There is an important A/N at the end of this chappy so please read it. It has to do with all the updating I'm going to do.
Edward POV
I was sitting on my bed thinking of what I should get Bella for her sixth birthday when I heard it. I would know that sound anywhere.
Bella's scream radiated through the forest. Even from a mile away I knew it was her. I could tell if any thing was Bella.
I leapt through the window, not even feeling the glass shattering around me. I was already on the ground and running before anyone else realized what was happened.
I sprinted through the trees, frantic thoughts racing through my mind.
I was at the house in seconds. The left front door was broken in half. If my heart was beating it would have stopped then.
Upstairs, the double doors of Bella's room were thrown open.
A man in a tall black cloak was looming over Bella. His was a scent that I'd never smelled before. Her right cheek was swollen and blood dripped down from a gash on her face. That was my only consolation.
Dead bodies don't bleed I kept telling myself.
"Bella!" I yelled.
I dove at the man, but he turned and with a loud crack he vanished.
"Bella?" I whispered desperately. Now that the roaring in my ears stopped I could just make out her heart beat. It was faint but steady and when I reached my hand out and touched her swollen cheek, it grew slightly more audible.
"Audra?" I continued. "Audrianna please answer me. Please wake up."
A silent sob wracked my body. Tears that would never fall welled up in my eyes. I cradled her against my stone cold chest, resting my forehead against hers.
I could feel my family materializing in the room behind me but I was too worried to read their thoughts.
"Don't be sad," Bella's voice was weak and unstable. As far as I could tell the worst injury was the cut on her face she was only knocked out. She had been attacked and she was trying to comfort me, telling me not to be scared.
I touched her cheek again. "You're hurt," I murmured.
She wrinkled her nose then she leaned over the side of bed and vomited. "Audra? Are you alright?" I asked frantically.
"S'just the blood," she mumbled, wiping the corner of her mouth.
"Where are Remus and Sirius? Harry?" I questioned slightly angry.
They left her home alone. She could've died. The house could have burned down with her in it. Something could've fallen on her. Anything could have happened. Something did happen. Bella, my Bella, they were reckless. They were stupid. They left her. I ranted mentally.
"We were only gone for five minutes," Remus' voice said from the doorway. Sirius stood on one side. Harry was sleeping, balanced on his hip.
"Professor Dumbledore requested us to come to his office immediately," Sirius said.
"Just because she wasn't feeling well this morning doesn't mean you can leave her home alone. She's six years old," I hissed.
"Don't be mad," Bella crooned. Her small hand touched my cheek, rubbing a circle with her thumb.
Carlisle ran a hand through his hair, "What did Albus want that was so important you had to Audrianna here?"
I had never seen Carlisle's innate calm so shaken. His hands shook with anger but his voice was steady. His thoughts were seething. How could they be so stupid? He thought furiously.
"The prophecy. He's not dead," Remus said dismally. "He'll come back for them."
Everyone stared at him except me. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Voldemort was back. Voldemort would try to kill my Bella. I gazed down at her face. Even with the swollen cheek that was turning to a purple bruise, she looked like an angel.
I would never let that happen. Nothing would ever happen to her.
Remus sat down on the bed next to me looking intently at the gash on Bella's face. "I can't use magic to heal that," he said suddenly. "There's really nothing we can do when it's a curse. Carlisle can you…?"
"Of course," Carlisle agreed. "Edward can you run back and get my bag?"
I glared at him. He expected me to leave Bella here to go get a bag right after she had almost been killed.
"Alice?" he asked.
"I already have it," Alice said dancing up to Carlisle.
"Edward, you can't hold her so tightly with her cheek against your shirt," he told me. "I can't even see her cut."
I glared one more time before loosening my hold around her.
"Eddie," she grumbled. Her hand fisted into my shirt, gripping it tightly.
"I'm not letting you go," I assured her. "Carlisle just needs to stitch the cut on your face alight?"
She nodded but she looked uneasy. By the looks of it, she had only ever had magic healing and having string sewn into her face wasn't going to be very fun.
"I won't let anything hurt you," I told her.
Carlisle bent over her, his hands flashing.
"Done," he announced to her.
Her eyes, that were squished shut, opened. "Already?" she asked tentatively.
He chuckled. "Already."
I sat with Bella through the night, watching her sleep in my arms. I couldn't put her down. Not because she woke up and gripped my shirt every time I tried, but because every time I did, I felt physical agony wash through me. Agony that my body, this cold granite shell, shouldn't be able to feel.
I hummed to her most of the night. It kept her rest peaceful. Bella was restless when the room went silent.
It was cloudy early on Monday morning when Remus and Carlisle walked in.
"Edward you have to go get ready for school," Carlisle said.
If looks could kill, he would have been dead several times over.
"I'm not going." It was short. Just a statement. But it ended the conversation.
