Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, I just like playing with them.

It was my third day at school and already my routines were falling into place, both at home and school. Very little ever changed for me. Sure the faces were different, but they didn't change a thing about my life. If anyone dared to befriend me, it usually didn't last long. However it did provide a bit of comfort while it lasted and I was thankful that I had friends at all. Angela and Mike were so nice, and understanding. They never pushed for more information or said anything to make me feel self-conscious. They were truly two good people. Under different circumstances I would have rejoiced in these friendships, but I learned to be cautious. Too many questions would be asked if I let anyone in too close. Then there was Alice, and her family. Alice was nice, but different. I didn't know if I was supposed to like her or be afraid of her. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up whenever they were around, warning me that there was something off about them. Their unnatural beauty and grace was dazzling, which made me feel strangely at ease. The two warring emotions were unsettling.

I noticed at lunch today that he was back. Edward Cullen, my Biology partner. I wondered if he would talk to me today, if he would be friendly like Alice and Jasper. I guess I would call Alice friendly. She was certainly exuberant and made an effort to befriend me. As Angela and I walked through the door of Biology, I looked over at my desk and there he was. His eyes found mine and I couldn't tear my gaze away from him. Not smart when you are as clumsy as I am. His eyes were swirling storms of amber and topaz, ringed in black. Absolutely mesmerizing which started the prickling sensation at the back of my neck again. I wanted to look away, but I felt compelled to hold his gaze. I felt pulled to him. A sharp pain jolted me from my bubble as I rammed my hip into the corner of our table. Ow. I winced and quickly sat down.

"Of all the times to be clumsy." I mumbled.

"Excuse me?" He leaned in, his sweet breath was intoxicating.

I realized he had asked me something and snapped my head up. "What?"

"I thought I heard you say something?"

"Oh, um... I'm hope you're feeling better. Alice said it was probably something you ate." I made something up quickly, though I was sincere. He let out a harsh laugh that confused me. My hands found their way to my mother's necklace and I began playing with the crucifix as I always did when I was nervous. Why was I nervous? We're just having a simple polite conversation. Ugh.

"I am feeling much better. Thank you for asking." He answered me and that was that. He sat back, disinterested in discussing anything further with me, and studied his notes. I was used to this treatment, but I still felt the sting, maybe a little more than usual. Probably because his sister had been so nice to me, I expected he would too.

Mr. Banner explained the lab for today and we worked in silence, making our own notes. I tried not to look at him, but I found my eyes straying to his perfectly chiseled features. I wondered if his skin would feel like marble, because it certainly looked like it. I wondered what he was thinking about. Why do you care? I mentally berated myself. He's just another face in another town who either thinks you are completely weird or couldn't care less. The bell rang, and I could feel him looking at me. I had no idea what he wanted, but I turned to him, trying to think of something, anything, to say. He looked like he wanted to say something too, but then he abruptly grabbed his books and took off out of the classroom.

"Bye to you too." I whispered as he passed through the doorway, once I was sure that he couldn't hear me. What was that about? Don't even think about it, you know what would happen.

Alice found me in the locker room again and changed in the bathroom stall beside me. Again she chose to be my partner in badminton. Once when I got a little too close to another student with my wildly out of control racket, she told me I should stay in the back corner. I knew she just wanted to help, and I wasn't offended. It was nice that she cared and that she obviously could tell gym made me uncomfortable. While we might not talk much, her actions showed me that she was thoughtful and kind. It wasn't so bad here in Forks.

The rest of the week played out in much the same manner. Life was about routines, rituals. Everything was falling into place easily. Classes were going well, and I spent my lunches talking to Mike and Angela. Edward still didn't talk to me in Biology, but his sister, Alice, continued to stay steadily by my side in gym class. The household chores fell into place as well. Each day I spent extra time on a particular room to bring it up to standards for my father. He was working now, and things seemed to be going as well as could be expected for us. New town, new house, new faces, but Charlie and I were the same as always.

Friday night I spent making sure the house was clean because Angela was coming over the next day. I knew my father would never let me go to her house or anywhere else with her if he didn't get to know her first. Since we had a project to work on for English, it was as good a time as any to introduce them.

Saturday afternoon when the doorbell rang, I almost danced to the door. Angela was going to join us for lunch and then we would work on our project for the afternoon. If anything, her presence would help take my mind of the dread that usually filled me on Saturdays. I introduced Angela to my father and then invited her into the kitchen.

"It smells wonderful in here Bella, like fresh baked bread." She beamed.

