Disclaimer: All actual Twilight things belong to Stephenie Meyer, this story line and a few original characters belong to us. Please by all means, write your own stuff and don't steal ours. A huge thank you goes out to: Jess2002, Aurellacullen FFN/Aylacullen TWCS, MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, toocute24, and Sarah… These girls are one awesome group of ladies to work with. Any mistakes in the final wrap belong to us. Thanks, Kasi and Nikky.
Chapter 9: Doctor, Mall, and Names
After Isabella spoke a little about her upbringing, or lack thereof, I felt this overwhelming desire to help her out more. I have been writing out an action plan to assist me with teaching her to read. One of the first things I will need to do is to get her eyes tested. With this in mind, I give Carlisle a call and inform him about Isabella; he is very surprised that I have hired her. After recovering from shock, he agrees to help us out.
Carlisle schedules her for an appointment late Thursday morning. I ask him to do some blood work and a general physical check as well. All my staff receives yearly physicals, and I'm sure that she will not pick up any misgivings on my part.
Carlisle has also scheduled an appointment for Isabella with his dear friend, and my own personal ophthalmologist, Dr. Benjamin Nile.
I arrive at Midnight Sun at nine o'clock; we need to be out the door as soon as she gets in. I have found that Isabella has the ability to blend in well with her surroundings. On more than one occasion, I have been unable to find her, and in the end I've had to shout her name only to have her appear out of thin air beside me. One of these days she will give me that heart attack I thought I was experiencing. I look at my watch to find that it's twenty past nine, I head to the main door just as Isabella is about to enter. I can always set my watch by her.
"Good morning, Mr. Masen." She gives me a proper smile and steps to the side to let me out.
"Yes, it is a nice morning Isabella, come with me." I wave my hand in front of myself. She looks at me curiously, causing me to raise my eyebrow at her. I smile warmly and motion for her to walk with me; she turns and begins walking as do I.
"Mr. Masen, I don't mean to be rude… but where are we going? Do you need me to work at your house today?"
I shake my head as we continue walking. "No Isabella, as you know all my employees have to have a medical health check. I am accompanying you to yours." We stop walking when we arrive at the bus stop. I glance at Isabella who is noticeably upset.
"Mr. Masen, I didn't bring any money with me. I'm sorry; I can't afford to have a medical check." I frown as I observe that there is something in her expression that tells me that it's not just money she is worried about. I look up to see the bus coming to a stop beside us.
Getting on, I lead her to the seats at the back, motioning for her to sit. I sit next to her, leaving a little room between us. "Isabella, I set up a medical plan for each of my staff members, including you. Your medical exam is a part of that so you don't need to worry about payment." I'm not really lying, more like stretching the truth a little. "I know that you don't like people being close to you that you haven't met; for that reason I'm taking you to see a dear friend of mine." I smile thinking about how to explain Carlisle. "His name is Carlisle and he is… I guess you could say that he is like a father figure to me. He's a very compassionate man, and has an amazing ability to relax the people around him. He will not hurt you, I promise. I would never allow him, or anyone else for that matter, to hurt you." I didn't really mean for what I said at the end to come out, but as I looked into her eyes, my brain could not prevent my thoughts from being spoken. She looks me right in the eye, lingering longer than she usually does. I observe her reaction and notice her bite her lip, as she nods her head.
"Will you stay with me the whole time Mr. Masen?" she asks timidly, as her eyes fall to the floor.
Without thinking, my hand moves to the underside of her chin, gently lifting it up so that she can look at me. I feel small sparks on the tips of my fingers as I keep my fingers against her skin. They were the same comforting sparks I felt the night of my panic attack. I dismiss it quickly before I speak. "I will stay with you, if that's what you want. This needs to be your choice Isabella. I know that I have been ordering you around a lot lately; but this time, it is solely your decision. If you wish for me to stay in the room with you, then I will. If you want me to leave, then I'll stay just outside the door. This is all about you, and what you want."
As she looks towards me, I could feel her shaking a little, but she never pulls her face away from my hand. "I would like you to stay in the room please, Mr. Masen." I nod my head as I let her face go.
