Chapter 2:

Witness Protection

The Phoenix airport was uncommonly busy.

I walked quickly and silently beside Phil and another officer whose name I didn't know, dodging people left and right as they practically ran me over in their hurry. I guess I should have felt bad about not knowing the officers name since he would be flying with me and all, but I just didn't have it in me to really put effort into remembering. Phil and his young partner kept a close eye on me, one of them keeping a loose grip on arm at all times just to be safe. Though they were on duty at the moment, Phil and the other officer were also out of their usual uniform. Clad in old jeans, worn t-shirts and toting my luggage behind them, they were both as unassuming as any other potential flyer milling about. In fact, though I suppose to be inconspicuous I was probably the only one out of the three of us who looked out of place. It was blazing outside of the air-conditioned airport, but I was wearing one of my mom's old, oversized sweaters with baggy jeans that had to be cuffed at the bottom so I wouldn't trip. My long, mahogany hair was tied back into a ponytail, secured neatly beneath one of my dads old baseball caps, and if I wasn't wearing dark sunglasses people would have noticed my puffy, tired eyes darting back and forth nervously around the entire terminal. They weren't puffy from crying, I promised myself no more tears weeks ago, but from lack of sleep since apparently my subconscious liked to torment me with nightmares about that night.

It had been little over a month since the shooting, and I had barley slept at all because I would always wake up shaking and panicked. The first time I had stayed with Phil after I was discharged from the hospital was the worst. I had gone to bed early but laid in bed for hours staring at the dark, pop-corned ceiling before finally falling into a restless sleep. I woke hours later, my body tense and trembling. It had all seemed so real but I knew it had to be a dream, so I slowly got up from the bed and made my way down the hall towards the stairs. I guess in the back of my mind I sort of knew it wasn't our house, but I didn't care. I needed to see them sitting on our cushiony, blue sofa, holding hands as mom read a book or they watched an old Orson Welles movie.

I didn't find them.

Instead I barley made it half way down the stairs before I heard Phil's voice coming from the living room. It was low and pained, but I was able to strain my ears and make out what he said.

"I can't just send her away." He whispered, I'm assuming into the phone because no one answered before he continued. "I realize that, but Bella is not ready for this. For gods sake her parents were just murdered right in front of her, she almost died, and now you want to send her to live with complete strangers? How is she supposed to deal with all this?" I squeezed my eyes shut, and shakily lowered myself to the wooden stairs as I took deep breath to try and calm myself. It had all been real, everything about that horrific nightmare had been real…a sharp pain gripped my heart at the thought of my parents.

"No, I don't want her to get hurt, how can you even ask me that?" Phil said, and I opened my eyes before leaning my head on the handrail. "She's like a daughter to me Jim, I just…I just don't want her to feel like she's been cut off from her whole life here. She has friends, a part-time job…how can we just take that all away from her? Can't I enter the program to, I am her legal guardian now."

There was a long silence as Phil listened to whatever 'Jim' had to say.

"You're right, I know you're right." He sighed, and I could see in my head how his head would be thrown back in frustration. "I'll uh…tell her tomorrow. Have you already found a family from the registry? Alright, well let me know when you do." There was another long moment of silence after he hung up the phone, and I only waited a minute before getting up and going back to the guest room.

It was the last night I allowed the tears to fall.

"Alright Bella, here you go. You alright honey?" I turned my head to Phil as we stopped in front of the terminal where my plane was already boarding. Men, women and children were standing with tickets, eagerly waiting to board a plane that, to me, was the end of everything I had ever known-everything that was home.

"Yeah, sure." I told him, but he didn't look like he believed me. He didn't question me on it though, just reached into his back pocket and handed me a small, yellow envelope.

"Here is your identification card, and all the paperwork you'll need for your new school." I took it from him and stuck envelope in my pocket without even looking at it, before handing him back the other i.d. card I had used for the airport security. We stood awkwardly for a moment, neither of knowing how to say what we wanted. Phil broke first though, and pulled me to him in a tight hug that I couldn't help but return.

