Bella stood in the doorway with her mouth slightly agape. It was him! He'd traded his pirate costume for a teddy bear hospital gown but he was still unmistakably Edward. The same guy who'd risen from his coffin and haunted her dreams. This was bad. Very bad.

"Or maybe," said a voice deep inside Bella's mind. "This is very good."

Unlike Bella, Carlisle seemed to have no qualms about the boy lying in the bed.

"Edward, son, can you hear me?" Carlisle asked, gentle touching Edward's arm.

With great effort, Edward turned his head to the side. "Dr. Ccullen 's that you?"

"Yes, it's me," Carlisle said, inspecting the IV bag attached to Edward's arm. While it appeared to contain nothing more nefarious than saline, Edward's sluggish movements suggested that hadn't always been the case.

"You came back, thought she got you too," Edward said.

Bella's heart skipped a beat. Despite the slight slur, Edward's velvety voice was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. It was like a warm summer breeze and a hug rolled into one. How had she gone all her life without hearing that wonderful sound? Bella stepped forward to introduce herself when her phone vibrated snapping her out of Edward's spell. What was she thinking? She'd read the Odyssey. She couldn't let herself be led into a trap by a beautiful voice.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked Edward. "Can you open your eyes?"

Edward's eyelids puckered and stretched but did not open. Bella winced at the sight of his swollen eyes. What had they been using to force them open, sandpaper?

Bella dared to take a tiny step closer. Edward was fully immobilized. Taking a closer look couldn't hurt. It was then she noticed a streak of red on his forearm. The room started to spin. She'd already seen more than enough bloodshed in her 16 long years on earth. She silently pointed it out to Carlisle with a shaky finger.

Carlisle's eyes darkened. "Edward, does your wrist hurt?"

Edward started breathing like he'd run a marathon."No."

That was a lie. Edward's wrists and ankles were red and blistered. It must have taken him longer than most to learn that struggling in restraints only made things worse.

Carlisle was about to free Edward's wrist when the heart rate monitor chirped.

"Edward? Are you alright?' Carlisle said, taking his hands off Edward's arm.

Edward was far from alright. His heart rate had jumped from slow and steady to racing.

"Are you alright?' Carlisle repeated. "Talk to me. Did I hurt your wrist?"

Had Carlisle looked over his shoulder, he would have noticed Edward wasn't the only one in distress. Bella was shaking like a leaf and wondering who cranked up the heat. She'd seen enough episodes of Grey's Anatomy to know things were about to go belly up. She'd faint and Edward would have a heart attack. Carlisle would have to decide which child to save and which to condemn to death. Why did they have to put Edward in room zero? Couldn't they have put him in room six, the one with knights and dragons on the walls?

"I have the discharge paperwork but I strongly suggest you reconsider." Nurse Victoria said. "Dr. James and I think it would be best to keep him here."

Bella nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd been too preoccupied with keeping herself upright to hear Nurse Victoria sneak up behind her. Emmett was right, that woman was half ninja.

"That won't be necessary," Carlisle said, reaching for the papers.

Nurse Victoria held the discharge papers close to her chest. "I'll give you a few minutes to decide."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and left the room taking Edward's ticket to freedom with her. Bella steadied herself on the corner of Edward's bed. Her fingers grazed the top of his head. Edward's heart rate slowed and settled back into a normal rhythm. Whatever was wrong seemed to have passed and suddenly as it came on.

Carlisle glanced over at the monitor. His jaw tightened.

"Isabella, would you mind staying here with Edward?" He asked with fire in his eyes. " I need to have a word with nurse Victoria."

While it was phrased like a question, Bella knew by the use of her full name it wasn't up for debate. While Carlisle had only known Edward for a few hours, that didn't make him any less a part of the Cullen family. No one, be it a teacher, social worker, or nurse, hurt one of Carlisle's children and got away with it. Without waiting for a reply, Carlisle charged out of the room like an angry bull. Nurse Victoria had no idea what she was in for.

Bella took one last look at Edward and raced after Carlisle. It wasn't like her to openly defy her foster father. She always did anything he asked of her. She washed the dishes, cooked dinner, and tutored Emmett without complaint. Staying with Edward seemed much less complicated than cooking dinner for five but Bella couldn't do it. Why couldn't Carlisle see asking her to stay in that dreary room was asking far too much?

Unfortunately for Bella, escape wasn't in the cards. She was just two steps from the door when she tripped over her shoelaces. Alice was right, she should have replaced those ratty old Vans years ago. Bella scrambled to her feet but it was too late. The door slammed shut and the lock engaged. Bella tugged on the locked handle. No! No! No! This couldn't be happening to her. Not again. Bella sank to her knees as the memories of those horrific days came pouring back.

The darkness had nearly taken over when Bella heard something rustle behind her. It was Edward who she'd somehow managed to forget about during her desperate attempt to escape. He was flexing his wrists and wiggling his ankles. Hadn't he figured out by now that wouldn't do him any good?

Spots of crimson stain the white sheets.

"Stop struggling! You'll only make things worse!"

She was already in hell. How could things get any worse?

Bella tucked her head between her knees and started hyperventilating. Where was Carlisle? Why hadn't he come back yet? Had Nurse Victoria convinced him both teenagers needed an extended stay in room zero?

Edward froze. "Isabella? Are you there?"

Bright light. Too bright.

"Bella? Can you hear me? Open your eyes!"

Maybe later. Sleep now.

"Stay with me, Bella. Open your eyes!"

"Isabella, are you there?" Edward repeated.

Despite the fact Edward couldn't see her, Bella nodded.

"I know you're there." Edward raised his head. "I can hear you breathing."