The remaining bus journey is quiet. I spend the time watching her from the corner of my eye, observing her as she looks out of the window. I begin thinking about all that I have learned over the past few weeks regarding Isabella Swan. She is an incredibly smart girl, who was not allowed an education. She cares deeply for her siblings, and feels that they are all she has in the world. No matter how much I ruminate on the things I have learned, I can only imagine the truth that is yet to be revealed. I hope beyond all of my being, that those truths don't physically break her; or me for that matter. I struggle with my perception of what she has been put through in her twenty-four years of life.
We arrive at the hospital, and I find myself walking next to Isabella with my hand at the base of her back as I guide her towards Carlisle's office. Although I did not have my hand on her skin, it was close enough that I could feel the sparks again. "Good morning Edward," Carlisle says, standing as we enter his office. He smiles at me, then towards Isabella. "And this must be Isabella." He holds out his hand for her to shake. She looks to me, and I nod.
I watch her shake his hand, and much like with Taylor, she only takes his hand lightly. "It's nice to meet you Dr. Carlisle."
Carlisle shakes his head at her. "Just Carlisle; please take a seat." Isabella sits down on the seat that Carlisle points to. "Edward, could you step out so that I can go through her medical history with her?"
"No," Isabella shouts as she jumps up quickly, moving to the door as she does.
"Isabella calm down, it's okay, I promise," I tell her.
She is visibly shaking at this point and looks to me, pleading with her eyes. "You… you said that you wouldn't… that you would stay with me." The hurt in her eyes is intense.
"Isabella, I am not going to leave you, okay. Come back and sit down. Carlisle was not aware that you wanted me to stay. It will all be fine, I promise."
She glances at me then towards Carlisle who is still standing at his desk, observing her with a frown on his face. "That's correct Isabella; Edward can stay if you want him to."
She bites her lip and blushes as she stares at the floor. "I am sorry I was rude to your friend Mr. Masen." She moves a bit as she speaks, slowly calming down from her agitated state.
"Isabella, you were not rude; it's fine really. I should have told Carlisle that you had asked me to stay."
Carlisle walks behind his desk and grabs his chair, bringing it with him back around to the table. "Okay Isabella, how about we get the easy stuff completed first, alright? What is your full name?"
Isabella looks to me again and I nod my head. She clears her throat. "Isabella Marie Swan."
Carlisle smiles; you can see that she tries to return his smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Date of birth?" he asks, looking up from his papers as he speaks with her.
"The thirteenth of September."
Carlisle looks to her questioningly. "And what year was that?"
She begins to shake again, and it's clear that she is uncomfortable speaking; so I answer the year for her. "1987."
She nods her head a little to confirm this and closes her eyes. "Home address?"
Again she doesn't reply, so I answer again. "202 Washington Avenue, aptartment. 3C."
"Washington Avenue?" Carlisle repeats questioningly, and again she nods at him. "Do you know your parents' given names?"
She looks at me and again clears her throat. "I think my first mom was called Rain, Rennin, or something like that. I don't know what her last name was. My dad was called Charlie Swan, and my second mom is called Sue Swan." Carlisle nods as he writes all the information down on the file he has started for her.
"Do you know what childhood illnesses you may have had?" She shakes her head. "Do you know of any illnesses that run in your family?"
She looks down again, and I can see that she is having a hard time. "My first mom; she was really sick, but I don't know why. I remember a little more about her, and I was talking to Mr. Masen about her. I don't remember what she looked like, but I know her hair was brown like mine. I remember that all her hair fell out when she was sick and she saw a doctor a lot before she died." I look at her and then glance at Carlisle; it almost sounds like her mom had cancer.
"When was the last time you saw a doctor?"
She frowns looking towards the floor again. "I saw one after… after I was hurt; they said I had to see one." I look to Carlisle who I know is looking straight at Isabella. Her breath has increased, and she has closed her eyes. Her whole body is shaking now.
I move off the chair and crouch in front of her. "Isabella, just breathe, you're okay I promise; you will be okay. Can you tell us what you're talking about, who hurt you?" There is a part of me that does not want to hear what she is going to say, because if she says that her bitch of so called step-mother hurt her, then I will track her down and kill her myself. As for that piece of shit of a father, I will dig the bastard up and smash his bones to pieces.
