BPOV

After Emmett deep-sixed his Jeep, Rosalie took him with her to try to console him. The poor oaf was in near tears and barely able to keep it together. As they passed by me and Edward, all I could hear was Rosalie reminding him to never bet against Alice.

I was confused for a bit. Did Alice have some magic power that allows her to see the future? What could Alice know that would help her get revenge on Emmett? I mean, sure, she was a ferocious little thing, but I just didn't understand Rose's comment.

I decided to think about something else and go back to that later. "With all due respect to you Cullens, I will refrain from playing Truth or Dare until I have actually managed to accrue a decent amount of money. I'm as broke as a joke with no hope. The stakes to play with you people is way too high," I informed them. "Is it always so bloodthirsty?"

"I wish I could tell you no but I can't. Alice and Emmett have sort of a rivalry going on between them. They always have to one-up each other and it's usually very expensive," he explained as we walked back into the house.

"Yeah, I can see that. I shall refrain from playing with those two for the foreseeable future." Seriously, they both just wasted nearly $75,000 just between Alice's Stella McCartney dress and the Jeep. That's one hell of a rivalry.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Emmett will come up with other games you can play with us. In case you hadn't noticed, Emmett is just an overgrown child," he joked.

"Well, that just explains it," I laughed following Edward back into the house.

"Would you like to play some piano?" he asked walking over to his piano.

"I would love to. I miss being able to practice every day," I said sitting down on the cushioned piano bench.

"You don't have a piano at your dad's place?" he asked sitting down next to me.

"No, there's no room for one. My dad offered to buy me a cheap upright or a spinet piano. I just don't see how that's going to work," I said sadly. The living room was cramped as it is. There was just no room for a piano.

"Oh, Bella," Emmett called out to me from the steps. I looked over to the doorway to see him skipping of all things into the room. "A little birdie mentioned that you can play the drums. I just so happen to own a drum set, and I want to hear you play."

The possibility of getting to play the drums again piqued my interest. "You have a drum set?" I asked a little too eagerly.

"Yup, and I want to hear you play," he repeated as he walked over to the corner in the far right and pulled a sheet off his drum set.

Emmett Cullen had a gorgeous Tama Starclassic Performer five piece set in Sky Blue. With it, he had the Zildjian A series cymbals. It was fabulous. I had eyed this setup before going with my DW Exotic set. I got up and walked over to it gently running my hand over the hi-hat cymbals. "This set is gorgeous, Emmett. It's one of the highest quality drum sets on the market."

"It is?" he asked as he looked his drum set over. "I just got it because I loved the color," he admitted with a wry grin and a shrug.

I looked at him in utter shock. He bought a top-of-the-line model just because he liked the color. God, Emmett was so freaking weird.

"Only you, Emmett," I laughed. I walked around it and made myself comfortable on his drum throne. I picked up his drumsticks off of the snare drum and twirled them for a moment to get a good feel of them. I then got into position and began to bang a beat out on the snare drum as my left foot kept hitting the kick drum pedal. I soon began to incorporate the toms and the other cymbals. In no time at all, I was hitting one hell of a beat just doing what I love to do. I soon morphed into playing the "Funky Drummer" beat that was made famous by Clyde Stubblefield. This beat has been played by almost every drummer in every band that ever existed.

I was having a blast and so was everyone else. The Cullens all came into the room to hear me play. Even Carlisle was here. Emmett was even banging his head to the beat.

I was enjoying myself and just put my all into playing. I hadn't been able to play since right before I moved to Forks. I had to leave my drum set and piano back in Arizona. I hadn't realized just how much I missed playing.

I finished my set and was awarded with a huge amount of applause. I blushed at the cheering and the inappropriate comment Emmett had made about me banging other things. Thankfully, Rose was right there to slap him in the back of the head for me.

"Thanks, Rose," I said as she replied with a wink.

"Damn, Bella, you can really play," Jasper said in awe.

"I have to admit that I underestimated how good a player you are," Rosalie admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Bella has mad skills," Emmett boomed. "I am not worthy," he said as he bowed to me.

"Thanks, everyone, I love to play. I just haven't been able to since moving here, so I just got carried away."

"Well, you can get carried away anytime you feel like playing the piano and the drums," Esme encouraged me.

"Thanks, Esme, but don't say I didn't warn you," I said. It was true. I often get carried away when I am playing any of my instruments.

"That was so awesome, Bella," Alice said as she skipped over to me and gave me a quick hug. Alice was probably the biggest hugger I have ever met.

"Two instruments down and one to go," Edward said giving me this look. I just know he wants me to play the violin for him.

"Wait! Bella can play three instruments?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, I can play three," I replied.

"What's number three?" Emmett asked me.

"I can play the violin," I admitted. I was happy that I was able to bring my violin with me to Forks.

"You didn't have to leave that behind too, did you?" Rosalie asked.

"Nope, I brought it with me," I said realizing that I hadn't practiced since moving here.

"Well, I certainly did enjoy your drumming. Bella, I hope you don't mind me interrupting, but I would like to take a look at your stitches before I head to the hospital," Carlisle told me.

"I don't mind. Check away, Doc," I said as Carlisle stood behind me and gently parted my hair to get a good look at my stitches.

"They are healing nicely and the swelling has gone down," he said with a smile.

"How much longer until I can take a shower?" I asked him with my fingers crossed.

"You can take showers now. The stitches are healing nicely. Just make sure that you don't rub the stitches when you are washing your hair or drying off with a towel. You shouldn't have any problems with them now," he answered with a smile.

"Thank God," I moaned as they all laughed. "What? I hated not being able to shower. It made me feel all icky," I said with a shudder.

"Icky Bella," Emmett laughed. I just gave him a dirty look.

