Once again, sorry it took so long to update.
Bella POV
As I pulled up to the house I saw that Charlie was already home and I thought to myself that this can't been good. He is never home this early. Maybe he some how found out about the confrontation in the cafeteria at school or maybe Mrs. Amberson told him I was late for class again and he got off early so he could punish me. Then again it might be a good thing. Maybe he is going out of town or got off early and is headed out to the res to fish with Billy. Or maybe it's nothing. Maybe he is just off early. Trying to push the horrible possibilities aside I park my truck and get out. Taking a deep breath and trying to steady my nerves I open the front door and head in. I can hear the TV on in the living room as I enter the house. Part of me wants to just go back out the front door or run upstairs and barricade my door but I know that it would only make things worse. Just as I am hanging up my hoodie and my backpack I hear Charlie call out for me. "Bella, get in here now!" Oh crap, I can tell by how he is talking that he has been drinking already.
Entering the living room I can see several empty bottles sitting on the coffee table and Charlie sitting in his recliner. "Yes, sir. You called for me." I say, trying not to sound sarcastic but placatory. "Where the hell have you been?" He shouts out. "I have been at school, I just got out and came strait home" I say, making sure to keep my voice down. He just scoffs at that and says "I have friends coming over and this place looks like a pigsty. I need you to clean this place up and make food for everyone" Nodding I say "Yes Sir" Great, I hate it when his 'friends' come over. They creep me out and are all purvy, especially when they start to drink. Then they start getting handsy, grabbing or slapping my ass or trying to grab other things. And on top of that I know that I have a ton of homework to get done and if tonight is like the last time Charlie had friends over they will be here until late tonight making all kinds of ruckus.
Sighing, I get to work on cleaning the house. It takes me a solid 2 hours to get cleaned to Charlies liking all the while Charlie telling me how worthless and lazy I am. He would throw in an occasional slap or punch, but nothing that had any real power behind it. He saved that for when he really wanted to hurt me. After the house was clean I started working on dinner for him and his friends. I decided to make his favorite fish fry and paired it with homemade chips. The smell was making my mouth water and I so wanted to grab a piece of the fish a shove it into my mouth, but he would know. He always knew. Just as I finished frying the last of the fish there was a knock at the door and I went to answer it. It was Charlie's friends. A couple guys from the res, and a few from town. As they entered the house, one of them grabbed my ass. It was going to be a long night. Once they were all settled in the living room in front of the TV so they could watch some game, I served them all their fish and chips and got them all their beers. Looking back at Charlie I ask "Can I please go up to my room now, I have a lot of homework to do?" He just waves me off without saying anything. I take that as a yes and grab my backpack and head upstairs. Maybe tonight wont be as bad as I thought I think to myself with a small smile.
After finishing all my homework for Math, Biology and History I settle down in bed to start my reading for English. I was trying to concentrate on the book, but my mind kept drifting back over the events of the day and the Cullens. Well, one in particular. I can't believe that Edward not only walked me to class, but did so holding my hand and then kissed said hand, so old world like, so gentlemanly like. He wasn't like anyone I ever met before, none of them are when I think about it. They all seemed to fit in, yet at the same time not. Their clothing and styles were current, but their mannerisms, the way they talk and their names seemed like from a time long past. Even though they are all adopted they all look the same too. Flawless pale skin, dark under their eyes, strange golden eye color. All inhumanly beautiful. There is definitely something off about them, something that they are hiding. Maybe they are not human, I joke to myself. The more I think about it the more it starts to make sense, them not being human. But what could they be and does it really matter? I just can't seem to care that they are something other than human, it does not matter. They are the first friends I have had in a long time and they genuinely seem to care.
'So, it's decided. They are my friends, if they want to tell me their secret good, if not that's ok.' I tell myself. But then I think "What if they ask me again about the bruises?' Can I tell them the truth? What would happen? Would they think less of me or look at me differently? All this worrying and wondering was making me tired, so I decided to leave it alone for now and get back to my reading. After about 10 minutes of reading my eyes started to get heavy and I slowly drifted off to sleep, still holding my book.
