Esme sat beside Bella with her arm around the girl while she ate breakfast. I stood on the opposite side of the counter, leaning on my forearms and watching her until she'd finished all the food on her plate. I whisked it away to the sink before she could rise and then nodded toward to living room. It was time to sort a few things out.

My wife took Bella's hand and I placed a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her into the next room and onto the couch. Esme and I took the couch across from her, Esme crossing her legs and me leaning forward with my elbows propped up on my knees.

"Bella," I started softly, "I spoke to Charlie last night after you were asleep. He knows about the bullying, which I will be calling the school about later today."

She mindlessly reached up to touch her own cheek, wincing slightly at the bruise. I made a mental note to put some more salve on it.

"He wants me home, doesn't he?" Bella murmured, "He doesn't trust me here with you all."

"On the contrary," I corrected her gently, "He thinks you're better off here. The decision is yours, in final, but we'd love to keep you with us, and he's willing to let you."

"Is-is that allowed?" she questioned.

"You're eighteen, Bella," Esme pointed out, "You're a legal adult."

She dropped her head again in a slight nod and stared at the floor for a long minute before looking up at us again.

"What happens when the others come back?"

Esme smiled gently and I covered my wife's hand with my own.

"Bella, we've all agreed you're family. Rosalie misses you, and she's glad we're coming back; Emmett and Alice are elated, and Jasper will be okay until we change you."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Change me?"

I kept my face steady as I said, "Assuming you want to be changed, that is. If you'd like to stay human, I have no problem with that."

She shook her head quickly.

"Then you still want to be changed?" I confirmed.

"Of course!" she stated.

"Then we can discuss a time to change you." I said.

She flew into my arms and I held her tight for a moment.

"Does this mean you want to stay here?" Esme questioned happily.

Bella nodded into my shoulder and I squeezed her tightly before letting go and pushing her back toward her seat.

"Another base to touch is that of the bullying," I said quietly, "I am aware that Edward gave you a phone last year. Do you still have it?"

She nodded and I extended my hand, silently asking for it. She reached behind her for her purse and pulled at the phone before setting it in the palm of my hand.

"The password is 1901..." she whispered.

Of course, it was, I thought to myself. 1901 was the year of Edward's birth.

"I'm going to enter the numbers of Esme, Alice, and myself into it. Alright?"

She nodded and I went on.

"Do you have any of the girls at school's number?"

She hesitated and then nodded.

"Angela, but she's nice, if a little clueless. Jessica, but she blocked me after the movie date... incident. I have Mike and Eric, but no texts have ever been exchanged."

"Are you aware that Jessica could share your number with any of the three girls we had the displeasure of meeting yesterday?" I questioned. She didn't reply, so I went on. "Do you have any other way of being contacted?"

"Don't think so, other than email," she said quietly. I nodded carefully.

"I'm going to need you to promise me something," I told her seriously, "I need you to promise me that you won't hide any texts or emails you may get. If Jessica, or Lauren, or any of the other girls text or email you, please don't hide it from me or your mother."

It had slipped out. I referred to Esme as their mother when I talked to the kids, and it just felt natural to take the same tone with Bella, but maybe I was moving too fast...

"I mean... just... don't keep secrets from me and Esme."

But she had an odd look on her face, like she was desperately trying to keep a smile off of it.

I flipped her phone open and scrolled through her recent texts. One from Charlie saying he loved her and hoped she was safe. Another was from Renee saying she missed her and that Phil had hit a grand slam. The last was from Angela saying that they wanted to do an article on her in the newspaper. If I knew Bella, her answer would be "heck no."

I went to Bella's email inbox and scrolled through it, ignoring the junk mail. There was an email from Renee with a news report on Phil attached and seventy-four returned emails.

Seventy-four?

I slipped the phone in my pocket and then took Esme's hand, trying to reassure both her and myself.

"Bella, while I take care of some things and enter the numbers in your phone, would you mind going upstairs to start putting your clothes away? Esme and I will take you to your house a little later to get the rest of your things."

"You won't leave, will you?"

"Just call and we'll be there in three seconds," I promised.

She headed to the stairs and I watched her until she was gone from view, and then I turned to Esme. She looked concerned. I pulled Bella's phone back out of my pocket and opened it. I scrolled down to the bottom of the inbox and opened the first email. It was dated two days after we left and addressed to acullen .

Dear Alice, where did you go? Why did you leave? What happened? What did I do? I have so many questions and no answers. Were you ever here? I don't know. I don't know. I can't decide on my next step. I miss you, Bella.

The next one was:

Dear Alice, the email didn't go through. Did you honestly change your email address just so that I can't talk to you? What did I do wrong? I'm sorry, Bella.

My heart twisted.

Dear Alice, I see that emailing this address is a waste of time, but then, so is living. I still love him. I still love you, too. Life's not worth it alone. Bella.

They went on and on: one after another. Esme read over my shoulder, tears of venom rimming her eyes. After the last one, I gave my wife a tight hug and then opened Bella's contacts. Alice's was the first one at the top and I opened it, updating not only the phone number but the email too. I scrolled down to C for my own name, but it wasn't there. Esme's wasn't under E either, which I found strange. She'd had our numbers. I knew she had.

As I slowly scrolled through each contact, I finally found "Dad Carlisle" under D, and, after entering my cellphone and work number, it gave me the idea of where to check for Esme's Sure enough, "Mum Esme" was under M while Charlie and Renee were in their respective C and R.

I smiled, my heart warming. Even then she'd associated us as parents, and then my smile faded. She'd called us her parents, and look what we'd done to her.