"I was in the car, they were taking me out. I got to look out the window, and I loved it; but then there was a loud noise. I remember I fell to the side, and the noises were so loud. I only closed my eyes for a few minutes and when they opened again my mom and dad were gone. I couldn't move… and, the car was so warm. I didn't like it, there was smoke too… and, it burned to breathe. I could hear mom screaming that I was in the car, but couldn't move. Then this man grabbed me, and when I woke up, there was some rescue guy looking me over. I didn't know who he was then, and he said that he had to take me to the hospital. I didn't want to go and I told them… but they didn't listen. They jabbed me with something and I closed my eyes again; when I woke up I was in a bed. There was a man there and he said that he was a doctor, and he was talking to mom and dad. He said that he wanted me to stay for a few days... but I wanted to go home. I didn't want them to forget me because we were moving soon. The man said I had to calm down, or he would put me back to sleep. I was bad and didn't listen, so he tied my arms and my legs down; I felt a jab again on my leg and I feel asleep. All I remember was that it all hurt so very badly," Isabella says as her body shakes vigorously now. I sigh closing my eyes, no wonder she hates cars; not to mention her fear of doctor.
"Isabella, do you remember how old you were?" She looks at Carlisle as he speaks.
"I think I was six or seven?" She makes it sound like a question.
"Do you remember seeing a doctor at any other time?" She shakes her head at him. He clears his throat to compose himself before she can see it. "Are you sexually active?"
I frown at him, and he rolls his eyes, looking back at Isabella.
"Do you mean like… be with a man in the bedroom?"
Carlisle looks at me then back at her. "In a way yes, have you been with a man, or even another woman in an intimate way? Has anyone ever touched you on your breasts, or down below?"
Isabella shakes her head. "No," she says very clearly.
"What is your menstruation cycle like?"
Isabella looks at Carlisle and frowns. "I am sorry; I don't know for sure what you're talking about."
Carlisle sighs, and puts down his pen. "Sorry Isabella; I am still in doctor talk mode. Do you have time during the month where you bleed from your vagina?" As he asks, he also points to the general area on himself.
I see that Isabella is blushing rather red, but she takes a breath and answers. "Mrs. Cope said that I was not to talk to men about things like that, she says it isn't proper."
Carlisle chuckles a little. "Isabella, I am sure Mrs. Cope meant well when she told you that, and she is right, but I am a doctor and it's important for me to know these things."
She bites her lip, and nods her head. "I get one about every other month for around four days."
He nods his head, as he writes more down on her chart. "Do you remember when they began?"
Isabella looks to the floor. "It was five years ago. I was working at the college, and the people there were all dressed up. I didn't know what was happening, and Mrs. Cope talked to me about it and helped me get cleaned up. That was the first time I met her. It was the next day when Mr. Marcus asked me how I was getting on and I told him what happened the day before. That's when Mrs. Cope told me that females are not meant to speak to men about those things." Carlisle smiles at her and nods his head. I hold back a chuckle at the thought of her talking to Marcus about starting her period, he must have loved that.
"Okay. Now I need to do a few measurements. Step over here so I can measure your weight and height Isabella. Go ahead and remove your jacket and shoes please?" She nods her head and removes them. He directs her to the height chart first. "Sixty-two inches, so you're five foot and two inches." He gives her a smile, and takes her over to the scales. "You weigh ninety-one pounds." He frowns at how little she weighs. Fuck, I really need to start feeding her more.
"Isabella, I need you to change into the gown that is sitting on the examination bed for me." Isabella picks up the gown, looking at me. I look back at her, and her eyes fall to the floor.
Her hands go up to her top buttons, and I know that the words Carlisle used sound as if he is telling her to do it now. As she will not question this, she has no hesitation to change right here and now, even if she is uncomfortable; and that is making me uncomfortable.
"Isabella, Carlisle and I will step out so that you can change, just like I did, when we were at Midnight Sun and you changed into your new uniform. We will knock on the door in a few minutes; and if you're done, then tell us and we can come back in." Her hands stop at the top of her shirt, nodding her head slowly. Carlisle and I walk out, shutting the door behind us.
I sigh rubbing my face. "Well, what are you thinking?" I ask, looking at him; clearly seeing that he's worried about her.