"Edward you have to go. People will get suspicious if you don't go," Carlisle argued.
"I'm not going," I growled, stubbornly. I won't leave Bella! I wanted to scream at him but that would have woken her up and she would think I'm yelling at her. "I won't go. Not now."
Remus spoke up then. "Sirius and I have to talk with the Ministry of Magic about whoever broke in last night. I can't leave her here and she won't trust anyone right now. Sirius took Harry up to Hogwarts for Professor MgGonigall to watch him. I know you wouldn't want to be separated from Audra and I'm more than positive she wouldn't want that either. I hate to ask this but can you take her with you to school?"
I stared at him dumbfounded. "I … I want to but…. Carlisle?" I turned to look at him.
"I already called the school. The principal said that it would be fine because of the special circumstances."
"Okay," I said. "I'll go."
Alice and Rosalie came flying into the room. "I get to dress Bella," they both yelled at the same time.
Bella of course woke up at that and curled into my chest, tensing and shaking violently.
"You're so stupid," I hissed angrily. "Thanks so much." I turned back to the little angel huddled in my arms. "It's alright Bella. No one's angry with you. No one will hurt you ever again. I promise."
"Okay I get to dress Bella now!" Alice stated.
"No," she moaned. "Please no."
I almost smiled. "Alice, Rosalie, Bella had a hard night. Let her be for now."
When we got to school, hardly any other cars were in the lot. I parked the car and got out, opening the door for Bella. She hooked her arms around my neck and I lifted her out of the car. Balancing her on one hip with an arm around her, I walked with my brothers and sisters to the courtyard.
We sat on the wooden brown benches, leaning back casually. Soon Bella fell asleep. It was predictable, considering her night but I was still worried. I kept my arms tight around her, eyes flicking back and forth across the forest line.
"Relax Edward," Jasper sighed. "You're making me nervous."
"I can't," I argued. "What if whoever it was comes back? What would we do then?"
"We'll cross that threshold when we come to it. For now, calm down."
But I couldn't. I kept watching, feeling the unease build as the parking lot filled with cars and people.
"Relax Eddie," my Bella's voice mumbled in her sleep. Her hand wound into my hair. "Calm down."
"Yeah Eddie," Emmett chuckled.
"Shut up," Rosalie hissed. "You'll wake her up."
"Too late," Alice stated.
A girlish scream echoed through the yard. It was high and annoying.
"Edward has a little girl!" It squealed.
Tears leaked out of the corner of Bella's eyes.
Jessica Stanley came running up to us. She was wearing probably the skimpiest little skirt and a tank top that showed things no one need see.
I resisted the urge to gag with difficulty.
"Awe she's so cute," Jessica crooned in her nasally voice. "Isn't she Eddie?"
"Don't call me Eddie," I hissed violent.
"Okay sorry, hun," she said, rolling her eyes.
She leaned forward and her hung forward. I averted my gaze wishing I could throw up. Her long manicured nail slid under Bella's chin.
Bella screamed. Jessica dug her nail under her chin.
"Shut up you little brat," she whispered under her breath.
Bella wailed and I snapped. My fist collided with her jaw and with an audible crack it broke. Jessica whimpered. "Eddie why did you do that?"
"I said don't call me Eddie," I ridiculed angrily. "Never touch Audra again or I'll kill you."
She got to her feet and ran.
"Bella, are you alright?" I touched her cheek gently. "Please Bella talk to me."
She pressed her face into my shoulder and cried. I whispered gently and quietly into her hair until she quieted down.
"I have to go to class now. Come on. See you guys later."
I hitched her up a bit and walked down the pathway to the Biology classroom. I slid into the desk in the back of the room then switched Bella so she was sitting on my knees.
I bounced her up and down gently, running my fingers through her hair as I did.
"Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner's voice called.
"Yes?" I looked up.
"Please explain why you brought a five year old girl to this class."
"Mr. Banner this is my neighbor Audrianna Potter. Audra this is Mr. Banner," I introduced her. "Last night someone broke into her house and I got there to save her."
"So shouldn't she be with a parent?"
"Her parents died when she was eight days old."
"A guardian then?"
"He's discussing the break in with the police and is unable to care for her at the present time."
"A babysitter?"
"She was raised by her aunt and uncle for three years and they beat her. She only talks to select few of us now."
Mr. Banner pursed his lips. "Fine. As long as she is no distraction to my lesson, I see no reason why she can't be in here."
He droned on and on about protoplasmic relations and compound byproducts.
Bella raised her hand tentatively.
"Yes?" he asked, annoyed.
"Sir the compounds you're describing are impossible," she said barely above a whisper. "The Perponalsiphate in the third sector of section B.B. 8 wouldn't burn with Tysoronalcite. If you recreated the Perponalsiphate with Detronel instead of Garsomend then tried to react that to Marphelsophine it would turn to acid. The acids could burn through a brick wall. But that's as close to that specific equation that it's possible to get." (A/N. I just made that all up even the chemicals and acids. Sorry if that somehow manages to offend someone, I apologize.)
