Marie

No. Marie wanted to scream. Don't come inside. Don't take his hand. But the little girl walked through the door and took the man's hand. He let her poke around the messy living room, eating the stale popcorn left in the bowl. The little girl was nervous but the man said that her mommy and daddy would pick her up soon. She had no reason not to believe him. The nice man knew her parents' names.

Her wide doe eyes stared at him eagerly as he talked. He talked about his puppy, and all the candy she could eat before dinner, and how they were going to have a sleepover; it would be so much fun. The girl couldn't contain her excitement and said that she'd stay the night. After all, if the man knew her parents than she was safe. Marie wanted to shake the girl silly and tell her it was all a ruse. She wanted to grab the girl and run far far away from this big empty house.

But her pleas fell on deaf ears and it was too late. The man brought her to his bedroom where he said she could stay the night. The little girl fell asleep in his big bed as the man left the room. She didn't hear the door lock or see his sinister glare. Marie couldn't do anything to save her.

With a strangled sob, Marie shot upright, falling off the couch. She found herself in the living room of the Cullens house. The football game was playing in the background and Emmett was staring at her wide-eyed as if he'd just witnessed a murder.

"What-" he starts. "Are you-" Emmett struggled to find the right words to say.

Marie had fallen asleep an hour ago and gave no indication of any problems. She slept like the dead, not moving a muscle. But the dreams she had tormented her mind. It was as if a switch had been turned and Marie was suddenly possessed. She begged and pleaded to an unknown person and tears rolled down her closed eyes.

Emmett wasn't sure if he should get his parents or wake her up himself. He didn't have time to decide because moments later, a guttural cry escaped her mouth and Marie woke up on her own.

Finding the confidence, Emmett whispers, "What were you dreaming about?"

Marie shakes her head, surprised that she made any noise. She learned early on that the less attention, the better. She knew to stay silent because it only aggravated James. Marie gets up off the ground and sits on the couch, pulling the blanket around her shivering body.

"Was it…" he pauses. "Was it about the man who took you?"

Marie nods her head, unable to say the words. The look on the older boy's face was somber and he tried not to show his anger. Emmett didn't want to say anymore out of the fear that she would become even more traumatized. What he really wanted to do was strangle, dismember, and burn away the body of the man who did this to her. He wanted to make him suffer like he made Bella suffer.

"You can tell me you know…" he said. "I won't judge."

Marie rolled back the tears in her eyes. She didn't want him to think she was weak. Nobody had ever cared to know about how she felt.

But she couldn't stop thinking about that girl; that innocent faceless girl in her dream. Marie didn't know who she was or where she came from but she'd like to believe that she was in a better place now; a place where she was free from all danger and could live without burden.

"It feels like… I can't breathe," Marie responds. "I try and try my hardest to do good; to be good but my good is never enough. It's never enough for him and I have to pay the price."

Emmett patiently listens.

"Even though he is not here, I'm constantly looking over my shoulder. He's always in my mind, following me wherever I go. And I can't breathe. I can't breathe until I know he is gone for good," she sighs. "I'll know he's gone for good when the nightmares no longer plague my mind. Being in jail is not good enough. He'll always be able to find me."

"If I ever get my hands…" Emmett doesn't have to finish the sentence to get his point across. Marie knows that he'd do anything to defend Isabella.

It was silent between the two of them, neither wanting to break the tranquil peace that fell upon them. Marie gazed out the window while keeping an eye on the door. Edward had been in and out of the house all day, barely sparing her a glance. It was as if she was invisible to him. It was as if she wasn't even here at all. Edward's rejection hurt the most.

Footsteps sounded from around the corner, breaking the quiet in the room. Marie hoped it was Esme coming to tell them dinner was ready and much to Marie's disappointment it was Edward.

He completely focused on Emmett, ignoring the beautiful girl in the room, that sent stabs of pain to his heart. He didn't want to get sucked into her lies. It was so easy for everyone to believe her because it's what they wanted to believe. But Edward knew that only fifty-seven percent of victims of stranger kidnappings were found alive and forty percent were killed. The chances of Bella being alive after so many years didn't seem logical. He almost wished that she was dead. No, he wanted her to be dead. If she was dead then she wouldn't have had to suffer all of those years. Bella would be at peace.

Blocking her from his thoughts, Edward says to Emmett, "I'm heading to Jasper's. Do you wanna come?"

Emmett quickly looks from Marie back to Edward. "Didn't mom say that we had to stay home for the next couple of weeks?"

"I don't give a fuck. I'm not going to stay locked up in the house because of that girl." Edward spits.

Marie flinches knowing that they are talking about her. It's as if she's not even in the room. She's just some fly on the wall for Edward to swat at. The snide little comments pass right through her. She's experienced worse.

