Dark Waltz- Chapter 20

BPOV

"Who's coming here?" I asked again, stunned as Carlisle watched me carefully.

"Danielle," he repeated. "I just got the fax last night, after you went to bed."

"Why?" I inquired, stunned. Danielle had said that she was very busy…

"To check up," said Carlisle easily. "She wants to make sure you're adjusting."

"Oh."

"Cole's coming too," he added softly.

"The dark driver?" I asked softly, clearly seeing his dark hair, glasses and jacket in my mind.

"I suppose so," said Carlisle carefully. "I don't think he's dark."

"He dressed dark," I amended. "He has dark hair and dark pants and shoes and jackets and glasses and a dark car-"

"Alright," said Carlisle quickly. "I understand."

I nodded, returning to my oatmeal. It was getting cold, and I knew very well that cold oatmeal wasn't good oatmeal.

And Carlisle would be upset if I wasted my breakfast. It always upset him when I didn't eat like he thought I should. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack, milk, then bed. If I forgot my snack, he always made me have a second glass of milk, even though he'd found out not that long ago that I didn't really like it. He said that if my heart was sick (we weren't sure how sick it was, though we knew it was sick), the last thing I needed was to miss meals. He wanted to make sure I gained some weight, since he thought I was too thin.

I felt bigger than I had in my entire life. Esme made a lot of good food for me to eat, and boy did she make me eat it. That was the only time Esme was ever assertive with me.

I was to eat at least half my plate- no less. If I didn't eat half of it, she waited with me until I did.

Jake nudged my toe with his wet dog-nose, jolting me out of my thinking.

"Gross," I grumbled, making Carlisle glance at me.

"You can eat something else," he said quickly, looking sad again. I looked up at him, confused.

"What?" I asked, trying my best not to sound rude.

"If you don't like oatmeal, you don't have to eat it," he clarified. "It's fine if you think it's gross, just find something else."

"The oatmeal's not gross," I said quickly, making him frown.

"Bella," he began gently. "You don't have to lie to me."

I felt my breath hitch.

Did this light-haired doctor think I was lying to him?

"No!" I said, feeling very edgy once more. "Jake rubbed his wet nose on my foot."

"Bella…" he began again, not believing me.

"See?" I demanded wildly, swinging my foot around and raising it for him to see.

It was shiny and wet, and Doctor Cullen watched it for a short moment before he smiled.

"He's under there," I said, pointing, earning me a gentle nod as Jake once again gave my toes a lick. I scowled at him as he walked by, ignoring my frowning. Carlisle watched me instead of Jake for a very short moment before he spoke again.

"Forgive me, Bella," he said. "I just don't want you to feel obligated. You have choices here, you know."

"I know."

"Alright."

"Oatmeal's good," I said again. "Sometimes we had it at the Institute and all the time in the Phoenix hospital, but there weren't apples and cinnamon on it."

He chuckled.

"Eat your breakfast and then go get dressed," he instructed. I glanced down at my pyjama-clad body, blushing deeply. He watched me interestedly before he continued. "Danielle said she'd be here before lunch."

Right, Danielle.

"Okay."

"I'm sure she's just coming to check in," he said softly. "There's no need to worry."

I nodded, knowing that Danielle was safe. She'd been my safe place for weeks before I found Alice. Danielle had kept me safe from the doctors in the Phoenix hospital, safe from the male patients and she'd brought me here in Cole's car. Danielle had brought me back to Alice and Emmett. She wasn't dangerous.

"Good," said Carlisle softly. "Eat up."

By the time I'd finished eating and gotten my clothes on, there was already another dilemma at hand- Alice had gone school shopping in Seattle with Jasper and Edward since she had class again in just a few weeks. Rosalie had tagged along with them since she had some shopping of her own to do. Esme was once again out grocery shopping, but this time in Port Angeles because she found a good deal on fresh fruit at the farmer's market up there.

Alice had always been here to do my hair for me whenever I needed it done. I could brush it out decently, but to make it presentable for Danielle?

No… that was Alice's specialty. Alice knew everything about hair, especially mine. She just loved playing in it, and now, she wasn't here. I had the brush in my hand as I brought it down through the knots, wondering what to do with myself.

I didn't even know how to pull it back properly. I always made bubbles and loops on the part that was supposed to be flat.

