AUTHOR'S NOTE: I apologize for the VERY late update but I was stuck on how Donnie would tell her secret and to whom! I feel that I'm going to have to change the rating on this story because, now that we're getting deeper into the plot, everything will be a lot darker. So if you're into happy endings and butterflies swimming in ice cream and roses, I'm afraid I'll disappoint. Thank you so much following this story!

soup4mepapi

P.S.

If any of you have had any "paranormal" experiences, please message me or leave it on the reviews; if it would be alright with any of you, I would like to use one of your experiences as a scene in this story.

"I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me."

S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders

Third Person POV

"I brought you some mac and cheese."

Donnie froze.

She heard the rhythmic squeak of the wheels on the over-bed-tray as it got closer.

"You should eat it while it's still warm." Edward murmured as he unwrapped the plastic fork and removed the plastic cover on the bowl for her.

"Thank you." She murmured as she inhaled the fresh smell of the melted American cheese. "How did you know I had been craving mac and cheese?" Donnie cleared her throat before asking.

"Decimus told me." Edward grinned as he went to the little table on the other side of the room.

The mac and cheese was fresh and tasted nothing like the mac and cheese Donnie had eaten in other hospitals.

"It's good."

Edward chuckled at her tone, walking over to her with a thermometer. "Does that surprise you?"

Donnie couldn't help but shiver at his voice. It was beautiful; too beautiful.

"It's unlike any of the food I had ever tasted in a hospital." She said a bit warily, tensing visibly as he neared her.

"I'm just going to check your temperature now, is that alright?" Edward asked. Donnie nodded a bit reluctantly.

For a human, she was pretty cold. Normally, when in a room with another human, Edward could feel their body heat radiate off their skin no matter what side of the room they were in but, as he neared Donnie, he felt almost no body heat.

Edward could tell she was uncomfortable, not only through her body language but by the bits of her thoughts he could catch. Her thoughts were fuzzy to him, like static on a radio, but her feelings were still conveyed, although vaguely, through her thoughts.

It unnerved him.

He pulled her hair back away from her shoulder gently before placing the thermometer gently into her ear, pressing the "Start" button.

"How are you feeling today, Adonica?" He asked conversationally as the thermometer beeped as it started.

Her nervous gulp did not go by unnoticed by Edward.

"Very disoriented." She responded with the bluntness her father had taught to her answer questions with when she was little. "My stitches itch, too." She added, her small voice reminding Edward of how young she really was.

She was of average height and her weight showed off her health, and, although her face was young, her eyes were old, reminding Edward of when he first looked into Carlisle's eyes.

"Try not to scratch at them or they could become loose." He said as the thermometer beeped and checked the marked temperature. "Okay, your temperature is about two points below average. I'll have to bring you some warm drinks and set the temperature up in your room a bit, is that alright with you?"

"Yes, thank you." Donnie nodded, relaxing visibly as Edward walked towards the other side of the room.

"Your appointment with Dr. Cullen and Dr. Gonzalez is tonight. I'll have to send in another nurse to bath you and dress you." Edward spoke, gathering up the little journal where he took record of Donnie's temperature as he stood.

"What is it?" Edward asked when he saw her grimace down at her mac and cheese.

"Is Dr. Cullen a good doctor? I- I mean, I've never met him before."

Although Donnie kept her voice curious and conversational, Edward detected her anxiety through her thoughts.

"Dr. Cullen is my adopted father."

Donnie's eyes widened but Edward saw her shoulders relax into a normal posture. "As an employee, and son, I can honestly say that he is a good doctor; he will be kind." Edward assured her.

Despite Edward not being alive, Donnie felt she could trust him. He wasn't scary, unlike most of them.

When the sun began to set and the sky looked red, a nurse came in to bathe Donnie. The nurse wrapped Donnie's arms with plastic bags so the stitches wouldn't get wet, and had to gently press a damp sponge against Donnie's scalp to wash out her hair.

The nurse didn't comment on the older scars and bruises Donnie had on her body, but was careful to press the damp sponge very gently on those areas which Donnie was grateful for.

Tears burned in Donnie's eyes when the nurse removed the plastic bags, revealing the raw, purplish-blue skin of her arm sown together tightly by electric blue string. Donnie shivered as she turned away from the ghastly sight of her fresh scars.

