I woke up tired and I ached all over. But I was only uncomfortable for a moment, until I smelt the best smell in the world. Honey, lilacs, and sunshine-Edward. Then I felt his warm muscular arms wrapped around me, I didn't know exactly what was going on but I could care less, he's here, with me, that's all I care about.

I stretched and sighed against Edward's neck but winced when moving caused me pain. I looked down and I was still in my bra and underwear, and my whole body went red.
Edward smiled sadly at me his green eyes foggy with sleep, he couldn't of woken up that much sooner than me.

"Morning love." He whispered into my hair.

"Morning." I mumbled. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I have no clothes." I said blushing a shade darker. Edward's eyes widened in horror. I felt kind of sad, I know he still loves me but I hoped that he'd not react like he was about to be shot at the idea I'd have to stay in a bra and underwear. Maybe he loved me but felt no passion with me, which is weird since he never had problems with our passionate kisses.

"Oh love I completely forgot, you must be so uncomfortable." Edward says looking around desperately as if clothes would magically appear.

"Maybe I could borrow your clothes?" I asked and my voiced quivered a bit.

"What's wrong love? Are you in pain?" Edward asked brushing some hair out of my face, I shook my head not looking at him. "Then what's the matter?"

"I know I'm not a beauty queen like the girls at school that always flirt with you, but I guess I thought you'd not mind how I looked." I said looking down practically whispering.

"Bella, your beautiful why would you think bad of yourself?" Edward asked holding me close.

"Because you looked disappointed when I said I didn't have any clothes."

"I was disappointed in myself love, I should of thought of that. And…well I kind of wanted you to stay like this." He said motioning to my body that is clad in only undergarments underneath the blanket before pulling me closer and breathing in my ear. "You look so positively delectable I'm sad to see you covered up again." And he kissed right underneath my ear earning a gasp from me. "Though the wounds are something I could live my life without seeing. I never want to see you hurt." He whispered close to me.

I sighed against him and he continued whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Then rather unexpectedly he whispered something I couldn't understand. He brushed my hair over my ear and whispered, "forgive me, Love."

"Forgive you of what?" I asked, Edward had never done anything.

"For not being their, I promised you I'd protect you always. And I…didn't." He looked so hurt, I instantly cuddled to him and whispered to him.

"It's not your fault. Charlie threw you out of a second story window. It's good that you got home." I whispered pulling him close to me.

Edward sighed and pulled me up before going threw his clothes and pulling out a pair of jeans and a dark blue navy shirt. He handed it to me and looked a bit sheepish.

"Do you want me to turn around? Or leave the room?" Edward asked blushing. I smiled and shook my head, now that I know that he enjoyed seeing me in only a bra and panties it wouldn't hurt to be in them for forty seconds more.

"Would you like some breakfast Bella?" He asked not taking his eyes off of my body. His hungry gaze followed the pants as they inched up my leg. I didn't feel uncomfortable, how could I? With Edward looking at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered, it isn't possible to feel uncomfortable.

"Sure." I said as I quickly pulled the shirt over my head. I hadn't noticed it but I was hungry.

The shirt was loose and didn't push on my bruises too much which was nice and the pants were loose also and I kept trying to hold them up. Edward walked over to the closet and brought out a belt.

And I lost it.

"Bella! Bella! Love! Please calm down. Breath my sweet, shh nothing's going to hurt you. I'm here Bella, I'm here to protect you. It's me my love, it's Edward. Please calm down. I'm so sorry that I wasn't their to protect you but I promise I'll always be there now. I'll never fail you again, I swear."

I didn't know what happened but somehow I was laying in Edward's bed with Edward holding me close and Carlisle and Esme looking at me worried.

"What happened?" I asked, I have no recollection.

"You were having a panic attack Bella." Carlisle said in a doctor voice, "you were screaming, crying, your heart rate was up, and we couldn't get you to snap out of it. We pulled you to the bed and once Edward held you, you calmed down to only crying."

I looked at Carlisle in what I'm sure was a incredulous expression. Then I glanced at Edward and I had no choice but to believe him. Also I could feel the tear stains on my cheeks and my voice was hoarse.

Edward was shaking lightly rocking gently and still murmuring my name along with his preferred pet name of me "love" along with saying "protect you". His usually bright green eyes were now dull and no longer sparkling with happiness that I always saw. They were devastated. I hadn't seen his eyes like this since the time right after my mom left and I saw him at preschool and he asked me what was wrong. I had ended up bursting into tears and he had pulled me away to the back of the room behind the bookcase and held me. He had been so distraught when he saw me in so much pain. He looked even worse now.

Forgetting Edward's parents were in the room or even the world I pulled Edward close to me resting his head on my chest. It always calmed Edward to feel my heart beat and my breathing.

"Shh Edward, calm down honey. Everything's okay." I whispered kissing his head. He pulled me closer and rubbed my back. He looked up at me and he still was devastated but he was less so and more on the end of protective. He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arm around me before resting his chin on my head.

"Bella, Edward, I need to know if you two might know what caused Bella's anxiety?" Carlisle asked and I turned to him blushing. I had forgotten about them. Their ease with the two of us so close and obviously in love was surprising to me. They had completely broke out of the hate that Esme's parents had tried to ingrain into her.

I stared blankly at the both of them, I don't know what happened. I didn't even realize I had an anxiety attack, one second I was standing their the next I was scared out of my mind.

"The belt." Edward whispered pained.

