At long last, here's the next chapter for you.

I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Two

Raising A Human Child

As I left Bella to sleep, I realized that I needed to get some information on who she was, her parents, relatives, anything that could help us figure out where to go from here.

Carlisle came in from talking to Rosalie in the garage. "Is everything alright, Edward?"

"Forgive me, but would you keep an eye on Bella for a little while? I want to check the area where I found her, see if I can find any identifying information that might help us. I didn't have the opportunity earlier. I needed to get her out of the cold, and didn't want to risk frightening her."

He nodded his head. "Of course, Edward. How do you suppose she came to be out there anyway?"

"It had to be a plane crash. I know there is some type of accident site out there, I could smell it, and I could smell... bodies."

"Hmmm...seems the only logical explanation. If it is legible, be sure to obtain the plane's serial & registration number as well. It will help identify who and where she is from. Be careful as well. If they were able to give their location before going down, humans could very well already be on their way."

"I will. Thank you. I'll try to be back before she wakes." I clasped his shoulder briefly, before leaving the house. I ran into the woods, feeling the heat from the sun as it touched me.

As I moved nearer to the place that I found Bella I took in all of the scents around me, searching for the metal and gasoline, and checking around the area to be sure no humans had found it.

When I found no traces of other humans, I located the plane and began my search. It was a small Cessna that looked to be relatively new. I didn't want to linger here, so I tried to be as quick and thorough as possible.

Three bodies remained in their seats, two males and one female. From the smell of their spilled blood, it appeared to be less than 24 hours since the plane went down. The enticement to feed was not there, but the similarities in their blood told me that these were Bella's parents.

It was hard to believe a little child had survived this carnage without a scratch. The plane was completely ripped in half and the rear compartment seemed to have burned away. I quickly searched the bodies for any identifying information. I pulled a wallet from the male who was not the pilot.

Charles Swan.

Hmm. This must be her father; they appeared to have the same color eyes and hair. Bella Swan. It saddened me to think that she no longer had her father or mother.

Shaking my head of those thoughts, I put the wallet in my jacket pocket and continued my search. There wasn't much else that wasn't burned or destroyed. Some papers and files, clothes, perfume, and a small teddy bear. The rather insignificant toy not only smelled of the regular fabrics of its design, but it was also covered in Bella's scent. It must have been hers.

Perhaps she would want the bear? I picked it up with care and glanced over the plane again to be sure that I hadn't missed anything.

When I was satisfied that there was nothing left for me to search through, I memorized the appropriate numbers from the wreckage and took off through the woods again.

I heard Jasper's thoughts as I neared home. He was not far from the house, trying to keep somewhat of a distance. His thoughts were mostly quiet, but he was afraid of slipping up around Bella. Although he didn't trust himself, I knew that if I could resist this temptation, he would be alright. This lifestyle was still a difficult adjustment for him, especially with his ability to sense emotions. His blood lust mixed with a desire to not be a monster generally left him conflicted, as he was now.

"Hello, Edward," Jasper said lowly, his back to me.

I came to a stop, considering how to ask my request. "Jasper," I said.

"Go ahead, Edward." He kept his back to me, staring out into the distance. I can sense that you're unsure about something.

"Okay," I let out in a sigh. "Can you find out everything that you can on a Charles Swan for me? I have some of his personal information right here." I took the wallet out of my jacket and handed it to him just as he turned around.

After he took the wallet from me, Jasper watched me briefly. "This has something to do with that girl doesn't it?"

"We need to find out everything that we can about this girl, to protect ourselves," I said tightly. I didn't like the look that he was giving me, the pointed thoughts rolling around in his head. "The plane she was in was a Cessna 182S. Looked to be around 2000-2001. Registration number was N647PD, and the serial number was 18280724. As soon as you can, please."

Jasper nodded his head. "I'll tell Mr. Jenks I need the information by this evening."

That was perfect. "Thank you Jasper."

You're welcome. He thought, before taking off.

Before going into the house I took in a long deep breath of air, storing it up so I wouldn't have to breathe when I came into contact with Bella. I ran the rest of the way to the house and went inside.

Everyone was basically in the same places that they had been when I left the house. Bella's steady heart beat continued to thump upstairs. I remembered the small bear in my hands, covered in her delicious scent, and brought it up to her. A reminder for her of her parents. Once I placed the bear beside her I watched her for a moment, intrigued.