Ugly. Donnie thought bitterly.

"My shift is over but, if you'd like, I could fix you up a bit." The nurse offered gently, as she slowly squeezed water out of Donnie's hair with the white hospital towel.

Donnie's green eyes went wide, "I would like that, thank you."

The nurse's name was Gloria; she was a third-generation Quileute native and was forty-eight years old. "I have a niece about your age, you know." "What's her name?" Donnie asked. She felt a lot calmer with the nurse's friendly conversation.

"Lucy. She's a sweet girl; you remind me a lot of her." Judging by Gloria's small and shy smile, Donnie decided that was a compliment so she smiled back.

Gloria gently and carefully fixed Donnie's damp hair into a simple crown braid; with her hair out of her face, Donnie's gaunt pale facial features and wide green eyes gave her an expression of both youth and exhaustion beyond years. "You look pretty." Gloria told Donnie as she let Donnie take in her own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Donnie let out a small giggle of disbelief. "I never noticed this before..."

"What is it?" Gloria asked, puzzled.

"I'm very young." Donnie said after some pondering, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Gloria hesitantly raised her hand to Donnie's shoulder but seemed to think twice, and simply nodded sadly at Donnie.

Gloria dressed Donnie in the pair of black sweat pants and red sweater Sӧren had dropped off earlier, before helping her get on to her wheelchair. "I'm nervous." Donnie said without thinking. Gloria gave her a small smile but said nothing as she placed warm socks on Donnie's feet before putting Donnie's shoes for her.

Donnie turned towards the door when Edward came in, "Ready?" he asked quietly. Donnie took in a deep breath, nodding.

As Edward pushed her wheelchair out the door, Donnie turned to look at Gloria; she nodded encouragingly at the green-eyed girl, smiling when Donnie offered her a small smile and wave.

The wheel chair's front little wheel let out a squeak! with each roll which aggravated Donnie even more.

Now that Edward was closer to her, he could hear her thoughts a bit loudly; she was worrying about her braids falling and having to struggle with removing the bobby pins and the sound of the squeaking wheel was annoying her.

He wanted to start a conversation with her but the aggravation laced with her thoughts made him think that perhaps starting a conversation right now wouldn't be the best idea. The silence wasn't awkward; Donnie seemed genuinely preoccupied with her thoughts and Edward, for the first time in his existence, was preoccupied with his.

They finally arrived at Dr. Alvaro Gonzalez's office; Dr. Carlisle and Dr. Alvaro were waiting right outside the door, clipboards in their hands and stethoscopes around their necks.

Donnie observed that Dr. Alvaro and Dr. Carlisle were the complete opposites: Dr. Alvaro had tanned skin and black hair while Dr. Carlisle had blonde hair and pale skin. Dr. Alvaro was a bit shorter than Dr. Carlisle, and had a buff physique but they looked comfortable with each other and very relaxed.

Edward, hearing Donnie's thoughts, murmured, "My father helped Dr. Alvaro get his doctorate's degree; they've been friends for sixteen years now." "Friendship in the work place is healthy." Donnie squeaked pointlessly, trying to soothe her nerves.

"You must be Adonica," Dr. Alvaro smiled warmly, extending his hand out which Donnie shook quickly and nervously," I'm Alvaro Gonzalez, I will be interviewing you alongside Carlisle."

Dr. Alvaro paused in case Donnie had anything to interject but she just nodded and bit her lip nervously; he noticed her breathing began to get quicker so he told Edward, "Carlisle and I will take it from here, Edward. Thank you."

Edward nodded and walked away. Dr. Alvaro knew from the beginning that Carlisle's family was different but preferred to not question Carlisle; Edward knew from Alvaro's thoughts that having Carlisle's friendship was enough to keep Alvaro from getting too suspicious. Alvaro genuinely cared for the Cullens as if they were his own family.

Donnie noticed Dr. Alvaro give her a glance of pity; she knew he was staring down at her patched up skin and her bruises from Jarrod's funeral. His pitying glance made her angry but she knew blowing up on them now would result in them giving her a negative review, which she couldn't afford; she didn't want to go back to a psychiatric ward. She didn't want her mother to cry again because, with Jarrod gone, her mother would be completely alone.