DC: I don't own it

Thank you to my reviewers

Chapter 12,

"How is she?" Edward asked as he sped onto the interstate.

"She's still cold," Renee said. "But her lips aren't blue."

Edward broke one hundred. He swerved around the cars on the road and reached his exit. He tore off into the neighborhoods until they reached the beautiful mansion he called home.

"Hold onto me," he said, pulling Renee onto his back. He carried Bella and ran at top speed into the house. He let Renee down. "CARLISLE!" he yelled. "CARLISLE I FOUND HER!"

His brother was there in a flash.

"Give her to me," Carlisle ordered, "upstairs, into my study."

Edward grabbed Renee and ran up the stairs with his brother. They turned into a large room that Carlisle used as his office. He pushed everything off of the desk and laid Bella on top of it.

"Edward my bag," he said. Edward handed him his black bag and Carlisle cut Bella's filthy clothes off.

Renee, who had never seen Bella in the proper light, gasped at the injuries and Edward punched a hole in Carlisle's wall.

"Thanks for that Edward," Carlisle grumbled. With a touch as light as a feather, Carlisle examined her body, checking for broken bones and serious internal damage.

"What's the damage?" Edward asked.

"You don't want to know. Why don't you two go wait outside while I do this."

"Has that synthetic blood finally screwed up your brain?" Edward grumbled.

"I'm not leaving her," Renee said.

"Edward I am right to assume that you killed him. I need you to give Jasper all the information you have so that he can go and dispose of the body. The last thing we need is police involvement and I can promise you that she'll be out in the cold if our father learns of what happened. You know how he gets."

"Carlisle..."

"If you care about her you'll go," Carlisle said sharply, "do you trust me at all?"

"I do but..."

"Take her mother down for something warm to drink, she looks frozen."

"I'm fine," Renee insisted, "I can't leave her. Not now."

"I understand that you don't trust me," Carlisle said, "but Bella does. Edward, please, work with me. I'm sure Alice would love to see you again."

Renee stiffened at the mention of her second daughter and seemed to be torn between the two. Edward put his hands on her shoulders and led her out. "Carlisle needs to have his way. He's a very skilled surgeon at the hospital and is well versed in human anatomy and medicine."

"You don't understand, she is my baby girl."

"Okay I'll be blunt with you," Edward said, "that's Carlisle's subtle way of saying he has to operate on her. I can hear his thoughts and he has to flush her system, which is something I'm sure she would want done without an audience. Now come, Esme will get you some fresh clothes and something to eat. You look starved."

"I can't be away from her," Renee said.

"I'm sorry, but it is what he needs."

Edward carried Renee downstairs since she seemed unwilling to go herself. Esme was downstairs when he got there.

"Oh, Edward, you're back. How did it go?"

"Found her," Edward said, "she's in bad shape. This is her mother."

"I could tell," Esme said, "she looks like her. Hello, I'm Esme."

"Bella told me about you," Renee said, "she said you were like a mother to her. Thank you for watching over my girls."

"It's no problem," Esme said, "Edward where is she?"

"Carlisle is looking at her now," Edward said darkly, "she's in so much pain."

"How bad?" Esme asked, pouring a cup of water for Renee. She went about making a simple meal for Renee and she had Edward sit before she warmed some blood for him.

"Her torso looks like a patchwork of bruises. He raped her, Esme."

"Oh no," Esme gasped. "Bad?"

"I don't know..."

"Yes," Renee whispered, still not drinking. "She's in so much pain."

"Oh my goodness, the poor dear. Edward drink your blood."

"I'm fine."

"Edward, drink, Renee drink."

"Are they happy here?" Renee asked.

"Happy enough," Esme said, giving Renee and sandwich. "Alice and Jasper have become friends."

"Very good friends," Edward snorted.

"Oh like you are one to laugh," Jasper said slapping him upside the head. "So where did you leave the body?"

"I have the file in my car," Edward said, "can you find any reason why he took her?"

"I'll see what I can find," Jasper said, "let's hope you didn't leave too much of a mess."

"I killed him with venom," Edward said.

"Good boy," Jasper said patting his head, "I'll clean up the room anyway just incase you dripped."

"Yeah, I think so."