"There's clearly enough evidence to show a lack of education. I used a great deal of commonly-used words that she should have recognized; she clearly didn't understand what those words meant. Going back to what she said of her birth mother, I would say that there is a large chance she died from cancer. There could be a possibility that there were other causes, but with what she remembers and what I interpreted, I would guess cancer. Isabella is clearly underweight, and will need to put on at least seven pounds; which will still put her on the light end of the scale for her height. I would really prefer to see her put on fourteen pounds. She has had a traumatic experience with a car crash; which I am taking was the first time you heard of it?" I nod my head at him in agreement. "If this is the only time she remembers seeing a doctor, then this would add to her fear of being here and explains why she almost ran out of my room. She may have experienced some form of abuse, but I am not sure if it is emotional, mental, physical, or sexual abuse. I couldn't tell you for sure, I will not rule out sexual abuse, or a combination of a few. Maybe even all of them. I am rather concerned about her lack of knowledge on certain things. For a twenty-four year old, she has a very inept lack of understanding in regards to sexual activity." I pull at my hair. Carlisle looks to the floor, and has put a mask on his face so I am no longer able to read him. "Are you sure the mother is not in the picture anymore?"
Again I nod my head at him. "I am sure. She has a brother and sister that she is now raising alone. What are you thinking Carlisle?"
He sighs looking at me. "I may have no choice, Edward." Fuck no he can't!
"You can't involve child services; she looks after them very well, I swear. I have seen them, they are fine. They look even healthier than her, you can't do that!"
He holds up his hands in surrender. "Edward, I have a code of ethics to which I am bound to honor. If I feel that a minor is in danger, I need to report it. If this woman has lived through abuse, do you want the same for them?"
I pull at my hair more. "No, she wouldn't let that happen. Please, I will watch over them, I promise. And the babysitter lives next door to her and the kids. I will talk to her and make sure she calls me at the first sign of that bitch of a mother returning. Please don't do this. I don't know her that well, but I do know that it would kill her if they take those kids away from her. She is trying her best, please. Those kids don't go without anything." I am just about on my knees begging him.
"You really care about her, don't you?"
I half shake and half nod my head, making myself feel dizzy. "I don't know, I just… she helped me. When I had that first panic attack, it was her that helped me. I was so mean to her after that; but when I had the second one, she helped me again. There is just something that I see when I look into her eyes. Please, I think… I think I could be good for her… a good friend to her."
He looks at me and sighs. "It's a good thing that I don't know about the children then." I let out a long sigh and mouth 'thank you' to him. "But Edward, if I feel that they're in any danger, I will make the call." I nod my head at him.
He knocks on the door and Isabella tells us to come in. "How about we start with something easy? First, let's take your temperature and blood pressure." I watch as he uses the forehead scanner to read her temp, then jots down the readings on her file. I see him wrap a large cuff around her arm, and then place the stethoscope on the inside of her elbow as he begins to inflate the cuff. I note that Isabella watches everything he does carefully. Carlisle checks her reflexes and examines her ears, nose, and throat. He does one of the most complete physicals that I have ever been a witness to.
"Isabella, I need you to lie flat on the bed for me. I need to check your breasts; it is a typical examination that all females should have done yearly. Since I highly suspect that your birth mother may have died from cancer, I want to do a full and thorough examination to be sure that you're completely healthy." She looks at him and gives him a little nod. "I'll just pull the curtain around to block the view and give you privacy. Edward will still be in the room, but on the other side of the curtain."
This time she begins to shake a little, and I move my chair in line with where her head is. I move the curtain a little, so when she turns her head towards me, she can clearly see me. She immediately looks towards me, as if she knows I am here. I give her a little smile before I close my eyes to give her privacy; waiting for this part to be over. "Okay, I need you to place this arm up over your head; well done… Okay now this arm please… good girl. There you go; you can put your arm back down now. Okay, now we got you all covered back up, I do have another test I need to perform." I open my eyes and see that she is looking at me, and she is rather scared. I smile to reassure her that I am here. "Okay Isabella, since you have never been to the doctor as an adult, I need to do a pelvic examination. It only takes a few minutes, and will be over quickly if you are able to relax. What I will need to do is take this very small tool; it is called a speculum and I will insert it below, into your vagina. It will not be comfortable, but it will not hurt you. It will allow me to do a pap smear. I will take a few swabs and I can test them to be sure that you do not have any of the typical cancers that strike women." I glance over to her, and she bites her lip while she is nodding her head. While Carlisle gets his things, I smile to her and she slightly smiles back. "Okay, I need you to place your legs like this." I hear him walking around; and sit on the stool he uses. "I will try and be quick. Okay Isabella, take a nice deep breath, and stay calm and relaxed." I hear Isabella gasp and I turn my head to look at her. She has her eyes closed and is gripping the edge of the bed. "Isabella I know it's uncomfortable, but I need you to relax a little. The more that you tense up, the worse it is. There we go, good girl it's almost over."