"How…? How did you…?" Mr. Banner gaped.
I ruffled her hair affectionately. "Good job Bells." I looked up at Mr. Banner. "She's a little smart for her age."
"A little." His voice was stunned and high pitched because of it. "Would you mind taking a test?" He directed the question to Bella but I answered, knowing full well what her answer would be if she decided to talk to him.
"I'm sure she'd love to."
He placed a test in front of her.
Bella glanced down at it for no more than a second before raising her hand again. "Uh sir?" she asked hesitantly. "You spelled Kelsophine wrong. And you put Kalsophate. They're entirely different. Kelsophine is used to cure most common diseases. Kalsophate is used to freeze the hydrogen when scientists invented the hydrogen bombs." (A/N. That's made up too so yeah.)
He shook his head. "This is embarrassing. A five-year-old girl knows more about science than I do. Would you like to teach this class?" He thoughts sounded sincere so I nudged her gently, murmuring for her to make me proud.
She smiled sadly at me before sliding off my lap and looking at the ground. She trudged up to the front of the room.
Mr. Banner raised his chair up for Bella to be able to use the board to write.
"Thank you," she mumbled then she looked up at the rest of the class. I nodded to her, smiling comfortingly.
Bella stood up on the chair with a dry-erase pen in hand. She began writing a complicated problem on the board involving four types of poisonous chemicals and seven types of bioluminescent life.
She was just crouching down to finish the problem when the swiveling chair twisted. She shrieked, clenching her eyes shut as she fell backwards off the chair.
I reacted on impulse. At vampire speed, I appeared behind Bella to catch her.
I heard a collective gasp ripple through the classroom.
"Bella?" I asked frantically. She still had her eyes squished tightly together.
"Bella?" Her eyes opened slightly then opened fully. I hugged her tightly. "I don't think you should stand up on that chair alright?"
Her face pressed tightly into my shoulder. I felt her warm tears seeping through my shirt. I pulled back enough to wipe her tears on the cuff of my shirt.
I swung her onto one hip with one hand. With the other I finished writing the problem on the board.
"You do know the answer to this?" I whispered to her. Even through all the years of taking biology, I didn't know the answer.
She nodded just barely.
"Okay would anyone like to answer the question on the board?" I asked, turning back to the class.
I could here the crickets chirping in the forest out in the forest and the lights buzzing.
"No one?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face.
"You have to call on someone," Bella said just loud enough for everyone to hear. Her face looked up around the classroom. "Him." She pointed a hand to Mike Newton. "He looks like he'll panic because he doesn't know the answer," she whispered in my ear.
My smile grew at her plan. "Newton, answer the question," Mr. Banner urged.
His round face purpled. His breathing quickened. "I… I don't know," he said looking away.
"Ms…?" Mr. Banner began.
"Potter," I answered him.
"Ah yes, Ms. Potter, I believe this question is a… slightly advanced for this class. Why don't you write the answer on the board and explain the relationships and reactions then go back to a beginner level."
God. He thought exasperatedly. I don't even know the answer. Smart kid. That's not possible. No five-year-old could know that.
Bella twisted her torso and wrote the answer on the board.
"See these chemicals would react to this one here…" she began.
Lunch
"Are you hungry Bella?" I asked gently. Her eyes were closed and her head was leaned against my chest. She had fallen asleep after correcting the trig teacher eight times on the same problem.
She yawned and nodded slightly.
Alice came bounding up beside me. She was about to shriek a loud hello but she slipped into a vision.
A car slid across the parking lot straight at me.
"So what?" Who cares if a car hits me? It's not like it would hurt me.
Look harder. Alice thought at me.
I focused harder on the figure that was me and realized the problem. Bella was curled in my arms just before the car crushed her.
"No," I breathed. "No I won't let that happen. I… I'll take her home now."
"Go," Alice urged nodding vigorously. "Go now."
I took off running at a very fast human pace, Bella slung across my back.
"It won't happen I promise Bella," I whispered, transferring her from my back to my arms where she would be safer.
Emmett turned out from a corner and began running next to me. Alice told me. I'm coming with you. You might need me.
I nodded. People seemed to be doing that a lot today.
We were halfway through the parking lot but fate seems to have a way of getting to us. A car came flying across the parking lot.
As gently as possible I dropped Bella to the ground swinging her around so she was behind Emmett and I.
The large blue van came spinning across the lot and smashed into us. I braced my hands against it but the icy ground made it slippery. The two of us slid back. I felt my back pressing up against the car behind me and the car dented in to make an impression of my back.