"I'll be back in a few hours at the most," Jasper sighed. "You might want to tell Alice that Bella is back, she's asleep up in my room."

Edward raised his eyebrows.

"She's been worried sick, I've been keeping her calm. She'll want to know that you're here too," he said looking at Renee. "See you guys later. Esme I'd like some blood when I get back."

"Certainly."

Moments later Carlisle came in. He went to the sink and washed his hands.

"Well?" Edward asked.

"Severe anal tissue damage. Going to the bathroom isn't going to be fun for a while. I'm mostly worried about her emotional health, oh thank you Esme," he said as she handed him a bottle of his synthetic blood. "She was having nightmares before...be prepared for night terrors."

"Screaming?" Edward asked.

"Among other things," Carlisle sighed taking a sip, "I can only guess what happened from the trauma on her body but she isn't going to be the same. Nightmares I imagine, she'll be sick for a little while. She may be skittish around vampires for a bit. I can't say how she'll react to you or myself or even Jasper. We are closer to her and she'll either find comfort or she'll shy away."

Edward pushed away from the table and ran upstairs. He went into his room and slammed the door. He kicked a sweater and it flew into his wall. He ran his hands through his hair and found himself at quite a loss. Not only was he in love with his little human girl, but he was never going to be able to tell her. Not to mention she was laying battered and bruised in Carlisle's room. Edward wondered how he was ever going to tell her that he loved her and if she was ever going to believe him.

"So say she did," Edward sighed as he fell onto his bed, "I could never kiss her or love her."

She would fear his touch or give in because she felt she had to. Even if she willingly gave in out of desire, the vampire before him will have tainted her forever. As if he needed proof he heard Bella's scream. He vaulted out of bed and tore down the hallway.

"Bella! Bella wake up!"

"No more! Please no more!"

Edward shook her shoulders and she awoke. She looked at him. Her eyes were still the beautiful shade of chocolate brown but they were wide and terrified. Her beautiful face was bruised. Edward touched her eye gently.

"Bella I have you," he whispered, "nobody is going to hurt you."

"Edward? Where am I?"

"Carlisle's room," he said, "he gave you an exam and you are healthy...physically at least. Some tissue damage at worst. Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"

Bella shook her head no and sank further into the quilts so only her forehead was exposed. Edward pulled them back to see she had curled into a fetal position. He realized that he didn't like her so far away from him. He lifted her carefully and she seemed to relax somewhat. Her arm wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder. He carried her into his room and tucked her in.

"Are you hurting? Carlisle put aside some medicine to help."

"He saw me naked then?"

"Yes," Edward said, "but he was a perfect gentleman. He flushed your lower system of all of what was left behind while he was cleaning you up. I could hear his thoughts, he was actually a little uneasy about being so close to your...parts."

Bella laughed weakly and Edward smiled.

"I missed you," he admitted, "I was so afraid."

"I missed you too...for some reason."

Edward laughed a short dry laugh. "Bella," he whispered touching her bruised cheek again, "if you knew..."

"I think that's the first time you used my name," she whispered. His cold hand felt good on her cheek for reasons beyond the temperature.

Why not go for it? Edward asked himself.

"Bella I'm falling in love with you," he said, "I'm in love with your laugh and your smile, the way you blush when your embarrassed or angry. I'm in love with the passion in you and everything you are. I'm ashamed that it took your disappearance to make me see that."

Bella was silent. A million thoughts ran through her tired head. He loved her? What did that mean? Did he just love her like a friend or romantic? It sounded like romantic love but she was a human and he was vampire. He went for vampire girls. How long would it be until he cast her aside for one of them? What about his vampire girlfriend?! Bella didn't care at all for her for obvious reasons but he loved her.

"What about your..." Bella cut off. Tanya's face burst into her mind, mocking her and laughing while she tried not to scream in pain.

"Tanya?"

Bella shivered and Edward noticed.

"Wow you really don't like her," he said, "you shivered."

"Mm Master more," Tanya begged. Vincent pulled her head to his and kissed her over Bella's shoulder.

"I want you to fuck her while I watch," Vincent said with a laugh. "I like it when my slaves play."

Bella curled her knees to her chest and buried her head in them. "Don't talk about her."