"Thanks. Saturday is baking day, and the first batch just came out of the oven." I filled the bowls with the barley and bean soup and placed them on the table, along with a basket of fresh bread.

Charlie cleared his throat, indicating he was ready to give the blessing. The conversation while we ate consisted of your general "get to know you" stuff. Angela and my father got along well. She helped with the dishes and then with Charlie's blessing we ran up the stairs to work on our project. When we entered my room, I was almost embarrassed.

"So this is my room." I blushed. It consisted of a twin mattress on the floor, one bookshelf, and a small desk. "I was going for the minimalist approach." I tried to turn my embarrassment into a joke.

She gave me a warm smile. "Don't be embarrassed Bella. It's fine. You know, out of anyone, I understand."

I gave her a tentative smile and gestured to the desk. "You can sit there, and I'll take the bed."

Both conversation and silence were easy with Angela. It was nice. We worked on our project and she asked me more about our lifestyle.

"So is your father a preacher then?" She asked.

"I guess he's as much of a preacher as any other man, but no he hasn't gone to school or anything for it. He just hasn't found a church he's completely comfortable with. There's always something that he doesn't agree with, so he prefers to stay home and teach me his own beliefs."

"Are you any particular denomination?"

"Not that I can tell." I shrugged. "My father's beliefs are more extreme than most churches, so he finds them too liberal."

"Do you mind talking about it?" She asked shyly.

"I don't mind talking about some of it. Other parts are a little too personal for my liking."

"Other than modesty and simplicity, what else do you do?" Curiosity shone bright in her eyes.

"Well, we're vegan. Which means we do not eat or use any animal products at all. No dairy, no eggs, no honey, nothing. I cook everything from scratch, and we try to eat completely organic. We don't watch TV, and my music selection is severely limited as I already told you." I let out a little laugh. "My days are filled with school and housework, and I'm not usually allowed to be idle. Which means I have no social life as I'm not allowed to just go hang out with friends or go to movies or anything like that." I frowned. "It makes it hard to keep friends."

Angela gave me a sad smile. "It must be difficult. But Bella, I'm your friend, even if it means I can only see you at school and come over here."

"Thank you Angela. That means a lot to me."

"Bella...are you happy?" She asked earnestly after a few minutes.

I shrugged. "It's not the life I would have chosen for myself if I'm being honest." She accepted my answer with a small nod.

We worked for a little while more, focusing on the project and then it was time for her to leave. I had to get supper on the table. I felt unusually tired and hoped that I wasn't coming down with anything. It was probably just exhaustion from moving in and getting settled over the past week.

"Thanks for having me over Bella. Maybe next Saturday you can show me how to make bread?" Angela asked as she was headed out the door.

"That's a great idea, it would be nice to have you over again." Charlie had joined us to say goodbye to Angela

"I'd love to." I told her. "Thanks for coming! Bye!"

"See you Monday!" She yelled as she got in her car.

I turned to my father after I shut the door. "Well?"

"Angela is very nice, I don't have any problem with your friendship."

I gave him a big grin, thankful that he approved of Angela.

~~**~~

Monday morning definitely came too soon and I felt much weaker than usual. My head spun as I sat up, and it took a moment for me get my bearings. We fast on Sundays, so I was sure that once I had something to eat I would feel better. Moving carefully, I got dressed for the day, and made my way downstairs as quickly as possible. I drank some orange juice while I put the oatmeal on the stove. The pain from my back was a dull burn, and I thought about asking Angela if she had any Tylenol when I saw her at school. My father didn't keep any form of medicine in the house, as he didn't trust modern medicine or doctors.

"Good morning Bella." My father greeted me, raising his eyebrow questioningly. Argh, his breakfast wasn't on the table yet. I seemed to be moving slower than usual this morning. I quickly placed his bowl on the table and poured him a glass of juice.

"Good morning Father. I'm sorry, I don't feel well this morning." I explained.

He appraised me for a minute and his set his jaw. "You will be fine Isabella. Trust in Him, confess your sins and you will be healed."

"Yes sir." I replied, through gritted teeth. We ate in silence.

I met with Angela and Mike before school as usual.

"Bella are you ok? You really don't look so good." Her expression laced with concern.

"I'll be fine. I'm just a little dizzy, probably coming down with a cold or something." I tried to reply lightly. My arms were aching from holding my books. I could make it through the day, and then take it easy tonight.

