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Esme mindlessly stared at the blueprints of her next project on the table in the dining room, the pen in her hand tap, tap, tapping away until a large hand gently pressed it down to stop it. Then, blinking, she looked up to find Emmett's empathetic golden eyes watching her.
"Something on your mind, mom?" He asked, flashing her a dimply grin that instantly eased her mind, for a moment.
Sitting back in her chair, she listened in on the sound of Bella's even breathing and steady heart beating in her sleep, "She's so small, and yet she's lost so much. I'm afraid it will deter her from ever trusting us or anyone for that matter."
"Hmm..." Emmett sat down, tapping his chin as he took a moment to think, "Why don't you introduce her to the family today? I'm sure she'll warm up to us eventually. It's just Jazz and me today until Carlisle and Rose get back from their hunt."
Esme nodded, "I can only imagine what Alice and Edward are up to," Emmett couldn't help but nod, thinking the same thing since the two went into town early in the morning and haven't come back yet. He assumed the pixie was off shopping for little Bella until her wallet was empty. Or until the bank called to make sure a lunatic with a shopping addiction hadn't stolen their card. It would be just Edward's luck to get dragged along. "Maybe you're right. But be nice, Emmett. She's not comfortable being touched by anyone."
Emmett widened his eyes in mock offense, "I am the nicest child in this house! Besides, I'm also your favorite son, so I'm sure Bella will love me too."
Esme shook her head with a smile and stood up when she heard Bella's breathing change and realized she's finally waking up. Grabbing hold of Emmett's cheeks with her hands, she placed a kiss on his forehead before ruffling her son's curly hair, "Oh, I love you, Em."
Following behind his mother, Emmett frowned as he watched her walk up the stairs, "Wait, I am your favorite...right? Say I'm your favorite!"
Laughter outside her bedroom door stirred Bella fully awake. The booming sound of a man's voice had her sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
Dad—No. Dad's gone, Bella. Remember?
The stark reminder made the little girl feel overwhelmingly sad all over again.
It was a scary feeling—being this sad all the time now was scary...
Biting her lip, Bella's heart gave a leap when she heard the footsteps growing closer. She curled up into a ball and pulled the covers over her head, hoping no one will see her crying again. Her mother never liked it when Bella cried—she was very strict about that and had no patience. So when Bella cried over something silly, she was often given a real reason to cry, as her mother used to say.
Now that she was living with Carlisle and Esme, would they do the same? Would they pinch the skin on her back or tug on her hair whenever they were mad? Would they fight as much as Charlie and Renee did?
The sound of the door opening made her whimper, trembling when the footsteps grew closer.
"Bella?" Esme's beautiful voice tickled her ears as they twitched. The bed dipped slightly before a hand landed on her sore shoulder.
Esme wasn't touching her skin...so maybe that was okay? Maybe then she wouldn't hurt anyone else...Bella missed hugs and kisses. They were rare for her since both her parents were always so busy, but it made her feel all warm and loved inside when they did give her affection. That only made more tears fill her eyes as she gazed down at her hand—the hand that had touched Charlie's cold cheek until she realized her father was dead. She'd touched her father's dead body, sat on his lap, and tried to wrap his arm around her in an attempt to bring him back.
Tainted...
Your fault...
Esme could hear the silent sob that came from the girl underneath the covers and sighed. A part of her was glad Bella hadn't rejected her touch this time as she gently moved it to her back and rubbed small circles, "Bella? Can I see your face?"
"N-no..." Bella murmured through a sob as her body shook.
"Isn't it hard to breathe underneath all those blankets, though? I don't want you to feel hot. Do you mind popping your head out?"
"You'll be mad?"
Esme didn't quite understand what she meant by that, "No, love. Why would I be mad? I have no reason to be mad at you," after a few minutes of trying to coax the child out from under the blankets, Bella finally let Esme lift them and let in the cool air before it hit her wet face as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. There, curled into herself, Esme found Bella's shining brown eyes peeking up at her with uncertainty. Her plump lips quivered, and her cheeks were a rosy color. Esme forced herself to smile rather than pull Bella into her arms, "There you are. See? I'm not mad."
"I cried..." Bella sat up and rubbed her face with her hands.
"Yes, and that's okay."
"Mommy doesn't like it when I cry. She gets mad."
Esme couldn't help shaking her head while Bella was busy wiping her eyes from the few tears she shed. She could only imagine how strict Bella's parents had been with her if she was afraid to show a very normal emotion such as sadness...it bothered her greatly that Bella feared crying in front of someone. It was then that she realized her hand had still been rubbing Bella's back, and this time, it was over her wrinkled t-shirt. Again, Bella didn't seem to mind it. If anything, she leaned closer to Esme without noticing it.
"I promise I won't get mad at you for crying, Bella. It's okay to cry—it's normal. Sometimes I cry even though I'm an adult," Esme didn't want to think about the fact that she could never shed a tear; however, when it came to crying, she knew she could still do so on some level when she curled into Carlisle's strong arms and let him soothe her whenever memories of her lost child plagued her. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
Bella's stomach rumbled seconds later and made the girl smile sheepishly with a nod, "Yes...please."
