Hi, Guys! I'M BACK! I know, I know, it's been a while. It was the middle of the semester for me and it was rough. But, I was finally able to sit down and give you guys a new chapter, I'm very excited about this and hope you all enjoy it.

Last we left Bella and Edward, they were finally leaving the hospital and Isaac and Bella were coming to live with Edward. Let's see how the first night goes...


Chapter 8 (Bella)

What has become of my life?

From being in an abusive relationship to running away with my son. To being in a car accident while trying to run away. To now living with a complete stranger.

How did I get to this point?

This was not the plan I had for myself. Growing up, I always wanted what everyone else had; An education, a career, someone to love, a family to care for. That's all I ever wanted and when I met James, I thought I had found it. I was in my second year at Seattle U when I met James. College was always an expectation from my parents, probably because neither of them was given the opportunity to go themselves. Charlie and Renee had gotten married the actual day after their high school graduation, due to my mom being nine weeks pregnant with me. Although my parents' marriage may have been based on an unplanned pregnancy, they did love each other and me, immensely, and had a great life together. Mom was a daycare teacher at one of the centers and dad was the chief of police of our town, Forks. Even though my parents loved their lives, they wanted more for their only child and stressed how important schooling was for me.

So, after high school, I went to Seattle University, studying to become a registered nurse. I had aspirations of becoming a pediatric nurse and someday working at Children's Hospital. One night, during my sophomore year, I was tagging along with some friends to a fraternity party when I noticed a ruggedly, handsome frat boy making eyes at me from a distance. He winked at me and I blushed with a shy smile. He then walked over to me, handed me a cup of beer, and introduced himself.

"Hi there, I'm James. Who might you be, beautiful?"

"Bella," I told him and the rest, as they say, is history.

It wasn't long after we met that James and I started dating. He was so sweet back then; He would call me after every class to ask me how it went. He would leave little post-it messages on the door of my dorm room and would send me flowers every now and again. He truly made me feel so loved and appreciated. Just a few months after dating, I brought James home for Thanksgiving and he really seemed to hit it off with my parents. He bonded with my dad over outdoor activities and football and charmed my mom with a bountiful of compliments on her looks, her cooking, her decorating styles, and raising such an incredible daughter. At the end of our visit, my parents were more in love with him than I was and by the time I graduated from college with my degree in nursing, I was sure this was the man for me. James proposed just five months after I graduated and we were married less than a year later. I remember thinking I had finally found my happy ending.

If I only knew then what I know now. How quick my life went from that to being in a witness-protection program type situation.

After the accident, I thought for sure this was the end. James would find me, take Isaac and my life would be over. I was so lucky and thankful to be found by a group of amazing people, who had basically broken the law and jeopardized their careers to protect me and my son. Even if I lived a hundred lives, I would never be able to repay their generosity and selflessness.

However, despite my gratefulness, I can't help but feel a sense of uneasiness about my current situation. I was so terrified of being found by my abusive, psycho of an ex-husband that I accept the invitation to move in with a person I have known for barely a week. I knew the option of staying in one of the shelters or a hotel that Leah suggested was a possibility, but given the level security and safety of the two, I knew staying with Edward was the best decision for me and Isaac. Although Edward was a very kind and warm-hearted person and he and Isaac got along extremely well, I couldn't help but have my reservations about him. I just got out of an eleven-year relationship with someone I thought to be a good man as well...and we all know how that turned out. So, despite my willingness to take Edward's offer, I was not quite ready to trust him completely.

Still, I was more than happy to pay him back for his kindness in any way I could. I also would make it a point that Isaac and mine's intrusion on his life would not be for very long, just until I could secure a job and place for us.

How to go about that though, I was not sure of yet.

Thanks to my own paranoia and fear, I had lost everything in that accident that could help me. I couldn't get a hold of the money I had taken with me because it was currently in an evidence locker at the police station. I could try to gain access to it but in order to do so, I'd need some form of identification, which was also at the station as well. Even if I did have my information on me, if I used it, it would be all too easy for James to find me. According to Leah, no one had heard from him in a few days, so God only knows where he could be right now. I'd hope he would had gone back to Ohio, but I know James too well to believe that. He would not so effortlessly admit defeat and run off. He may not love his family, but he would still want us back because, in his own, twisted mind, we were his. James believed we were his property and that we belonged to him, given him power and authority over us; Which is what he really loved the most. I knew he would not give up so soon and he was probably still in Chicago looking for us, so every step and decision I made had to be thoughtfully laid out if I had any hopes of avoiding him.

Which made finding a job all the more difficult and almost impossible.