Alice POV
Standing in the parking lot at school and watching Bella dive off in horribly old and crappy truck; which will decidedly need to be replaced, I am in shock. No one has ever been ably to say no to me and get away with it. I can see the same shock on my siblings faces, as well as a bit of humor. Emmett broke me out of my thought when he busted out laughing and says "Now we definitely have to keep her, I have never seen anyone able to say no to Alice or resist her pout. I think it will be fun having Belly-Bear around" That got a little bit of a laugh out of everyone, but I knew that they were all concerned and worried about Bella. I was too, but I was more worried at the speed at which she left at and the look of panic she had on her face when I asked her to come over. That, and once again she spoke about her father in such a strange tone. And the term she used was odd too. Not dad but father. There was definitely something wrong going on here and we needed to figure it out. But first we needed to talk to Carlisle and Esme and let them know what was going on. Looking over at Edward, he nodded in agreement and then said. "Let's go, we need to talk to Carlisle and Esme. They need to know whats going on" Everyone else gave a silent agreement and we all piled into the car and jeep before heading home.
Edward POV
Even though the drive home was short, I kept playing the events of the day over in my head and worried what Carlisle and Esme's reaction to the fact that Bella is here already, still human, and in all likelihood being hurt by someone. Once we arrived at the house I could hear Esme out back most likely working on her garden and I could hear Carlisle up in his study, but as we entered the house I could hear them make their way to the living room to greet us. Esme greeted us with a smile and said "How was school?" Without answering her I look over at the others and they nod at me. Turing back towards Carlisle and Esme; who are starting to look concerned, I say "We need to talk". "Is something wrong, Edward? Did something happen at school?" Carlisle asks. "Your right, something is wrong. Just probably not the thing that you are thinking" I say. "Edward, just tell them" Rose says.
"Ok, first off. Bella is here already. We met her today..." I say. Esme interrupts me and says "She is! What is she like? Why didn't she come home with you". But before I can answer her Carlisle says "But?" Carlisle say, I could tell from the look on his face that he knew that something was wrong. Sighing I say "But, she is still human..." This time it is Carlisle who interrupts. "Still human? Are you sure that it is the right girl? Alice, do you still see her being one of us because I can't think of a reason why we would change someone" Carlisle says. "Yes it is the right girl, I knew the second I saw her that it was our Bella and yes I still see her being one of us, being with us" Alice says "There is more to this, something you are not telling us" Esme says. "There is. There is something wrong here other than the fact that Bella is still human. There is something wrong with her" I say. "What do you mean wrong with her?" Carlisle asks. "We are pretty certain that someone is hurting her, abusing her. She shows all the classic signs of an abuse victim and we saw bruising on her arms and side on accident. She freaked out when we asked her about it and ran from the cafeteria" Jasper says. Both Carlisle and Esme had a horrified look on their faces when they heard this. Esme's was even more horrified, knowing what she went through in her human life and how her human husband had abused her is what was most like fueling her reaction. "Tell us everything that happened today" Carlisle says. Looking over at Alice, She starts the story of today's events.
By the time Alice finished telling Carlisle and Esme what had happened today everyone was once again upset. Both Esme, Alice and Rose looked like they could cry, even as impossible as that would be. Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper looked very angry; a look that I had seen on both Jasper's and Emmett's face, but I had almost never seen that look on Carlisle's face in the nearly 100 years that I have been with him. I too very every upset, but was able to school my reaction a bit better. "And no one even notices how thin or sickly she is or the bruises? I can't believe that the other students treat her like that and no one has ever done anything about it!" Esme shouts out, her sadness over what she has been told turning into rage. "She hides it well, she keeps well covered and wears a hooded sweater that is too large for her to try and cover up the weight loss. As for the treatment by the other students, its seems like everyone has just turned a blind eye to it" Jasper says. Pounding his fist into his hand Emmett says "But they won't for long, no one is going to mess with my little sister again" Everyone just gave a silent nod to that.