"What?" Esme asked before turning around and sure enough their was a belt. A plain black, inoffensive, belt just harmlessly lying on the plush carpet. Besides it being the only thing that was on the floor of the unusually clean room for a seventeen year old it was nothing unordinary.

"Bella's wounds, their from a belt. Aren't they?" Edward asked looking up at his father, Carlisle.

"Yes, that's what I think. The way the bruises are shaped and how they move slightly yet still stay the same would point to that. Their aren't any clean cuts which makes sense for the blunt part of the belt fasten. I'm impressed you picked it up Edward." Carlisle said with obvious pride.

"I didn't, but what else could make her react that way?" Edward said seriously pulling me closer.

I stared at them blankly before Carlisle turned to me.

"Bella, did Charlie beat you with a belt?" He asked, testing their supposed theory. I could only shaking nod.

"I see. That would explain it. The whole thing must have been very traumatic for you so it's understandable that when you see the thing used for that your mind would rebel." Carlisle nodded using a voice I could only call a doctor's voice. Calm and even. But I couldn't believe him.

"But Edward would never hurt me!" I said, I realized that might be the wrong thing to say, to go against him. But I couldn't help it.

"We know that Bella, and your conscience mind know that. But it's fairly common that when someone goes through something traumatic that something that reminds them of the event would drive them to hysteria. Even when they were in a stable environment and only around those they love, and trust. Take into account that Charlie is someone you know, trusted, and your caregiver it makes it even worse." Carlisle spoke but continued, I must of looked confused.

"Think of it this way. When someone is attacked, say mugged. They will probably be shaken, and everyone handles it differently. Some may be wary of alleys and never go to the part of town that they were mugged, they may even move, or they might just forget and push it off with it being normal because plenty of people are mugged all the time. Now others, they may be afraid of the dark now, claustrophobic, wary of strangers, always looking over their shoulder, or even move far away. Now there are several hundred other reactions, some less some more some in-between and some a combination."

I understood what he was saying, but I didn't understand the relevance.

"Now imagine if that person who was mugging that person was someone the person not only knew but trusted. If the mugger was a friend or sibling or, in your case, parent." I finally grasped what Carlisle was saying. I never believed in a hundred thousand years Charlie would do something like that, and yet he had. He was saying that me being a bit scared of something as simple as a belt was normal.

I sighed and snuggled close to Edward. Thankfully he wrapped his arms around me closely.

"Why did you bring the belt out in the first place?" Esme asked curiously cocking her head to the side.

"Bella had no clothing." Edward answered blushing, "I gave her some of mine but they are too big for her."

"Ah," Esme nodded in understanding. "Why not give her some of Alice's? Or mine even?"

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea. But I'm not sure how Alice would take to me raiding her closet, not matter how much she loves Bella." As Edward said this Esme and Carlisle's eyes widened. They'd seemed so good about this I was surprised that both Edward and I forgot that they didn't know of our secret friendship.

"I'll get something from her closet then." Esme said before walking out of the room.

"Bella are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?" Carlisle asked.

"No, I'm fine," I told him relaxing into Edward's hold.

Carlisle nodded and in a few moments Esme was back with a long blue dress. It was a light blue that seemed like it would come to about my knees, it had a ribbon that would go, from what I've learned from Alice since she talks about fashion all the time, right underneath my bust. The spaghetti strap sleeves were made of the same material as the ribbon a darker blue than the rest of the dress. She was also holding something that was the same color as the straps and ribbon.

"Here sweetie." Esme said handing the article of clothing to me before ushering the boys out. I laid the dress down before opening the dark blue bundle of fabric, it was a cardigan and inside was a pair of boy shorts and a bra that were matching dark blue to the cardigan. I quickly stripped down and put on, what felt like, cotton and lace blend undergarments and pulled the dress over my head, I was right it did come to right above my knees and it felt like it was made of silk but the ribbon felt like satin. I found a Edward's comb and quickly tried to work out the worst of my tangled hair. I pulled on the cardigan and it felt like velt, all of these fabrics felt divine on my skin and relaxed me.

After I finished I headed out of his room down to the kitchen. I also heard talking.

"No, she hasn't decided yet. I haven't told her, because she just woke up." I heard Edward say.

I might have stopped to hear what they were talking about but I was too scared to do that. I just wanted to be the one place I felt safe, in Edward's arms. Everyone turned when they saw me, Carlisle and Esme were sitting together on a beige loveseat and Edward was sitting on a matching beige couch. When Edward saw me he immediately got up and came to me, With me wrapped securely in Edward's arms Carlisle started talking.

"Bella, I know this might be a bit strange and frightening to you but we need to talk. You've been through a lot in the last twenty four hours but there are very important things you must decide." I stared at him blankly still feeling this was the Twilight Zone, "about what will happen to Charlie, abuse is not alright. Edward has already found pretty much all the options you have."

"Basically sweetie," Esme said and I turned my attention to her. "You can decide to persecute Charlie, or not to, and if you decide not to you have to decide whether you want to stay living with him or not."

"Uh…I um." I didn't really know how to decide that. On one hand Charlie has never done this before and for all I know he was waiting at home for me with apologies and promises never to do it again, but he could continue. He has never once beat anyone-or could he of beaten Renee? Is that why maybe she left? No, if that was then she would've taken Emmett and I with her. Wait a minute, Emmett. "Does, Emmett and the others know about this?"

"Yes, I called Chris and Harriet." Carlisle said referring to Jasper and Rosalie's parents.

I bit my lip and thought of what to do.