"Well done," he says as I hear him put items into the wash basin. I lean back on the chair, and see him putting her legs back down. I open the curtain and glance at him, hoping that he will tell me that she has not been sexually abused. "Isabella you did well, are you feeling okay?" She nods as she sits up and looks at me. "Finally, I need to take some blood and give you an injection to help prevent HPV which is short for the Human Papillomavirus. This virus can increase your risk of developing cervical cancer if you contract it. I will give you all kinds of pamphlets to read over about the prevention of HPV. I can see that you haven't been sexually active, so therefore I feel it is in your best interest to have the injections. You will need to come back for two more, but it will be covered under your health plan," Carlisle says looking at me. Isabella nods her head in agreement as if she will allow anything at this point. It worries me, but I know Carlisle will not hurt her. Carlisle takes blood to run a full screening test on her, and then explained that he would call on Tuesday to give her the results.
Wait, hasn't been sexually active? Was that Carlisle's way of saying that Isabella was a virgin? At twenty-four! Impossible! What the hell, that is just unheard of, unless the woman lives in a fucking convent. Then suddenly I remember Aro's words, when he mentioned that she was willing to sell her virginity, whoa.
I am brought out of my mental rambling by the sound of Carlisle's voice. "Well done Isabella, here would you like a lollipop?" he asks holding out the jar, and she takes one with a thank you. I grab one before he can put the jar away. "Edward… you and that sweet tooth of yours, I swear. You weren't even seen today, and I'm not sure you've been a good boy." I laugh at him as I put the lollipop in my mouth, fighting the urge to stick my tongue out at him.
I glance at Isabella who is looking at the lollipop. "Have you ever had a lollipop before?" I ask her, and she shakes her head no. "Well you're in for a real treat," I say enthusiastically as I remove the wrapper and hand it back to her. "Put it in your mouth, and close your lips around it. If you slide your tongue across it, you will enjoy the flavor." I hear Carlisle chuckle at what I said; the fucker has one dirty mind. I am sure my comment went straight to the gutter. I roll my eyes at him, but watch Isabella follow what I instructed. I smile brightly when her eyes light up.
"Mmm… this is very nice, thank you Carlisle. Now I know why Seth and Leah are always asking for these." I smile at her, nodding my head.
"Well then, you better take some home for them as well." I look at Carlisle who now has a shit eating grin on his face as he hands her half the jar of lollipops; she is literally like a kid in a candy store.
"Isabella, I would like you to come by a week from Friday with Seth and Leah after school. I would like to give them a quick physical just to check that they have all their immunizations up to date, it won't take as long as your appointment did." She bites her lip and I can tell she is nervous. "If it eases your mind, I once worked with children; though I have not had a child as a patient in a long time. There is no charge for me to see them as it's all covered by the medical insurance that Edward has for you." She nods her head, and I give him the 'what the fuck' look. "You go ahead and get changed so Edward can get over to see Dr. Ben. You will like him, he is very nice," Carlisle says with a smile. We step out of the room, and I wait by the door as Carlisle takes a call he was paged for.
The door opens and Bella smiles at me. "Well Isabella, we better get you over to Ben's office before we're late. Carlisle, I'll see you later," I say. Isabella gives him a genuine smile and waves as we leave. I turn, giving him one last look and he mouths 'call me later,' I nod my head at him.
"Would you like some of the lollipops, Mr. Masen?"
I look at her and I am reminded at just how innocent she is. "That's okay Isabella, take them home and share them with Seth and Leah. I am pretty sure that they would love them."
She nods her head with a smile. "Yeah they would; but there are a lot here. Some lady who came to their kindergarten class one time said that things like these were bad for their teeth. She told me they are only to have them now and again. I know if I have all of these, they will just eat them all. Please take some," she says. I nod my head at her as she hands me half of what Carlisle gave her.
"Thank you Isabella, I will put these in a jar at the house and we can share them there."
She smiles at me. "Okay, you're welcome".