"What about the bruises and wight loss? Do you suspect that it is the student or someone else?" Carlisle asks. "I don't believe that it is the students that are doing this" I say. "Why didn't you just read her mind and try and find out what was going on?" Esme asks me. Jasper and I had not told anyone yet that I could not read her mind or suspected that she was a shield. "I did try, right before I met her in the cafeteria. But I could not read it. I could sense her mind, but it was like there was this wall. I could feel her blocking me, even though she was completely unaware of the fact that she was doing it" I say. Everyone seemed shocked at this, but Carlisle spoke first. "A shield?" Carlisle asks. I nod and Jasper say "That's what I suspect and for the ability to be this strong when she is still human I believe that she would be a very strong shield at that" "Wait, are you saying that Belly-Bear already has some special vampire power and she is not even a vampire yet? Sweet, what is a shield anyways?" Emmett asks. "There are many different types of shields and no vampire's powers are the same. But basically a shield can block either physical or mental attacks" Jasper says.
"But none of that matters right now. We need to find out who is abusing her. If her weight loss is as bad as you described it her health could get very bad very quickly. I hate to say this, but you said that she was living with her father, maybe it is him. I met the town's police chief today, maybe I can ask him if he knows anything about it or her father. Did she happen to tell you her last name?" Carlisle asks. "I hate to admit it, but I think you are right Carlisle. I think that it is her father. I suspected it earlier today. I could tell by her mannerisms and the way she talked about her father that there was something wrong. As for her last name, it is Swan. I believe she said her father's name is Charlie." Alice says. Carlisle's eyes widen at this ans says "Charlie Swan? Are you sure?" Alice nods. Sighing, Carlisle says "Charlie Swan is the police chief" Everyone was shocked into silence but I could still hear their minds like they were speaking out loud.
Carlisle- How could a father treat is daughter like that, especially one who is any enforcer of the law. If her wight loss is as drastic as Alice says it is than we need to do something fast.
Emmett- I can't believe that her father would do such a thing. I can't wait to get my hands on him, he will never hurt Belly-Bear again. No one hurts my sister and gets away with it.
Alice- Why did I not see any of this happening. I still can't see anything going on with her. Maybe it's her shield.
Rose- She is so young to be going through this, not much younger than I was when my fiance and his friends attacked me. But for a father to do such a thing...
Esme- The poor child. To lose her mother and the only father she knew, only to be shipped up here to a father who hurt her. How could a father do such a thing to their child. We need to get her away from him and bring her here where she belongs. I know that I can not replace her mother, but maybe she will let me be another mother to her, it sounds like she needs a motherly touch.
Jasper- I can't believe that a father would do such a thing. She may still be human right now, but if Alice still sees her being one of us and being here with us that makes her my sister. I failed at being there for my human sister when I went away to war and was changed, I will not fail another sister.
"So what are we going to do?" I ask. "We need to get her away from him" Esme says. "But how, she freaked out when we even brought up her coming to visit us. How do we get her to come with us willingly?" Jasper asks. "How ever it is done, it needs to be done soon. If her condition is as bad as you described, then her life is possible at risk. We don't know how long he has been starving her and weight loss like that can become deadly. Plus if he attacks her in such a weaken state there is no telling what kind of damage he could cause" Carlisle says. I growled at the thought, as did Emmett.
"Tomorrow then, we will do everything we can to get her to come with us" I say. Everyone nods, but I could see that Rose was lost in thought and was blocking me. "Bring her here, I will get whatever supplies that are needed and set up a medical suite, I have a feeling that it will be needed" Carlisle says. Once again we just nod, but then Rose spoke "I hate to play devils advocate, but when and how are we going to tell her what we are. What if she freaks out and runs?" She did have a point. "Lets deal with the more pressing issue of saving Bella first and then we will deal with the rest" Carlisle says. With everyone in agreement with our plan for tomorrow we all separated so we could prepare for the next day. Esme and Rose started to prepare a bedroom for Bella, choosing the empty room next to mine. Alice left to go shopping for whatever she believed Bella would need. Carlisle and Jasper started setting up the medical suite. Emmett went hunting because it had been a few days since he went last and I went to my piano to work more one the piece that I was writing for Bella.
