Title: In Need of Rescue

Chapter 15: She's Different

Edward's POV

(Italics=vampiric)

It was getting late into the night and I was almost late for my job. I quickly grabbed the leash at the door and looked around for Bella. I would find her normally outside during the start of the night. Humans have always been nocturnal so it didn't surprise me when she started to sleep during the day and stay up during the night. Back before vampires took over, they chose our night to be their day but now it was backwards.

I went to my backyard to see Bella sitting under the umbrella I had set up for her. She was looking at a book that I had, it was in vampiric- much like all books that are printed now, but she was still trying to read it. "Bella." I called to her.

She looked up and then walked over to me with the book in hand. She knew I went to my job five nights and then I had two nights off. Her confused face let me know that she didn't know why I was calling her while I had the leash in my hands. I grabbed the book in her hands, looking at it, "Wuthering Heights? Not a bad book." I said to her.

I had a whole wall dedicated to books in my house.

"Can I tell you a secret?" She looked excited as she got into the house. I closed the sliding glass door, locking it behind me.

"What?" I asked.

"I know it's illegal so I can't say anything. That's what Lizzy said at least, but she was showing me how to read. I know a few words already!"

I chocked over myself. I could be put into so much trouble if that had gotten out. Even now, if they learned that she could read, nothing good would come out of it. My job is looking for a chance to fire me and the cops aren't happy that I won a case. Even my neighbors were against me, "Uhm Bella."

"I know it's illegal but I'm so excited! I can point out certain words out of that book!"

This was falling apart already, if anyone knew, oh man. What was I going to do?

"Aren't you happy?" She asked.

I looked up at her, "Yeah of course I am. But it's illegal. You could be killed for knowing how to read."

"I know and I won't tell anyone." She smiled brightly at me. "I promise." I nodded.

"How much do you know?" I asked as I flipped through the book.

"Not much. I only know a few words. Tree, chair, elbow, toe. Lizzy said it will come in handy later on."

I didn't think Lizzy had a power but who knows, maybe she had something like Alice's gift. "I'm taking you with me to my job today. They want you to come by for a small check up."

That was somewhat of a lie. It wasn't small. They wanted to figure out why I couldn't read her mind. Carlisle offered to take up the position of trying to figure it out, I trusted Carlisle. I didn't care if they found anything out or not as long as she didn't get hurt in the process. She was safe from going through anything that would harm her or potentially kill her thanks to me owning her. I was happy about that. I hooked the leash to the collar. Darn leash laws.

"Remember, what I told you about public." I told her.

She nodded her head; I kissed her on the forehead making her blush.

I put on my sun glasses and then opened the door. It was still so blinding. I walked out to my car, I was so glad it was heavily tinted. I opened the passenger door having her sit in then opened my door and sat down.

I started driving down the road in silence. She seemed to stare in awe at the stores we passed by. There were few vampires out, some were out walking their pets, it was okay to walk your pet during the night due to the lack of vampires that are out at night. During the day though, it would get to harsh on everyone to have so many walking around.

I was still trying to figure out what Lizzy was thinking about when she taught Bella. Even if it was only a few words, it wasn't right for her to do. There are other vampires out there who can read minds, what if they can read her mind?

"Did Lizzy say anything else to you, other than the few words she taught you?"

"She said that I was special. She said that for some reason she knew she could trust me." Bella said.

"You know others can read minds?"

"She said my mind was different, that was why you couldn't read mine."

"What did she mean by that?" I asked.

"I don't know. She said that I was different for a human."

I veered off the side streets, going in a different direction.

"Did I say something wrong?" Bella asked.

"No, you are fine. I just have to find something out." I told her.

I slammed my car to a stop when we were outside of the pound. Lizzy had just released two human males to play in the fenced in area. "Stay in here." I told Bella as I got out of the car. I slammed it behind me, making Lizzy look up to see who it was.