We keep walking until we get to Ben's office. This time it is all new for her, as Isabella has never been through an eye examination. Ben is very patient with her as she follows his directions. He even gives her the child exam, using pictures instead of the alphabet. Her vision is not bad, but she does have astigmatism. He informs her that she will need to wear glasses, and she begins to look worried. He gives us her prescription for the corrective lenses and informs us of a place at the mall that can make new glasses in an hour. He shakes my hand, and tells Isabella she did well.
"Now we need to go to the mall to get your glasses, and pick up some supplies so that I can begin your reading lessons." She smiles, nodding her head at me. We again get on the bus, sitting in the very back seat. The bus is a little more crowded this time. Isabella again sits near the window, and I have to sit a little closer to her than usual. I am happy to notice that it doesn't scare her as it previously did when I was in close contact with her. As we got off the bus at the mall, I realize that I have caught the bus more times in the past few weeks than I ever have in the past.
"We should go and hand this in first so that you should be able to receive your glasses today. You will have to pick out frames, but don't worry about the cost as the medical insurance will cover glasses too." I guide her into the one hour vision center. A woman approaches us and asks if we need help, then begins to show Isabella the frames that would best suit her face. On the sly, I mouth to the woman that cost is of no concern. Isabella is a bit hesitant to try on the different frames, so I began to try them on causing her giggling, which sounded like music to my ears. This leads to her picking out frames for me to try on. After a little while of me carrying on wearing the female frames which Isabella said suited me, she relaxed enough to try some on herself. I ended up purchasing her a pair of Tag Heuer C-Flex 0701, they were one of the higher-end frames in stock, but they really suited her face. Isabella saw the price tag and I thought it would be war, but she relented when I told her the frames were covered by the insurance. Isabella looked to the sales lady, who thankfully confirmed my statement. Isabella caved to the idea and agreed to the frames. As it would be an hour before the glasses were ready, I figure we can get our other shopping done and then return to collect them.
"I'm starving and need to eat something. I'm thinking we should go get something to eat now; we have to wait an hour anyway. Plus, I also need food to take with these tablets the doctors have prescribed for me; I am unable to take them on an empty stomach. After we eat lunch, we can go and get the supplies we need for your lessons. Then we will return to pick up your glasses, before heading out. How does that sound?" I ask, hoping that she will agree since I listed off so much. I knew putting things she wants with the things I know she would be apprehensive about would work in my favor. I guide her to the food court area of the mall, figuring that she would not go for an actual sit down restaurant meal. After having lunch with Isabella these past few weeks, I have picked up a great deal on her likes and dislikes. I know if I don't order for her, she will get just a bottle of water. I see a 'Sub Shoppe' and deciding that this would by our best option; I don't ask her what she wants, I just order for her.
"I would like one and a half foot-long sandwiches with grilled chicken, provolone cheese, lettuce, and honey mustard sauce on cheese bread. I also need a foot-long with meatball marinara, provolone cheese, lettuce on whole grain wheat, toasted. I will also take two bottles of water, two chocolate shakes, and two of those blueberry muffins please." The woman behind the counter gives me a strange look, before setting off to do what I ordered. I pay the total and take the tray to where Isabella is sitting and waiting for me.
"Here is a chicken sandwich all for you, and a bottle of water." I place them in front of her, only giving her a six inch sub.
"Thank you, Mr. Masen," she says giving me a shy smile looking down at her sub.
"I want you to eat it all, or no muffin for you."
She looks at me shocked, but has a hint of a smile. "Muffin? You got me a muffin?" I nod my head as I take a bite of my first sub. "I love muffins, they're my favorite food. I buy them for Seth and Leah on Sundays after church."
I take a drink of water as I look towards her. "Don't you get one for yourself on Sundays too?"
She shakes her head. "No; I really love them, so I would eat hundreds of them at one time if I could. I buy myself one every now and then," she says with a shrug and starts eating her sub.
"I got you another special treat too. It is a chocolate milkshake; I really want you to try it." I hand the shake to Isabella and observe as she tries it.
Her face lights up and it is clear from the look on her face that she has never tried one before. "Wow, this really is good. Seth and Leah told me they were. They tried one at kindergarten once and have liked them ever since. Now I know why. I never knew how good these were, thank you." I give her a smile and continue to eat.
Isabella eats her whole sub in the time it takes me to eat both of mine. I even ate the second one slower so she wouldn't be eating alone. I was worried that it may have been too much for her to eat, but she did not have any difficulty doing so. "Well, I think that you deserve this muffin," I say handing it over to her. Again her face lit up and I watch her as she ate the muffin. The whole time she is eating, she seems really happy, she really does love muffins.