Bella POV
I had not even realized that I had fallen asleep. One minute I was reading about Shakespeare and the next I was dreaming about the Cullens. We were all out in a meadow in the woods laying in the tall grass. We were talking and joking around. In the dream I suddenly got up and waled over to a small stream that ran through the meadow. Looking down at the water I saw my reflection, but it was different. I looked more like the Cullens do. I even had the same strange golden eyes. Instead of being frighted or alarmed, I saw my reflection smile and for the first time in a long time I was happy. It was a good dream. My dream self turned to go back to where the rest of the Cullens were, but suddenly I was ripped from my dream. One moment I was completely happy and the next I felt something pull at my arm hard enough to send me falling to the floor.
Opening my eyes I look up to see Charlie standing over me with an angry look on his face. "What the fuck do you think you are doing? I didn't say you were allowed to go to sleep. Now get your lazy ass down stairs and clean up the kitchen and the living room" Charlie says as he pulls me back up by the arm. So much for it being a good night. I could feel my arm throbbing already as he pushed me forward to go down stairs. Charlie gave me a little shove towards the kitchen before letting go and going back to the living room. By the lack to talking I guessed that his friends had already left, something I was grateful and at the same time not grateful for. With them here I would have to deal with them grabbing at me or making lude comments but Charlie would not dare hit me with them here, but without them here Charlie would not hold back on hurting me.
I make quick work of cleaning up the kitchen, but I notice that all the plates that I served dinner on were not in the kitchen. Knowing that they probably left them laying about in the living room I leave the kitchen to go get them. As I enter the living room I can see that it is a mess. Plates, bottles, cans and trash are strung everywhere and Charlie is just sitting in his recliner looking smug. I decided to start with the trash first. After grabbing a trash bag from the kitchen I start picking up the trash, all the while Charlie just sits there still looking smug. I was just about done gathering trash when he says "Just think about, in a little more than I month I will be rid of your sorry ass. I don't care were you go, you can live out of that piece of shit truck for all I care. You will no longer by my responsibility" Not daring to look him in the face I say "Wish I could leave now" under my breath. "What did you say?" Charlie shouts. Shaking my head I say "I didn't say anything, sir" "That's what I thought you said, nothing. Because that's what you are, nothing. And that's all you ever will be, a nothing. A pathetic excuse for a human being" Charlie says. I could feel myself on the edge of tears, but I willed myself not to cry in front of him.
After finishing with the trash I started to gather up the plates and bottles to take them to the kitchen. Just as I was about to leave the living room with my arms full of dishes I tripped on god knows what and went down, breaking all the dishes I had been carrying. "You stupid lazy bitch, look what you did! Those plates had been my mother's and now you destroyed them" Charlie shouts as he jumps out of his recliner. Trying to pull myself up I say "I'm sorry, it was an accident" "It's an accident alright, that's all you ever have been. An accident" Charlie says. I look up to see him grab and empty beer bottle and toss it at my head. I was not quick enough to duck and it hit me with exploding pain on the left side of my forehead. I could feel something warm running down my face and see red droplets out of my left eye. I tried to push myself up again. But before I could even react, Charlie kicked my right arm; the arm I had been using to support my weight when I was trying to stand back up, and sent me falling to the ground again. My head was getting fuzzy and there were these dark spots starting to cloud my vision.
Somewhere on my mind I was hoping that he would stop at that, but I knew he was not done yet. Maybe he would kill me this time, at least I could be with my mom and Phil again if he did. But what about Edward and Alice and the rest of the Cullens. I know that I just met them, but I didn't want to leave them yet. There was so much more that I needed to know about them and I know that it sounds silly, but I think that Edward and I are connected in someway. Maybe soul mates, as ridiculous as that sounds. I also felt a strange connection to Jasper, not in the same way as I do with Edward. But a connection none the less, like there was something waiting to be found. Some mystery that was waiting in the dark to be discovered. All the while my mind was thinking this, Charlie was continuing with his attack. But it was not until I felt a sharp pain in my chest and heard two sickening cracks that my mind went back to what was happening. By then I could feel myself fading off in to an unconscious state. I felt Charlie kick me two more times in the right leg, but after that I felt nothing. I tried to fight the empty black abyss, but I was too weak and I slowly faded into the darkness.
I had planned for it to be longer and include the events of the next day, but it would have been too long so I decide to break it up. Working on the next chapter now and I hope to have it up in a few days. As always please R/R, it is great motivation!