There was all this uncertainty and problems that needed to be addressed soon, and I couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed by the stress of it all. Which I assume did not escape Edward's notice as I heard his voice speak up halfway through the drive.

"Hey," he said, pulling me from my own thoughts. His voice was so gentle and smooth.

I turned my gaze to him from the passenger window, giving him my attention.

"What are you thinking about over there?" he asked.

"Nothing," I answered. The man was already doing so much for us, I didn't want to bother him with my own worries.

"Come on, Bella," He said, not buying it for a second. "You're only a few inches from me, but your eyes look like they're a million miles away."

I looked down at my hands which were cupped together in my lap and we both sat in silence for a minute. Even though he continued to drive, I could feel Edward's gaze never leave my face.

"Bella?" he asked again.

I knew I had to answer him this time. Looking up at him, I answered, "Just thinking about everything, that's all. Nothing important. Don't worry about it."

I then looked down at my hands again. This time, however, I saw one of Edward's hands reach for mine and taking it gently in his grasp, causing me to look up at him.

"It's going to be okay, Bella," he told me.

His voice was so kind and reassuring as his thumb grazed across my four fingers. I couldn't explain why, but there was something about this man's voice and his caring touch, that made me believe him and suddenly I found myself less worried than I was before.

We continued driving for another five minutes or so, Edward's hand never letting go of mine, until we turned into a cul-de-sac neighborhood and pulled up to a two-story townhouse.

Edward turned off the engine, looking out at the house before speaking.

"We're here," he said. I looked over into the backseat to see Isaac fast asleep, nestled in the car seat. I don't blame him. It had been a tiring couple of days. Edward went ahead and grabbed our bag as I carried a still sleeping Isaac in my arms. We walked up to the small house and made our way to the front porch. It was cute and simple and the perfect place for me and Isaac right now.

Edward had barely gotten through the front door when we heard a loud bark and fast paws approaching which scared the hell out of me. Up came a large German Shepard running to the front hall to greet us. The dog immediately jumped to Edward, who rewarded the canine with a gentle pat on the head.

"Hey, girl. How you doin?" He greeted her as she dropped down from Edward and then made her way over to Isaac and I. Taking a step back from the dog, not sure how she would respond to us, Edward took notice.

"Don't worry. That's just Maggie," He assured, putting down our bag and removing his shoes.

Maggie seemed very sweet and interested in who these new people were, then became fascinated by the bundle in my arms and tried to jump on me to get a closer look, causing me to almost lose my balance.

"No Maggie. Down," Edward reproached her. Grabbing the back of her collar and pulling her off of me. "Sorry, she just really loves meeting new people," He then pulled the dog back a few feet so I could reenter the house. The excitement from Maggie had caused me to jostle Isaac a bit, which woke him up. He lifted his head from my shoulder and observed his new surroundings when his eyes met the deep brown ones of the German Shepard sitting on the floor currently.

"Doggie!" Isaac exclaimed. "Momma, look doggie!" He pointed at Maggie, causing a new round of excitement in her.

"Yes, yes. I see the doggie, Isaac." I told him.

"Doggie, big," He told me.

"Yes, she is big Isaac," I agreed.

"This is my dog, Isaac," Edward explained. "Her name is Maggie."

"I pet?" Isaac asked.

"Uh…." I stammered. "Is that alright, Edward?"

"Sure. Maggie loves children. She's very popular with some of the kids in the neighborhood."

With Edward's consent, I placed Isaac on the floor in front of Maggie. Taking his little hand, I brought it towards Maggie's nose.

"Let her smell you first, so she knows you're nice," I explained to Isaac.

"But I cean. No stink," Isaac told us. Edward and I both gave a slight snicker at my son's comment.

Maggie then leaned into to get Isaac's scent, and not long after, licked the boy's hand. Isaac giggled at the feeling and approached the dog, petting her brown and black fur. Maggie gave a quick lick of Isaac's face, which resulted in another laugh.

"She likes him," Edward concluded.

"He likes her too," I told replied.

"Doggie nice," Isaac said.

"She is very nice," Edward said. "Why don't you guys follow me upstairs and I'll show where you'll be staying," He suggested.

I nodded and then collected Isaac back in my arms while we made our way up the stairs. When we got to the top, I noticed one door at one end of the hallway and three doors at the other.

"This is my room," Edward pointed to the other door. We then walked towards the other end. There was one door one on the left, one on the right, and one door in front of us.

"This is the bathroom," Edward said, placing his hand on the door of the right. "Right here is the linen closet. So if you guys need washcloths and towels, they're in here," he pointed to the door in front.