"Why?" Edward asked, touching Bella's hair. "I broke up with her anyway so you don't have to worry."

Bella turned her head slightly so that she was looking away from him.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

---

Jasper was thumbing through yet another file that made him want to vomit. He decided that Vincent was the king of kink. But at least he was an organized one. He thumbed through yet another file and came to Bella's file. There was a disk inside. Jasper shrugged and put it in the DVD player and pushed play.

He regretted that immediately. The movie started with Bella, naked and bleeding, on the ground trying to catch her breath.

"Oh pet you don't look so good," Vincent laughed from behind the camera. "Our little playmate is going to be here soon. Do you like that?"

Bella coughed a few times and threw up. The vomit was filled with semen and blood (Jasper made a note to tell Carlisle).

"Master may I enter?"

"Yes you may," Vincent said. "Look at you all naked and beautiful. I left a mess in her, go clean it out."

"Yes master."

Tanya walked to Bella and knelt down. Jasper stopped the movie.

"Sick bitch," he growled. "Death by venom was too good for you."

While it was a horrible way to die there were worse ways. Jasper found himself wishing that Edward had opted for dismembering him and burning each piece slowly but time was a factor in that fight. Bella's life depended on a short and quick death. Much too good for him indeed but Jasper knew Edward felt better knowing it was him who did it.

---

"Bella, what happened?" Edward asked. "Please tell me so I can try and make it better."

"Unless you can change the past there is nothing you can do."

Edward was about to say more when his phone buzzed. "Give me good news Jasper."

"Wrong phone call then," Jasper said grimly, "I found a little something that might piss you off further."

"Is it about Bella?" Edward asked, seeing the slight shift in Bella's body at her name.

"Remember how we kept telling you that Tanya was a skank? Add insane effing whore to the end of that."

Edward growled, "what do you mean?"

"Turns out Vincent was a well known dominator. Looks like your ex was really into bondage and stuff like that. I don't know how far she went, but if you care at all about Bella's mental recovery you'll never let Tanya near her again."

Edward crushed his phone in his anger. He threw the pieces at the wall and Bella jumped. "I will kill her."

He stormed out and Bella scrambled out of bed after him. Her body ached and protested but she had to reach him. "Edward please stop!"

"Don't talk me out of it."

"I can't keep running after you so stop! Please!"

She was almost begging him. Edward slowed and she reached him. She took his hand in hers. She was shaking. She collapsed and he caught her. "Why shouldn't I? I don't know what she did to you but she was there. She helped do this to you."

"As much as I would love to see her suffer for selling me out as well..."

"Selling you out? That bitch led him to you?!"

"EDWARD STOP!" Bella screamed. Edward stopped and looked at her. "Don't you get it?! If she dies people will know and they'll know it was you and you'll be taken away! If you love me like you say you do don't leave me!" She buried her face in his chest and held him tight around the middle, "please don't leave me."

"I can only imagine what she did to you..."

"Please don't. Just pretend she was never there."

"You don't understand..."

"I understand just fine, I was there!"

Edward rested his chin on her head and sighed. "So basically you're asking me to know what she did to you and let her get away with it?"

"Yes," Bella said, "I'm a human Edward. Vampires don't care about me."

"I care about you," Edward murmured, "Carlisle and Jasper care about you."

Bella pulled away. She turned and headed back down the hall. Edward took her hand and kept her still. "If you leave me alone I will go after her and find some way to destroy her. I am a jealous man who wants justice. I am a man in love for the first time and the woman I am falling hard for has been hurt because of me."

"You weren't there, you had no involvement in what happened."

"But it was because of me," Edward said, "you asked me to go with you and I didn't. I sent Jessica. I knew how beautiful you were to other vampires."

"I was?"

"You are," Edward said, "Kitten...Bella...you are far too beautiful for a human."

"I need to lay down," Bella mumbled turning her head away.

Edward nodded and they walked to his room. He tucked her in and she looked at him. He was almost afraid to look into her eyes now that it was dark. "Can I go downstairs? Sleep with my mom and sister?"

"If you must," Edward said hesitantly.

"You don't want me to?"

"Well, it's warmer here for starters. I can't be alone right now."

"I need my mom," Bella said trying to sit up. "Please let me go to her."

