IMPORTANT A/N

I am a 20-year-old Pre-Nursing student, going to school full-time, and working three part-time jobs on the side. I'm sorry that I suck at updating, but education is important, therefore I have to go to college. College is expensive, therefore I have to go to work. Work takes up much of my time, therefore… you get the point. As much as I love writing, more important things hold my attention at the moment. I appreciate the constructive criticism, the positive and negative feedback, ALL reviews, ALL favorites, and ALL follows. Stick with me, please. I have much planned for this story.

Love you all!

Izobella

CHAPTER 6

EPOV

I stare at the rising sun quietly once Carlisle is finished speaking. After a long moment of silence, I shrug noncommittally and nudge the dead buck with my foot. Carlisle growls, annoyed by my evasive reply.

"Edward," he chastises my silence. "You're a member of this family, too, and I expect to hear everyone's opinion on this matter before I decide. You must answer me, son." I huff and throw my hands up in frustration.

"What do you want me to say, Carlisle? You know what I'll say. You know that I think it's stupid to take in a human. And to take in one expecting another? That is absolutely reckless; idiotic!" I turn toward him, and watch as his eyes dart across my face. A look of deep contemplation graces his stony features, but his thoughts still read through poems by Robert Frost. As he starts over - this time spelling out every word - I scoff, turn, and run.

My feet barely graze the ground as I sprint across the forest floor, snarling at the greenery that I pass. The small woodland creatures scurry away long after my passing them, and I roll my eyes at their poor speed.

Almost a mile away from him, I hear Carlisle's thoughts snap, Edward! and my mind floods with brown curls and deep chocolate eyes.

My breath leaves me in a loud huff and I freeze. A surprised snarl sounds from beside me, and I turn to stare vacantly at a mountain lion. It crouches, circling me as it continues to growl. Its warmth reaches me just before it pounces, claws catching the fabric on my chest. The soft cotton gives way, splitting down to my abdomen, while my skin stays unharmed.

But my thoughts are focused on creamy, soft skin and light circles under feathery lashes. My eyes slide shut as the wild cat lunges at me again, its teeth clenching around my thigh. I kick my leg out, ignoring the anguished roar and snap that I hear.

I mentally search her familiar face, drawn to the small scar directly under her bottom lip. My lips curl up at the corners, remembering how she received that scar.

I smiled wide as I listened to her loud giggles. She soared through the air like a butterfly, flapping her wings unnecessarily. And when she got close enough, I stood on my tiptoes and caught her blithe little body, cradling her in my arms.

"Again!" She squealed, kicking her feet. I laughed and looked into her chocolate eyes nodding my head. She yipped in excitement and shifted in my arms so that her belly was laying across my arms. I smirked at her, gripping one arm and one leg. I slowly began to spin.

"Ready?" I asked, spinning a little faster. Her brunette curls bounced as she nodded, and I spun even faster. And when I was spinning as fast as I could, I let her go.

Her arms started flapping again immediately, and I chortled happily as she flew above the meadow, giggling. I was across the field in a moment, catching her easily when she came falling down toward me, coughing and sputtering in disgust. I frowned curiously, watching as she struggled out of my arms and onto the ground, spitting and wiping her tongue with her fingers.

"I got a bug in my mouf again, Edwood." I attempted to hide my smile as she glared at the sky, looking around as if she could see the bug flying away from her. "Nasty!" She declared, spitting once more through her missing front tooth. This time I couldn't help but laugh at her, only stopping when she turned to glare at me, her hands on her hips. "Why you laughin'? S'not nice, Edwood." I shifted my stance to look defeated as I solemnly nodded my head, looking down at the flowers and shuffling my feet.

"I'm sorry, Princess." I mumbled pitifully. Too fast for her little brain to comprehend, I pulled a daisy from the ground and was kneeling before her, holding out my peace offering. "Can you ever forgive me, your highness?" Her smile was wide and bright, but it faded quickly. She lifted her head, pursing her lips humbly while her tiny index finger gently tapped her chin. Her eyes found the sky, and eventually, she huffed, placing her hands back on her hips. She stared at me a moment before she spoke.

"No more laughin' at me?" She asked with her eyebrows raised. I nodded quickly, crossing my finger over my chest as a promise. Her smile was instant, and her small hand quickly tugged the daisy from mine. She shoved the flower to her nose, but squinted her eyes shut as she sneezed almost immediately.

I almost broke my promise.

She huffed after her unexpected sneeze, and then started to ramble on about her day at school. Apparently, Michael stole her candy bar again, but her teacher simply told her to tell Mike that he had hurt her feelings.

Forks Elementary School was trying to implement new rules that allowed children to create conflict resolution skills. According to my little love, it wasn't working, because Mike was still stealing her candy.