"I know you're not suppose to, but call me when you get there." He whispered into my ear, and I nodded. He gave me a gentle squeeze before letting me go and taking a step back.

"Have a safe flight Bella." He said, and then added reassuringly, "You'll be back before you know it, I promise." I gave him a small, sad smile because it was all I had to offer for his words. The truth was that I would most likely never be coming back, other than for the trial where I was suppose to testify. After a prolonged, twenty hour interrogation the police had discovered that the shooting hadn't been a random accident, but a planned hit because my dad had been getting too close to learning something he shouldn't have. James Monroe, the man who pulled the trigger, the man I had identified in the police line-up, had been on a mission to kill that night. Now others were after me because I apparently was their one screw up. I wasn't supposed to have survived, and now James' organization was trying to make sure I didn't. The police would never catch them all, so it was hard to believe it would ever be safe enough for me to go back to my old life. I didn't even know if I'd be able to if it came to that. How do you go back to something that isn't there anymore?

Phil waved slightly as I gave the attendant my ticket, officer no-name right behind me with his own ready to go. As we walked down the bridge toward the plane I turned and glanced quickly over my shoulder, but Phil was already gone, the place where he had been standing moments ago already empty. The attendant I had given my ticket to suddenly shut the door to the walkway then, cutting off the view of the terminal and causing me to jump a little.

I had never felt more alone.

The four hour flight to Seattle was quiet, at least for me. I didn't say a word to my officer no-name, and when the overly perky flight attendant asked if I wanted something to drink, I shook my head without even looking at her. I kept my sunglasses on and stared out the window silently, watching as we moved effortlessly through the thick clouds, wondering if my parents had done the same. I had never been a huge believer in the divine, never went to church, but I hoped that my parents had been able to find peace with each other.

Together…

Images of their bodies lying in dark wood coffins suddenly filled my mind, their faces wearing somber expressions they never had in life, and I took a deep breath before shutting the window visor. I zoned out for the rest of the flight, never letting my mind really wander, but just carefully listen to the songs that would play on my little black I-pod. Before I knew it we were touching down in Seattle, the sky considerably darker than it had been in Phoenix, and I was grateful for the sweater I was wearing over my tank-top. I hadn't much with me, just two small bags of personal items that I used as carry-on luggage. It was a good thing to, because we had to switch to a much smaller plane at the Seattle airport, one of those planes that looked like it wouldn't make it off the ground let alone an hour long trip. It had rust along the side rivets, the pale yellow paint was peeling, and the wings looked like they would fall off with a simple flick of my finger. I was a little worried but didn't give it too much thought before climbing in, and I guess the plane was more durable than it looked, because we arrived in Port Angeles ten minutes earlier than scheduled.

I followed my escort to the car rental next door to the landing strip, standing silently beside him as he talked to the young sales woman and requested a black vehicle from the lot. She was quick with our request, our inconspicuous rental ready for us in a matter of minutes. We loaded my bags into the back seat, and drove through the tree lined roads in our unassuming rental for about an hour before a worn, wooden sign welcoming us to the town of Forks came into view. We drove through the small town quickly, our car not seeming to draw any unwanted attention, and turned off onto a dirt road that lay just on the outskirts of the other side. It was a long, very narrow road lined with dense green foliage, and as we exited the natural canopy created by the trees, a beautiful white house was suddenly right in front of us. I stared at it for a moment as we parked on the stone driveway, somewhat stunned that a house like this existed in a town like Forks, where the nicest building I saw as we drove through seemed to be the brick cube that made up the town hall. This house was three levels, and painted in a pale crème that was accented by the burgundy double doors at the front. The windows of the house were French, intricate in their design, and the perfectly manicured lawn and trees that surrounded the property we a deep, lively green that added an enchanting atmosphere to the house.

"Ready?" A soft voice asked after we sat stoically in the car for a few minutes. It was the first words spoken between us the whole trip, and I shook my head.

