"Who's going to tell her that her parents are dead?" Was the first thing Marie heard when she woke up.
She gasps and shoots up straight. She looks around and realizes that she's in the hospital. Tears prickled in her eyes and she bites her lip. Marie didn't know that the Swans were dead. This could ruin her plan. This could ruin everything.
Suddenly there is an angry voice outside in the hallway. It's Wayland, "You mean her supposed parents?" His voice was mean and gruff. She involuntarily shivered.
"Wayland, lay off the girl. You don't know that she isn't Isabella Swan and right now all you are doing is causing her more stress," says Graham.
"Well we have no reason to believe that she is actually her. That girl can't just show up at the station pretending to be some long lost girl with no memory. Remember the last girl? And the girl before?"
Graham sighs, taking in his point. "I understand your point but you've got to give this girl a little bit off faith before you just dismiss her-"
"I have to agree with Officer Graham on this one," an unfamiliar voice interrupted. "The girl may have no memories but it's very common with these situations like Dr. Lindsey explained earlier. It's the mind's way of protecting itself when there is danger near. Plus, her facial features are consistent with the ones of the Swan family and she looks the most similar to the aged photograph."
"Dr. Gerandy, you can say that for any skinny white girl. Doesn't that also apply to the two other girls who pretended to be Isabella Swan?" Wayland angrily whispered.
"Wayland-" Officer Graham started.
"No!" he interrupted. "All we are doing is giving the Cullen family false hope that the girl will be found. All they ever want is the same thing: the money and a wealthy home they can just kick back in. Officer Graham, you should know better than most, that the probability of Isabella being found alive or at all is slim to none!"
It was silent in the hallway. No one knew how to respond. The only sound Marie could hear was the beating of her heart.
"I understand your frustration, Investigator Wayland. We've been here way to many times before but there is always the chance that this girl could actually be Isabella…" he says, "besides, we'll know the truth once the DNA results come back."
Marie's eyes widen. She grips the bedsheets in her hands and her heart drops to her stomach.
No.
This couldn't be happening to her. This couldn't be happening. When had they taken it? Didn't they need some kind of consent?
Someone grunts in response. It's Lindsey. "I can't believe that you took the test while she was asleep. Just think about how many laws you have broken. That young girl is still a minor-"
"We don't know how old she actually is," Wayland grumbles.
"Well, in my opinion, she looks like she is under eighteen and if she is Isabella Swan then I hope you are prepared for a big lawsuit from the Cullens." Lindsey firmly states.
"I understand what we did was wrong but wouldn't you rather be sure of this girl's identity than send her off to the Cullen family, only for their joy to be crushed again?"
"We saw ourselves that she didn't even recognize Isabella's godparents or their children in the photos. It'll become obvious she's a fake as soon as we hand her over, to the Cullens." Wayland replied.
"Well, we can't just hold her for a week," said Graham.
"You're right," Lindsey said. "at the moment there is no evidence to conclude that she isn't Isabella Swan. Her story matches with her physical injuries on her body and we can only guess at the moment how fragile her mental state is."
"From what I've seen so far, she has had extensive breaks and fractures in her arms and legs that have not healed properly. There are cuts all over her body and I can tell that she is seriously lacking some vitamins. I want to wait until she's awake or has a guardian to do internal exams."
"What do you think we should do?" asked Graham.
In a resigned voice he says, "we should probably call Dr. Cullen and his wife. Whoever this girl is, she has been obviously been through some kind of trauma. She does physically resemble Isabella Swan and her memories should start to come back, once she has gotten settled. If this girl is a con artist then she can't hold on to the lie for long."
"Are you seriously buying into this amnesia crap?" grumbled Wayland. "We're just going to disappoint them again. It's cruel what we're doing to the Cullens and you all know that. We should have closed this case long ago because the truth is that Isabella Swan is dead and is not coming back."
A loud bang sounded throughout the hall, causing Marie to jerk away. Her natural reaction was to run and hide. She didn't want to attract attention to herself so she layed in the hospital bed, trembling, waiting for what will happen next.
"I'll call the Cullens right now, while Wayland is away. I don't want him to throw another fit." Lindsey's voice dripped with sarcasm. Her footsteps faded away and then it was just the doctor and Graham.
"Isabella Swan has been missing for eight years. Do you think that this is actually her?" Graham stated.
The doctor replied, "She could be anyone at the moment. But sometimes we just have to follow our gut and right now our gut is telling us to believe her."
"I hope we're right. The Cullens deserve some peace. How do you think they'll react?"
The doctor hesitated before saying, "I don't know. They've heard the same story so many times and it's only natural to give up hope."
