Previously

I do need your help, I need it so much. I don't know how much longer I can last but Taylor needs a family and I'm all he's got.

Chapter 10

Bella POV

The bell went that signified the end of school. I got up and sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me.

"Bella!" I heard Edward shout after me but I just carried on. I didn't want him to ask more questions and I didn't want him to give me a lift home, I really didn't need this now. I picked up my pace and headed towards Mrs Beads home.

I finally reached her house; I was exhausted from the running. I was surprised that I didn't manage to fall onto my face – now that was success. I walked down the neat pathway, that had no weeds, plenty of bright colours from the different types of flowers. Oh I wish I lived here. I knocked softly of the wooden door and the door opened a few minutes after.

"Hello Hunny, how was your day?" She sounded so motherly, all of her children had grown up and moved out to other parts of the United States, and to be honest, I couldn't blame them. She let me into the house and I followed her into the living room.

"My day was okay, got the usual homework and stuff" I said with a smile as Tay ran over to me, nearly tripping – oh god, I've rubbed off on him, he's clumsy. He carried on giggling as I picked him up and span him around. "Thank you for looking after him today, I've got this major test coming up and trying to fit revision in is so hard. Phil's working the majority of the moment so I'm looking after him" I lied, it came out so smoothly. I didn't have to revise and Phil rarely went to work but I wouldn't be able to face it if the truth every came out. It was better to hide and tell lies. Not even Edward could know, but he seemed to be worming his way in, breaking through my exterior to the girl inside me and to the truth. I know he was only trying to help but I was beyond help, he could help Tay but when would anyone care about us? The ugly ducklings. Nobody even knew us, ever since Renee died we had sunk into a little hole where no one could see us. Everyone just followed the rumours like love-sick puppies and I was not going to give more fuel for the fire. I would do anything to protect Tay's sanity.

"Good, now, you better get on your way, it looks like its going to rain soon" I thanked her as I pulled on Tay's coat and we walked out into the drizzle.

"Tay, do you wanna go visit Mummy and Daddy?" I asked him and he nodded. "Okay, we'll make a stop at the store and get some flowers." I said and started on our way to the cemetery.

As we were passing the store, I let Tay pick out some bright, beautiful flowers and then I paid for them and we once again, started on our way to the cemetery. We reached the iron gates and I pushed it open and headed towards where our parents were buried.

There they were, buried next to each other.

Renee Dwyer

Beloved Mother and Wife

Laid to rest on 16th February 2008

Charlie Swan

Beloved Father and Husband

Closed his eyes on the 14th May 2003

I put Tay on the floor and I gave him a bunch of flowers and he laid them on top of Renee's grave and I placed another bunch on top of Charlie's. After we had put the bunch of flowers down, I sat in front of the grave and talked to them.

"I miss you both so much. Why did you have to leave us? It hurts so much mum, and your not there to protect me – us. Tay needs a mum, and I'm all he's got." The tears started to fall down my face. This was as close as I could get to my parents. My mind suddenly jumped to Tay, where was he? He had wandered off while I was talking to my parents.

"Tay?! Taylor!" I screamed loudly, I was frantically running around trying to find him, tears started to fall down my face. Where had he gone?! He was 2 for god's sake!

I could hear a faint whimpering and ran towards where the noise was coming from and there I found Tay, crying his eyes out with a bright red face.

"Oh my god. Tay" I picked him up and hugged him into my chest. Tay started to cough and sneeze, oh no. Not a cold. It could be flu or pneumonia. My mind thought the worst. I felt Tay's forehead and he was boiling hot. I decided, we're going to the hospital. Forks hospital was small so I knew there wouldn't be many people waiting.

I cuddled Tay close to myself and tried to keep him warm. I started on my way to the hospital with Tay continuously coughing. I had to walked back into town and further away from home.

I can remember my trips to the hospital; they all started after Renee died. Phil would take me then explain that I 'tripped' or I 'fell' but they were becoming suspicious and Phil stopped taking me. Renee used to take me, a twisted ankle or a scraped knee, like I said – I was a clumsy child.

Since Phil stopped taking me to the hospital, they stopped caring. I would sometimes drag myself to the hospital and they would read my file and I would say "I'm just clumsy" with an angelic look on my face. Tay had been sick before, but never this bad. It was only a little cough which could be sorted with some cough medicine but this sounded so much worse. I would pay for being this late home but I didn't care, Tay came first.

I entered the main entrance of the hospital and the smell hit me – the clean smell. It made me feel clean and healthy. I can't remember the last time I was clean. I shifted Tay on my hip and walked up to the front desk and held Tay's hand nervously trying to think up and excuse.

"Good Afternoon miss, how may I help you?" The receptionist smiled politely. She was rather old and I recognised her from my many trips to the hospital.

"Hello, my brother is coming down with something and my step-dad hasn't got enough time to bring him here himself so he asked me" I said politely and put on my angelic face that I hadn't used in so long.

"Of course dear, just give me yours and your brother's information and then you can take a seat in the waiting room and Dr Cullen will be with you as soon as possible." She said with a smile and I handed over my name and my brother's details then walked over to the waiting area. As I had mentioned before, Forks hospital was small, there were only 4 other people waiting. I sat in the nearest seat and gently stroked Tay's back.

"Isabella Swan and Taylor Swan?" a silky sweet voice said. I snapped my head up and my eyes locked with the most gorgeous doctor I had ever laid eyes on. The name clicked in my head. Cullen. Figures, I gave a small smile and then stood up and followed him into his office and then sat with Tay on my lap.

"So Miss Swan, your brother has a bit of a fever" Dr Cullen told me professionally and I continued to stroke Tay's back, comforting him.