"Edward." Emmett snapped.

Marie's body stills at their harsh voices. She knows what happens when people are angry and she doesn't want to be caught in the middle of it.

"What? I'm just being honest."

Her heart beat faster and faster. Her eyes were now focused on the two of them, waiting to see what would happen next. They were having an intense stare off, daring one another to make the next move.

The only thing that broke their focus was the little whimper that sounded from Marie's throat. As soon as their argument started, it was over. Edward's jaw clenched and for a moment Marie thought he looked remorseful.

"I'll be at Jazz's if you want to come." Is what he whispered before leaving the room. Marie watched him until she couldn't see him anymore and finally let out a release of breath.

"I'm sorry about him…" Emmett said not knowing what else to do.

Marie shook her head, silencing him. "You don't need to apologize for him. I can understand how he's feeling I think."

"Still it's not right how he's treating you. You don't deserve it."

Marie laughs, finding no humor in the situation. "I've been treated a lot worse. This doesn't bother me anymore."

She doubted her words as she said them. No one wanted to be treated that way like they were less than dirt. Marie had just learned to live with it. She had trained herself to become numb to the verbal abuse but couldn't ignore the aching feeling she had when it was Edward who hurt her.

Emmett's silent, not knowing how to respond. How did one respond to something like that? He didn't know.

"I'm going to get ready for dinner," she whispered. Marie left the room, leaving Emmett in his thoughts. She had said too much. She was driving everyone away.

"Where is Edward?" Carlisle asked. He cut into his steak and ate it, waiting for one of the children to tell him of his youngest son's whereabouts. He was already angry enough that Edward had been less than hospitable to Bella but now he decided to skip out on a family dinner, one which everyone was present for. Carlisle wanted everyone to sit down as a family and be together.

Marie stayed silent, not wanting to rat him out. She didn't want to anger Edward further by getting him in trouble. She wanted him to like her not hate her. Alice shrugged her shoulders, not knowing or caring where her brother was and Emmett with a reluctant grumble said, "he went to Jasper's. I don't know when he's coming back but he left a few hours ago."

Esme and Carlisle shared a look. "Thank you, son. I'll deal with him when he returns home."

Carlisle's words cut through her body and with a jerk the silverware made a loud clang as they dropped from her hands. Marie's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at Carlisle. Confusion on his face soon turned to understanding. His words had elicited a stroke of fear within the girl. Her version of talking and his version were completely different.

"Kids, can you please leave the room?" He calmly said.

"Dad-"

"Alice, Emmett listen to your father," Esme said. "Leave the room."

They abandoned their food and went to the living room, listening from the other side of the wall. They wanted to know what was going on. What had changed? Was it something they did?

"Bella," Carlisle slowly said. He placed the silverware down and tried to remain calm and collected. If he and Esme kept their composure, then they could keep Marie pacified. It would do no good for any of them to be freaking out.

"Listen to me very carefully," he said.

The only sound you could hear was Marie's ragged breathing. She knew that Carlisle wasn't the saint that he portrayed to be. This is when the other shoe would drop and she would see his true side. Just like the other males.

"We. Do. Not use physical discipline as a punishment. We never have and never will. When I say that I want to talk, that means that I want to talk. Never will I ever lay a hand on you."

I wasn't expecting that.

"Are we clear?"

She nodded her head but her heart wouldn't slow. It just sped up.

"Sweetie, you are not in that place anymore. You are safe in this home and we will do our best to love and care for you. But I need you to promise us something,"

Marie is silent.

"I want you to trust us."

Promises are things that are easy to make and easy to break. She couldn't trust anyone no matter how much she tried. She'd been disappointed too many times in her life.

"Can you promise us that?" Carlisle asks.

Marie hesitates. She doesn't want to say yes because that would mean breaking down her guard and leaving herself open and vulnerable. But apart of her knows that they weren't going to come and beat her a silly mistake. But she wasn't willing to take that risk.

Esme sighs, knowing what her answer is. She didn't expect her to immediately open her arms to them. It had been less than a week but it felt like months. Bella was constantly on edge and flinched at every little sound. She couldn't stay in a room with a male without shaking. She couldn't be too close to a male without going into a panic attack. That's why it was a tremendous step that Bella was able to be near Emmett. She was able to tolerate him and that made Esme's heart swell in joy. Emmett was able to get anyone to open up to him.

"Honey it's alright," Esme said. "Don't cry. We understand."

To her surprise, her cheeks were wet. Marie tried to compose herself but failed. She didn't want to be here when Edward came home. She didn't want Esme and Carlisle to look at her with their pitying eyes and compassion.

Marie didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of this. She did deserve to go back to James. That much was clear.