Once we both are done, we head over to the teacher-supply store. Grabbing a basket as we enter, Isabella follows me around. I pick up note pads, tracing paper, wide-lined writing paper, pencils, erasers, colored pencils, index cards, markers, workbooks, and all the things that I will need to teach her. We then go to Barnes and Noble book store so that I can pick up the set of Dick and Jane books I ordered. While we are in here, I show her the books I know she has listened to. I point out the book showing her the cover. "This one is Romeo and Juliet."
I watch the look of awe spread across her face as she gently takes the book in her hand, looking at it. "I like the picture, it's very nice. Do… do you think that maybe I could read a book like this someday?" she asks looking up at me, the hope clear in her eyes is so encouraging for me.
"Yes, Isabella, I think you will. I remember I was in high school when I first read this book. I used to think it was a book only for girls, but we also had to watch the movie as well. After I saw the movie, it inspired me to read it, and I am glad that I did."
I look towards her and she looks at me in awe. "They made this book into a movie?"
I nod my head. "Yes, there are many books you will read that have been made into big screen productions."
She stands there looking at me then around herself. "What is a big screen production?"
Fucking hell not another thing she has missed out on.
I shake my head. "Yeah, like at the cinema, the movies they show in the theater. Those are all shown on the big screen. Before you can buy a movie to watch at home, it is shown in a movie theater and they show it on a big screen. Do you… have a TV at home?"
She nods her head really pleased. "Yes, I save the money that I make when I draw at the park. I used it once when I bought one and a DVD player too. I got it for Seth and Leah to watch cartoons when I make their dinner. Zafrina gets channels on her TV, but we don't. Aro says that cable is free with my apartment, but I know he is already giving me more for the little I give him in rent. So I buy a new DVD once a month for them to watch. I plan on doing some drawing this weekend as Zafrina says it is supposed to be nice outside. Seth and Leah really want the new one where the girl has long blond hair, and a pet lizard. They think it will be fun, because we have one too."
I chuckle at her obvious excitement over buying the TV, and I run through what she just said. "You have a pet lizard?"
She nods again. "Well, it was mom's, one of her friends gave it to her, and Seth and Leah loved it. It was so funny when they chased him around the floor, so she said they could have it." She frowns a little. "Jake is a lot bigger now, and I think he needs a friend because he is always trying to cuddle up to and lay on Leah's pink teddy bear. I tried telling him that it's a toy, but he won't listen and just sticks his tongue out at me." I chuckle and she smiles at me.
While we were talking, we managed to check out at the book store and have started walking down the mall. I look ahead and see the video store. "Hey, come in here with me," I say, griping her hand and pulling her along with me into the video store.
"What are we doing, where are we going?" she asks.
I smile at her as I go to the classics section. "I am going to help you out; these will help you understand the stories better. This is all about helping with your learning." I pick up Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, and a few others. "I need to find one more," I say still holding her hand. I pull her again over to the kids section. I pick up Tangled, the movie Seth and Leah wanted. Turning around, Beauty and the Beast also catches my eye, so I pick that up as well. I pay for everything and lead her back out of the shop. "These are for you to watch, they are the movies of all the books that I know you have listened too. This one," I say holding Tangled. "I wanted to buy to give to Seth and Leah." I put all the movies back in the bag and hand it to her.
She is again biting her lip, but I know it is a reflex now more than fear. "Thank you, Mr. Masen"
I frown at her still calling me Mr. Masen. "Isabella, I know that we had a deal, but… " I stop talking and rub the back of my neck. "I would really like it if you could call me Edward. I really hate hearing you call me Mr. Masen all the time. You are much more than an employee to me."
She looks at the bag and the other bags around us before looking back at my face. I give her my best puppy dog eyes and sad face. To my surprise she bursts out laughing at me when I do.
"Hey, you were supposed to feel sorry for me."
She bites her lip again, and this time I can tell it is to hold in her laughter. "Can I call you Ed, like your friend does?"
I growl out loudly, and inside my head I shout fuck no, Emmie calling me that is bad enough. "Yes… if you like. I guess it is much better than Mr. Masen."