Edward sighed. He understood that. He had been a screaming child begging for his mother once. He lifted her up and carried her downstairs. He went into the servants quarters and set her down. Esme was there immediately. She thanked Edward and steered Bella to her bed.

"Tell me the moment something is wrong," Edward said, "where is Carlisle?"

"He is in the library," Esme said. "Don't worry about her, she's in good hands."

"Where are her mother and sister?"

"Spending a moment alone. Alice is giving her a rundown and catching up."

Edward nodded. He went over and kissed Bella's forehead, feeling upset when she stiffened. "Goodnight," he whispered.

"Goodnight."

Edward left and Esme sat beside her. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"I'll bring you some soup, you have to eat darling."

"I don't want to eat anything."

Esme gave her a look and left. She returned a moment later with a steaming bowl of chicken soup that Bella was sure had been warming for a while. She had to admit, the food was much better when Lord Cullen was gone. Esme helped her sit up and Bella looked at the bowl.

"Please eat."

"I'm not hungry," Bella mumbled, "I'm just tired."

"Bella you have to eat," Esme encouraged. "Your mother told me that Vincent didn't feed you anything."

Bella sank into the pillow and Esme sighed. "I can call one of our dear vampires and they can help me," she sighed.

Bella opened her mouth and Esme fed her a spoon full of soup. Bella took the spoon in her shaking hands and slowly ate, favoring the vegetables as Esme was keeping a close eye. She drank the rest and Esme was satisfied for the moment. She gave her some of the pills Carlisle had left for her and Bella snuggled into her small bed.

"Bella!"

Alice's voice was like a breath of fresh air. Bella sat up and opened her arms as her sister ran to her.

"I was so afraid I would never see you again," Alice sobbed into her neck, "Bells don't ever leave me again!"

"I'll try my best," Bella sniffed. Even though her body screamed in protest, there was nowhere she'd rather be than in her sister's arms. Alice sat down on the bed and laid Bella back. Renee tucked her in and then did the same to Alice. She sat between the two cots and held their hands. Bella yawned as the medications took over. She felt a little less pain but she was too sleepy to care. Renee sang a soft lullaby to them.

"She'll be up in a few hours," Esme whispered as she and Renee dressed for sleep. "She had frequent nightmares before."

"I never thought Bells would be the one to have the nightmares," Renee said sadly, pulling a long cotton shirt over her head. "She was always my brave little girl."

"Oh she most certainly is," Esme agreed, "gave Edward a run for his money."

"She mentioned his name in her sleep. I thought she was talking about a human."

"Edward is a good man deep down. She's softened him quite a bit. I can't imagine how."

"I didn't think vampires and humans could ever get along."

"Our vampires are unlike any I've ever met," Esme said, helping set up temporary bedding for Renee between the two cots. "You'll have a cot tomorrow, I think Carlisle just went out to get one. He needed to get away before he loses his temper."

"Does he lose it often?" Renee asked obviously worried

"No," Esme said quietly, putting a blanket over the bedding. "He's been so stressed lately with personal affairs. Then having to see the full extent of the damage Bella received. He's quite fond of her. He thinks that she is fun and delightful."

"When you say fond..." Renee asked, again worried.

"Heavens no," Esme assured her, "she is dear to him like a child would be. You'll see, he is very kind and gentle."

Renee sat down on the bedding and Esme went to her own. Gently, she brushed the hair from Bella's forehead and kissed it. "My brave little girl."

Esme smiled and curled under her covers. Renee showed little sings of sleep. Vincent had kept his humans awake most of the day so she was used to only a few hours of rest. Even so, she couldn't take her eyes off of her child. When Bella turned away in her sleep she looked over at Alice who was awake.

"Sleep mom, you're tired."

Renee laid down and Alice reached for her hand. She took it and kissed it. "I missed you girls so much."

"We missed you too," Alice assured her. "I can't believe that you are alive."

Renee smiled and lifted her blanket as Alice crawled out of her cot and into her arms. She held her daughter gently and hummed softly until they both fell asleep.

TBC

Yay! Last day of restful break. My very last day before the new semester will be spent moving almost an entire dorm full of stuff from one floor to the next plus the packing. I effing hate moving! X(