"Lizzy" I called storming towards her.

"Hi Edward, glad to see you are on a lovely stroll with your pet." She smiled at me.

"Why did you do that?" I asked her, pushing her into the side of the building.

"Why would I do what?" She feigned stupid.

"Why did you teach her to read?" I asked her.

Lizzy's eyes got wide, "She told you? I told her to not tell anyone."

"Yes, she has started to teach herself. Why did you do it? Are you looking to get me caught?" I didn't realize that I was yelling.

"No, never. That isn't my goal. I just know there's something special to her."

"Special? What do you know about special?" I asked.

"Uhm, do you think you are the only one with powers? More vampires have them than you."

"You are saying you have one?" I asked.

"Duh, let me go and I can show you my papers." I then realized that I still had her pushed against the wall. I released her and allowed her to move her hand to her pocket, pulling out the papers that we all had to carry. Due to me working at the human farms, I had a higher up leadership when it came to me versus the pound staff. I could boss them around all I want, as long as I wasn't in trouble with the law.

I snatched them from her hand and read the whole thing; her power was that she could tell what other vampire's powers were. No matter how much they may try to hide it.

"What does this have to do with Bella learning how to read?" I asked throwing the papers back at her.

She caught them easily. "It's hard to explain right now." Lizzy said.

"Can humans show the power before they are a vampire?"

Lizzy looked down at the ground.

"Answer me." I yelled.

"Kinda, I mean I can tell but not as well as I can tell on a vampire."

"So now tell me what this has to do with Bella. Is she the first human that you had taught?"

"Between you and me, no." She said. "A lot of my humans here know how to read. It's my way of getting them to trust me. I teach them something they are told they aren't supposed to know and in exchange, they make me look good when the cops come by."

"You realize I can get you in trouble for you confessing that?"

She was about to speak when we heard a wolf howl outside of town. We both looked in that direction. "The wolves have been getting louder and more in tune with each other." She said as we heard another wolf howling.

"What does this have to do with Bella?" I asked again.

Lizzy just smiled still staring off at the sound of the howl, "Do you think the wolves are planning something?" She turned back to me with hopeful eyes, "I hope so."

"They haven't tried anything in ten years."

"Then we are overdue."

"Tell me what this has to do with…"

Lizzy cut me off, "I take care of humans in this pound. None of them are farmed; I keep them as long as possible here. They are fed decently and I have become good friends with a lot of them. Do you think the wolves will let me live if they fight this town?"

What was she drabbling on about?

She smiled at my confused expression, "Ask your girl, I treat the humans with the up most respect. I started the pound as a way to help the humans that would otherwise be terminated to be able to live. Do you think the wolves would let me live?"

"I haven't heard of a werewolf attack in seven years. Ten years since the war and seven years since a werewolf had attacked a vampire."

"Vampires are afraid of a werewolf, that's why we have the law that says vampires can't go outside city limits. Since I am on the outskirts of town, I hear howls more often. They are howling every four days. It used to be eight. Something is coming. I can't wait; I hope it comes as a surprise to the inner city parts of our town. I bet where you live, you can't hear the howls."

"What are you talking about?"

"A storm is coming! And you will either be with it or die!"

"What storm?" I asked. We then heard a loud crash come from inside.

Lizzy looked panicked all of a sudden,"I have to go, it's feeding time. My humans are never satisfied if I'm late for feeding time." I watched as Lizzy ran inside.

Bella was different? Lizzy could see it, I could see it, everyone could see it. I walked toward the car and got in. Bella was about to speak but opted not too as I drove off.

I looked over at her, she was different. Lizzy could tell. Lizzy knew something that I didn't- that was for sure.

I pulled up and Bella noticed the sign of the farm. She looked confused but didn't say anything.

"Just don't speak to any vampires and let them do what they need to do." I said to her.

She nodded.

