Marie remembered sitting in this cold dull room. It's hard to believe that it was only a few weeks ago she came running into the Portland Police Station, claiming to be Isabella Swan. She remembered the officers' alarmed look.

Now, here she sat in the Forks Police Station this time with Carlisle, Esme, and their lawyer, Jane Volturi. She fidgeted under the look of Officer Graham and PI Wayland. They were even more intimidating then she remembered. They had driven to Forks to make it more convenient for the Cullens.

"Bella, you don't have to tell them or answer any questions you don't want to. I can talk for you if you feel more comfortable. Do you understand?" Jane's voice was soft as she talked to the young girl.

Marie nodded her head and held Esme's hand under the table. She gave Marie a squeeze to say- everything is going to be alright. Marie wanted to believe her.

"You asked to talk with us, Isabella?" Graham spoke. "About our latest discovery at James Hunter's house?"

"Yes," Marie whispered. Her eyes flicker up to the woman only to find warmth and compassion in her eyes. "Esme told me that you found over thirty girls. Is that true?"

Graham nods her head. "Yes, we've found over thirty girls. However, we believe that there are more victims."

Marie gnaws on her bottom lip, trying to picture what the house must look like at the moment. James was always terrified of getting caught but he was a smart man. He wouldn't let the police catch him. He wouldn't just let Marie just escape. There was a method to all of this madness.

"Were they found by a tree in his yard?" She asked. "There is a large oak tree with flowers planted around it."

"We haven't gotten to that part of the yard yet." Confusion coated Graham's voice.

"What is so important about a damn tree?" Wayland grumbled.

Officer Graham shot him a dirty look, silencing him. Everyone was looking at Marie, waiting for her to speak. But she fidgeted in her seat, unsure now, about what she was going to tell them. She wanted the officers to believe her and take her seriously. What if they didn't?

"What is it, honey?" Esme asked softly. Her hand rested on Marie's jittery knee. Marie took a deep breath and looked up at Officer Graham.

"I think that James had another girl before me," she whispered.

"He killed a lot of girls before you," Wayland sighed.

Marie glares at him, sitting up in her seat. She makes it a point to look directly at him. "This girl he didn't kill right away." She hissed. "He kept her for a very long time and when she died, he buried her in the backyard underneath the tree."

Esme let out an audible gasp, breaking the silence in the stunned room. The only sound Marie could hear was the thumping of her heart. The blood rushing through her ears.

"Why do you think that?" Graham asked. "Did he tell you that he had kidnapped and held another girl?"

Marie shook her head. "There were scratch marks on the floorboards in the attic. The cage was already there when he brought me and there were used blankets and a girl's clothing." She wrung her hands around and around. "He used to always talk about, 'the one who got away.' He said that no one else could ever amount up to her. Not even me."

"Did he tell you a name?"

"Why do you think that she is under the tree?"

"You never mentioned this before-"

"Enough!" Jane roared throughout the room. Everyone stared at her, stunned. "If you'd give my client a chance to speak, I'm sure all of your questions would be answered."

"Thank you." Marie mumbled.

Wayland fidgets in his chair, narrowing his eyes at Marie, staring her up and down. She looked like she had been through hell, he won't deny that. He thought that perhaps her story may be true but her identity was a lie. Wayland was certain that they would identify Isabella's body in the yard.

"James never told me a name. He always said that she was so pure and innocent and everything he could ever want in his life," she sighed. "The tree was the one thing he cared about. Before he locked me up, he'd let me take care of the flowers and sometimes plant new ones. He'd go on and on about how we couldn't let the tree die because it contained special powers and a great beauty laid beneath it. He talked about the tree the same way he talked about the girl with the sound of love in his voice."

"That's your evidence?" Wayland leaned forward. "He could have been talking a bunch of shit for all we know. I don't buy this story one bit-"

"Wayland!" Graham snapped. "Quit attacking the girl! If you are going to act this way then I want you to step outside. Your presence is not needed in the room at the moment!"

Wayland glares daggers into his partner's soul. She had her head buried so deep into her lies. He didn't understand how they could have so much hope. He pushed himself up from the chair and without another word stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry about him," Graham mumbled. "He's not the most optimistic person."

Jane rolled her eyes, glaring directly at the woman. "If we are done with all the theatrics, I'd like to continue on with the questioning."

Graham's lips were pressed into a thin line and focused on the young girl. "If what you are saying is true, that he took another girl before you, then if we can find her identity, we'll be closer to finding your kidnapper. I'll have the tree dug up as soon as possible and if we find a body, then research into the girl's identity will start immediately."

"Thank you," Marie whispered. Tears filled up in her eyes, threatening to overflow. She wanted justice for the girl's family. She wanted justice for all of the girls. It could have been her in there, buried six feet under.

"Mom? Dad?" Alice shouted as soon as she heard the front door open. She had come home from school to an empty house and only a note on the table saying that they had gone to the police station.

She ran to the front door to see her parents and Bella, who looked sicker than normal. Curiosity burned in her eyes but Carlisle quickly shut down any questions she may have had with just a swift look.