Edward then stood in front of the left side door and grabbed the knob, "And this will be your guys' room." He then opened the door.

The room was big, certainly big enough for the two of us. The walls were painted white and there was a bare full-sized bed placed against the side of one of the walls. The room illuminated with the moonlight coming in from the window on the far side and on the other end was a closet door.

It was perfect.

"I hope it'll do," Edward said, optimistically. I turned to face him, as my attention had been on the room itself and gave him a cheerful smile. "I'm sorry, I don't have a crib or something for Isaac. I can swing by the store tomorrow or order one by amazon-" He began to say.

But, I wasn't about to have him spend any unnecessary money on me or Isaac. I placed my hand on top of his to stop his rambling.

"It's wonderful Edward. Thank you." I said graciously, making it clear Isaac and would be fine.

I could never thank this man enough.

"My pleasure, Bella." He said the look of ease settling into his features. Putting the backpack he had carried up onto the bed, Edward then went into the room's closet and pulled out what looked to be bed linen and sheets from the top shelf. Then grabbed a few pillows down as well and placed it all on top of the bed. I could see him try and start putting the bed together when I had to intervene.

"No, Edward. I can do it." I told him, reaching for his arm.

"I don't mind, Bella," He reassured me.

"Well, I mind," I told him. "Please you've already done enough."

Edward took a pause and then put down the fitted sheet he had been holding. "Alright," he agreed. "Let me show you guys the rest of the house."

I nodded in agreement as I readjusted Isaac in my arms. We exited the guestroom and walked back down the stairs. We made our way through the entry hallway and entered the kitchen. It was spacious enough. The stove connected to the right side of the countertops, with the microwave above it. The counter flowed along the edges of the room which turned into a breakfast bar along the left side of the kitchen. The sink sat equally between the two ends of the counter and the cabinets placed evenly above them. The fridge was on the other side of the kitchen next to a doorway.

"So, as you can guess, this is the kitchen," Edward explained. "Through that doorway there, is the dining room. But, since I don't really entertain all that frequently, I mainly use it for storage. I mean, I have a table in there, I just hardly eat in there ."

"So why have the table?" I asked him.

"My mother believes every house should have a family table. Even if it's a family of one," He said light-heartedly.

This was the first time I had ever heard Edward bring up anyone in his family. Which I realized was odd. This man knew all my dirty secrets and personal issues, and I didn't know one thing about him, other than his work as a paramedic. What's worse is I never even thought to ask him about it because I was too busy thinking about my own problems.

Man, did I feel like a selfish bitch right now.

"Over here is the living room," Edward addressed, bring me out of my thoughts. Beyond the kitchen island was a small sitting room. There was a large, grey lawson couch placed at one end of the room, pointing in the direction of a large plasma screen mounted on the wall against the parallel wall. On both sides of the sofa were two grey lounge chairs with a two shelved wooden coffee table. Underneath the television was an electric brick fireplace. The room seemed so cozy and not at all how I pictured.

"The door here leads out into the backyard," Edward explained as he led us outside. The door led us onto a small back patio that took up a small portion of the yard. The yard was fenced off, but still had enough room to run around in. I knew Isaac would enjoy running around back here. There was even a large elm tree in the back yard, along with a dog house, I assumed was Maggie's. On the patio was a picnic table, along with a metal fire pit and a barbeque.

As we re-entered the house, Edward continued with the tour. "So that's basically it. The garage is through that door there," he pointed to the door adjacent from the kitchen. "I have my washer and dryer in there as well. Then there is a small bathroom which is the door next to the kitchen when you enter. So what do you think?" he asked me.

I looked around, absorbing all around me. "Not at all what I thought," I said softly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Just that, when you said you lived alone, I was picturing more of…." I trailed off.

"Bachelor pad," Edward finished. "You were expecting a foosball or air-hockey table with beer cans and dirty socks all over the place?"

"No," I answered, "Not the beer cans anyway."

"Not the beer cans," Edward mimicked in a soft chuckle, probably intended to himself.

"Eat, mommy, eat," Isaac interjected, explaining that he was hungry. Edward then turned towards the kitchen.

"Unfortunately I don't have much as far as food. Unless you like cereal and sandwiches," He explained.

"Don't worry about it Edward," I told him. "I'm sure we can find something."

"Okay. Well if you guys don't mind, I am in desperate need of a shower. So, help yourself to anything you would like and I'll be back down shortly." He announced.

"Alright, Edward. And thank you so much again." I called out as he left the room. Suddenly, though, he stopped and turned back towards me. He walked straight up to me and placed his hand against mine, looking me directly in the eye.