And then, I'd put the ponytail off centre. It would be crooked, and Danielle would think that Esme and Carlisle were letting me run wild like an animal. I couldn't embarrass Carlisle in front of Danielle and Cole, so I decided to do the only thing I could think of.

I went searching for my big brother- the only one besides Carlisle left in the house with me. Emmett would know what I should do.

Holding the brush and elastic in hand, I gently moved out of my bedroom and into the hallway. Jake was waiting for me there, his tail thumping the floor as I patted his head while we walked towards the stairs. It was silent up here except for Jake's snuffling and I felt a small frown making its way onto my face as we descended the staircase.

Maybe Emmett didn't want to be bothered by me and my hair dilemma. Maybe he didn't care if I looked wild in front of Danielle.

Jake knew exactly where I was headed, much to my surprise, and he led me right down the second floor hallway towards Emmett's bedroom, where his door was closed and his music playing.

I hesitated.

What if he got mad at me for bugging him? I'd only ever been in his bedroom once before- to sleep- and that time, he'd invited me in. What would I do if Emmett lost his temper with me and got angry?

Jake's tail thumped against my leg.

Just do it, he seemed to say. Go.

I held my breath and knocked on the door three times, each time short and hesitant.

"Come in!" boomed the loud, familiar voice. I stared at the door for a long moment before I grabbed the handle and turned it, praying he wouldn't be upset with me.

"Hey Boo!" he cried enthusiastically, throwing a shirt on over his head. I watched as he reached over and smacked a button on his stereo with his hand, making the music stop abruptly. I stared at him as he ushered me inside, shutting the door before Jake could come in.

Emmett was still a little prejudiced towards our puppy.

"Hi," I squeaked, gauging his temper carefully. He stared at me for a short moment before he glanced down at my hands.

"What's up?" he asked, tossing himself down on his chair. He watched me carefully as I hesitated.

Jake pawed the door, making Emmett scowl.

"Do you know how to do this?" I blurted quickly, making him frown as he glanced at me.

"Do what?"

"Hair," I said, almost positive he didn't. "Carlisle said that Danielle's coming today and Alice usually does it for me-"

"I don't know," he said easily. "Never really tried."

"Oh."

"Come here, Boo," he offered, standing up. I walked over quickly and he sat me down in the chair instead, snatching the brush and elastic away from me.

"What do you want me to do to it?" he asked doubtfully. "I'll try, but no guarantees."

I suppressed a grin.

"Pull it back?" I asked hesitantly. "I always make bubbles."

"Sure thing." And with that, he began to brush. I was shocked at how gentle he could be when he tried to be- his hands felt like big versions of Alice's hands. Before long, it was brushed out and he started to pull it back.

I could see his face in the mirror across from me and he looked a little confused.

"Bubbles," he grumbled, letting it fall down again. I sighed wistfully, wishing Alice was here as he tried again. He took the brush in his hands and brushed the top back before he used his big fingers to draw the rest of it up.

Lopsided.

He tried again.

And again, and again, and again.

"I hate hair," he proclaimed passionately as he failed for the sixth time, being forced to brush the tangles out again. I frowned and tried to take it back, not wanting to make him frustrated.

"No, I'll get it," he vowed. "Just let me try."

"Okay," I squeaked, wondering what Danielle would find when she got here. Would she find me groomed and proper or looking like an animal? Perhaps she'd find Emmett attacking my hair with my blue hairbrush…

"Boo?" he asked suddenly, letting the heavy sheet of hair fall down my back.

"Yeah?"

"Can I do something else?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Something," he said cryptically. "I know I can do this one."

"How do you know?" I asked curiously.

"Rosalie's made me do it before," he admitted.

"You said you've never done hair," I accused with a frown, making him stare.

"Not like Alice does," he said quickly. "I've done some things before."

He sounded embarrassed and I grinned.

"Sure," I said gently. If Rosalie let him do it, it couldn't be that bad, right?

He got right to work, brushing and untangling the knots he'd made with his big, bumbling hands. I watched in the mirror as he dragged the brush over the top of my head, bringing it all to the back as he held it gently, dividing it up into three parts.

"It won't be as good as Alice's," he warned quickly, looking a little self-conscious, "but it'll still be alright."