"No." I replied, but pushed the door to the car open and got out. He followed my lead, getting out and reaching in to grab my bags as I heard the front doors to the house open. I turned and saw a small, slender woman with chestnut curls barely past her shoulders walking swiftly towards us. Her lavender blouse was tucked neatly into a pair of soft looking beige slacks, her pearl necklace shimmering softly at her throat. She was followed closely by a tall blonde man wearing a crisp white button down shirt, sleek black trousers, and wire-rimmed reading glasses. They were the picture of sophistication, and the complete opposite of my mom and dad who I had rarely seen in anything other than jeans and sandals unless it was either a special occasion and absolutely necessary.

"Hello." She said when they reached us, her hazel eyes were bright and open. "You must be Isabella dear. I'm Esme Cullen, this is my husband Carlisle."

I nodded my head in greeting but stayed silent.

"Please, come inside." Carlisle offered, and Esme nodded. "You both must be tired after your trip."

"Actually," Officer no-name announced, coming up beside me and setting my luggage down. "I have to get back as soon as possible, I just need to settle Isabella in-"

"I'm settled." I cut him off, and both Mr. and Mrs. Cullen looked to me with odd expressions. "I can handle it, you can go if you need to."

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking a bit bewildered and taken off guard. It was the most I had ever spoken in front of him after all. "I mean I can come in and-"

"I'm fine." I assured him, but he looked hesitant for a moment before giving a small sigh.

"Uh, well alright…I guess since everything has already been checked out I can just call the department and let them know you arrived safely."

I nodded.

"Ok," He said. "Well Mr. and Mrs. Cullen it was a pleasure to meet you. The department will be in contact with you shortly."

"Thank you, have a safe flight." Mrs. Cullen responded, and he nodded to her as he shook Mr. Cullen's hand.

"Isabella…take care of yourself alright?" He asked, giving my shoulder a small, awkward pat.

"Yeah, sure." I told him. We watched him pull out of the driveway and disappear through the thick trees, the car leaving noticeable tracks in the dirt road.

"Are you hungry dear?" Mrs. Cullen asked me then, suddenly at my side. "Alice and Edward aren't home, but if you're hungry there's no need to wait for them." Phil had told me the family I was going to stay with had two children my age, and I wondered briefly what they were like. My mom had always wanted another child, and over the years I had begged for a sibling, but they had given up trying after the doctors told them another child could put her at risk.

"No…thank you Mrs. Cullen" I told her, my throat suddenly dry and closed up. "I'm just…um, really tired."

"Of course." She said, her eyes growing concerned as she caught the hitch in my voice. "Oh, and please call me Esme, Mrs. Cullen is my mother-in-law."

"Yes, and you can call me Carlisle." Mr. Cullen put in with a small, knowing smile at his wife, "We'll show you your room then if you'd like Isabella, and you can take a nap."

"Thank you." I told them, offering a somewhat awkward smile. Carlisle picked up my bags and I followed them both up the driveway and into the house. It was just as elegant as the exterior, with an open foyer that had a view of both the living room and the formal dining room. The walls and furniture were all different shades of white, with dark wood and splashes of saturated color thrown in as accents. I followed Carlisle and Esme up the carpeted staircase all the way up to the third floor, listening as the explained where the kitchen was, the various bathrooms, and which rooms were occupied by Alice and Edward.

"Here we are." Carlisle told me when we finally came to a stop in front of a white paneled door. He turned the knob and pushed it open, gesturing for me to go in when I didn't move. I took a step forward and entered, my eyes scanning the beautiful room. The walls were a soft eggshell with a light green trim, and there was a large bed with a matching green comforter pushed against the far wall under the window. A matching dark wood desk and dresser set grounded the calm room and gave it a warmth.

I hated it.