Graham hums in agreement. "Well let's just pray we've got the right girl. I have a feeling."
Marie let her eyes close as the drugs coursed through her body making her more exhausted and the fear of being found out was enough to drain her body of energy.
She wondered how long she could pull off having amnesia. She never had a good memory. Marie didn't even remember her parents and what child didn't know who their parents were? She never remembered playing outside or having any friends or going to school or any birthdays. She didn't even know how old she was. She doesn't really know how she ended up with James but knows that she must of had some sort of life before him. Someone must have loved her. Even if they didn't anymore.
But for as long as Marie could remember, she was kept in the dark. She was kept secured and locked away from the world, ensuring that she could never be found. She could remember the sound of children's laughter from the attic. She could hear the sound of an ice cream truck in the summer passing down the street. Marie could hear everything but no one could hear her.
But for now… she is free. She is free until they find out who she really is. She can have someplace warm to sleep and have an actual meal. The stench and taste of the greasy take out makes her sick to her stomach. It was all James ever feed her. She didn't deserve to have money spent on her is what he always said.
But the need for more nearly drove her insane. She begged for more water. She begged for more food. She begged for a warmer blanket but he never listened. He laughed at her, as she grovelled at his feet.
Marie could feel his rough calloused hands snake around her neck and slowly tighten his grip as she began to fight for air. Her vision would become blurry and her movements would start to slow. She remembers hoping that he would kill her only to be so disappointed when she'd wake up the next day.
At least the Cullens were being called. They would take her in and keep her safe. From what she's heard so far is that they have a lot of money. That meant she would have protection and it would make sense if she didn't remember them. Marie knows that she should feel sorry for taking advantage of this family but at this point it's either jail or life on the run. There is no way she is going back to James.
Eventually, Marie fell back into a dreamless sleep with the feel of his hands creeping around her neck, stealing her breathe away.
"Isabella?" A soft voice asked.
She slowly regained conscious, cautiously opening her eyes. Bright lights shined from up above. She felt as if everything moved in slow motion and she was just landing her feet on the ground. Her eyes scoured the room before pausing on the three adults. Her body tensed waiting for what would happen next.
"Honey?" The woman's voice shook.
She had dark brown hair that flowed down to her shoulders and her eyes were a soft chocolate color. The woman's lips trembled and she struggled not to cry. She wanted to believe that this young girl could be Isabella. She looked so much like her but struggled to forget about all the other girls who had claimed to be her. She didn't want to be disappointed again. The woman cupped her hands around her mouth and turned to the man next to her.
When Marie looked at the man, he was not smiling. He has soft blonde hair and his deep blue eyes narrowed at her as if he was studying her. His body was tense as well but his overall presence calmed the room. He took the woman in his arms and held her tightly.
The doctor suddenly stepped forward, breaking the spell. Marie suddenly jolted out of her thoughts and stared at the slowly approaching man. He paused at the end of her bed and spoke.
"Isabella, I am Dr. Gerandy. Do you know who these people are?"
The people were the couple from the photograph. They must have been Isabella's godparents: The Cullens. Marie froze and stared at them. Her eyes held a certain amount of fear and she tried not to let it show.
Marie knew who they were, but was too afraid to speak. She shook her head and the woman let out a little whimper. Marie turned her head towards her.
"This is Carlisle Cullen and Esme Cullen," he gestured. "They are your godparents."
Marie blinked, feeling a mix of emotions. She stared at the young couple and felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't know why she was reacting this way. Marie felt naked as the day she was born. She felt small and scared. Everything was happening so quickly and that made her vulnerable. The woman- Esme, had a strong maternal presence. She reacted without even thinking, and quickly approached the distressed girl.
Marie, thinking the worst, quickly flinched away from her touch. Esme looked alarmed and stopped in her tracks. Marie softly trembled underneath the blankets. Remembering the feel of James hand when he hit her. She didn't want to be hurt again. He had hated her crying. She never let herself show her emotions in the presence of others. It never ended well.
For the first time since waking up, Marie heard Carlisle's voice, "When can we take her home?"
His voice was low but soft. Marie couldn't be sure but she thought that she heard a little empathy in his voice. She didn't know why he would have it though. He's barely made eye contact with her yet alone spoke to her.
He doesn't think much of me.
"Well, Mr. Cullen. Isabella has some injuries that must be treated and she must have psychological testing done. She's been through a traumatic experience and it would be wise to for her to meet with some of our psychologists-"
Carlisle abruptly cut him off. "For one, it is, Dr. Cullen. And two, I am a surgeon and I'm completely aware of what needs to be done. That can all happen once we return home and will find our own professional that is not involved with the police station."