"Is everything ok?" Alice asks.

Esme collapses in the chair in exhaustion. It looked as if she had aged twenty years and was physically and mentally exhausted. Carlisle sat down beside her, looking just as worn down.

"We're just tired honey." Carlisle said.

Alice places her hands on her hips, knowing that there was more to the story. "What happened at the station?"

"Why don't we talk about this later when the entire family is present?" Said Esme.

"Yes, lets." Carlisle hummed in agreement. "Speaking of the family, where are Edward and Emmett?"

"They're at practice but I think that there's a team dinner so they won't be home until late tonight."

"Well then the conversation can wait until tomorrow," Carlisle sighed. He pressed his index finger and thumb against the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

"How come you can't just tell me?"

"Alice-"

"No, mom!" Alice cries. "You never tell me anything! Everything is always about Bella! Do you even think about me? Ever since she disappeared, this family has been a mess. I wouldn't be surprised if you loved her more than your children!"

"Honey, you are being ridiculous!" Esme gasped. "What has brought this on?"

"I'm being ridiculous?" Alice scoffs. "When is the last time we had a day with just the two of us? A day where Bella wasn't mentioned at all?"

Esme is silent. She's staring at her daughter, currently sobbing her heart out. She had never seen her look so broken before. So defeated. Alice was the definition of happiness.

"Do you even love me?" She whispered.

"Don't ever say that." Esme's voice was hard. "You are our pride and joy. When you were born, it was the happiest day of our lives. You've brought so much light into this family, you could never be replaced."

Alice had unconsciously moved across the room to Esme. She let herself collapse in her arms, crying until her body was drained of all its energy. Carlisle had moved back giving them space. He was furious with himself for not seeing this sooner. For how long had Alice been this sad? She looked broken beyond words. He treated people every day with depression yet he couldn't see it within his own daughter.

"Then how about we just have a vacation together? Just you and me? We can go to the house in Phoenix and go to the spa and we can get our nails done? It can be an all-girls trip." Esme giggles through the tears.

Alice is excited but the thought dawns on her. What about Bella? She wasn't in the best place to be left alone at the moment. While she was fine around Carlisle, it was Esme that she trusted the most. To Marie, Esme was her mother and she didn't know what to do without her mother around.

Alice sits up wanting to apologize to her but quickly realizes that something isn't right. The room is too quiet. It's just Alice and her parents. Bella is gone.

"Where is Bella?" Alice whispered.

Carlisle and Esme are immediately on alert. How could they have not seen her leave? Alice runs upstairs, immediately checking Bella's bedroom. Everything was neat and clean and orderly. The only thing missing was her backpack that Esme had bought.

She runs back downstairs, meeting her parents in the living room. They had grim expressions on their faces knowing what has happened.

"She ran away," Esme whispered. "She must have gone out through the backdoor."

"T-this is my fault! If I hadn't of started arguing then maybe-"

Carlisle grabs onto her shoulders, shaking her from her daze. She was rambling on and on, looking as if she was about to have a complete and utter breakdown.

"None of this is your fault!" He firmly says. "None of us could have predicted she would do this. We just have to focus on finding her now."

Alice listens to her father's words, allowing him to guide her to the couch. She slumps down on the soft cushions, tears flowed down her face. Everything was her fault. She had literally driven Bella away.

Carlisle crouches down in front of her, staring into her watering eyes. "You are going to stay here in case she comes home. Your mother and I are going to go out and look for her. I want you to call your brothers and let them know what has happened. If we don't call you and Bella is not home by six o' clock, I want you to call the police. Can you do that?"

Alice nods her head, still in shock.

Carlisle stands up, but not before placing a kiss on her head. Alice pulls out her phone dialing Emmett's number as her parents walk out the door. She hears the rumble of their car going down the dirt path. There were only three hours to go. Bella had three hours to come home before she called the cops.

It was cold and rainy. Marie had on a light jacket and jeans. She wore the backpack she had packed weeks ago. This was her emergency bag in case she had to leave. She knew that the day would come but just the heartbreak in Alice's voice was just too much to bare. Marie knew that she couldn't stay any longer. She was tearing this family apart whether Esme and Carlisle wanted to admit it.

Marie had made it downtown in under twenty minutes. There weren't many people and she had a small amount of money in her bag. It would be enough to get her some food and a bus ticket. From there, she didn't know where she would go. By the time the DNA test came back, she would be long gone.

Marie walked down the sidewalk heading towards the bus stop. The bus was supposed to come at any moment. She didn't pay any attention to the group of people standing outside the cafe but soon noticed there was a woman with a microphone speaking into a camera. She was speaking about her.

Marie's heart beat against her chest. She flipped her hood up and kept her head down, hoping that they wouldn't see her. She sat down on the bench gripping the straps of her bag. Marie could see the bus coming. It was only a few feet away. They wouldn't follow her on there, would they?

No. No, they wouldn't.

The bus pulled up to the sidewalk and with as quick as she could, got onto the bus. The driver couldn't care less about who she was. Without looking at her, he took the money from her shaking hand and grumbled, "Where are you going?"