"Let's get you dressed first, and then I'll take you downstairs, okay?" Esme stood up and walked over to the mahogany chest drawer by the wall and pulled out a few options for Bella to choose from before turning around and showing her, "Carlisle tells me your favorite color is blue. Is that still true?" Bella bit her bottom lip and nodded, slowing moving to sit on the edge of the bed as she stared at the clothes Esme laid out for her, "Alice bought all sorts of clothes for you to try on, and I suspect she'll be bringing some more later today."
Her little fingers gently touched the pale blue cable knit sweater before glancing up at Esme, her cheeks feeling warmer when she noticed the woman was smiling at her again. Esme always smiled at her. It made Bella feel warm and noticed. It was...nice.
"You're beautiful," Bella admitted with a whisper before looking back down at the sweater where she traced the patterns on the sleeve.
"Thank you, Bella. So are you," Esme chuckled with endearment when she noticed Bella's cheeks flush a brighter red. Once they settled on the sweater, a pair of white leggings with a blue floral print, and fuzzy socks, Esme offered to help Bella off the bed, only to be told the girl could do it herself.
"E-Esme?" Bella asked, her voice soft as the name slipped past her lips with a little difficulty. She followed Esme into the bathroom and sat on the toilet seat while she brushed her teeth with the toothbrush the woman handed to her, her legs swinging off it playfully. "These aren't my clothes, are they?" she tugged on the hem of the new sweater she was wearing, and Esme kneeled in front of the girl.
"Yes, these are your clothes now." She could tell Bella had some difficulty understanding why she wasn't wearing the usual clothes she'd probably worn her whole short life. Esme made sure to explain why that is before watching Bella's face fall again as she was reminded that her mother and father would no longer be taking her home or changing her into her pajamas.
The little girl was silent as she looked out the glass walls of the hallway when they stepped out of the bedroom. Her bright eyes gazed curiously at the forest surrounding the Cullens house before her focus changed to the intricate paintings on the walls. Bella slowly stepped down the stairs with Esme close to her, a cautious hand out just in case she slipped. Esme was rather impressed with how independent Bella was when time and time again, the girl denied the help that was offered.
"Do you want to sit on the stools in the kitchen with me or sit on the couch to watch some television in the living room?"
Bella took a moment to debate before looking into the doorway across the kitchen, where she noticed a large couch and a television's faint sound. Looking to Esme, she only walked into the living room when the woman nodded encouragingly.
Bella cautiously walked over to the creme-colored L-shaped couch and sat down in the middle cushion as she stared at the flatscreen tv across the room. The cartoon Tom and Jerry immediately distracted her from the fact that a large burly man was walking into the room and plopping on the floor in front of her. Bella's heart gave a skip when she noticed he looked over his shoulder for a second before looking back to the tv, his golden eyes shining bright with mischief. Then he did it again, this time with a grin on his lips that showed off the dimples on his cheeks. And when he did it the third time, sticking his tongue out at her, Bella couldn't help but smile at him with amusement.
"What are you doing?" She asked as she slid down the couch and waddled over to him.
Emmett couldn't help but laugh at how quickly he seemed to catch Bella's attention and beamed, "Watching Tom and Jerry. What are you doing, little Bells?"
Bella's lips quirked into a similar grin to Emmett's, and she tilted her head to the side, "That's not my name."
"Oh no?" He turned to face her a little better. Even sitting on the ground cross-legged, Emmett towered over the tiny girl. It amused him greatly, "What's your name then?"
The little girl shook her head with a small frown, "Not bells. I'm not a bell. I'm Bel-la."
"Ahhh, I see! Well, you're tiny like a bell, so I called you Bells. I'm Emmett, by the way."
"Mett..." Bella struggled to enunciate his whole name, and it only made Emmett burst out into a booming laugh, startling Bella and making her frown up at him with a confused look on her face.
"You're a cute kid!"
"Why am I cute?" Bella questioned and crossed her arms when Emmett started chuckling again. His amusement didn't amuse her at all.
"Stop teasing the kid, will you?" Jasper sighed with a roll of his eyes as he walked into the room, a thick book in his hand as he was clearly unable to focus on reading another sentence thanks to his brother. As soon as Bella saw Jasper walk in, her eyes widened, and a hint of excitement swept over him before she took off in a quick run. She only stopped when she swung around behind Jasper, frowning at Emmett when she poked her head out from behind the legs of the former. Jasper immediately stiffened, feeling her little arm wrap around his right leg and holding onto him as if he could protect her from everyone and everything—especially Emmett.
Emmett's laugh simmered down but was still loving every second of his exchange with the kid as he said, "Hey, you can't like Jasper better than me. I'm the fun one."
"You think you're the fun one. I think the little lady disagrees," Jasper murmured as he looked down at Bella's wandering eyes as she stared up at him. He smiled when he sensed the sliver of contentment she felt when he spoke to her, "Good mornin', Bella."