"It's better than what I could do," I admitted, waiting for him to pull the hair through the elastic.

He chuckled.

"I'm not done yet, Bell," he said gently, grabbing each of the three hair pieces in his hands. I watched in mild fascination as he began to pull them over each other, weaving them together to make a long, thick rope of hair.

"It's a braid," he admitted. "I'm sure Alice or Rose could French braid it for you, but this'll work."

I was amazed. Emmett- my big brother with no long hair of his own to practice with- had taken my messy hair and turned it into a sleek rope.

… or braid, as he called it.

He tied the elastic around the bottom of the braid once he was done, smiling proudly.

"See?" he said. "I'm not completely useless with you." I frowned at his words, feeling sad.

"You're never useless," I admonished, making him smile again with a shrug.

"Sometimes," he argued. "But anyways, that's it."

"Thank you," I said easily, unable to resist the urge to stroke it. It was soft and shiny, making me look very unlike a wild animal. Danielle would be pleased.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, suddenly concerned for my welfare as he remembered who was coming. I nodded easily.

"Danielle's safe," I said honestly. "She was safe before Alice was."

He just watched me, a curious look on his face.

"Safe?"

"Safe," I replied gravely, nodding. "Cole wasn't, though."

"Who's Cole?"

"The man Danielle works with- her partner. He drove, and he was dark."

"Dark?"

"He wore dark things and had a dark car and dark hair-"

"Okay," he said softly, understanding.

Jake, unable to help himself, scratched angrily at the door, letting out three sharp barks. Emmett, exasperated, wrenched the door out of his way and let him inside.

He zoomed right on over to me, his eyes wary and worried.

"Hi puppy," I cooed happily, scratching both of his cheeks as he thrust his face in my own, sniffing. Emmett watched me gently as I cuddled the puppy, smiling.

"He's a nice boy," I said affectionately, making Emmett smile.

"He's good for you," he admitted grudgingly, "even if he's bad."

I scowled at my big brother, making him grin.

"When's Danielle coming over?" he asked curiously.

"Carlisle said before lunch," I recited. Emmett glanced at his clock, which read 10:56.

"Soon," he said softly. "Good luck, Boo."

"Thanks," I said awkwardly, standing up again. "And thanks for the hair."

"Don't mention it."

"I'd better go so I'm there when she comes," I said softly, making him nod quietly. He was watching the floor as I stood up, taking my brush with me. I was just at his door when he stopped me again, his voice sounding sad and careful.

"Boo?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around once more. He watched me intently for a short moment before he answered.

"Would you mind if I sat with you?" he asked gently. "While the social worker's here, I mean."

Emmett wanted to sit with me during a potential episode of panic?

"Okay," I said awkwardly, suddenly pleased with the idea.

No one would dare take on Emmett… he was just too big. Cole couldn't frighten Emmett.

"Thanks," he said, suddenly happy and Emmett-like once more. I watched as he followed me out the door, closing it behind him as he trailed me to the third floor.

I liked having Emmett around me… he was so big and so spooky that not even Danielle's quiet partner would dare bother him. No one bothered Emmett, if they could help it.

I put the brush back in the drawer in my bathroom before Emmett, Jake and I all went downstairs together, Jake leading the way. Carlisle was in the sitting room, watching as I descended the stairs before my brother, letting Emmett take up the tail.

"All ready?" asked Carlisle as I stepped onto the hardwood floor, standing awkwardly behind an armchair.

"Yes," I said quickly, nodding. Emmett stood behind me, watching Carlisle as well before I chose my seat- the far sofa. Jake crept up on my left side and I patted him easily, letting him rest his drooly head in my lap.

If Danielle didn't like Jake drooling on me, too bad for her.

Emmett, to my delight, chose the seat on my right, leaving me in the middle of my two intimidating, spooky protectors- my puppy and my brother. Carlisle watched the three of us for a short moment before he turned to the window behind me, sighing.

"That'll be them," he said gently. My heart sped up with sudden, irrational anxiety as I leaned on Emmett's side, letting him wrap his arm around me. He didn't say anything as I rested my head just blow his shoulder (I was too short to reach it completely) and there was a knock on the door.

