A/N Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing response to the last chapter, you gave me just what strength I needed to survive writing this chapter. Emotional overload. :'( Thank you ALL so much for the support. * group hug *
The facts in this story may have been altered to fit the story, I am aware and do not need to be informed of this.
Beta'd by the truly wonderful Lady Seif.
Chapter fourteen.
I want to hold you
Protect you from all of the things I've already endured
I want to show you
Show you all the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way that a father should love his daughter
(Staind – Zoe Jane)
Once we arrived back at the Cullen's, Edward opened the car door and I moved to climb off his lap and out of the car, I winced as I tried to walk. Next thing I know I'm being scooped up into Edward's arms and we all turned when we heard the two police cars come up the drive.
"Get her inside." Carlisle said, ushering us into the house. "Take Bella straight to my office, I need to get her something for the pain." Carlisle said to Edward. "Esme, take the officers into the dinning room, we won't be too long." He said as Edward followed him to the office.
Esme came in soon after with a glass of orange juice for me, Jasper right behind her. "They are already getting impatient." She warned, as Carlisle handed me some pills, Edward still hadn't put me down yet.
Carlisle sat at his desk and dialed a number into his desk phone and put it on speaker.
"Mayor Newton's office." A male voice answered on the second ring.
"Hey Peter, it's Carlisle."
"Well hello brother mine, what can I do for you this fine evening?" Peter asked. I didn't even know that Carlisle had a brother, let alone that he worked at the Mayor's office.
Edward finally put me down, but took my hand in his and I turned to leave but he was hesitant, I guess he wanted to hear what was going on. "Jazz will you take Bella upstairs?" He asked and I froze.
"Come on Baby girl, let's get you warmed up and in bed whilst Mrs C heats up dinner." Jasper said, but I couldn't move, he took my hand in his and pulled me a little to get me to move, my other hand slipped out of Edward's grasp. I heard a strangled whimper and belatedly realized that it was me, I threw myself back into Edward's embrace, his arms wrapping tight around me. I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in, as Edward tried to soothe me.
"I'm sorry, it's okay Baby, I've got you." Edward said as he rubbed my back.
"Carlisle, is everything okay?" Peter asked.
"Go ahead, Edward, I'll come and let you know what's happening when I'm done here." Carlisle said.
Edward scooped me up into his arms again and carried me up to his bedroom. Jasper pulled the covers back on the bed and Edward placed me in the bed, before covering me up again.
"I'm just going to change in the bathroom, I'll be right back okay? Jazz is right here with you, I won't even close the door." He said kissing my forehead.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, "I just..." I tried to say but the words got stuck in my throat.
"No, Baby, it's okay, I understand. You don't need to apologize, I'll just be a minute." He said kissing my nose, before he disappeared into his bathroom.
"I'm sorry." I whispered to Jasper, as he stroked my hair off my face and gently pressed the icepack back on my cheek.
"What for?" He asked confused.
I sighed. "You know I love you, right?" I asked sadly, he smiled wryly.
"Yeah, I know." He said feigning nonchalance.
I smiled at him sadly, "But I really need him right now, more than I can explain." I said trying to explain myself.
"I get it Baby girl, he's been there with you the whole time, I haven't. I can't tell you how sorry I am for that, so you don't have anything to apologize for, I get it." He said as Edward came out of his bathroom and climbed straight into bed with me. He pulled me close and wrapped himself around me.
"Fuck! You are freezing Buttercup." He said rubbing my arm and blowing warm breath into my neck to try and warm me up.
"Jasper, sweetie, could you go and give your statement, they are getting annoyed down there." Esme said as she put a tray on the bed with my food on.
"Sure thing Mrs C." Jazz said as he hurried out of the room.
"Where's my food?" Edward asked.
"It's downstairs, you can have it when you've given your statement when Jasper is done." She said.
"I'm not leaving Bella!" He stated, both of us tightening our hold on each other.
"You don't have a choice." She said. I turned my face into his chest, my breathing accelerating.
"Bella, Sweetheart, please don't get upset. He won't be far from you, but the police won't allow you to stay in the same room whilst they take your statements. I will be with you Honey, I will stay with you the whole time, I promise." Esme tried to assure me.
"I-I don't w-want either of you to hear it... i-it's horrible." I just about managed to sob, I didn't want to be apart from Edward. I needed him to hold me together, needed to feel the security I always felt when I was with him. At the same time I couldn't allow him to hear what had happened to me, he'd be so upset, he had seen far too much as it was.
~U~
I barely did much more than pick at my food, I was too busy worrying about being away from Edward and about giving my statement. I really didn't want to go over the events of earlier, let alone explain them in detail to complete strangers. Eventually Edward hesitantly left the room to give his statement and Esme sat beside me on the bed holding my hand as someone else took my statement. I did my best not to think about what I was saying, but it was impossible, I had to stop several times to throw up. Despite barely eating anything, I was sick, the tablets I had taken coming back up and making the whole thing ten times worse as the taste of them hit my mouth. It was late by the time I was done, Esme was falling apart silently beside me, tears streaming down her face. Once I was finished she signed the statement under where I had signed before turning back to me and hugging me fiercely. She vowed never to let him touch me again, the way she spoke, the venom in her voice, I could almost have felt sorry for the guy if he ever crossed her path, almost.