It turned gratingly and spun to the left at the awkward angle Emmett and I had it at. With one hand I pulled the bottom of the car up and used the other to swing Bella around to the other side of me. I prayed her limpness was just caused by her cooperative attitude not anything worse.
I dropped the car but before it even touched the ground, I was curled over Bella's small form, protecting her as best I could. Glass splinters bounced harmlessly off of my back.
Then the screams started.
"Audra!" I called panicked. I slid a hand under her head and the other under her back lifting her up gently. "Audrianna please answer me!" I begged.
I felt the warm sticky fluid trickling between my fingers as I held her head.
Sirens wailed around us but I didn't care. I just held Audra tightly in my arms, silent, tearless, sobs wracking my form.
I didn't notice that the EMTs had moved the van away until one touched my shoulder.
"Are you alright?" his low voice asked.
I almost forgot to pretend to wipe my face on my sleeve before I looked up him. Phillip, one of Carlisle's coworkers looked down at me.
"God, Edward!" he gasped surprised. "Hey kid, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but Bella hit her head. I didn't see… I was too late to catch her…" I mumbled.
He crouched down next to me, putting two fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse.
"She's still alive, kid. Come on. Hey Larry!" He called one of the stretchers over but I refused to let go of her.
"Edward you have to let us help. We have to get her to your dad before it's too late," he urged. His voice was calm but his thoughts were anything but. They were racing between Bella dying because of my stubbornness and questioning why I cared so much about a little girl. As far as he knew, my whole family never talked to anyone outside of each other let alone cared about anyone.
"I'm going with you," I insisted.
He pursed his lips. "Fine just hurry up!"
I climbed into the back of the ambulance and grabbed one of the gauze pieces. I pressed it gently to the cuts on the back of her head.
When the ambulance stopped, I hopped out and raced inside.
Mercifully the waiting room was empty. I burst through the door of Carlisle's office.
He was already on his feet.
"Alice called, how is she?" Carlisle spoke at vampire speed and it would have just been a soft buzzing to a human.
"She's unconscious. I couldn't wake her up. Carlisle, I…"
He interrupted me. "Give her to me," he ordered.
I didn't hesitate this time. His hand flashed back and forth, a silver needle stitching the lacerations with quick, sure movements.
"She'll be alright, right?" I asked nervously.
"She's fine Edward. Calm down. I guess you couldn't have brought Jasper with you, could you? She's just in shock and is blocking it out. Just let me…" he tied off the end and held her up.
Her eyes flickered slightly. I swept her into my arms and held her close to my stone cold chest, careful not to put too much pressure on her tiny physique.
"Bella I'm so sorry. I tried but the ground was icy and I slid back. You fell and I couldn't catch you and hold the car at the same time and I…" I was rambling. I tried over and over to explain why didn't save her but I knew there was no excuse.
"Shh," she whispered.
The door made no noise as Carlisle slid out, giving us time to debate who was at fault for the accident.
"In case you have not yet noticed, I attract danger, trouble, and anything of the sort. If anything you've kept me alive longer. Thank you."
"Don't say that, Bella. I am the trouble. Vampires are dangerous."
"None of your family has ever hurt me," she argued, folding her arms over her chest. "You've all been so nice to me. Especially you."
"But Bella we could. Every time any of us come near you, anything could happen. With every twitch of my fingers I worry I might crush your skull. Bella, to us you are so breakable, even more so than an average human. You've already been broken. I don't want that to happen again. Watch this."
I took the cement statue off the desk and crushed it to powder. "Bella you don't understand. I am dangerous. That's why Jasper doesn't come near you. He's new to this life style. He can't control himself as much as the rest of us."
"But you've never hurt me," she pointed out stubbornly.
"Because Bella I love you. I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. (A/N. Sound familiar?) Just seeing you in pain hurts me more than any injury to myself could ever do."
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her forehead.
"You have to understand."
She smiled angelically, her face glowing. "I love you too Eddie." She put her arms around my neck and pressed her lips to my cheek. "Thank you."
I think this was a really cute chapter. Aw well. The fluff won't last long. I'll add a threat from the twilight side soon.
Please review. I haven't gotten many reviews lately, so I'm not going to post the next chapter until I get as many reviews as half of the chapters I have. So this time I want 5 reviews and next time I want 6. I might change that later if people begin to review. Yeah I know that sucks. I hate it when people do that but I need reviews. The review doesn't have to be detailed, just your favorite part of the chapter or why you didn't like this particular chapter and a request or pointer for later chapters.
Flames are accepted simply because I want to know what you hate about it. Please put why you don't like my story if you do leave a flame. Just writing I hate the story isn't very helpful. If you hate it, maybe I can correct it to a way that we both are okay with.
I have almost all the next three chapters down so I only need reviews and I'll post them. I think most of them are good and I hope you'll think the same.
Thank you so much,
Sea of Topaz