"Bella," he addressed me. "Stop thanking me. I wanted to do this and I am more than happy that you and Isaac are both here."

"Well, I am thankful nonetheless," I told him. "And again, don't worry. We won't be here that long. Just a few months tops." I assured.

"Don't even concern yourself with that right now," he said. "Just focus on taking care of yourself and your son." His eyes offered so much warmth and comfort and support, I found them to be almost hypnotic. The smile he offered me was just the same and I couldn't help but feel happier about my decision to stay with Edward. I watch him as left the room and walked up the stairs as if I was lost in a trance.

"Mommy, eat," Isaac said, reminding me of what I was supposed to be doing.

I took a quick look around the kitchen and Edward was right, he was very scarce on food. His fridge only had a quart of milk, some orange juice, and some sliced cheese. Lucky for me, I was able to find a box of Cheerios in one of the cabinets. After some searching, I also found a bowl to put it in. I know it wasn't much of a meal, but I knew it would be enough to sustain Isaac for the time being. Once he was done with his snack, I picked Isaac up and noticed he was wet, so I took him up to the guestroom to be changed. As I entered the room, I saw that the bed, which had been bare the last time I was in here had been fitted and made with a navy blue comforter laying over it and our backpack lying gently on top.

Oh, that man. I thought.

I laid Isaac on top of the bed and was about to give him a fresh diaper when it occurred to me that it had been a few days since he had a proper bath. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I made my way into the hallway and grabbed a towel and washrag from the linen closet.

"Okay, baby," I said to him as I walked back into the room. "I think it's time for a certain boy to have a bath."

"Baf time!" Isaac exclaimed. When most kids hear it's time for a bath, they will run in the opposite direction but, my Isaac loves them. He says he likes the smell of the soap and being able to play with the bubbles. Leah was able to secure me with a few essentials she felt I would need after I left the hospital, including a few small bottles of shampoo. I was in the process of digging them out of the backpack when I noticed Isaac take off out of the room in nothing but his diaper.

"Isaac wait up, bud!" I called out to him. By the time I had gotten out into the hallway, he was already at the bathroom door and was in the turning the knob to open.

"Isaac, don't!" I warned but he had already opened the door, and inside the bathroom stood Edward.

Wet and naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Isaac, what up dude?" Edward asked, surprised.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I told him he was going to take a bath." I explained, trying so hard not to ogle at the current sight in front of me. I quickly closed the door before he could respond.

"I'll be out in a minute," Edward called through the door.

"Okay," I said going back to wait in the room. I felt so unbelievably embarrassed. Not just for Isaac walking in on Edward in the bathroom, but also how it made me feel to see Edward in the bathroom.

Of course, I wasn't oblivious to how attractive Edward was. On top of his kind and helpful nature, he also had incredible green eyes and mass of bronze hair that you couldn't help but feel tempted to touch. Not to mention a jaw that you could cut your finger on. Of course, the man was good looking.

But I refuse to think like that. I had just left one bad relationship and I was certainly in no frame of mind to try and get into a new one. Although Edward was quite handsome, I couldn't allow myself to become attracted to him.

But, now that I've seen him almost completely naked, all I could think about is his lean, trimmed body. With tight biceps and his six-pack abs as droplets of water rolled down each of them.

"Oh, God!" I groan as I throw myself back onto the bed in frustration.

I'm am so screwed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rescue Me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(EPOV)

It had been a couple of days since Bella and Isaac moved in and aside from the bathroom situation the first night, things were going great. Since I had the first couple of days off after bringing Bella home, we were able to start work on a system for Isaac so he could become comfortable here. The first day after they came, Bella sent me to the store for groceries. She would have come along with me, but she was still too scared to go out in public just yet. she wanted to cook for me but said there was only so much she could do with bread, peanut butter, and cheerios. I tried to explain to her it was not necessary to do that, but it was next to impossible to argue with Bella when she was truly serious about something.

"You eat like a child," she told me after looking through my cabinets and finding only chips, granola bars, and some Little Debbie snack cakes.

And she was right. I was not one to stand in front of a stove actually cook something unless it was a grilled cheese. I lived mostly on snack foods and takeout. Honestly, the only time I ate homecooked meals was when I went to my parents' for dinner.

The thought of my parents, I was suddenly hit with a pang of guilt. I hadn't gone to their house for Sunday dinner like I usually do. I hadn't even called to tell them I wasn't coming. I haven't spoken to either of my parents since I decided to invite Bella and Isaac to come to live with me. I was too afraid to. I was afraid of how they would react if I told them.