The moment that the police left the room, Edward was back beside me, his hands now taped up, neither one of us spoke. The retelling of what we had been through was too much, we just lay there holding each other together. The police had cautioned Edward for attacking the fiend, but as yet didn't know if he'd be pressing charges. Though knowing the family he would undoubtedly press charges soon enough.
It wasn't much later when Jasper, Esme and Carlisle came back into the room.
"Bella, Sweetheart." Carlisle said in soft voice, he was sat on the end of the bed, I tried to sit up but the moment I felt the pain I lay back down again. Esme moved from the seat beside me and Carlisle took her place. "I have phoned a few colleagues at the hospital and arranged for you to see some people." He said slowly. "First of all, from tomorrow, I want you to see a therapist." He said. I'm not sure what expression was on my face, but I wasn't sure I wanted to do that. "Angela is a trusted colleague, Bella, she specializes in cases like yours. I want you to be able to get through this as a whole person. She can help you with everything you have been through and can help you move on, please will you at least meet her? If you don't like her then I can find someone else," He asked. I thought about it for a few moments, I guess I did need someone professional to talk to, I certainly wasn't doing too well on my own. My thoughts were just making my brain numb right now.
"Okay." I whispered, I had no more voice than that.
"I also contacted a social worker colleague, we need to get you emancipated as soon as possible." Carlisle said, what the hell did that mean? My breath caught as I stared at him in confusion. "What I mean is, Tia is a court appointed social worker and with her help along with my lawyer, we will get you out of your Father's control, so he will no longer be your guardian. We will be your guardians from now on." He said, but he was interrupted.
"No you won't be!" The determined voice came from down the hall. "I will be her guardian, she is already the daughter I always longed for anyway." Kate said as she ran into the room, shoving Carlisle's chair with him still in it aside. "Oh Bella, Princess." She sobbed wrenching me out of Edward's grasp and into her loving arms. "I'll kill that fucking bastard if I ever get my hands on him." She seethed. As much as Kate was like her sister; Esme was sweet and wholesome, whereas Kate who was ten years younger than her had a lot more bite. She was ferociously loyal to those she loved, just like Garrett.
"Kate, I'm not sure that that's the best idea, you own a fancy dress store and your boyfriend is a Tattoo artist. We want to be able to get a win with our case, we are going up against the Police chief and the Mayor after all."
"Fuck that, we are engaged and we both own our own business'. Besides, Garrett adores her as much as I do." She bit at him.
"Speaking of Garrett where is he?" Carlisle asked.
"He's out with friends." Kate said hesitantly. "He has some things to take care of, but he'll be here as soon as he can." She said.
"What kind of things?" Esme asked, "wait... perhaps it's best if I don't know." She said and Kate nodded.
"Wait, why is the Mayor involved, apart from having a diabolically malign offspring?" Kate asked.
"Well, from what I can tell, from what Peter has told me that is..." Carlisle started to explain, Kate moved to sit beside me and Edward moved me back against him, embracing me again. "There is something going on between the Chief and the Mayor, like they have some sort of arrangement, we have no idea what that is, but we do know that it involves Bella and the Mayor's son." He said, everyone else in the room gasped.
"What kind of arrangement?" Jasper was the first to ask.
"I have no idea, but it involves some kind of dowry, that is all we know so far. Peter is going to see what information he can dig up. We need to hurry up with the emancipation though, before Charlie has a chance to do anything that could stop us."
"What kind of things could he do?" Esme asked worriedly.
"Tia thinks that he might have Bella's rights revoked," he paused then said. "We think he might have her declared unfit to make her own decisions, legally incompetent. That way he could get Newton off the charges and have her hospitalized and taken out of our care." He explained, the response around the room was fueled with anger. Edward's hold on me tightened as my body was frozen.
"I will never let that happen, Bella, I'll take you away if I have to, I won't let them take you." Edward said fervently.
"We will do everything we can to prevent that happening." Carlisle said.
"We need to move her, take her where they can't find her." Kate said worriedly.
"If we need to, then we will, in the meantime we'll meet with Tia and my lawyer to see where we stand." Carlisle said.
"Maybe you should stay in Portland with me." Edward stated.
"Let's just see where we stand legally first, then if we need to move Bella, then we will." Carlisle said. "We will keep you safe, Sweetheart." He said squeezing my hand that was still encased in Kate's hands.
"What is a dowry?" I asked, I had no idea what that meant.
"It's money or property brought by a woman to her husband when they get married." Carlisle explained.
I felt my jaw drop and all the air leave my body in one quick burst as the blood drained from my face. This was to do with me getting married... to Mi... him?! But I had no money or property, I had nothing, then suddenly it all made sense.
"Bella? What is it?" Edward asked when he felt my body tense up again.
"It all makes sense now..." I said simply.
"What does, Sweetheart?" Esme asked.
"He'd been coming over to the house regularly, then suddenly he arranges credit at the store, introduces me to Mi... Him, then leaves me to fend for myself so I turn to N-newton for help." I said.