The innocence of such a creature as her confused me, drove me crazy. It was such a strange feeling, the near incessant pull to feed from her, to kill her, coupled with overwhelming feelings of compassion and a fierce need to protect her. My body was at complete odds with my mind.

At that moment I needed a distraction from the mounting conflicting thoughts in my head and went down to the first floor. I sidled up to my piano and began playing. It didn't stop the flood of thoughts, but seemed to relax me nonetheless. My fingers automatically began playing Esme's favorite when I heard her car pulling onto the long road to the house.

I let the music take me over until the sound of a familiar thumping heart beat grew closer, returning me ever swiftly to the overwhelming conflict, the flood of emotions, and the fire in my throat.

I listened carefully as she came down the stairs, her steps light and small and...well, childlike.

And then there was a miss.

I had just enough time to slip out from behind the piano and catch her before she fell. Bella trembled as I held onto her.

"I sorry," she mumbled as tears streamed down her little cheeks.

"Shh. It's alright. See? You're okay." I tried to calm her down, tensing when she buried her face into my neck. Her scent infiltrated my senses, driving me insane as the flames engulfed my throat with thirst.

The front door opened and Alice was the first to enter the house, followed by Esme. She was barely visible under the massive amounts of department store boxes and bags.

Be careful Edward. She's just a child. Alice thought as she came in, weighed down by the bags.

I glared at her. "Thank you, Alice." ...for stating the obvious, I finished in my thoughts.

"Bella, dear, would you like to come with me to the kitchen? I'll fix you something to eat." Esme held her arms out to Bella.

Looking back at me, Bella had a questioning look in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip.

"Don't worry little one. I'm not going anywhere," I assured her before handing her over to Esme.

Alice trailed behind them as they walked to the kitchen. I can't wait to see you playing dress up with her.

I growled at her and rolled my eyes, her tinkling laugh echoing back to me as she entered the kitchen.

My eyes drifted to the kitchen and I listened as Esme and Alice talked with Bella. A small attempt to get her to open up, I supposed. Since she was distracted, I used the opportunity to slip out of the room. I needed the guidance of my friend, my father.

Carlisle was upstairs in his study. I hated disturbing him, but I really needed to talk to him about Bella. I was up the stairs and standing in the doorway of his study in the blink of an eye.

Ah Edward. I was wondering when you would to come up here? Carlisle smiled at me. "What can I do for you son?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, searching for the right words. "It's Bella, Carlisle."

He put his book down on the desk, folding his hands over it and arched his brow. "Go on," he prompted.

"There is just something about her… it's only been a matter of hours, but… I don't know what to do." I had never been at such a loss for words before in my life, it was maddening. "I saw the visions that Alice had about her. That she's going to stay as part of this family."

"Yes, Alice discussed the visions with me briefly. Her scent is strong for you, a serious temptation." It wasn't a question. His compassion and worry for our family was clear on his face. "Will this be too much for you?"

I gave a quick shake of my head. "I'm still not entirely sure. It's like a siren's call, but how could I ever possibly hurt such a small, innocent creature?"

Well, Edward, despite Alice's visions, the decision is still ultimately yours. If this will be too much for you, I'm sure that we can figure something else out for her, he assured me.

"That's just it. I don't think that I can." I sighed in defeat, realizing that this tiny, frail human had altered me in a way that I could not explain. The combination of her blood, the circumstances in which I found her, and the fact that I could not read her mind regardless of how hard I focused, were enough to ensure that I could not part from her. Not yet. I was vested already, tied inexplicably to the little girl with doe eyes.

I could see my bewildered expression in Carlisle's thoughts. He smiled kindly and came out from around his desk, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I suppose it is settled then. Perhaps we should speak with Jasper later, discuss a plan to explain how Bella came to us."

When I didn't leave, Carlisle sat down again at his desk. Is there more?

"A couple of the visions that Alice had," I took a moment, thinking over the right word to use, "disturbed me."

Carlisle seemed to be considering my words. I noticed that you had a very unpleasant reaction to what you saw. What is it that disturbed you?

I sighed in frustration. "Bella was older, at least seventeen, and she had eyes that were... blood red. Carlisle, she had become one of us."

And you don't want that. He stated rather than asked.

"She is an innocent child. What kind of monster would it make me to wish this life on her?" I felt myself growing angrier the more I thought about it.

Edward, there is a long time before such considerations need to be made. Try to concentrate on the issues presented to us now, today. Carlisle suggested.