I listened with rapt attention, nodding, gasping, and ooing at all the right moments. I smiled as she used grand hand gestures at the wrong moments, and grimaced in amusement when she talked so quickly that spit began to collect at the corner of her mouth. I leaned forward, covering my thumb with the hem of my shirt to wipe at her mouth. That didn't stop her from complaining about Michael though, not even when I intentionally muffled her words with the cloth for my own amusement.

When I was done cleaning up her mouth, she began to stand, walking away from me as she spoke. I rose and walked with her, holding her hand when she jumped up on a particularly jagged rock.

Suddenly, the wind blew, bringing the familiar scent of her mother with it. Soon, I could hear her thoughts, and I groaned quietly when I realized that her intention was to bring take angel home, away from me. I looked back at my sweet girl, frowning, and gasped when I noticed her face inches from the ground. I leapt forward to catch her, but it was too late. Her cry was instant, and her little hand flew up to her face to cover her mouth.

"Oh, little love." I grunted in despair, pulling her small frame into my lap as she cried. I pulled back to look at her and froze when I saw blood pooling under her fingertips. My breath left me helplessly as I tore the bottom of my shirt away, wiping her hands and lip with it. "What were you doing sweet girl?" I asked desperately.

"I wath trying to fly, Edwood." My brow furrowed at her lisp, and I gasped when I noticed that her other front tooth was missing. My eyes searched the ground frantically, and I sighed in relief when they came upon the tooth shining in the dirt.

"You can't do that without me, angel." I tried to explain as I wiped the tooth clean with my shirt. I looked up at her and frowned again when I saw her still bleeding. The blood ran quicker when it joined her tears near her chin, and I despaired to think she was still in pain. "Come here." I tugged her against me, her little shoulders shaking. As I stroked her hair, I whispered gently into her ear "The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief."

She pulled back suddenly, her forehead creased with confusion. I chuckled, wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

"You'll understand when you're older, little love." She huffed, but nodded, sucking in a shaky breath. I smirked, then licked my thumb, rubbing it over her bottom lip. She gasped, pulling away from my finger. "It's okay, darling. It'll sting for only a moment."

I watched carefully as the cut underneath her lip sealed, leaving behind fresh blood and a silver line. I nodded, grabbing the scrap of my shirt again to wipe her mouth. She reached up, pushing my hand away, rubbing her own finger over her lip.

"Fixed it?" She asked, touching the small scar. I smiled and nodded my head happily. She repeated my gesture just as joyous. My smile fell when I heard her mother's footsteps outside the meadow though.

"Your momma's coming to get you, sweet girl. Time for me to go." She grunted unhappily, but stood from my lap anyway.

"I love you, Edwood." I smiled, ruffling her dark curls.

"I love you, too." I bent to kiss her head before running to hide behind the tree line.

The moment I left the clearing, her mother burst through the foliage, looking around frantically. I could hear my angel's pained cry in her mind and grimaced uncomfortably at the amount of worry I felt coursing through her.

"Oh my goodness, sweetie, what happened?" Her mother knelt before her, pushing her hair behind her ears and assessing her frantically to find any other injuries.

"Th'okay momma. I'm juth playing with Edwood." Her mother froze for a moment, frowning, before rolling her eyes.

Yes, the imaginary friend, she thought. "Your tooth!" She cried out loud. My girl gasped, looking around the tree line for me. I stood out for a moment, holding up the tooth, pressing my finger to my lips. She nodded at me, then looked back at her mother who was searching for the tooth among the tall grass.

"It'th okay, momma." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "We find it later." She tugged her mother's hand, leading her toward the opposite side of the meadow from me. Her mother smirked dubiously, thinking disappointedly about the fact that if they didn't find it now, they never would. But she attempted to shrug it off, listening intently to her daughter talk about Michael and her candy bar.

I made sure to place the tooth onto the kitchen counter later that night.

"Edward?" I am snapped out of my thoughts by Carlisle, now standing in front of me.

"What is she doing in the state hospital, Carlisle?" I demand furiously, clenching my fists at my side.

"She was admitted about three months ago after her foster home was deemed unfit..." He said hesitantly. "They decided she should stay a while... She had some... There was evidence of physical and mental abuse..." He eyed me carefully while I stood stone-still.

I squeeze my eyes shut when I feel my fingertips pierce my palms, cracking them all the way across. I roll my eyes as I spit into my hands, rubbing them together to heal them.

"I think you and I both know what I'm actually asking, Carlisle..." I state, my faux calm very obvious as my eyes pool with venom. His brows furrowed with pity.

Oh, my dear boy. He shuts his eyes tightly. Her mother killed herself... Three weeks after you made her forget.

I fall to my knees, feeling as though the wind has been knocked out of me. I gasp for breath unecessarily, and then begin to sob.

I let Carlisle hold and comfort me well into the morning, noon, and night. My crying never stops, and her name never leaves my lips.

My little love. My sweet girl. My beloved. My angel.

My Bella.