"M-morning, Jaz." She replied timidly, and it only made him grin before they walked over towards the couch.
Jasper took a seat on the left side of the cushions and set his book on his lap, watching from the corner of his eye as Bella stared at him for a little while before climbing onto the couch and sitting on the far right, her legs dangling as she tried to sit like him. It wasn't long before she started watching the television again that Jasper finally opened his book and started reading again until Emmett started talking to Bella about who she preferred more—Tom or Jerry.
"I don't know," She shrugged as Esme walked in with a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and one pancake, smiling as she watched her sons interact with the girl, "I never watched this before." Bella blushed when Esme took a seat on the loveseat and placed the plate on the coffee table. Esme motioned for her to eat, and Bella slowly sat down by the table and picked up the fork before taking a few bites of her breakfast. Emmett scrunched up his nose at the smell of human food but didn't mind when he saw how relaxed Bella was once she started eating.
Practically never having used the kitchen before or cooked a meal for anyone, Esme was curious to know if Bella truly liked her breakfast and hoped the food she cooked was indeed as good as Bella made it seem since she ate all the food on her plate gratefully.
She must have been famished...who knows how long it's been since she's had a proper meal.
Jasper would occasionally look up from his book to catch Bella stealing quick glances between him and Emmett. When he caught her staring at him again, he tilted his head, "What is it, darlin'?"
"What are you reading, Jaz?" Bella asked, curiosity permeating the air as her eyes looked down to the book in Jasper's hands.
"It's a history book. Do you want to read it with me? It might not be that interesting for you though," He patted the cushion beside him and rolled his lips to keep from grinning when she crawled up on the couch almost immediately. She looked at the pictureless book and waited until Jasper started reading about the history of the United States' first president.
To his surprise, Bella was utterly interested in the topic as she never grew bored nor showed that she wanted to do anything else. Instead, she snuggled a little closer to see the words on the pages of the book, noticing the way Jasper traced his finger over one of the sentences. Eventually, she started tracing them too, and Jasper would read after her. Little did she know he was slowly trying to grow accustomed to the scent of her blood until the burn in the back of his throat no longer bothered him as much, and soon Jasper allowed himself to relax beside the fragile human.
Emmett and Esme couldn't help but watch them and smiled at one another with relief.
Emmett whispered low enough that Bella wouldn't hear, "See? I told you."
"I still don't understand why we have to do this," Rosalie grumbled as they finished their hunt and decided to make their way back home.
Carlisle held back a sigh when he noticed his eldest daughter's scowl. Stopping, he places a hand over Rosalie's shoulder and gives her a sheepish smile, "Please try to understand? Bella has lost everyone important in her life within the span of one day. She's a child, Rose."
"Exactly, Carlisle. She is a child. That's exactly why we shouldn't be involved," he could see in her dark eyes that swirled with a dark amber now after their hunt that Rosalie was afraid. She was afraid of the consequences their actions could bring should the Volturi find out about Bella. But Carlisle could see there was another link to her deep-rooted fear too.
She's afraid one of us will slip up and kill the girl...
Hell, Carlisle was afraid of that very fact as well, even though he didn't want to say it aloud. Everyone knew the risks of having a human in their home but regardless—Bella lost everything at the hands of a heartless vampire. That alone makes Carlisle feel responsible for her.
"I can't risk leaving her when the nomad is still out there. I certainly don't want to leave her to strangers in a forsaken system like foster care, especially now after we brought her into our family. I can't bring myself to be that cruel."
"Isn't it cruel having her surrounded by monsters? She thinks we're human, doesn't she?"
Carlisle's face grew grim, and he straightened, "She's too young to learn the truth right now."
Rosalie frowned, the pain in her eyes evident, "But you agree she'll have to know eventually, and that will seal her fate. She'll have to die or be turned, which is just as bad."
Carlisle took Rosalie's hand in his and squeezed it, making her look up at him, "My Rosalie. I admire your willingness to protect Bella from our world. I commend you for wanting to shield her from it. I wish, and I hope I can do the same for a long time until Bella is ready. But I can't do that now...it's too soon. And I will not abandon her."
Whatever sadness had riddled her gaze was quick to turn into anger, and before Carlisle could say another word, she was pulling her hand away from his.
Rosalie turned away from him with her arms crossed, "Then I hope you'll be ready for the mistake you're about to make. Because everyone will get attached to that child, and then we'll all suffer from the loss when the inevitable happens. For your sake, Carlisle, I really do hope this pans out the way you want it to."
"I hope so too..." Carlisle stood motionless as he watched Rosalie disappear into the forest; no sound could be heard in the towering trees surrounding him. As if even the creatures and earth agreed with Rosalie and shunned him for his decisions.
Looking up into the clear sky, Carlisle took the silence as a sanctuary from the chaos inside his mind, and when the image of Bella curled up in her bed with tears in her eyes pulled him away, Carlisle knew he couldn't let that little girl go.
Thanks for reading x