"It's…beautiful." I whispered, not wanting to be rude and make a bad impression. It wasn't that I really hated the room, it was stunning actually, but it was so different from my room back home in Phoenix that I couldn't seem to grasp that it was mine. I didn't feel comfortable in this foreign space. It wasn't the room my dad had helped me paint over spring break when I fifteen, and it wasn't the room my mom had helped me decorate with lantern and photos. It was too perfect, one of those rooms that are so put together you don't even want to breath for fear of messing something up.

"I'm so happy you like it!" Esme exclaimed, walking up and pulling me into a hug and I froze at her touch.

"Me too." Carlisle said with a laugh as he set my bags down. "Esme has been so worried you would hate it that she has had me changing the colors in here every other day." I blushed at his words, glad in that moment that I hadn't let my real opinion slip from my mouth. They had done so much work on the space, I could at least be thankful for that. "Well we will just leave you to it." Esme announced as Carlisle put an arm around her shoulder. "The bathroom is right through there, and if you decide you're hungry I will be glad to make you something."

"Thank you." I told them, shuffling my feet and feeling a little awkward. "I really appreciate everything."

"Of course Isabella, anything you need…we know this must be hard on you." I nodded at Carlisle's words, not trusting myself to speak. I really didn't want to talk about that right then, it would cause everything to be just too much, and I refused to let myself cry anymore.

Crying won't bring them back. I told myself, trying keep the familiar blur from my eyes.

"Why don't we just talk about that later, Carlisle?" Esme said softly, "Isabella is exhausted."

"Yes of course. I'm sorry Bella I should have" He paused, looking unsure. "…have a good nap." They turned and left then, their steps echoing as they walked down the hall. I walked forward and shut the door, locking it before turning back to the room. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the door for a moment before giving a soft sigh and opening them again. I pushed away from the door and walked across the room to the soft looking bed, gently running my hand over the comforter. It was as smooth and inviting as silk. I took a deep breath before slowly climbing on and laying my head on the plush pillow.

I don't how long I laid there staring at the ceiling, but I must have finally fallen asleep because I suddenly jerked up in the bed sweaty and trembling. My vision was filled with images of my nightmare, and I had to wait a minute before climbing shakily out of the bed. The room was dark now, the trees outside the window casting eerie shadows across the walls, and when I glanced at the alarm clock that was perched on the desk across from me I saw that it was one o'clock in the morning. As I looked slowly around the room I felt suddenly trapped, as if the empty darkness and shadows were closing in on me. My breathing grew labored as I began to whip my head around, searching the blackened corners of the room, my heart pounding as my anxiety became more pronounced.

I have to get out of here….

I ran to the door, almost tripping over my forgotten bags, and threw it open wide. The lights in the hall were off, and I stumbled in the dark in search of the staircase. It was there somewhere , and for safe measure I kept my hand on the wall, feeling it as a guide until I suddenly ran into something hard. I let out a small cry and was pinned against the wall so fast my head swam, my heart dropping in terror as I realized a pair of hands were tightly gripping my shoulders. I shut my eyes tight, knowing that James' cohorts had somehow followed me here earlier today. We hadn't been careful enough. I was going to die. They had seen us. I was going to die…I kept my eyes shut.

"What is going on here?" Esme's voice suddenly broke through my hectic mind, and my eyes snapped open. The lights of the hall had been turned on, and I could see a muscular chest clad in a tight black sweater was heaving in front of me. I held my breathe and kept my gaze steady, slowly raising my eyes up to find a livid emerald stare burning into me.

Authors Note: Alright there you go. Sorry it took so long to update, but this chapter was kind of difficult for some reason. Plus it's extra long, so please don't hate me too much. ALSO PLEASE, leave a review and let me know what you think. I haven't really gotten a response for this story or my other, so I'm not sure if people like them or not, and I don't want to waste my time if no one is reading them. I know people favorite and stuff, and though there havent been much of those either, I appreciate it. Thanks sooo much. I HAD ALREADY UPLOADED THIS CHAPTER YESTERDAY, But I made a minor change and instead of just replacing the chapter with the updated version, I just decided to refresh it with a whole new uload.