"Good morning," said Carlisle graciously as he exchanged small-talk with the visitors. I smiled to myself as I heard Danielle's voice in the entranceway, speaking in return.

"How's everything been since last time?" asked Danielle, still not coming inside.

"Good," admitted Carlisle. "She's doing well."

"Great."

That was Cole… I shivered.

"She and Emmett are waiting for us in the sitting room," said Carlisle as the trio approached, letting me look down to the floor.

It was swirly and wooden and full of tree-knots-

"Hello Isabella," said Danielle kindly, making me look up. She looked the same as I remembered, but instead of having her hair pulled back, she had it down around her shoulders.

"Hi," I said squeakily- the way it always was when I was uncomfortable or nervous. She smiled again as Doctor Cullen invited them to sit down, waiting for them to start.

"How have the past eight weeks been, Isabella?" asked Danielle gently, grabbing her pen and clipboard once more.

"Good."

"Alright," she said, scribbling on her paper. "You seem much more relaxed."

I shrugged, letting Emmett's hold tighten. Jake, ever vigilant, stared at Danielle warily, his body tense.

"This is your brother?" she asked me, eying Emmett carefully. I nodded, making her smile.

"And who's this?"

Jake stared at her, his eyes sharp and dark.

"Jake," I offered quietly, patting his head. "He's nice."

Jake snarled at Danielle, and I frowned.

"No," I said sternly, making him fall silent. Danielle watched Jake for a moment longer before she turned to Carlisle.

"We got the fax about her prescriptions," said Danielle formally, "but we'd like to ask you a bit more about that."

"I sent all the documents down," said Carlisle with a frown. "You already know everything."

Danielle ignored him.

"Intermittent ventricular tachycardia?" she confirmed, flipping through a new file. Cole was very watchful now, paying very close attention.

"Yes."

"Do you mind if we record this?" asked Danielle suddenly, pulling a small tape-recorder out of her pocket. I shied away from it, vowing to be very quiet.

I knew she'd listen to it again later, just like the Doctor did.

"I guess not," said Carlisle carefully. "Might I ask why?"

"Legal reasons," said Cole quietly. "If she won't testify, we need all the evidence we can get."

I shivered and closed my eyes softly, making Emmett and Jake both tense up.

Danielle pressed record.

"Intermittent ventricular tachycardia?" asked Danielle again, restating her point for the recorder.

"Yes."

"Which tests has Isabella undergone so far?" she inquired.

"She's had an exercise stress test, and EKG and a Holter test," said Carlisle carefully. "She's scheduled for an echocardiogram and a chest x-ray in September."

"Why so late?" asked Danielle.

"Her cardiologist is located in Seattle. There's always a waiting list for radiology, but if she worsens she'll get in earlier."

"Good," said Danielle, writing on her board. "What's the name of her cardiologist?"

"Doctor Eleazar Denali from Seattle General."

"What medications has he prescribed her?"

"Two milligrams of Lorazepam as needed and 25 milligrams of Atenolol daily," said Carlisle, making me frown.

She wanted to know about my medicines.

"What's their purpose?"

"Lorazepam is an anti-anxiety medication," he said easily. "It'll help her calm down if she's panicking. Atenolol is a beta-blocker."

"Beta-blocker?" asked Danielle carefully, not even looking at me.

I watched her closely.

"It'll help suppress the arrhythmia until we can diagnose and treat the cause."

"Thank you," she said, scribbling some more on her board. Cole, having been sitting still as a statue, was now rummaging through her briefcase, looking for something else.

"You mentioned anxiety," said Danielle carefully, checking her notes. Emmett, I saw, was now tense and unhappy, glaring at this woman.

"Yes," said Carlisle carefully.

"Is the anxiety, in your opinion, attributed to the treatment she underwent during her time with Doctor James Dupont?" she asked.

I cringed at the sound of the doctor's name, trying not to panic. Emmett squeezed my shoulder in a friendly way.

"Is this a check up or an inquisition?" asked Carlisle suddenly, turning towards Cole as well. I hadn't realized he was getting so unhappy with them…

"Please answer the question."

"What do you plan to do with this tape recording?" he asked suddenly. "I was under the impression that you were here to verify that Bella was being properly cared for in her new home."

Emmett held me even tighter.