I parked the car and we both got out. Lizzy had mentioned that she would treat the humans with the most respect possible, was I doing the same thing? What if she was right? Would Bella quickly tell the wolves that I was mean to her so that she could get away? Perhaps our small relationship that was kept secret was actually just built out of fear.

I brought her to Carlisle who was writing in his journal that he had started for his newest test subject…Bella. He was starting his hypothesis and what he was planning to do in order to figure all this out.

"Hey Edward." He said to me. Bella seemed shocked that he spoke to me in her language.

"Hey Carlisle." I said closing the door behind me. "What do you plan on doing today?"

"I want to take an MRI and a CT scan. I think that could help in taking out any physical barriers." He looked over at me for approval.

I nodded my head in approval. I then heard Carlisle ask me in his thoughts whether we should tell Bella what we were planning.

"No." I said.

He then asked how we should go about it then.

"How about we have her sleep?" I asked in vampiric.

Carlisle nodded, "Are you sure you just don't want to tell her?"

"No, I feel bad about this already."

Carlisle nodded, getting up. "Bella stand on the scale." He said.

She nodded; she already knew the scale from when she used to live here. She stood on the scale as Carlisle looked at the numbers. "You gained ten pounds, congratulations." He said to her.

It was true; she had filled out quite a bit while being at my house. Her cheeks didn't protrude like they used to and Alice told me that she noticed Bella's ribs not jutting out like they used too. I was very happy to see the change in Bella.

Carlisle easily did the calculations in his head and then got the anesthesia. I could tell he was rethinking doing this to her without telling her but I didn't want Bella to be worried or scared. The less she knew the better.

I looked at Carlisle as he stared at the small gas mask he held in his hand. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. I don't want her knowing anything."

"It's only an MRI."

I shook my head.

"Bella," He got her attention. "Please sit down on the table."

She nodded; I could tell she was nervous at what we wanted already.

"She's nervous, at least let me tell her that she won't be hurt."

"I won't let you promise anything that can't be sure." I told him.

He nodded. Bella was sitting down on the table now. I went over to her putting an arm around her which seemed to instantly calm her down, although I knew she could tell we were withholding some information from her.

Carlisle walked over to her with the anesthetic, still having an inner battle to explain but knowing that I didn't want him too. He slipped a mask over Bella's mouth; the machine still wasn't turned on.

She was about to take it off when I stopped her hand gently with mine, "Leave it." I told her.

"Just breath normally Bella." Carlisle said, "You will smell something a little odd, it's normal." He told her as he turned on the anesthetic.

I could hear her heart race a little but she calmed when I kissed her forehead.

Carlisle tried to pretend not to notice when I did that.

Bella's eyes started to get heavy as she started to rely on me for support. Carlisle stood there, trying to pass the time. Once Bella was almost asleep, Carlisle had me lay her on the table as he grabbed a small tube. I backed away as he placed it down her throat, so that she could get an ample supply of both oxygen and anesthetic to keep her out for most of the night. She still wasn't fully out as her eyes started to open again. This was a time that she wouldn't remember, even if her eyes would open and close randomly.

"It's all set." Carlisle said to me. "I think it's time for you to get to work. I will have her to you before your shift is up." He said.

"Thank you Carlisle." I told her.

"And Edward." Carlisle said.

"Yes?"

"You need to watch yourself."

"Watch what?"

"Just be careful what you do. I still see you all as my children and while I'm against violence. I will do whatever it takes to keep my children alive. And I mean anything." He told me.

"Sure." I said as I walked out to start my patrols.

I hope this chapter is long enough to suit your liking! I know it's been a while since I have updated. Sorry, I blame school and the fact that my whole life is in the lab that I have for my school. I'm growing cells! It's like having a pet but they don't love you back…kinda like a cat (I have two cats) You give all your attention and all you get back is having to clean their feces. Ugh! You guys are the closest I have to a social life, so please let me know what you think of this chapter. (Wow that made me sound sad)

Please review!