Esme and I mounted the stairs to the third floor and entered our room where Bella was putting away her clothes. She straightened up and gave us a smile when we came in and then skipped over to give me a hug.
"You can have this back now," I told her, passing over the cell phone, "But remember the promise. No secrets. I updated Alice's email while I was at it. Sorry 'bout that."
Her smiled dropped and she glanced at Esme out of the corner of her eye. Esme changed the subject.
"And we also updated the numbers of Mum Esme and Dad Carlisle!"
Blood flushed our daughter's cheeks faster than a tidal wave and Esme laughed aloud.
"We don't mind, Sweetheart. Really!"
I glanced over her head at what was left of the pile of clothes and shook my head in mock disappointment.
"You're almost done? Alice is going to have to fix that!"
Her eyes opened wide.
"Please, don't!"
Esme's phone rang right on cue and she pulled it out and answered it.
"Hello, Alice. Shall I put you on speakerphone?"
She clicked the button and Alice's voice filled the room.
"First thing we're doing when I get back is-"
I cut her off.
"Hunting, and then we're enrolling you back in school, and then you're going to put your things away. After that, you're going to catch up with Bella, and then you're going to call your brother."
"Just what I was going to say, Dad..." Alice said, but it sounded like she was speaking through her teeth, "And then I'm taking you shopping!"
The line went dead and Esme put her phone away.
"That's Alice!" she stated.
"The dreaded 'SH' word." was all Bella could get out.
I laughed.
"It's not that bad, surely!"
I looked and saw the expression on her face.
"Is it?"
Her hand drifted up and gripped my sleeve in desperation.
"Carlisle..." she started carefully before her voice rose an octave, "Please, please, please come with me. I'm begging you!"
I bit back a laugh and lifted her off the ground, holding her to my chest.
"Honey," I said slowly, deciding the best course of action to let her down gently, and then Esme gave me a look, "Of course I will."
I set her back on her feet. I'd do anything for her... but I had to wonder what I'd just agreed to. But when Bella gave me a grateful smile, her eyes shining, I knew it was worth all the torture my pixie daughter would put me through.
"When is Alice coming back?" Bella asked, glancing to Esme.
"Probably about a week. Until then, it's just the three of us."
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and started to move to the pile of clothes.
"Need some help finishing up?"
"Sure," she said quietly.
Esme and I helped Bella put her things away, and then we took her downstairs to find something to do. She seemed content to curl up with a book on the couch, so Esme spread out some blueprints on the coffee table and went to work. I quietly excused myself to my office and opened my laptop to search up the phone number of Forks High.
I dialled the number on my phone and waited as it rang before the receptionist picked up. I said I was calling to report a bullying issue and was forwarded onto the principal himself. The door to my office quietly opened and Esme stepped in. She closed it behind her and rested in a chair on the other side of the desk, covering my hand with her own.
"Hello, Principal Connors," I started evenly, "This is Doctor Carlisle Cullen."
I was silent as he greeted me and asked what he could do for me.
"We're moving back into the area," I explained, "California's just not for us, but that's not quite the reason I called today. The kids are staying with family up in Alaska while Esme and I get settled here. It's so hard for kids to move around a lot and we're trying to make this as easy as possible for them."
He agreed with me.
"Esme and I have a certain Bella Swan staying with us for an extended and possibly permanent time. Chief Swan thought a change for her would be a good idea, and as I and Esme have experience with troubled children, we said we'd love to take her."
He asked how she was faring.
"She's doing really well, but yesterday, we ran into three girls from school while out running errands and they were very cruel to her. I'd rather not recount everything they said, but I will if I have to."
Principal Connors said I didn't.
"Bella's admitted that these three have bothered her before, and I think it's high time it was stopped. I have the names."
He asked what the names were.
"Christina Terrance, Lauren Mallory, and Taylor Charles," I reported, and then the door opened and Bella stepped in, face pale. Esme and I turned to her and she approached the desk slowly.
"One minute, please," I told the principal, and then to Bella, "What's wrong, Child?"
She carefully placed her phone on the desk and slid it across to me before turning to leave. Esme's hand shot out and grasped her wrist, pulling her down into her lap.
"I'm keeping my promise," she admitted brokenly.