Would they be angry? Disappointed? Would they ask if we were together?

These were questions I was not ready to know the answers to, nor was I ready to answer any questions they had for me. I knew I would have to tell them eventually, but for now, I was just trying to get Bella and Isaac settled in.

For the most part, they both seemed to be adjusting well. Isaac loved playing with Maggie in the backyard and "helping" Bella cook in the kitchen and by helping, I mean handing her a spoon if she asked. While I was out shopping for Bella on the first day, I was also able to pick up a few toys for Isaac, despite Bella's objection to offer. He loved playing with the toy airplane and firetruck I got for him. He was also getting some use out of the coloring book and crayons I had gotten as well.

Bella was adjusting quite nicely too. At least, I thought she was. Most of her time was split between cooking or cleaning or playing with Isaac. I tried to explain to her she didn't have to do any of this, I didn't bring her to my house to become a maid. Not that I hated her cooking dinner; Her chicken piccata the other night was fantastic. When I tried to get her to just sit down and relax, she would try to find some other chore to do, play with Isaac or take Maggie on a walk.

This woman could never just sit down.

Overall, I think everything was going relatively well. Today was my first day back at work and I was a little apprehensive about leaving Isaac and Bella alone. James was still out there and I didn't know if or when he would reappear. I took extra precautions and put double locks on all three entries into the house. I already had an alarm system installed in the house and made sure Bella knew the passcode and how to arm and disarm it if she needed to. I was also considering putting a camera at the front door and connecting the feed to my phone so I could see who was at the door with they knocked.

Bella tried to reassure me that everything was going to be fine and all of this was just overkill. But I could see the tinge of fear in her eyes and I could tell she was just as nervous as being left alone as I was leaving her alone. All the same, I made sure my cell was the first number on speed dial and Bella knew to lock the door behind me after I left. Also, Maggie was a great watchdog, I trained her well and if there was any sense of danger near, she would automatically go into protective mode. Despite the protection and security in the house, I was still a nervous wreck when I walked out of the house. But, I just had to believe they would be okay.

I don't know what I would do if they weren't.

I walked into work that Monday morning and it was a pretty slow day. I got called out a few times on calls, but nothing too serious; A little girl had fallen out of a tree and fractured her leg and another kid had taken too many pills and needed to get transferred to the emergency room. Jasper, Emmett, and I were able to talk some during lunch. Jasper and I exchanged a few text messages over the past couple of days, but this is the first time I was able to talk to Emmett in four days, which was so weird for me. But, we were able to catch up, he even asked me about Isaac and Bella. The rest of the day continued on normally and I was able to leave around six that evening.

When I got home, my nose was suddenly filled with the scent of something that smelled like Italian.

"Bella?" I called out as I shut the door behind me.

"In here," She replied from the kitchen. I walked in and found her standing by the stove stirring something in a pot while Isaac was sitting on the floor nearby color a picture and eating a bowl of cheerios, his current favorite snack, and sharing some with Maggie who was lying next to him.

I had to take a step back and compose myself. To an outsider's perceptive this would look like a guy coming home to his wife and kid. Not a friend who is currently sharing a home with another friend and her child. I can't deny, however, the enjoyment I felt of the idea. In the last couple of days, I found myself staring more and more deeply at Bella, memorizing all of her affects and features. Like how she bites the corner of her bottom lip while trying to scrub a stubborn dish. How she moans a little when tasting her food. The way her nose she scrunches a little when she's laughing at something Isaac has done or said. And how she presses the laundry to her nose when she first pulls it out of the dryer.

I couldn't help it. I was fascinated by Bella. But despite my infatuation, I knew that's not what Bella needed from me. She needed a friend, not some guy drooling all over her. So I tried to control myself to be the guy Bella needed me to be.

After dinner and the dishes were washed, the three of us just sat in the living room watching some Disney film for Isaac. We were halfway through the movie when there was a sudden bang on the door.

Bella and I both jumped up in surprise.

"I wonder who that could be at this time?" Bella wondered.

"I don't know" I answered.

The banging had stopped for a moment, but then continued more furiously and suddenly Bella and I got a look of panic in our eyes.

What if it was James?


DON'T BE MAD! I promise I will update as soon as I can. But, let me know your thoughts on this chapter. What did you think of Bella's POV? Would you want me to add more?

I love seeing your guys' thoughts and opinions on my story, it is seriously such a joy to read. I also want to thank you guys for all your support and love, as well as your patients on me while I continue to add to this story. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see ya in the next one!