The day wore on and I wasn't feeling any better. My friends watched me with concern, so it must have been obvious that something was wrong with me. I just wanted to go home and sleep, but I knew that was not an option. At lunch I ate more than usual, trying to perk myself back up. In Biology, Edward was watching me intently, but I barely paid him any attention, laying my head on my arm as I took notes. He actually walked beside me to gym as if he was worried I was going to collapse, but he didn't speak to me. Alice met him halfway and it seemed like they were having some kind of silent conversation. I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me. I certainly did not want to participate in gym class today, but I didn't have a note. Briefly I wondered if Coach would let me sit out anyway once he saw how badly I felt. Most likely he'd want to send me to the nurse, and I knew I couldn't do that because she would want to call my father. Charlie would be furious if that happened. Alice didn't leave my side for a second, and thankfully we were just running laps today, which meant I could walk at my own pace. Mike ran a few laps and then joined Alice, walking on my other side. Then everything happened at once. I heard Alice gasp and turn to hold me in her arms. Blackness started fading in around the edges of my vision and I felt my legs give out. Mike realized what was happening and helped Alice lower me to the ground. Before the blackness pulled me under, I pleaded with Alice. "Don't tell Charlie." I saw her nod that she understood and then I let everything go. I was floating in a black pool of numbness.

The pain is what I felt first. Every inch of my body ached and I thought my head was going to explode. There was a loud ringing in my ears, and then a roar before I began to hear normally. My eyelids were heavy and as I started to open them, the light made me wince and keep them closed.

"Bella, can you hear me?" A smooth velvet voice asked from beside me.

My mouth was so dry, I tried to wet my tongue and my lips so I could answer. A raspy "Yes" found it's way past my lips.

"Can you open your eyes?" I felt cool hands on my face.

"Lights." I croaked, and instantly it was darker. I pried my eyelids open once more and blinked a couple times, willing the room to come into focus. Realization washed over me and panic set in.

"Calm down Bella, you're ok." A trilling voice spoke. Alice?

Finally able to focus on the faces around me, I saw it was indeed Alice. Edward was there, and another man with the same golden eyes, but blond hair.

"What happened? Where am I? Please tell me you didn't call Charlie?" The questions came tumbling out.

Alice's melodic voice spoke softly. "Angela's mother called Charlie to make sure it was ok if you came over to work on your project. He was fine with it, and there will be no repercussions."

"What? Angela's mother...how?" I was incoherent, struggling to piece things together.

Alice sighed. "I called Charlie and set it all up so that he thinks you are with Angela. He doesn't know anything else and believes you are there. I called Angela and let her know the cover story. Everything will work out, trust me."

"Ok. What really happened though?"

"You passed out in gym class. Though honestly Bella, you shouldn't have gone to school today. Everyone could tell something was wrong." She admonished gently, and I started to object, but she went on, refusing to let me interrupt. "This is our father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

"Hello Bella." He was watching me with concern.

"Oh...no.. I..." No doctors, absolutely no doctors! "I need to go." I tried to sit up, but the room started spinning again. Dr. Cullen gently lowered me back down.

"You really should remain laying down for a little bit. I understand that your father has informed the school that he refuses medical attention for you." His eyes narrowed. "That is his right of course. The normal school procedure would have been for them to call him when you collapsed. However, you asked Alice not to tell him. Your coach was aware of the situation and when Alice told him she would take you home, he allowed her to leave with you. She brought you to our home instead because you had not regained consciousness. There is no reason for Charlie to know you are here, and I want you to know that anything we discuss does not leave this room."

My addled mind was trying to catch up with his words and make sense of them. "So...he thinks I'm at Angela's....and everyone else thinks I'm at home. But I'm here, and no one is going to tell him otherwise?"

"Right." Alice stroked my hair gently. "You're safe Bella." I felt the tiniest bit of relief.

"Bella, when was the last time you saw a doctor?" Dr. Cullen inquired.

"I...I don't remember. Years." I answered quietly. I didn't miss their reactions, especially Dr. Cullen's.

"Alice, Edward, please leave us." He commanded.

"Bella, you are safe. You can trust us." Alice whispered in my ear before leaving the room with her brother.

Dr. Cullen had gotten up and paced over to a desk. I looked around the room for the first time, noticing I was in some kind of office. Dark wood bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books. A large mahogany desk was scattered with papers, files, and books. I was laying on a brown leather couch. He turned to look at me again with a look of deep concentration, returning to his seat next to the couch.

"Really, I'm sure I'll be fine. I should be going, I have to get dinner started and..." A cool hand pressed on my shoulder urging me to stay laying down.