"Doctor Cullen, you have to understand that this case is very time-sensitive," said Danielle. "The prosecution needs to collect all the evidence it can before-"

"What's your job title, exactly?" he asked, his voice no longer welcoming.

"Cole and I are special agents with the FBI," she said easily. "We've been trying to track down James Dupont for years."

Flinch.

"You're not a social worker?" he demanded.

"I have a degree in social work," she said hesitantly. "I'm often assigned to children's cases."

"You're not employed as a social worker for the state of Arizona?" he asked again, his voice harsh. "I was under the impression that you were actually qualified to interrogate my children."

"I am a qualified social worker," said Danielle patiently. "Today, however, I'm here as an agent."

"Great," said Carlisle sarcastically. "Might I suggest that you stop investigating James Dupont for a few moments and focus on what's important here?"

Danielle glared back at him, her face reddening.

"Every detail is important, Doctor Cullen," she said angrily. "Everything you say is incriminating him further and further-"

"Might I remind you, Miss Ford, that Bella is what's important?" he said distastefully. "I understand that you want to lock Dupont up, but you're making my daughter incredibly uncomfortable."

I was shocked as I stared at him… how had he known I was uncomfortable?

"Isabella knows that this is a sensitive-"

"Bella," he said emphatically, "would probably like to get this over with."

"We have a right to ask you questions about her-"

"About her mental, emotional and physical well-being," he corrected. "Not about my medical opinion. I'll answer questions about her health, but I'm not about to let you exploit my medical degree for the sake of your case. You won't force me onto the witness stand."

Danielle stared at him for a long moment before she retaliated.

"I've never appealed to your medical judgement," she defended. "I asked for your opinion."

"My opinion is invalid unless I'm a medical doctor with experience in child psychology," said Carlisle angrily, his eyes blazing. "Enough of this nonsense and focus on what you're supposed to be doing."

He sounded more like Doctor Cullen than Carlisle now… he was mad.

"Will all due respect, Doctor Cullen," said Cole suddenly, looking unhappy. "If Isabella refuses to testify, we have very little to go on."

I would not testify… no, no, no. I wouldn't face that man again. I didn't want to ever look at him now that he was gone-

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," said Carlisle, "but I refuse to let you make her even more unhappy than she already is. Get on with your questions, and stop trying to put us on the witness stand. You're here to verify her safety and security, not to get yourself a mock-affidavit. "

Danielle and Cole both sighed and she turned her paper over, looking at me.

"Isabella, how've you been feeling since you've been here?"

I stared at her for a long moment, looking at Carlisle. He smiled at me, his eyes still unhappy as I hesitated.

"Fine."

"Fine?" asked Danielle doubtfully. "Have you been sick at all?"

"Yeah," I said, shrugging. "Edward and I went hiking outside and it rained on me."

"That sounds like fun," she said, smiling. "What happened then?"

"I don't know," I said. "I got sick and Emmett was there then Esme was and then Carlisle came and brought me to his clinic," I whispered. "He listened to my heart and brought me to Seattle."

"What did you think of Doctor Denali?" she asked.

"He's okay," I said robotically. "He's nice."

"Great," she said, sounding incredibly displeased. I saw Cole watching her expectantly before she glanced over at Doctor Cullen, who was looking quite miffed.

"Bella, do you ever have panic attacks?" she asked.

I shivered and nodded, not liking where this was going.

"Out loud, sweetheart. The recorder can't see you."

"Yes." My voice was nothing more than a small whisper, but she seemed satisfied.

"Do you think that your panic attacks are because of what happened in Phoenix?"

Flinch.

I stared at her, alarmed and unhappy.

"Enough," said Carlisle angrily. "Didn't I just tell you to let that go?"

"It's a legitimate question," defended Danielle. "It's crucial-"

"I think we're done here," he said angrily, getting up. "I'll have to ask you to leave."

"We're not done with the questions," said Cole simply.

"You can contact my lawyer, and we'll set up another time to get together," he said simply.

Emmett was staring at his father, impressed.

Jake whined, kissing my hand.

"I don't think you want to take this to the lawyers, Doctor Cullen," said Cole darkly, sounding angry and frustrated. Emmett hugged me close as I shivered, not liking how he was speaking to Carlisle, before Carlisle stood as well.

