Hey Everybody! I am so sorry this took so long, writers block is a bitch!

I know this is a little short but I already have the next chapter going, it will be out in two weeks tops! Promise!

HUGE Thank you to everyone who reads and those who reviewed the last chapter. I'm so sorry if I couldn't respond but loved reading every one!

Mamma4ever and Whatobsession17 Thank you so much for putting so much time in my little story

As life gets longer, awful feels softer,

and it feels pretty soft to me.

And if it takes shit to make bliss,

well I feel pretty blissfully.

If life's not beautiful without the pain,

well I'd just rather never ever even see beauty again.

The View by Modest Mouse

BPOV

"I can't give that information out," The woman at the front desk repeated again.

"I know he's here. I want to see him," I demanded as politely as I could manage. She let out a large sigh and told us to wait where we were.

We had been asking this woman at the front desk to see Edward for the past thirty minutes. I was surprised she hadn't called security on us for annoying the hell out of her.

"Bella, you need to accept the fact that you probably won't get to see or talk to him," Officer Dan said softly.

Mom and Dan had insisted on coming with me when I found out where Edward's parents had sent him. Even though Alice and Jasper wanted to come, we felt it would be better if they stayed behind. I wanted to look as mature as possible. I was afraid if a bunch of high schoolers showed up, no one would take us seriously. I wasn't stupid though. I had done my research.

I knew if the Doctor didn't think the patient being held there needed the level of work the Center offered, they were instructed to discharge them. I'd done my research on the Vultori Center and I knew Edward didn't belong there. The Vultori Center was a place regarded highly in the community. It was known for it's amazing cases of rehabilitation.

The Vultori Center treated children, mostly teens, with all different disorders. Eating disorders, drug abuse, depression and suicide, then the last item listed, in detail, on their website - anger disorders. I had assumed that was exactly the thing they admitted Edward for. The website explained the symptoms one would have with sever anger management problems, and Edward did not fit the bill. I'm sure his parents exaggerated enough for them to agree to have him stay.

I was trying to think of anything else that may help my case for Edward when a man in a white coat walked into the lobby, he was obviously a doctor.

"Good afternoon, I'm Carlisle Cullen." We all shook his hand.

"Would you mind taking this conversation into my office?"

He seemed pleasant enough but I couldn't tell if it was because he was a nice guy, or if it was because he didn't want us making a scene in the lobby of the Center. At that point, it didn't matter to me. I would have done anything to make sure Edward was ok.

We all walked into his office and sat down. Mom and Dan on the nice leather couch to the side of his desk, and I sat in the chair across from it. I thought about how my dad would handle that meeting, if he were there, that's how I planned to conduct myself. My normal timid, non confident self was gone - I meant business.

"So, I've been told you have some insistent questions?"

"Yes, sir." I figured I would start polite. Sucking up was not beneath me.

"I know for a fact that Edward Masen is a patient here. I have studied all of your policies and can prove that he doesn't belong here." Even though my voice wavered, I hoped I still sounded confident.

"Well, it's against patient confidentiality for me to release any information about a patient. Including confirming whether or not someone is a patient. This isn't court though Mrs..."

"Swan. Bella, please."

"Bella. I appreciate how devoted you are, but I'm not sure what you feel your proof will do."

He said it kindly, but it still burned.

"Dr. Cullen, I've done my research. I know your policies. I have proof that it would be unethical for you to hold Edward Masen here."

His eyebrows raised. I took it as a sign to start pulling out what I brought. He didn't stop me.

"This is officer Dan, he can tell you about one incident that happened a few months ago." Dan sat up a little on the couch.

"I'm here off duty but have witnessed some things that I feel should be brought to the attention of whomever is providing medical care."

Dan didn't want to speak about what had happened. He'll never know how grateful I was that he changed his mind. For the next few minutes Dan told the doctor everything he had witnessed. From the night his parents called the police on him for running away, up until the moment he arrested Edward's dad.

Doctor Cullen was very professional and gave nothing away with his expressions on what he was thinking. He nodded his head when necessary and gave his condolences to my mother and me when he learned about Charlie. Never once did he give anything away about Edward. I didn't even know if this man knew Edward - it was a big hospital.

After Dan was finished, Mom told her side of everything and spoke for what her and my dad had witnessed. Then, I pulled out the letters from Alice, Jasper, Jake and Charlotte from the hospital and Billy, Edward's old boss. They all stated the horrid behavior they had seen from Edward's family. The letters also made a point to say how great Edward was.

Alice and Jasper said what a good friend he was. Charlotte and Jake spoke about how they saw him act at the hospital. How mature he was and what a great support he was. Billy wrote a long letter, stating how Edward was one of his best employees and the only time his work was ever interfered with was when his parents involved themselves.