"Bella, do you share your father's...ideas? When it comes to medical decisions at least."

"Um...I...I guess not. But it's not like I've ever had a choice in the matter." I'd never had anything more serious than a broken arm when I tripped down the stairs, and he took me to a doctor then. Otherwise, I was left to heal on my own.

"What if I agreed to take you as a patient under the strictest confidence. No one would have to know." He sat down in front of me.

"I guess if I ever needed a doctor that would be fine. But, I'm fine really. I'm sure it was just a dizzy spell from not eating."

"Why weren't you eating?"

I groaned. This is why Charlie didn't want me to see a doctor. They had too many questions!

"We fast on Sundays." I replied curtly.

"Bella, tell me more about your eating habits."

"We're vegan. We eat organic when possible, not that there is a huge selection here for that. Um...three meals a day." I shrugged.

"Do you take supplements, or vitamins?" He was starting to look angry. I really had to find a way out of here, but I simply shook my head.

"No, if he doesn't believe in doctors, what makes you think he'd let me take vitamins."

He stared at me incredulously before taking a deep breath. "Bella, do you understand how unhealthy that can be?" I nodded. I knew. There wasn't anything I could have done about it. I had no money of my own, I would have had to steal them.

"If you will let me, I will help you." Dr. Cullen pleaded.

"He can't find out, ever." I whispered vehemently.

"Why? What would he do?" His hard, penetrating stare told me he already knew more than he was letting on.

I kept my eyes down. "Please."

After a few moments, he relented. "You'll let me help?"

I nodded. "Is something wrong with me?"

"I can't say for sure, as I need to do blood work. Given your diet, symptoms, and appearance though, I'm pretty sure you're most likely anemic and deficient in vitamin B12. How long have you been vegan?"

"As long as I can remember. So basically I just need to take a couple vitamins and I'll be ok, right?"

"If this what it is, then at first you will need daily shots of B12, then the shots can be spaced out. They do have sublingual tablets I can give you later. For the anemia, a supplement would be fine. I need to take blood to know for sure though. But you have to understand, than if not treated, these things can be quite serious."

"Shots? Daily?" How would I ever be able to manage that. Just the thought of all those needles made the room tilt at an odd angle.

He nodded. "Will you let me help?"

"Do I have a choice? I mean if I refuse you would probably just report us to the cops or something, right?"

After some hesitation, he replied. "I could, but I won't do that. So yes, you have a choice. But it's in your best interest to let me treat you. You really don't want to keep going down this path. All of this is completely off the record."

"Ok." I agreed.

"Can you promise me something in return?" He asked gently.

"Maybe?"

"Will you try to talk to your father about you both seeing a doctor? Maybe you can give him some literature on the dangers of these issues?"

I shook my head. "You don't understand. You don't know what he's like. If I even brought it up..." Too much information Bella! My mind screamed at me. I looked down, my hands nervously fidgeting with my necklace again.

"It's ok Bella. I'm not going to push you, but I hope in time you'll trust me." He gave me a knowing looking.

Nodding, I decided to change the subject. "So you said you needed to take some blood. Can you do that here?"

He chuckled dryly. "No, not here. I'll need you to come to my office at the hospital." I opened my mouth to tell him that was impossible, if anyone saw me and my father found out... "I can take you in the back and no one will see you. There will be no file with your name or anything."

"What time is it? What time am I supposed to be home?" I asked.

"It's just after four, we can have you home by five-thirty?" He supplied.

"That's fine. He doesn't get home until after six."

"Let's go then. Alice and Edward will come with us, and they'll take you back to your truck." He gently helped me into a sitting position. "Just sit for a minute and make sure you're feeling ok." After a minute, he helped me to my feet. My legs were still shaky and my body felt unnaturally heavy, but I could walk. Alice hovered by my side as I descended the stairs, just in case. She'd seen how clumsy I could be in a normal state and wasn't taking any chances.