"We'll have to be extremely careful around her. I'm unable to read her thoughts, so I won't be able to know her reactions to us," I explained.

How strange. Nothing?

I shook my head. "Not even glimpses."

"This has never happened to you before has it?" he questioned.

"No, never."

"Let me think that over. I've never heard of such a thing. It seems there is something inherently special about her." He turned toward his book shelf, glancing over the spines.

Special was an understatement. Again, I nodded and left his office.

Emmett was in the garage with Rosalie, trying to calm her down.

Jasper was pacing outside behind the house. He was thinking about the Civil War army code to keep me out of his thoughts. I hated when they did that, I had to work even harder to tune them out.

Slowly, I made my way into the kitchen where Esme and Alice were with Bella. I peeked around the corner, trying to keep quiet, and smiled at the sight before me. She appeared to be completely at ease in Esme's arms. Her heart beat smooth and perfect.

"Would you like some more, dear?" Esme asked Bella. Such a precious child.

"No tank you," Bella told her politely, munching on her sandwich.

She was such a small thing, exuding frailty and innocence. It was surreal to be around. Her dark brown hair was in such contrast with her pale skin, the membrane so thin I could see her blood moving.

When my throat burst into flames I left the room.

Just thought I'd warn you, brother, that Rose is in a foul mood. Emmett came inside and plopped down on one of the couches in the living room.

"Thank you." I let out an exasperated sigh as her thoughts screamed at me. "Keep your thoughts to yourself," I growled at her.

Emmett shook his head. Calm down, brother.

I snapped my mouth shut, forcing myself to maintain my control. Now was not the time to attack anyone. "Are you angry at me as well?"

He shook his head. "I don't understand why you want to have her around, but, I'm not going to question you, Edward. Besides, she's pretty damn cute if you ask me."

"You are much kinder to me than I deserve, Em," I thanked him.

"Yup," he settled back, barely paying attention as he turned the television on.

A giggle came from the kitchen. Bella was playing a game with Alice, unaware of the strategizing Alice was doing in her head as they continued. They both seemed to be having fun together.

Oh, the outfits I can get for her! She'd look absolutely adorable. Maybe I could design something…

My mind wandered for a while, contemplating whether or not I was going crazy. In a matter of hours, everything had changed for my family and me. Whether or not I had made the right choice in bringing her here seemed to be the only question plaguing me.

She would have frozen to death out there in the snow. I had no choice but to bring her back, right? If we could keep who we really were from her, perhaps she could have as normal a life as possible. She deserved to just be a happy human child. Could we keep her happy? Could we keep her alive?

Esme would definitely see to that. She was already quite taken with Bella. Her mothering instincts were on full alert. Carlisle was pleased to see Esme so happy, so I had no doubt that he would be a wonderful father to Bella. Alice, on the other hand, ugh, she had plans that I didn't want to think about. Her thoughts were going a million miles a minute, especially when she saw that Jasper would come around.

Rosalie was really the only one holding any resentment towards me and specifically, toward Bella. A protective urge rose up in me at the considerations she let slip through, and I stopped myself from growling at her. She may have been petty and angry, but she would never physically harm an innocent. With Emmett as a buffer, I figured that she would come around sooner or later. She was the least of my worries right now.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear the others come into the living room, but I was brought back to reality when I felt a warm, tiny body curl into my lap. I glanced around the room and noticed that it had gotten dark outside. It was late, and of course she would be tired. She was human.

Her scent nearly overwhelmed me, filling me before I had a chance to prepare myself. Alice made a move to take Bella, but I shook my head in response. No matter how difficult it was for me to be around her, I had to get use to her scent, that glorious scent that made my mouth pool with venom. That was a bad thought to focus on, so I took a deep breath and held it. Going without breathing wasn't so bad, just slightly uncomfortable.

Bella snuggled a little more closely into my chest, her breathing starting to slow, and her heart's rhythm steadying. She clung to my shirt. I kept myself rigid, afraid that I would either lunge at her jugular or wake her up if I moved so much as an inch.

You won't hurt her, Edward. Alice smiled, barely able to contain her excitement.

Rolling my eyes at her, I turned back and watched Bella as she slept. It was even more fascinating than it had been earlier that day. She squirmed a little and mumbled incoherently for a few minutes. A smile formed at my lips as I watched her. Apparently, talking in her sleep was a regular occurrence for her.