The doctor looking nervous, stammers, "I under-understand Dr. Cullen. But I must advise that she remains in the hospital for at least the weekend. We can monitor her and the police can inter-"
"No, absolutely not." Esme states for a first time.
Marie's eyes flash to her. Her voice is hard and authoritative, making the doctor sweat. He looked nervously between the two of them.
"She has been through enough already. The police can refer to our lawyer for any questioning they have, but at the moment our only focus is on her healing." Carlisle agrees with his wife and the doctor reluctantly accepts their wishes.
Marie was quiet for the next couple of days, only letting the nurses check her vital signs. Esme and Carlisle had stayed with her the entire weekend, only stepping out the room to take phone calls and get food. She found Esme's voice comforting and motherly. Marie wished that Esme was her mother. Marie knew that she would be loved and cared for.
Esme was the type of woman that would let nothing happen to her children. She didn't mind when Esme talked to her. Marie learned that they had three children already: Alice, Edward, and Emmett. Alice and Edward were twins while Emmett was a year older, going into his senior year of high school. She didn't talk much about them, except for constantly saying how excited they were that she was coming home. But Marie wasn't sure that was the case. It sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.
Marie wondered what they would think of her. From hearing the officers speak, she knew that two other girls had already pretended to be Isabella and ultimately failed. What would their other kids think of her? The thought made her stomach queasy. Would they immediately know she was a fake? After all they must have known Isabella well since they were basically family. The kids would be harder to fool than the adults, Marie already knew. She couldn't let herself get too close to them.
"What are you thinking about?" Esme whispered.
She was curled up in a chair with a book in her hand. It was Sunday night and tomorrow would be Monday. She would finally get to leave.
Marie shrugged her shoulders, unsure what to say.
Esme put the book down and scooted the chair closer to the bed. Her hand rested lightly on the sheets. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
Marie found herself nodding, and realized how truly afraid she was. Not just afraid of the Cullens but of everything. She was afraid of being found out, she was afraid of another person's touch, she was afraid of the world. She had never been allowed to truly live and know she had the opportunity. She didn't know what being free felt like and it was in arms reach. She wanted it so bad.
"I-" she croaked, "I don't want to be afraid. It's all my fault. It's my fault he took me. I should have screamed for help or something..." she wrung her hands around and around and bit her lip. Her voice rose in distress.
"Sweetie" Esme whispered. "None of this is your fault. That awful man is the one to blame. You were only eight years old. There was no way you could have stopped that man from taking you..." Esme abruptly stops. Her voice is filled with emotion and a tear drips down her cheek.
"I'm sorry," Marie said. She was sorry for everything. She didn't want to make the woman cry again. She didn't like seeing her sad.
Carlisle chooses that moment to walk back into the room and stops short when he sees the two of them. Alarm flashes across his face.
"What's wrong?" His voice rises.
Esme let's out a little laugh and wipes the tears away from her eyes. "Just a little girl talk."
Carlisle doesn't look convinced but doesn't press the subject matter. He sets down a glass of water for Marie and walks to Esme's side.
He's yet to address her directly as Isabella but he doesn't seem as distant as before. Marie doesn't know what to think of him. He keeps his distance but is never too far away. The times he's talked to Marie was only about her health. A part of her wishes that he would say something more to her. She wants to understand him better. It feels like he can see right through her.
"Who were you talking to on the phone?" Esme asks him.
He runs his hand through his hair and sighs before looking at Marie and back to his wife. This immediately catches Marie's attention.
"I was talking to Officer Graham. She wants to ask her more questions about the man who took her…" Carlisle trails off.
Esme scowls and before Marie can help herself she blurts, "Do I have to talk to them?"
Her heart races against her chest when they both look her at. This is the most vocal she has been so far. She immediately regrets what she's said.
Stupid girl. James's voices hisses in her mind. She broke her most important rule, don't attract attention.
"I'm s-sorry," she immediately takes back what she said, hoping they'll ignore her.
Carlisle turns towards her and she immediately waits for the worst to happen.
But it never does.
Instead he says, "You don't have to talk to them if you don't want to. There will be a time and place when you can answer their questions but it's definitely not know." His voice is firm and leaves no room for argument.
After a few moments of hesitation, his hand touches on her shoulder and rubs it soothingly. She goes rigid, her brain screaming to run, telling her something bad is going to happen. But she can't help but feel differently. She isn't afraid like before. His touch is different from James's. Marie isn't afraid.
She lets her body loose and relaxes into the bed, letting his hand rest on her shoulder. She liked the warmth and softness of his skin. It was nothing like James's rough and calloused hands. Marie wills herself to close her eyes and eventually falls into a deep sleep.