I rode with Dr. Cullen in his black Mercedes. The soft leather was comfortable and I closed my eyes, wishing for sleep. Edward and Alice followed in his silver Volvo. The ride was short, and true to his word, Dr. Cullen took me in through the back of the hospital and we didn't come across a single person. Alice and Edward waited in the Volvo. Dr. Cullen left me in his office so he could go gather whatever he needed. The day felt so surreal. I'd been dizzy and weak all day, stumbling around in a kind of haze. Waking up in a stranger's house really threw me for a loop, and the whole time was the underlying terror that my father would find out. I've known for a long time that I should be eating differently or taking some kind of supplements. I'd tried to bring it up with my father once, and only once, and I would not be making that mistake again. I thought I would be ok until I could get out of there when I turned eighteen. Obviously, I needed help. I could not live another eight months feeling like this, and if it got worse, then I could be in serious trouble. Maybe I could trust Dr. Cullen, he seemed sincere in really wanting to help me. If this all worked out, then it would be worth it. I just had to dodge any more serious questions he may come up with, because if he knew or even suspected, then my whole plan would be ruined.

Dr. Cullen came back into the room with an armful of supplies. I gulped and felt my heart rate accelerate as I realized he'd be sticking a needle into my arm. He flashed me a sympathetic smile. "You don't like needles do you?" I shook my head, sure that my eyes were as wide as saucers. "Don't worry, it's just a pinch and it will be all over."

He pulled his desk chair over to me and started laying out the supplies on his desk. He slid the sleeve of my shirt up and wiped the crease of my elbow with an alcohol pad. "Ok Bella, why don't you look at that painting over there, you don't want to watch this. Just breathe." I felt him find the vein and I tensed every muscle in my body, squeezing my eyes shut waiting for the pain. "So, what do you think of Edward?" His question surprised me and in that moment of confusion he slid the needle into my arm. I stared at him with my mouth wide open and he smirked. "Distraction usually works."

Then I realized what he had done. "Oh..." What did I think of Edward though? He was certainly beautiful, but it's not like I'd had a chance to get to know him since he refused to really talk to me. He seemed to watch me though, and I wondered why...

I felt pressure on my arm and Dr. Cullen was grinning as he put a band-aid over the small puncture. "That was quick." I said.

"As I said, distraction usually works." The corner of his mouth started twitching and I had no doubt he knew exactly who I had been thinking about. I gave him a half-hearted glare.

"So now what?" I asked.

"Well I should have the results back tonight. Can you find a way to call me or come by tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I can't use the phone at the house, and I don't have a cell. If Alice has one, I could use hers at lunch maybe?"

"That will work. We'll figure the rest out then. Do you think you'll be ok to drive?"

"Yeah. How long will I still feel like this? I mean I can't keep passing out everyday...and what about gym?" I groaned and put my head in my hands.

"It may take a little while before you feel like yourself again. If you'd like, I can write you a note for gym, or speak to your coach."

"No, that's probably not a good idea. If he knows I'm seeing a doctor...well if it ever came up, that would not be good. I'll be ok."

He nodded and scribbled something down on a scrap of paper. "Here is my number. Please call me if you need anything at all. Any time of day or night."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen...for everything." He clasped my shoulder with his cool hand and smiled.

"Call me Carlisle, and it's my pleasure." He pressed his hand to the small of my back, leading me back out of the hospital. I slid into the passenger seat of the Volvo and Edward pulled out of the parking lot, driving me back to my truck.

"You ok Bella?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. I just hope I feel better soon."

"Me too. You're not mad then?"

"Mad?" I asked.

"You're not mad at me for taking you to my dad?"

"No Alice, I'm not mad. Thank you for everything."

"Well I just want you to know we're here to help. If you need anything, or just want to talk, please don't hesitate to ask." She offered sincerely.

"Thanks."

Edward still hadn't said anything to me, giving the road his full attention. He pulled into the school parking lot next to my truck and I reached for the door to get out.

"See you tomorrow Bella!" Alice chirped.

I returned her smile. "Thank you for the ride Edward." He nodded his head in acknowledgement.

As I was getting into my truck, he rolled down the window. "Take care of yourself Bella." He gave me a small smile and then drove off.

Well now, was that so hard? I thought to myself with a little grin.

I was filled with peace and dread at the same time as I drove home. Thankfully I had leftovers I could fix quickly for dinner, so it would be ready by the time my father got home.

Dinner was on the table when he came in the door, and as Alice predicted, he didn't question my afternoon activities. After I cleaned up the dishes, I retired to my room for the night, planning to work on my homework. The next thing I knew it was two o'clock in the morning and my neck was stiff from sleeping hunched over my desk. I quickly changed and slipped into the bed, drifting off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

A/N: Let me know if you'd like to hear any other POV, or if you like the Cullens' motives being a mystery. I've written some from Edward's POV, but I haven't decided if I want to add it yet. Everything will be revealed in time, so I don't want to give too much away before Bella is ready. Thanks for reading!