I wanted to continue watching her, but I knew that we had things to discuss as a family. So, I stood up with Bella in my arms and excused myself from the room.

"Take her to your room, Edward. She'll be more comfortable there," Alice said as I neared the stairs.

What did she mean by that? "Alice?"

"Don't argue, Edward. I'm going to win anyways," she giggled.

"For someone so little you can be so hugely annoying," I muttered, making my way up the stairs with deliberate slowness. My room was on the third floor and as I reached the top of the stairs I immediately knew that something was different. There was a new smell.

Oh, no. She didn't, she wouldn't. I opened the door and it was exactly as I had feared. With a quick rearrangement of my furniture, Alice had set up a king size bed in the middle of my room. It was wrought iron so that I could lay on it as well and not break it. The comforter and sheets were a soft golden color.

Placing Bella in the center of the large bed, I wrapped her up in the quilt and made sure that she was secure before heading to the door.

"Eggwart," she mumbled softly. My lips twitched as I fought the smile that threatened to come to the surface.

When I arrived downstairs, I noticed that my family was gathered in the dining room, Alice sitting in one of the chairs with a smug look on her face. I growled involuntarily at her, receiving a hiss from Jasper.

"Let's try and remain calm about this everyone." Carlisle was seated at the head of the table, his demeanor calm and in control. "In light of everything that's happened today, we have some serious decisions to make."

Jasper placed a thick manila folder on the coffee table and opened it. "Mr. Jenks faxed these to me about an hour ago. Her father's name is Charles Swan, as you know, and his wife's name was Renee Swan. Both Charles and Renee were only children," Jasper continued, flipping through the pages. "Both of their parents are deceased and they have no other living relatives. Neither had wills prepared, and only insignificant insurance policies were in place."

"This leaves young Bella here with no family?" Esme's thoughts were consumed with solace and sympathy.

"She will be a ward of the state of Washington if she is found. The plane has been reported missing, but they are searching about 280 miles southeast of here, where last contact was recorded. It's doubtful they will ever recover the wreckage," Jasper relayed the dire situation Bella, and all of us, faced.

I picked up the folder after he had finished and read over everything that he had collected, almost chuckling at the situation. It was almost as if she was supposed to be here, with our family. The circumstances of her own family, or lack thereof, were further cementing that course of action.

With a small gasp, Esme turned her gaze to Carlisle. "My dear, we have to do something. She has no family; I can't have her put into child services."

Carlisle rubbed her arm in a soothing gesture. "I know. Perhaps we can keep her with us, at least for awhile."

"How can you even consider having her live here?" Rosalie screeched. "What if the humans do find the plane and discover that she's not there? If they somehow managed to discover that we have her, they could come after us."

Emmett rubbed her shoulders. "Calm down, Rose."

She screeched again, "No! How could you be so selfish Edward?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, listening to what she was thinking. "Do you really want to call me selfish right now, Rose?" I didn't want to announce to the room what I had heard; her thoughts weren't mine to tell, but the jealousy and longing she had were not for her family.

"Fine, do whatever you want. But don't say that I didn't warn you!" She stood up quickly, knocking her chair back against the wall in her haste, and stormed out of the room.

"Alright, well from everyone else's silence I'm going to assume that you are okay with this decision," Carlisle stated rather than asked. He continued when everyone's attention was on him. "Okay, then. Jasper, please give Mr. Jenks another call. It seems we're going to need some credentials for Bella.

Jasper nodded his head. "I'll give him a call in the morning and let him know that I am coming."

"We can work out our story for how she came to live with us later," Carlisle sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Emmett finally spoke up, his voice booming. "Are we gonna tell her what we are?"

"No," I responded without hesitation. I wanted to keep her innocent for as long as possible. She would be too young to comprehend anyway. "She wouldn't understand."

It wasn't until I could see the sun rising in the kitchen that I realized we had spent all night discussing what we were going to do. There was still a lot that was left undecided, but we had time enough to figure it out. Once we concluded that the rest could wait, everyone went in there separate directions. I went up to my room, being sure to move around quietly so as not to wake up Bella, and settled on my leather sofa with a book.

Another day was about to start and I could tell that it was going to be interesting around our house for a while. I held my breath so I couldn't smell Bella's scent and read in the early morning light, waiting for her to wake up.

Thank you to my fabulous beta ECullenitis for making this chapter the best that it could be.