"When did this happen" Kate asked.
"Not sure, about nine months ago." I said, "He must have found my Grans papers." I said thinking aloud.
"What papers?" Carlisle asked.
"My Grans, she's English aristocracy, all nobility bloodline, it's her families dowry, the family have strict rules for the daughters in the family." I tried to explain as I remembered what was in the papers. "To encourage daughters to marry well, they have a dowry, money going to the father of the bride, the father of the groom and the new husband on the day they marry." I said, trying to remember the details, "the more important the family, for example, the son of a Mayor, the bigger the payout." I said. Edward was practically shaking he was so angry.
"How much money are we talking here?" Jazz asked curiously.
"They'd get at least a million each, that's pounds, not dollars." I said sadly.
"That bastard has fucking sold you to Newton?" Edward growled. He released me suddenly and I sobbed and panicked, thinking he was pushing me away.
"Bella! Baby! Fuck!" He exclaimed, pulling me back to him, "I'm sorry Bella, I'm just so fucking mad at them all right now." He said sadly. "I just didn't want to hurt you, all I can think about is smashing the fuck out of everything." He said, turning me to face him. "I'm sorry," he said crushing me to him again. "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, not without you."
"I need to contact Tia and my lawyer, this could be even more arduous than I thought, they are not going to give up on this easily, not with so much money at risk." Carlisle said as he pulled his cell from his pocket and exited the room in a hurry.
The money was something I never really thought about, my Gran never had that much, my Grandfather had gambled most of it away before they had my mother, I remembered. Then I gasped as other details came back to me.
"What is it?" Kate asked.
"The money... it's d-doubled i-if there are children early on in the marriage... that's why h-he raped me, to get me p-pregnant!?" I sobbed, appalled.
"That sick fucker, but you are only sixteen!" Kate seethed.
"In England, the age of consent is s-sixteen." I said.
"They must be planning to get you taken to the UK, this is too sick to contemplate." Esme sobbed. "I must tell Carlisle." She said quickly exiting the room.
I felt sick, sicker than I ever had been, this man, this human was supposed to be my guardian, the one person in the world who should protect and care for me. Yet he had basically sold me like a slave, like I was nothing, just a way to make money. I'd never felt more unlovable, or less deserving than I did in this moment. I curled in on myself and sobbed.
~U~
After the revelations from last night it took us all a long time to settle down, Edward and I barely slept. Jasper who had been sleeping in the TV room, came into Edward's room and got into bed with us at around three AM. I drifted in and out of sleep, mostly because when I did fall to sleep I'd have nightmares so bad that Edward had to wake me.
I ached everywhere, but when I finally managed to eat some breakfast Carlisle gave me something for the pain. Overnight several things had happened, because Edward had broken Newton's nose, cheekbone and jaw, he'd been hospitalized, nurses had found him early this morning screaming in pain, somehow during the night he had managed to break both of his knee caps, as well as several fingers, and re-opened the wounds in his face. And last last night the Mayor had been attacked in his own bed and had his jaw broken, but it was a mystery how it happened. I on the other hand had no doubt in my mind what had happened to them. I had a feeling it was something to do with the man that I wish was my real father, but he was far too good for me.
Carlisle gave me a tablet he referred to as 'the morning after pill,' just in case, unfortunately they made me, very sick.
Tia, the social worker arrived a little after nine and not much later Carlisle's lawyer, Felix Marcus arrived, along with Angela the therapist. Jasper left with Felix briefly to go and get all my Grans papers, once they returned it soon became obvious that all the papers had been replaced with photocopies, none of them were original documents. Whilst Jasper was gone, Kate, Edward and I went to the dinning room with Tia and Angela, going over some of my options. I did everything I could to prove to Tia that I was of sound mind and could make my own decisions, fortunately both she and Angela agreed. When Felix joined us with Carlisle and Esme; I asked them to get the paperwork started so that I could effectively divorce my parents, taking all rights away from them. I agreed wholeheartedly that I wanted Kate and Garrett to be my legal guardians. Garrett arrived not ten minutes later to sign the papers. He didn't say a word when he entered the room, looking menacing as he pulled off his biker jacket, his biceps stretching the arms of his t-shirt. He knelt on the floor beside my chair without a word and opened his arms, I went to him happily. He wrapped his arms around me.
"Princess, I'm so happy you said yes, Kate and I love you so much, I promise I will care for you and protect you always." He said, I sobbed with gratitude into his neck. "I want to adopt you as my own, so they can never touch you again." He said rubbing my back, I gasped and pulled away to look at his face, he wiped the tears from my eyes. "I mean it Princess, if you will let me, I'll be the best fucking Dad you could ever wish for." He said, I wrapped my arms back around his neck and nodded into his neck. "Was that a yes?" He asked, his voice gruff with emotion.
"Yes, I would very much want you to be my Daddy, more than anything." I said totally overwhelmed.
A/N Emotionally wrung out...
Next weeks chapter maybe posted a little later than normal, will be camped out at the cinema most of the day, supporting one of my favorite fanfictions ;)
Mysty xxx