"Come on, Bella. Breathe."

It hurts so much. Why can't she just go back to sleep?

"Isabella, listen to me, we have to get out of here." Edward hissed. "Now! Before it's too late!"

"We have to get her out of here!"

"It's too late!"

"No! It's not too late until I say it's too late!"

Bella whimpered. The walls were closing in on her and the lines in the tile were wiggling like snakes. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. This wasn't death but it certainly felt like it.

Edward raised his voice. "We don't have much time!"

"How long has she been down for?"

"Hurry! We don't have much time!"

Edward stopped struggling. "Isabella, are you alright?"

Bella! Are you okay? Where's Charlie?

"Isabella, listen to me, it's okay to be afraid. I'm afraid too." Edward paused. "But we can't let our fears control us."

Control yourself or we'll have to strap you to the bed!"

"Isabella, please. We have to get out of here." Edward said.

"Let me out of here! Please!"

"The witch will be back soon!" Edward frantically wiggled the arm with the IV attached to it. "She has potions, potions that put fire in your arms and make you sleep!"

"Stop moving!"

"No! I have to get out of here!"

"Push Haloperidol!"

"Isabella, please. You have to help me. " Edward cried. "My true love, she's been taken. I have to find her before it's too late!"

"Help me, please! I have to find my Dad!

Tears clouded Bella's vision. He needed her and she let him down. She should have fought harder to escape. Things would have turned out differently.

"Isabella, please. You have to help me find her." Edward begged. "Her kiss saved me. Now I have to save her."

"You have to help my dad! He's hurt!"

" I...I, " Edward's voice cracked. "I cannot lose her too!"

"I'm so sorry, Isabella. He's gone."

"No! He can't be gone. I can't lose him too!"

"It's okay, Isabella," Edward said. "Come here."

"It's okay, Bella. We're here now."

Unable to stand, Bella inched along the floor towards Edward's bed.

"That's right, come here." Edward cooed.

Bella looked up at Edward. She was close enough to see his teeth. His perfectly normal, human teeth.

"Take my hand," Edward whispered. "It's going to be okay."

"Squeeze my hand, Bella. It's going to be okay."

Bella reached up and took Edward's hand in hers. It was like stepping into a warm bath on a cold winter night. Edward shivered. Did he feel it too?

Edward squeezed Bella's hand. "Will you release me from these bonds?"

"Let her go!"

"We can't"

"She's only a child!"

"It's for her own safety!"

Bella tore her eyes away from Edward's perfect face. She could hear the click of high heels coming down the hallway. They had just seconds before Nurse Victoria came back. Would Carlisle be with her?

Edward's heart rate monitor chirped. He squeezed her hand, harder this time. Enough to convey a sense of urgency.

"Isabella, please!"

"Please don't leave me here!

Bella took a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. She didn't know who Edward was or how he'd end up in the coffin. She known him for less than a day, yet something deep inside recognized him as a kindred spirit, someone who'd also overcome great loss and adversity. She couldn't leave him tied up in such an awful, dark place.

What if Carlisle had taken one look at her bloody wrists and walked away? No one would have blamed him. Who in their right mind would willingly invite a knobby-kneed, frizzy-haired, liar of an orphan into their home? She'd be forever grateful to Carlisle for taking a chance on her. It was time for her to pay it forward by taking a chance on Edward.

Bella stood up and undid the straps on Edward's wrists.

Edward flexed his wrists and sighed in relief. "Your bravery will be rewarded with untold riches!"

Bella chuckled. She'd been called a lot of things in the past, klutzy, nerdy, crazy, but brave? Never.

Bella hesitated when she got to the last strap. Was she making the right decision or once again allowing the past to ruin her future? The clicking grew louder. Nurse Victoria was right outside the door. It was now or never if they were going to escape.

"Hurry!" Edward cried. "She's almost here!"

Bella released Edward's leg. He tried to get up only to be stopped by Bella's ironclad grip on his ankle.

"Isabella, let me go," Edward snapped. "I need to get out of here!"

Bella tightened her grip. "Edward, listen to me. I'm going to let you go but you need to do something for me."

Edward tensed up. "I'll give you anything you want, gold, land, a title. Name it and it is yours. All you have to do is get me out of here."

Bella didn't need Edward's money. Her weekly allowance was more than many people made in a month. She didn't want land either. She'd much rather spend the day curled up with a good book than tending to animals and harvesting crops. As for a title, that was a definite no. People already gave her a hard time for being a klutz with the last name Swan. Adding 'lady' or 'princess' to her name was just asking for trouble. What she wanted was an agreement that would make both their lives easier.

"I need you to stop telling people you're prince Edward," Bella said.

"Why should I lie about my identity?" Edward asked.

"You have to stop telling people what happened in the woods"

"Why?"

Trust me, they're never going to believe you.

"I'll find proof!"

You'll never find enough proof for them to believe you."

Bella sighed. "Do you want to stay here forever?"

Edward rubbed his sore wrist. "No."

"Do you want to stay here forever, caged like an animal?

"No."

"Then lie. Tell them what they want to hear. It's the only way."

The clicking stopped. Nurse Victoria was right outside the door.

"You have to tell them your name is Edward Prince. You don't remember your family, who put you in that coffin, or anything about your life before yesterday."

"No," Edward said firmly. "What good is a prince whose word cannot be trusted?"

"It's your choice." Bella took a few steps away from the bed. "Tell the truth and be held captive forever or lie and go free."

Edward paused to consider his options. "Very well. I shall be Edward Prince. My beloved will still know me by another name."

Bella winced. How was she going to tell him his "beloved" was a pathetic orphan who kissed him on a dare?