"Seattle."

He gave her an all-day pass that would work on other buses. Marie mumbled, "thanks," before making her way past the few sleeping passengers to the back of the bus.

Marie collapsed in the seat, closing her eyes. This was it. This was the end of her little fantasy. It was time for her to face reality and move on. She couldn't stay with the Cullens any longer.

Marie tried getting comfortable but she couldn't ignore the inkling of fear. She opened her eyes and stared out the window. In the group of reporters, there was a man with a notepad. He was staring at the bus. No. He was staring directly at Marie. He knew who she was.

It's as if all time had stopped and the bus jolted forward. The man gets further and further away until he is just a little tiny dot. Marie can't shake the odd feeling. The man won't leave her mind.

Three hours passed before they reached Seattle. The bus was half full which allowed Marie to keep her bag on her seat. She gripped it against her body, not letting go for dear life.

Marie got off the bus and happened to find her way towards a bustling park. She could see the Space Needle in the distance and Pike Market Place was right around the corner. She made her way through the crowd, sitting on an empty park bench. Her stomach rumbled in hunger but she knew she shouldn't spend all of her money. She had to prioritize what was most important.

Marie could only imagine what people were thinking about her. She looked skinny, sick, and pale. They probably thought that she was just some homeless person. After all, she basically was now. She had no doubt that everyone was searching for her now but Bella was gone and not coming back. All that remained was Marie and she had to toughen up if she were to survive.

"Is it alright if I sit here?"

Marie swings her head to the right, breaking away from her thoughts. A woman looks at her patiently, waiting for an answer. Marie nods her head timidly. The woman smiles and sits down beside the young girl.

She had flaming red hair and greenest eyes that she had ever seen. Even greener than Edward's. She was tall, skinny, and beautiful. It wouldn't be fair to compare her to Rose. This woman was in a completely different category. She was almost exotic.

"It's a beautiful day out, isn't it?" The woman's voice was as light as a feather.

Marie nods her head, speechless. Who was this woman? She was mesmerized.

"What?" the woman laughs. "Cat got your tongue?"

Marie furiously blushes, looking away in embarrassment.

"I'm just joking around with you," the woman says. "What's your name?"

Marie fiddles with her fingers, not looking at the woman. She can't speak. Something within her is telling her to run but she's frozen to the bench.

"My name is Victoria." She says. "But friends call me Vicky."

Marie mumbles under her breathe, "Marie."

"What?"

"My name is Marie." She raises her voice a little bit.

She takes a chance and looks up at Victoria. Her green eyes are intensely staring back at her. Marie can't look away.

"What a pretty name for a pretty girl."

Marie catches her breath. She can't mean that. Nobody ever thought that she was pretty.

"Why does a pretty girl such as yourself look so sad? Who could have hurt such a pretty girl?"

Marie's chest heaves up and down. She was trying to hold back the tears. She didn't want to cry in front of this stranger.

"It's alright, sweetie. Tell me what's wrong." Victoria puts her arm around the girl.

Marie unconsciously leans in, wanting the touch of her soft skin. Wanting some human connection. She didn't want to be alone forever.

"I have no one." Marie cried. "I- I was hurt when I was younger and I thought that I had finally found a home b-but I couldn't stay. T-the people loved me but I was making things worse. I was tearing the family apart and I couldn't do that to them."

"So you ran away?"

Marie nods her head. Victoria wipes her wet cheeks. "Do you want me to help you?"

Marie's taken aback. She just met this woman. Why would she want to help her? Nobody was this selfless.

"My sister runs a shelter for homeless and abused women. I can bring you to her and she can help you get back on your feet. There is no charge for anything."

"Are you sure?" Marie whispered. "I don't want to waste your time."

"Trust me, sweetie. This isn't a waste of my time." Victoria smiles. "My car is a couple of blocks away if you want to come with me. I promise that I am going to help you."

Victoria felt pity for Marie. She was her at one point. She would have done anything to get help. She just wanted to be loved. A woman, just like herself tricked her into thinking that she was safe. She was naive at the time. Now, she was doing the same to Marie. Pretending to be the concerned bystander while the girl followed.

The feeling of dread for what she was about to do made Victoria nauseous. It was the same every time. It was the same with every innocent girl she preyed on. This was her job. It was either her life or the girls and Victoria wasn't about to die just yet.

"We're almost there," she reassures the girl. "It's just a little further."

They were getting further and further away from downtown. Marie was clueless about what was going on. Victoria could see Laurent sitting in the front seat of the car. She knew where Riley was hiding. Laurent wouldn't hurt her today. She had brought him a fresh catch.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your patience with this update. I've had busy few weeks but have been trying to write as much as I can. I always like seeing your lovely reviews so thank you so much for those who have stuck through the story! This is getting close to being done but I'm planning a sequel. Would you all like that? I am trying to make each chapter longer and I'm planning on going back and fixing grammar mistakes as well as others. I hope to update again in a couple of weeks because I am going to be on vacation!

Happy reading!