"It would seem that the two of you are more interested in the logistics of your case than the emotional well-being of a child," he said simply. "I won't let you make her any more uncomfortable in her own home than she already is. You already pried these answers from her before you sent her to us."

He sounded so firm, so authoritative.

"We don't mean any offence," said Cole easily. "We just want to know what happened."

"Ask someone else," he suggested. "You have no right to come into her home and badger her like she's in your interrogation room."

"What exactly did you think would be going on here?" demanded Danielle angrily. "You knew why we were coming-"

"We spoke on the phone, Miss Ford, about all the questions you'd be asking my daughter and myself. You informed me that we'd be speaking about how she was settling in, whether or not she was happy, and that you'd have a few questions about her heart condition," he said easily. "Not once did I agree to let you bring up her past."

"This entire situation is about her past," snarled Danielle.

"This visit wasn't supposed to be," argued Carlisle. "She's not comfortable speaking about it."

"She has to," said Danielle angrily, finally losing her cool. "We need to keep him behind bars."

"Well, talk to Marcus about it," said Carlisle, handing Danielle a card. She snatched it away from him and sighed heavily, thrusting it at Cole.

Who was Marcus?

"We'll be in touch," said Danielle angrily, her voice snippy and rude. I watched in shock as she left the room entirely, leaving Cole to follow. I heard her leaving the house and closing the door behind her as Doctor Cullen watched them leave, the black car disappearing down the drive for the second time in my memory.

No one spoke for a long moment, and the ticking of the wall clock in the kitchen made me edgy.

"Bella?"

Carlisle was back.

"I'm sorry she brought it up again," he said gently. "She wasn't supposed to."

"Who's Marcus?" I blurted, making him smile as he sat back down.

"Our lawyer, and my father's youngest brother," said Carlisle gently.

"Your dad?" I asked, amazed as Emmett smiled. He kept quiet as he hugged me, and Carlisle continued.

"My father, Aro, lives in an Italian town called Volterra," he explained. "He and my mother moved over to Jacksonville back in the sixties. I was born and raised here, but once I was out of the house and in pre-law, the two of them moved back to the family home in Italy."

"Oh."

"My uncle Marcus moved down when I was just entering high school and went right to law school. Marcus is much younger than my father is- only five years older than myself. He's been more of a brother to me than an uncle."

"Where does he live now?" I asked curiously.

"Seattle," he explained. "He runs a law firm."

"Uncle M is pretty cool," said Emmett easily. "He sends wicked Christmas shit."

"Language, Emmett," said Carlisle sternly, looking torn between disapproval and amusement.

"He'll probably send you some awesome stuff this year, Boo."

"Most likely, yes," said Carlisle, smiling. "Marcus never married and never had kids of his own, so he likes to spoil mine."

I nodded, trying to picture what he might look like.

"Marcus is an excellent friend," he continued, "and he's very good at what he does. I'm positive he'll be able to control Danielle's questioning."

"Oh."

"Esme should be home very soon," said Carlisle gently, glancing at the clock. Danielle had only been here for twenty minutes before Carlisle had kicked her out. I was still mildly impressed that he'd been so mean to her, but I sort of liked it.

He'd protected me from her, just like he promised he would all those weeks ago. Carlisle, the blonde-haired doctor, hadn't let Danielle attack me with her words. He'd forced her to be quiet and he'd forced her to not make me uncomfortable.

He'd made me safe.

With that realization I stood on my feet, tearing myself out of Emmett's grasp. Jake whined nervously and Emmett stared, mildly alarmed as I jerked myself away. I stood on my feet, feeling the smooth wood beneath my floor as I stared at Carlisle for a long moment, debating with myself.

Jake's tail thumped again, just as it had this morning, and I knew exactly what he was saying.

Just do it. Go.

With three large steps, I crossed the distance between Carlisle and myself and for the first time ever, I threw my arms around him in a hug. I felt him tense in shock before he reciprocated gently, the feeling foreign, but not unwanted. He was much taller than me- taller than Emmett- but the feeling was very, very nice.

I felt safe, standing there with this blonde doctor hugging me.

Safe, safe, safe.

"Thank you," I mumbled, my voice muffled by his front. I felt him pat my hair before he whispered his reply, ever soft and gentle.

"You're welcome."

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