I really believed I had enough information to prove our point. I knew they wouldn't send Edward on his way. I wasn't naive. I just hoped it was enough to put a seed of doubt into his head. I knew Edward's parents could put on a good show and I wanted to make sure it was known that's all it was - a show.

EPOV

Two weeks. It had been two long, miserable weeks I'd been stuck there. I stared out the sealed window of my room, at nothing. I had nothing to look at except a parking lot. I would watch people come and go, mostly staff, while I was trapped with no escape. I thought of a million ways to get out, to run, but there was no use. I pulled out my book and continued to work on my homework from school. They may have sent me there but I was determined to graduate on time still.

My parents had sent me there and I would be forced to stay until either my parents released me, the doctor released me, or until I turned eighteen and I could release myself. I looked at the sign that hung in the entryway, and scowled; "Volturi Center".

It was a place where parents could dump their kids on other people. It was a place of rehabilitation. There were kids there who tried to commit suicide, had eating disorders, kids who were unmanageable, or had anger problems - like me. Well, that's what my parents had told the people there.

My parents had said I was hostile, volatile - dangerous. I had been forced to go to daily anger management classes, daily group therapy and daily one-on-one counseling with a doctor. My doctor was Doctor Cullen; my only hope of getting out of there early. Otherwise, my birthday was almost two months away.

When I had met him on the first day, sadly, I lived up to my parents' description. I was freaked out, pissed off, and had no idea where I was. I just reacted. I had been sitting in my room by the window on the first night there, my ankle in a cast. A man in a white coat walked into the room.

"Hello Edward, my name is Dr. Cullen. Would it be all right if we talked for a second?"

"Are you going to answer my goddamn questions? 'Cause no one else is," I stated coolly, narrowing my eyes.

"I'm not sure who else you have spoken with, but I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. I'm sure this is all very confusing for you."

He had stayed in my room for over an hour answering all my questions. Never getting frustrated or angry with me. By the end of the hour, I had decided that Dr. Cullen was alright, and I really needed to play my cards right so he would believe me and see how crazy my parents were.

The lies he had read off my chart my parents had told him were unreal. The evidence against me didn't look good. My mom had even taken pictures of Emmett after I beat the shit out of him. I had to just let my actions show Dr. Cullen who I really was, and pray it would be enough to get out of there.

I looked at the clock. By then I knew the schedule. I knew in ten minutes I would be forced downstairs to 'mingle' with the other residences. I looked down at the black sweats and blue t-shirt I was forced to wear and I wanted to puke - I shouldn't have been there.

Before someone came in and softly – patronizingly – tried to talk me into going downstairs, I chose to just take myself down. I grabbed my crutches and headed out of my bare room. Walking down the halls, I kept my head down, making an effort to not look at anyone.

When I made it to the main room, I sat on a couch and radiated the 'fuck off' vibe. It worked. No one tried to talk to me. I looked around at what had been my home for the past two weeks. I wondered what it was costing my parents to keep me there - I hoped it was a whole fucking lot.

I sat and thought about the past two weeks. I tried to think of anything that would help me get out.

"Edward, you say your parents are exaggerating, but what about this?" Carlisle – as he said to call him – asked holding up the picture of Emmett with a split lip. I said nothing in response.

"Did you do this to your brother?"

"Yes." There was no point in lying.

"That doesn't seem like an exaggeration to me," he said, placing the picture back in the folder.

"Did she say why that happened?"

"Does it matter?" he threw back.

Agitated, I shifted positions on the couch. Everything looked so bad. No, to most people it was never ok to beat the shit out of someone for any reason, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"I think so," I said.

"Ok, then. Why did you do this to your brother?" I wanted to say, 'because he's an asshole,' but stopped myself, because I needed to think before I spoke in order to get the hell out of that place.

"I did it... because he did something horrible to someone I love."

"Bella?"

Carlisle had figured out by our second session that Bella was the only person I cared about, because for the first session I did nothing but demand that either they let me call her, or that someone else did. After three hours of my demanding, he finally sent me back to my room. That night, I decided to play the game, answer the questions, and get Cullen on my side. It was my only chance of getting out.

"Yes, Bella." It hurt to even say her name. I knew she would be freaking out. I wondered if she knew where I was yet.

"What would cause you to become so angry, Edward?"

"She was... violated, because of him." I didn't know how to say it.

"I can understand why that would make you angry. Can you elaborate on it at all, though?"

There was nothing I could do but to explain the entire situation from beginning to end. I started with the parking lot when I first saw Bella. I told him about Bella's dad's illness, about the dance, about the confrontations between Bella and Emmett that finally led up to Emmett's lies causing Bella to be stripped searched at her school, which lead to her having to switch schools.

