Good evening! Thank you all so much for the love shown to Edward and Isabella.

"Phoenix?" I asked, and Isabella nodded.

"The code name for the operation to get you was 'Phoenix'. The more I looked into you and your… situation, the more I got to know you. I had your medical records, your school records, and pictures from the house you lived in with your mom. Your father gave us more information. He knows a little about us, but not much. We told him enough to gain his trust. He knows you saved my sister and that we have a lot of money. As my dad was your doctor at the time, it wasn't hard to persuade your dad to let us help.

Then I got to know you, properly. It seemed no matter how bad things got, you came back to life. Suffering at the hands of those men, watching your mom and Philip get killed, going to and from Ms. Maksimov's… each and every time you survived, just like a phoenix. You rose from the ashes to live another day," I said proudly, not caring that I was crying now. I wasn't a weak man, and the tears weren't because I was upset. I was just so damn proud of the girl in front of me.

We shared a few more tears together before she wrapped her arms around me. Why was it fair for her to comfort me? Here she lay, holding me, comforting me. When had the roles reversed?

"I'm sorry." I sniffed and moved my body away from her.

She didn't need to see this. She didn't need all this extra crazy I was bringing to her. I should be holding it together for her. I should be proving that she could lean on me, come to me.

"When I cry, you're there for me, so why can't I be there for you?" she asked sweetly.

It made me smile.

…

A few more days went by, and we'd grown closer than ever. She still preferred to stay in her room, and away from the others, but they understood.

Dad had spoken to Charles a couple more times to fill him in on all the details. Now we were just waiting for the go-ahead before we could fly him out here.

We still had to deal with all the people involved, but that would take time. While I wanted to shield her from that, Mom said it was Isabella's choice.

The police knew, of course. Something this big couldn't be hidden, and they wanted to interview her. They'd never get their hands on the people, though. No, we would finish this once and for all. Jasper called in a favor he was owed and got the interview postponed. It wouldn't be put off forever, but it would be long enough. It had been made clear, without giving anything away, that Isabella's statement would be the final nail to put a close to the case.

In my heart, I knew she had the strength to go through with the interview, but it was becoming second nature to shield her from bad things.

Emmett's arm no longer needed the sling, and so he was desperate to meet her. I was trying hard to coax her out of the bedroom. At least I now understood why Isabella liked to be on her own. She liked the peace and tranquillity of her own space. After everything she had been through, no one could say no to that.

Isabella had never been around people when growing up; she didn't have many friends at school. She'd never participated in sleepovers as a young girl. Then, when she was taken, they kept her on her own. Both times she was sold, she hadn't been allowed to talk to anyone. It was learned behavior; it was second nature to be on her own now.

Hopefully, that would change. Isabella was coming around and had finally agreed to meet the ladies first, before the men. Although she knew Dad, she was still wary of men.

When I painfully asked if there was a reason, she put my fears to rest. She'd ranted. Quite loudly, actually. Oh, she was such a sight, pacing the room, arms flailing. Going on about how "No one had ever touched her." How she was strong enough to fight them off. How she was still a virgin. I wanted to smile. See, she truly was a phoenix.

She'd fought back; Isabella came back to survive another day.

I didn't smile, though. I didn't want her to hit me.

…

We were having a sleepover. Mom, Rose, and Alice were joining us in Isabella's room tonight for a sleepover—and I had agreed to everything except the nails. I would not have my nails painted. Isabella pouted playfully, but I informed her I drew the line at pads and tampons. Emmett and Jasper had fun ripping the piss out of me for that, but Isabella was happy, so I didn't care.

The ladies came in with snacks and their girly stuff later that night. Isabella was sat on the bed, her nerves obvious while I made proper introductions.

Obviously, Isabella had already met Mom and had seen a little of Alice, but she hadn't met Rose yet. Well, not properly. It was my sincere hope that they would get on. Rose had been through so much; she would be good for Isabella. They would be good for each other, in fact.

To ease themselves into Isabella's life a bit more, the girls brought her a present each. Another DVD of those damn puppets. Isabella couldn't hold back her smile when Rose put it on. The excitement in her eyes told me everything I needed to know, she was beginning to trust us all. Isabella was healing, even if it were a slow process.

We spent the night watching the DVDs and eating more crap food while the ladies did their nails and hair. Isabella fussed over the attention she was getting, but I found it funny. Especially since none of them knew she chewed her nails when she was nervous. Alice wasn't happy when, after she'd just finished painting them, Isabella started to attack them with her teeth.

With a smile, I sat back and watched the scene play out in front of me. Isabella had accepted them into her peaceful place. She was opening up to them. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes.

We're just a few days away from the end of this little story now. It's gone so quick! It's been a heavy story, so I think I'll be posting something with humour for the next one. I just haven't decided which one to do! Lol