Donna79, I love long reviews! It shows me that you care enough to write something! So thank you! And while she is like this, she will spend most of her time at the Cullen's, but once she is "healed" per say, she will go with the pack. But don't worry, there is going to be a twist about two months away, or a few chapters. So, you'll have to wait and see what happens!
CPOV
Looking at Bella in Jacob's lap, I knew that this would be a challenge. She really was an eight year old again, and I worry for her. "Bella, how old are you?" I almost feared the answer.
"I'm eight!" She smiled brightly, but then her face fell. "Wait, you're not my Daddy… But I'm glad! Will you be my new Daddy?" Her tone of voice broke my dead heart.
"Of course Bella. I would love to be your dad."
"Thanks daddy!" She smiled and then looked at Jacob. "I have a secret."
"Do you want to tell me?" Poor Jacob. We could all tell that he loved Bella, and now she was basically eight. The poor man.
"Sure!" She leaned forward and covered his ear and whispered. I was so thankful for my hearing, or else I would never know what she would have said. "My daddy used to hit me when I was bad. Will new daddy do that?"
I saw the pain across Jacob's face. "Of course not, Bells. Your new Daddy loves you, he would never hurt you." This was going to be hard on us, especially Jacob.
"Promise?" She was still whispering, and I could tell she was scared to go back to being abused.
"I pinky promise." Jacob held up his huge pinky towards Bella and she smiled, linking it with hers.
"Okay, I believe you." She looked at me and smiled a bright smile.
"Bella, how many times has your daddy hit you?"
She looked up thoughtfully and then started to stick up her fingers as she recalled. It pained me to see that she held up all ten little fingers, and she kept going, starting over. "At least twenty times, probably more."
"Why did he hit you Bella?"
"He said that I was the one ruining his life with Mommy, if I came home late, if I asked for something that they didn't give me, and if I ever asked a question." I saw the tears start to pool in her eyes and she leaned against Jacob, who gently started to pet her head.
"When did he start to hit you?" I hated to put her through this, but it might help with getting her back to seventeen again.
"When I was five. I got home from school late because my bus driver was talking to us, and he beat me and threw me into a wall." She closed her eyes and hid her face in Jacob's chest.
Jacob looked at me and I nodded. "I think I have enough for now." I got up and walked into the house. "Emmett, Alice. Can you go cheer up Bella? I just asked her some very hard questions."
Emmett and Alice nodded, and Emmett turned to Andrew. "Wanna come?"
Andrew just sat there, eyes glazed over. Alice sat down next to him. "Andrew? What do you see?" I could tell that she was fighting back her own vision. She wanted to have a vision and see if she could see what he was seeing.
He pulled out of his vision and looked at us. "Three weeks." He whispered, and no one knew what he meant.
"Andrew, three weeks what?" Emmett clearly had grown attached to the little guy, and he sat down next to him, watching closely.
"Three weeks until she is healed, and until everything starts to go wrong."
Andrew's POV
"Wanna come?" I could hear Emmett ask, but I had already slipped into my vision.
"Jacob?"
"You're back! Bella!" He swung her around in a circle, smiling.
"What do you mean I'm back? Where did I go?" Bella struggled from his grasp and looked at him.
"You have been an eight year old for three weeks." He smiled, but then sniffed the air and gulped.
Before he could explain, I walked in. "Guys, there is someone here for Bella." I looked at Bella and took a deep, unneeded breath. "It's not good, Bella."
Then I was pulled out. "Three weeks." I whispered, knowing that no one would know what I meant, but Jacob said that Bella had been an eight year old for three weeks. In three weeks someone would come for Bella, and it's not good.
"Andrew, three weeks what?" Emmett sat down next to me, watching closely, confused.
"Three weeks until she is healed." Everyone seemed happy about that, but then I continued. "And until everything starts to go wrong."
Everyone was shocked, and Alice looked at me. "What did you see?"
"Jacob and Bella talking about how she was eight for three weeks, and then I came in and said that someone was there for Bella, and it wasn't good." I looked around and my heart sunk.
Alice slipped into her own vision, but came out quickly. "Damn it, the whole pack must be at the house! I couldn't even see Andrew's future! Damn wolves." She pulled her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes, trying to force another vision.
I looked at Carlisle, begging for help. "Carlisle, what do we do? I didn't see who came here, and I can't force visions like Alice."
"For now, we need to get Bella through to those three weeks. There has to be something that triggers her, but just let it run its course, and then we will deal with the visitor when they come."
I nodded and got to my feet, and then looked at Emmett, and easily made him stand up. "Come on." He pouted slightly, but it was only because I was stronger than him.
We walked outside, and looked around. Bella was sitting in front of Jacob, and they were talking. I saw him tense when I walked towards him, but I tried to ignore it. The moment I got outside, I held my breath. I didn't get one whiff of Bella or Jacob's blood. I was proud of myself. "Hey Bella."
"Andrew!" She ran up and hugged me, and Jacob was behind her instantly, glaring at me. I gently patted her back and stepped back, looking at Jacob with a look that said I'm stronger than you think.
"Bella, do you want to play?" I asked softly, looking at Emmett, who was glaring at Jacob. He was becoming close to Bella, and I was happy about that. It was funny.
"Yay!" Bella ran off. "Count to a hundred!" Hide and seek, of course. I laughed and covered my eyes, counting loudly, but then looked at Jacob. "Go with her. I saw a vision that in three weeks she will be back to normal, but someone comes to see her. I don't know anything else, just keep her safe."
Emmett nodded in agreement, and then sat down, still as stone. Jacob made a face and then ran off, utterly confused.
I continued to count, and I realized that I wasn't counting until I went and found Bella, but I was counting down possibly the last moments I had with my birth sister.