"I can understand why'd you be so angry. I can't say I wouldn't be as well, but do you believe you handled it right?"

"I had no other choice," I told him with a sigh.

"Edward, there is always another choice. You could've spoken to the school, Bella's parents, your parents. Do you really think physically harming your brother was the best way to handle the situation?"

I explained to him how we did exactly that. Also, how Bella's parents had contacted my own as well. Carlisle looked shocked when I explained everything we did and how my parents did nothing to mediate the situation. He quickly morphed his expression back into his professional mask.

"I understand why you felt that was your only option, but you need to learn other ways to handle your anger."

Good enough for me. At least he said he understood.

Every session we had, he would have another example from my parents of how I was out of control, and every time I would explain. Most times it would end with him saying he understood where I was coming from.

"There's a police report here," he said, sliding it my way. I didn't need to look at it. I already knew what it said. I was in my eighth session with Cullen. I knew how it would go.

"You don't want to read it?" he asked. I shrugged and glanced over it.

"Your dad felt he needed to call the police because he was worried about his safety." I laughed and once again told him my side of the story.

"I have to say, Edward, your story is always much different than your parents'. Why do you think that is?" That was an easy question.

"Because they're lying." I sounded like a child.

"Why would they do that?" He asked me as if I were a child.

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. There was one person that could clear it all up, but I wasn't sure if I should say. I didn't want to get him in trouble.

"What did the cops say?"

"They couldn't find you," Carlisle said, somewhat exasperated with me.

"It's not true, though, who's the officer on the report?" I already knew it was Dan and then Carlisle confirmed it.

"Call him, see what he says," I said.

That way I never accused Dan of anything, if he wanted to offer up the truth he could, and I hoped he did.

I explained my mom's control issues and my dad's - well, all of his issues. Explained how he never wanted me. I didn't sound whiney, just stating the facts.

"Does that bother you?"

"What?" I asked.

"That you feel your dad never wanted you?"

I laughed.

"Feel? No, I don't feel, it's the way it is. He's not shy about it. And no, it doesn't bother me at all. I don't want him either."

Carlisle looked up from his notes, surprised.

The conversation continued. Carlisle said he'd like to speak with my parents again.

"In the end, it doesn't matter who's wrong or right. You guys aren't living in the same reality; that's what worries me."

Me too, doc.

After my sessions with Dr. Cullen, I would go to anger management. People with real problems would share their stories, and I would feel even more out of place. I didn't belong there.

"... so I punched him."

"Because this person accidentally bumped into your shoulder?" the counselor clarified.

"He touched me first!"

Ok, so back to first grade rules then. The counselor took that time to teach us a lesson on when it was best to walk away. It took everything in me to not stand up and walk away from that stupid class.

Day in and day out, that was how my existence had been. Nothing changed, nothing was different. The same three meetings with the same three meals, every damn day.

Until one day when Carlisle was acting 'off' in a session.

"You've been doing well, Edward. I don't want what I'm about to say derail your progress."

My heart rate increased, my palms were sweating.

"What?" I asked.

"A young woman came in; she was demanding to see you."

Bella. I couldn't believe she had been there. She had been there, already left, and I never knew. I could feel myself tensing. I was sitting on the edge of the couch; spit it out Doc!

"She came with her mother and a police officer; the one from the report. He came as a civilian, not in uniform. She was insistent on seeing you. Of course we couldn't allow that, but she and the officer seem to corroborate your story."

Is that it? Was he trying to torture me?

"She had statements from various people – she would make a great lawyer," he said, with a laugh.

"I explained this wasn't court, no evidence was needed. She's a smart girl, Edward. She had already looked into our policies. She saw the same thing you did. If the doctor feels the patient does not need this level of services, then it is unethical to continue to treat the patient in the Volturi Center."

What was he saying? Was he going to let me go?

"Your brother, Emmett, he is on the approved visiting list -"

"I don't want to see him," I cut Carlisle off.

"I figured. Anyway," he said, annoyed with my interruption. "He called and spoke with me. He, too, has concerns with why your parents chose to place you here."

Emmett did that? I'm sure the shock on my face was evident.

"What are you saying?" I asked quietly.

"Don't get your hopes up, Edward. I've never had a patient with so much conflicting information, that's all I'm saying. I've spoken with your parents many times, but I feel it's time to have them come here. I want to speak with them and you together. See if we can't find some common ground."

If my hopes were up, they weren't anymore. My parents were the master manipulators, I didn't stand a chance.

At two weeks, the situation felt hopeless. At times I would think Carlisle was on my side but I could never be sure; he always kept his professional mask on. Not that day, though. No, that day he would have to pick a side. That day, my parents were coming. They would be there within the hour.

Ok so the big showdown is in the next chapter!
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