"Yea, Emmy, I just wanted to emulate you," I teased. Emmett's eyes grew big and his mouth dropped open. Jasper, Alice, Edward, and Rosalie all cracked up and started chanting "Icky Emmy."

God, I just love picking on the oversized bear. He's hilarious and can take it. I love to see him get all flustered.

I excused myself and practically ran up the stairs to go take a shower. My hair felt greasy, and I know I must look like a mess. No one worth their salt likes to have greasy hair.

The shower was glorious. It had several jets situated to hit every inch of my body. The rain shower head was fantastic.

I gently washed my hair and rinsed it. The water pressure was so great that the shampoo was rinsed out in under a minute. I then conditioned my hair and left it in so that I could wash the rest of my body. Once cleaned, I rinsed out the conditioner and just stood under the spray for a minute.

I finally dragged myself out of the shower and got dressed. I used a towel to dry my hair a little but was careful to avoid the stitches. I felt more human now that I was completely clean.

I sat on the bed and pulled my laptop out of my backpack. I was going to check my emails and see if Renee had responded. I cringed when I saw that she had left seven more messages.

I opened the first one and was annoyed with her response to my last email.

Bella,

I don't see why you couldn't have sent me an email when you first got into your hospital room. I was sitting around wondering if you had died. I really wish you would show some more consideration for me. I am your mother after all.

I needed your help with balancing my checkbook. You know I'm lost when it comes to that. Now, I guess I'm going to have to do it myself since I can't rely on you.

Well, there goes Renee proving once again how self-centered she is. Logically, I know what she's really like, but I am somehow always surprised when she acts the part. This is a major reason why I chose to move in with my dad.

I grew up having to deal with a mother who couldn't be bothered to try to be a mother. I had to do everything for her. How many ten-year-olds balance their mother's checkbook? How many kids have to plan meals and do the cooking and the cleaning at the age of eight?

When I was younger, I use to be jealous of all my friends who had real mothers, mothers that were loving and supportive. I learned over the years that Renee was probably never meant to have kids. Fate just likes to be a bitch sometimes.

Don't get me wrong. I do love her, but I don't see her as a parental figure. I never have, and I never will. She just isn't a parent.

So now I have to play the heavy again and put a stop to any idea she has of me balancing her checkbook or doing anything else for her that is strictly her responsibility.

Renee,

Did you miss the part where I was given medication that knocked me out? Or did you miss the part where I told you I had a pretty bad concussion? Either way, I was in no position to send you an email. You need to stop with the dramatics. My schedule does not revolve around you and neither do my injuries.

Regarding your checkbook, it's not my responsibility. It's yours. You are in your forties. It's way past time for you to learn how to manage your finances.

When you actually scrounge up enough concern for my health and well-being, I will not be sending you any emails. It would be nice for once to have a mother show some loving concern especially when her only child was attacked.

I hit send and shut down my laptop. Renee just put me in a very sour mood. I hate that I reacted this way but it is what it is.

There was a knock at my door the second I put my laptop away. "Come in," I called out. Alice and Edward walked in. I was surprised that Alice actually waited for my response before barging into my room. "Hey, what's up?"

"We wanted to see what you were up to. You've been up here for a while," Alice pointed out. I glanced over at the clock and noticed that I had been in here for well over an hour.

"I'm sorry. I had to check my emails and respond to one Renee sent me," I said with a frown. Alice and Edward glanced at one another and were clearly having a silent conversation.

"You're upset. Is there anything we can do for you?" Edward asked. I looked up at him and could see the concern in his eyes. His eyes were so beautiful.

"Can you somehow give me a real mom?" I asked with a deep sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that?"

"Bella, you can talk to us. What's wrong?" Alice said as she patted my knee.

"Do you know the real reason why I moved in with my dad?" I asked them. They both shook their heads no, so I continued. "I needed to get away from Renee, my mom. I felt like she was suffocating me. She doesn't have a motherly bone in her body. I had to be the mom," I said.

"What do you mean by you having to be the mom?" Edward asked me.

"Do you want to know what I was doing at the age of five? I was cleaning the house because Renee couldn't be bothered." They both frowned at hearing that. "When I was eight, I started to plan the meals and do the cooking and paying the bills. Renee couldn't cook to save her life when she actually bothered to remember to feed me. She gave me food poisoning so bad once that I had to get my stomach pumped. Don't get me talking about how she never paid the bills and we often went without electricity."

From there, I just ranted. I should have felt bad for dumping all that negativity on them, but I was feeling relieved instead. I carried all of that around for years and never told anyone. I haven't even told my dad how bad it was.

Both Alice and Edward were supportive They listened and let me rant. They showed me love and patience and I loved them all the more for it. It was nice to have real friends.

CHPOV

What was once a quiet little town has become a hell mouth of negativity. Ever since Bella was attacked at the school no less, things have gone bat-shit crazy. It initially started with the disappearance of a twenty-two-year-old female. It has since gotten worse.

There have been two more missing females reported in the past two days. There are no leads and no witnesses. It's as if they just disappeared into thin air.

As a cop, it's my job to hunt down every clue and look into every lead. Unfortunately, there are no leads, and we haven't been able to find any clues. I have never felt more useless in all the years I have been a cop.

The lead I thought I had on Bella's attacker came up dry. It was a dead end which annoyed the piss out of me. I wanted to be able to give my daughter some peace. I didn't want her to live her life always looking over her shoulder, fearful of another attack.

As of right now, I don't think the attack and the disappearances are related. At least, I'm hoping they aren't. God forbid my only daughter disappears. We have something of a mystery on our hands, and my cop instincts are going crazy over it. I have a bad feeling that this was just the beginning.