She smiles at me. As I look at her, I realize that today is the first time she has smiled so freely and frequently. It makes me even happier, so I smile back at her. "I am sorry, but I don't think I can call you Ed." My face falls, but I nod my head at her. "It just doesn't suit you very well, but I will try and call you Edward. I may slip sometimes and still call you Mr. Masen."
"I can live with that, thank you Isabella." She stops and glances at me. "Is there something wrong?"
She nods her head. "If I am to call you Edward, can you call me Bella? I liked it when you called me Bella at the park, when you saved me." Her voice got quieter towards the end, but I heard her clearly. I pull her over to the bench, and guide her to sit down beside me.
"I am really sorry for the way I acted after that day, I really am. I would like to call you Bella again, and I promise not to change my mind without discussing things with you." She smiles and gives me a nod. I clear my throat and look at my watch, seeing it is just about three. "You pick Seth and Leah up at four-thirty today, right?"
She nods her head. "Yes, they have club group today, they're learning basketball."
"Okay, we need to go and collect your glasses before we head off then." She nods her head, and walks beside me as we head back to get them. The woman needed to make a few minor adjustments to the frames to ensure they fit her better. I pay for them while they are doing this, knowing that Bella is none the wiser. We take the bus back, getting off at Midnight Sun.
"I'll let you get off here Bella," I say smiling at her. Yeah I really do prefer calling her Bella; I begin to push the door open.
"Mr. Mas… Edward," I hear her say and feel her hand grab mine. I look down at our joined hands as I feel those sparks return. "Thank you, for helping me, with the reading and stuff. I want you to know that I had a REALLY good time today. My second best day… ever. Thank you."
I look at her feeling unsure and upset that this has been only the second best day of her life. "Second best day?" I ask questioningly, and then decide to lighten it into more of a joke, raising my eyebrows at her.
"Yes, the best day of my life is when I met Seth and Leah. I love them both the same, so even though I met them on different days, to me they share the best day ever for me."
I grin at her. "Just so you know, this has been the best day of shopping I have had in a long, long time. So, thank you Bella."
Bella blushes and nods her head. "I will see you tomorrow Mr. Masen… I'm sorry; I mean Edward. Have a good evening," she says smiling as she begins walking away.
"You too, Bella," I reply with a smile. I watch her walking away, feeling sad that our time together has come to an end.
~*HVC*~
It is late in the evening now and I decide to give Carlisle a call to ask about what he was playing at, when he asked to see Seth and Leah.
"Hello Edward, I was expecting you to call much earlier."
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah… just tell me what that whole thing with the kids was about?"
I hear him sigh. "I am not checking up on her Edward, but right now they should be seeing a doctor. I just want to help make sure they're getting what they need medically. At some point someone may pick up on what you have observed, and having her taking them to a doctor will be more in her favor. That is all I am going to do. I assume because they are in school that all of their shots are up to date, but it is best to double check." I rub my face knowing that he is right.
"I'll be coming along too. I will get the afternoon off from the college."
I hear him chuckle. "Now there's a surprise."
"What do you mean by that?" I growl through the phone at him.
"I meant nothing bad by it, Edward. I have known you for eighteen years now, and you've never once looked at anyone the way you look at her. I saw a different you today and not in a bad way. Not only that, but I can see what you mean. I even spoke with Jasper; there is just something about this girl that, once you get past the shyness, truly sets her apart."
I smile knowing that they seem to agree with me. "Okay, I'll talk to you later." I hang up the phone after our goodbyes and begin to look though the things I bought today.
~*HVC*~
Lying on my back, I feel her fingers on my chest. Watching as she is leaning forward across my body, her lean thighs straddle my hips. Her long, thick brown hair is veiling her face and tickling me as her lips and fingers blaze her fire across my skin. I have never wanted the fulfillment of being buried inside of another so badly. The heat of her small lithe body is making my cock harder than I think it has ever been before. Grabbing her hips, I lift her up until the tip of my cock is at her opening. "Look at me baby," I moan out. As I start to lower her tight wet pussy onto my cock, she lifts her head. Staring at me with those wide innocent eyes is…
The gasp wakes me from my erotic dream. "Bella…"
A/N: Well a little more insight into the world of Bella. So tell me, what are your thoughts? I know Edward is being sneaky, but Bella does need someone to take care of her. We are very interested in hearing from you. Remember, those of you who leave us a review will get a teaser for the next chapter! In the next chapter, Edward starts teaching Bella some reading skills. YAY!
