I've finally decided how to end this fanfiction. Not sure how many more chapters there'll be, though. Probably about ten. Thank you for all the nice reviews, and please give me ideas of ways to get back at Lauren, Taylor, and Christina. Love you all! Thanks!
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Principal Connors asked me to put him on speakerphone and I did, setting the phone on the desk and picking Bella's up. As I tapped in the pin, my other hand picked up a pen and turned it over and over in my hand. The open window was an email that had been sent to the entire school with a picture of Bella and I walking out of the bookstore, my arm wrapped around her shoulders. Below the picture was printed in what appeared to be 25 font: SCHOOLGIRL HOOKS UP WITH EX-BOYFRIEND'S DADDY.
The sound of breaking plastic sounded and it took me a minute to realize it was the pen in my hand. I dropped the mangled item on the desk and turned back to my laptop.
"Principal, I'm forwarding an email to you right now."
"May I speak to Bella?" he asked.
I paused to look at Bella and she raised her chin the slightest bit.
"Don't upset her." I said starkly.
"Bella, how long have they been picking on you?"
"Lauren always disliked me since I moved here," she said plainly, "Edward protected me when he was here, and then when he left, it got worse. She said he had gotten bored of me, and being with me made him sick, and now..."
She was quiet and I assumed the principal was reading the email.
"This is completely inappropriate," Principal Connors stated.
"Don't need to tell me twice."
I reached across the table and took the girl's hand.
"Were there any physical attacks?" he questioned.
"Yes, actually. There were. Let me get her medical file."
I gently squeezed her hand and stood from behind my desk to go to my filing cabinet. I skimmed through the A's and B's until I found Cullen, Swan, Bella. I returned to my seat and flipped the file open.
"She stated that she was shoved over in December. Mild concussion. She also said that something was slipped into her food at lunchtime making her sick. Just yesterday one of them grabbed her and pushed her into a bookshelf bruising both her face and arm."
"You had documentation of all this?"
"I'm a doctor. That's my job."
The principal seemed to sigh.
"Thank you, Doctor Cullen. I'll take care of it."
I didn't say anything, but the girl did.
"Thank you, Mr. Connors."
"Thank you, Bella," he replied quietly, and then he hung up.
I flipped the file closed and stood to walk around the desk. I sat down on the corner of the desk and offered my hand to the girl. She took it and slid off Esme's lap, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"I'm sorry I made you mad," she said quietly, "You broke the pen."
I raised an eyebrow at her.
"I was actually about to tell you that I'm proud of you. Thank you for keeping your promise to me. And don't worry: we'll take care of those bullies the Cullen way..."
I gave Esme a grin and Bella looked scared.
"Don't, Carlisle. You cannot-"
I rolled my eyes in amusement.
"I'm not planning on drinking their blood." I assured her.
"You said The Cullen Way!" she responded.
"The Cullen Family way, not the Vampire way."
I kissed the top of her head, lifted her head so our eyes met, and kissed her cheek.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," she said, "Thanks, Carlisle."
I smiled.
"Don't mention it. What'd you say to going over to get your things from Charlie's?"
She smiled and gave me a nod. We went downstairs and I passed her phone back to her, giving her a direct look as I did.
"Remember..." I prompted.
"My promise," she finished, hugging me quickly, "I know. Thanks, Carlisle."
She slipped the electronic into her purse and followed Esme and myself out to the car and slipped into the middle backseat. Esme took the passenger seat and I got into the driver's side and started the car.
The drive to Charlie's house only took about fifteen minutes. I drove slower than the kids, but faster than Esme, except when she had been on her way to us, it would seem. She told us the story over the duration of the short trip and I was happy to see Bella laughing in the backseat.
"I swear I'm going to tease Jasper so bad when he gets back," she giggled, "We can call him Doc Jasper. Think he'll lose it?"
"No," I grinned, "But Edward might."
I quickly looked back to make sure his name hadn't upset her. Her smile was a little less full, but she didn't look broken, at least.
"He'd better..." I heard her mutter.
Esme interwove her fingers with mine and I squeezed slightly as we pulled into the driveway. She tugged me over and murmured, "Edward hid her things under the floorboard. Don't forget it."
I nodded slowly and opened the door to get out and move to Bella's door. I held it for her and helped her out before putting my arm around her.
"I have a key..." she said quietly, taking it out of her bag.
We went up to her room and she started taking her books off the shelf and putting them in a box from her closet while Esme carefully started transferring her clothes into a suitcase and duffel bag. When Bella had finished with that task, she turned around.
"What are you doing, Carlisle?"
I was knelt down on the floor, carefully feeling each floorboard until I'd found one that felt different. I didn't respond as I carefully slipped my fingers into the crack and pried it up to find a hollow place filled with items.
Bella quickly moved to stand behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, looking into the hiding place.
"Carlisle, how did... why are... who..." she stopped trying to form a comprehensible sentence and simply stood there, gripping the shoulder of my shirt.
"Edward hid it there," I said quietly, "He told Esme before she came back."
As I emptied each item carefully, I took in what it was: CDs Edward had recorded for her, the dress and necklace the girls had gotten her, the plane tickets Esme and I had arranged for, and the photos that had been taken of any of my family. I swiftly stood and turned to capture the slight girl in my arms.
"I'm aright," she whispered, "It's okay."
"That's my line," I reminded her, and she laughed softly. Esme carefully put a hand on her back and I smiled at my wife.
"It's okay for me to have them now?" she asked, looking up at me.
"They're yours, Sweetheart," I told her, "They shouldn't have ever been taken from you."
She hugged me one more time and then let go of me and smiled over her shoulder at Esme.
"Let's finish up here," I said gently, "And then we can talk about what to do for a certain trio of bullies..."