"Thank you so much, I was just worrying but I wanted to make sure that he was okay…" my voice trailed off and I laughed nervously.

"Don't worry Miss Swan, it's totally understandable." He smiled thoughtfully and he placed his stethoscope in his ears and placed it on Tay's chest, which made him squirm because it was so cold.

"Tay, keep still" I mumbled to him. Dr Cullen did all the necessary checks, checking his temperature, his eyes, throat and his ears before telling me what was wrong.

"He has the flu" he smiled "It should take about 3 days to go but he'll be back to normal in no time but he will need plenty of sleep and liquids. I'll write you out a prescription for some medicine. Will your step-father be able to look after him while you're at school?" He asked with genuine interest.

"Oh no, he won't but I have a babysitter that looks after him normally and she won't mind" I stated, smiling to keep up with my lie. I could ask Mrs Bead to look after him but I wouldn't want her to get this. She is old and fragile so I would skip a few days of school, no one would miss me. I would be able to keep an eye on Tay and I would be able to protect him from Phil.

"Thank you Dr Cullen" I smiled, I was so grateful to him for putting me out of my worries. I adjusted Tay so that he was sitting on my hip and released some of the pain from the bruising.

"Your welcome Isabella" and he smiled back. I rolled my eyes and laughed/

"Please, call me Bella." I replied. I could not stand to be called Isabella; it was an Italian name and stood for beauty which I was obvious not, remember I was the duck duckling.

"Well if I'm going to call you Bella, then you must call me Carlisle" he smiled and laughed slightly.

"Thank you again Carlisle, have a good day" I waved and walked out of the door and we started on our way home.

"Tay, I'm going to stay home with you until your better okay?" I said to him and his lips lifted a little at the sides. He was trying to smile.

"I promise Tay, I'm going to get us out of here if it's the last thing I do" I said as we stood at the end of the pathway that led to our house. The paint was still chipped, the flowers were still non-existent, and they always would be. I had a usual feeling that I was being watched by something or someone in the woods that were opposite the house. I didn't like this feeling so I hurried into the house.

"We'll be okay Tay" I comforted him.

I opened the door with my old set of keys that were dull and starting to rust. I opened the door to find Phil standing in the hallway, waiting for me. This was bad. A drunken Phil would pass out just after the first punch but a sober Phil? Well the beating would be much worse. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat and he made me shake with fear.

"Bella, where have you been?" he asked me, so calm and so sober. Tonight would be horrible and so very long.

"E-m w-e went to visit mu-m and Charlie" I stuttered half the truth. I looked down.

"Oh really?" his eye cocked up. He knew I wasn't telling the whole truth.

Phil reached forward and took Taylor out of my arms and slammed the door. I didn't want to let him go but I did, it would only hurt Tay if I said no. Phil walked off upstairs with him and then placed him in his crib and started to walk back downstairs – back to me.

"So what really happened Isabella?" he stated loudly.

"I told you, we went to the cemetery" I whispered so quietly it was hard to hear.

I felt a fist slam into my stomach and I slid down the wall onto the floor but this didn't stop Phil. After many kicks and punches, he stalked off into the living room and I heard the hiss of a beer being opened.

I felt like just laying on the floor of the hallway until I died, just started to rot away but I needed to be here. I picked myself up into a sitting position and grabbed onto the door handle and pulled myself onto my feet. I could feel the pain starting to set in as a staggered into the kitchen and grabbed an apple, yoghurt and some milk and looked at the stairs. This would be very painful. I slowly started to climb the stairs, holding my breath, not daring to let out a cry of pain.

I finally reached the top of the stairs and headed across the landing, every step I took was represented by a tear rolling down my cheek.

I opened Tay's bedroom door and shut it behind me, making sure that it was locked.

I placed the food on the floor and picked Tay out of his crib with great difficultly and sat on the floor, with my back resting on the wall, just like I usually did and began to feed him some yoghurt while I attempted to eat the apple. Once the food and milk was gone, I cuddled up to Tay and began to cry.

I cried for this life,

I cried for Taylor,

I cried for the pain,

I cried for my mother and my father,

I cried for being so weak that I couldn't tell anyone,

I cried for Edward,

I cried because I was a useless sister.

Eventually, Tay and I fell asleep and I dreamt that today never happened and tomorrow would be different – but they're just dreams. But I like to think that tomorrow could be better but the feeling of being watched never disappeared.

Edward POV

There was Bella, carrying who I assumed was her little brother walking along the pavement. She looked so worried, holding her little brother's hand and whispering to him comforting words. I had followed her from school; she had no idea that I was watching, just observing.

I wondered as she walked from the babysitter's house and to the cemetery. Why on earth was she going here? And then I saw her stop at two gravestones and sit down. Her mother and father, they were dead, so it was only her, her brother and her step-dad then? While Bella was talking to her parents, I watched as Tay wandered off, away from Bella and towards me.

"Hello, what's your name?" I spoke to the little boy.

"Tayyy" The little child said aloud. I feared that Bella would hear but she was too immersed in her speech to her parents. Tay started to cough quite badly and this alerted Bella that her brother had disappeared and I moved like the speed of light which caused Tay to cry.

I then followed them to the hospital and waited outside until they emerged. I would be talking to Carlisle later. They then arrived at an old house, the wood looked rotten and there were no bright colours. Bella and Tay just stood there, staring at the house. They couldn't possibly live here?

But they continued up the pathway and she opened the door then froze, there was a man standing in front of her, leaning against the wall. He took her brother out of her arms and then slammed the front door.

I stood in the trees waiting until I heard her walk upstairs – which was along time and then her tears that didn't ease for hours until she slipped into a deep sleep.

I would help this beautiful girl.

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