Good evening! I took a day off from posting yesterday, sorry. It was manic lol. How was your day? It was good for us, but also sad, as it was the first Christmas where my brother-in-law wasn't with us. My sister was so strong, bless her xx

"It's this way… No, hang on, yeah, this way," I said checking the diagram.

Never in my life had I seen the inside of a woman's body in such a light. While I remembered a little about biology from school, I didn't remember diagrams being like this.

Isabella was perched on the toilet, and I was sat on the floor. Here was the downside to tampons. I was trying to stay professional and impersonal, but it just wasn't happening. In a way, I wanted to laugh. Were we really doing this? To me, it seemed somewhat normal. All I had ever known when it came to the girl in front of me, was an overwhelming need to protect her.

"Isabella, I don't want to hurt you, but…" I couldn't finish talking while looking at the small rod of cotton in my fingers. It didn't look that big, even when it was out of the applicator tool. To be extra sure, I re-read the instructions again and had to open another tampon.

Isabella giggled at me for a split second before the seriousness came back. "Just do it," she said through clenched teeth. Her eyes were unfocused, looking all over the room except right in front of her.

"I think you should close your eyes," I said. The less she saw, the better. Her body was shaking again by that point, making me desperate to save her any anguish.

"We can stick to the pads if you want," I added gently.

"No, I don't want to see it, or feel it." She sobbed, which was my cue.

She couldn't face it, and I'd promised to do anything to guard her against her fears. I gave her a pained smile then choked out, "Spread your legs."

...

The following days trickled by while I tried to spend as much time with Isabella as possible. It was hard with work demanding my time. There was a mountain of paperwork to catch up on, plus meetings with my men and Grandfather, neither of which could easily be done with Isabella around.

I wanted to, I didn't want to leave her side, but I didn't want her to witness any more than she had to. Grandfather agreed to me taking some time off after I was caught up with everything at the clubs, so in a few days, I would have a solid three weeks with her.

I wondered briefly how long we would have to wait to contact her dad. He had no idea yet about the raid or that we had gotten her out. He didn't even know we had found her yet; we'd kept that intel to ourselves in the event that we lost her again. All he knew was that we were searching for her. I knew Isabella was desperate, though. She was dying to see him again, to connect with him. While I worked my thoughts continued to return to him until I put in a call to Grandfather.

Which is why I ran to her room tonight when I got in. I had great news.

She could finally call her dad.

Isabella had just gotten out of the shower when I walked in.

We'd gotten over the period issue, and she was now comfortable with changing tampons on her own. It had taken a bit of work, but it turned out well. She could do it with her eyes closed, and that's all that mattered. It had been another step in the right direction. Another step forward.

"Isabella, we have a phone call to make," I said with a beaming smile.

She looked nervous which made me chuckle harder. I was so excited for this moment. I pulled her over to the bed, and she curled into me as I took out my phone. I pressed the number on speed dial, put it on speaker, and then handed the phone to her. It rang twice before he answered.

"Mr. Swan speaking." His gruff voice carried through the room. It sounded so weary.

"Daddy?" Isabella cried back a sob as her eyes connected with mine.

Her grip on my hand never wavered over the following two hours she was on the phone with her father. She was hesitant when Charles asked her questions, but in the end, she told him a few things.

I found out the first person she'd been sold to had kept her as a housemaid until the man fell ill and died. The second person she'd been sent to was harsher. That time she'd been a present for the man's son, who she was supposed to marry.

However, when the young boy refused to marry her, she was sent back again until I came for her. She started to break down on the phone to Charles when he asked about her mom, and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't let the man ask any more questions, but I didn't want to step in between them. They needed to reconnect. I stepped in, taking the phone from her shaking fingers, I tried to soothe her as I spoke.

"Charles, I'm sorry for cutting across, but I think Isabella's had enough for the moment," I settled on while holding her tightly. She was nodding her head against my chest.

"Of course, Edward. When will I get to see her?" he asked, and I looked down at her.

"As soon as possible, but we have to make sure everything is safe and planned correctly. There are some things you don't know which we have to sort out before we can get you here," I replied.

"So, is she in witness protection or something?" he asked gruffly.

How could I tell him the truth? We were just as dangerous, if not more so than where'd she come from.

"Something like that, but rest assured we're all taking good care of her," I answered with a smile toward Isabella. She gave me a small smile in return, letting me know I had been right in what I'd told Charles.

We wrapped up the call soon after, and then I spent a few minutes just holding her.

"I can't do this… I can't… it's too much… it hurts too much," she cried over and over.

"Place your hand over your heart," I said then lifted her palm to her chest.

"Do you feel that, Phoenix? You're alive for a reason, so don't give up. Not now, not after coming so far. While your heart still beats, you have to fight, you have a reason to live. So, keep fighting," I pleaded and cradled her body to me.

"Why… why did you call me that?"

**sniffs**

See you tomorrow xxx