she was the one who caused other people pain. She wouldn't be able to live with herself."

"It's your decision," Carlisle handed me the papers and I left the fragrant room, Bella's smell had permeated the room.

I sat outside my room, listening to Bella moan in her sleep. I knew exactly what she was dreaming of and it pained me not be able to save her from the nightmare, but even if I woke her up she would still have to go back to sleep again and relieve this night. Forever. Until she died.

"You're doing the right thing," Alice came and sat next to me.

"Letting her suffer like that? I can't believe I let her go to that party."

"Edward. You can't blame yourself, you can't see the future. I was so caught up in looking for the wedding dress I saw for B-" she looked up and smiled at me, I gulped at her unfinished statement, "Well, I was busy and not paying attention to my visions. I didn't see it until it was too late."

"Maybe it's both of our faults."

Rosalie walked in front of us and stood there, looking down at us, her eyebrow drawn up, "Ever thought maybe it's just that stupid humans fault."

I stood up and slammed Rosalie into the wall, "It's not Bella's fault. Don't you ever say anything like that," there was a raging feeling coming from inside me, something I hadn't felt since Bella had had her life threatened by James.

"No! That kids fault, the guy, whatever his name was," Rose pushed my arms out of the way and walked over to her door.

"Newton?"

"Yeah. It's his fault."

"Rose, we could of stopped it. I can read minds, Alice can see the future. Those are prime super powers to stop horrible things from happening."

"But, maybe that's what wrong. Do you know how hard it is to live in this fantasy world and have your ability be your beauty, something you were already praised for when you were human? It's difficult, but it's also given me a crucial experience of seeing this world from a different point of view," she walked over and placed her hand on my shoulder, making sure I was paying attention.

"Just because we get to be on this earth forever and be extremely strong doesn't mean we can save everyone we care about," she paused, she had been blocking her mind from me the entire time, but her mind opened up and she wondered back to when she had saved Emmett from the bear, "At least with out drastic measures."

"You know I can't do that to her, I don't want to take her soul."

Alice who I had been silent this entire time, spoke up, "She would forget."

"What do you mean," I turned around to face her.

"When- if you change Bella she would forget this ever happened. She would have no memory of it."

"She has the right to know," it was odd to hear Rose talk about Bella in a friendly way.

"Bella being changed isn't really of importance right now," I said, pushing past both of them and walking into my room.

Bella was curled on the couch, I pulled the shirt back down around her knowing she wouldn't appreciate me seeing her like that, especially now. I found a blanket in the hall closet and wrapped it around her, "What do you want me to do, Bella?"

"Edward."

She was talking in her sleep again, "Bella," I answered.

"Don't. No. Edward! Help!" her voice became panicked and her breath shortened. I tried my best to calm her, "Do something! Please!"

I looked at her, tears running down her sleepy face, bruises on her neck, cheekbone and jaw line. I looked down at the papers, "Please forgive me, love," I signed the paper and hoped that in the end this was what Bella would want.