A/N: I would just like to let all of my readers know that this story GENTLE TOUCHES is the very same as author ANIMAL8. As I adopted it from her earlier on this year, most of the chapters that ANIMAL8 had already created are being posted the same as I do not want to ruin the amazing work she has worked so hard on. I will be setting up a link to ANIMAL8 page so it will be accessible to new and old readers. I do hope that I can do this story as much justice as ANIMAL8 and I do hope that you enjoy the old and new chapters of GENTLE TOUCHES.

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Twilight

Gentle Touches

Chapter 3 – Alice's Hope (EPOV)

The morning came with surprisingly little drama. It had taken a few hours of being alone last night for the girl's breathing and heart rate to even out, indicating that she had slipped into sleep, and now Alice was waiting eagerly for her to wake up.

My sister was ready with some comfortable clothes to dress the child in after giving her a wash. I had to laugh when she grimaced at them, thinking about how unfashionable they were and wishing that she could burn them and use something more stylish in replacement.

Carlisle had spent time during the night doing research on psychological trauma and possible ways we could use to ease her back into a normal life. Esme was already mothering over the girl, planning what she could do in terms of clothes, food and comfort.

Even my other siblings, namely Emmett, though, had been thinking about her. Rosalie was still unsure of having her staying with us, and Jasper didn't think it was safe enough. It seemed that Emmett was the only one, besides Alice and myself, who was actually quite happy to have her here. He had begun considering her as the little sister that he could protect, because Alice would never allow him to treat her that way. It was as if her vulnerable state brought out his brothering instinct. I smiled a little at the thought.

I was happy, but I couldn't explain, even to myself, why I would feel that way. I knew there was a part, a very large part, which was delighted with the presence of this strange angel. That same part was the one that made my heart constrict whenever I thought about the condition she was in.

She should be waking up soon. Alice's thoughts notified me quickly, and I looked into her mind to see that she was standing outside the door to my bedroom, where the angel was staying. I wondered why she would choose to wait there instead of inside the room. She answered my thought before I had the chance to voice it. I saw that she would freak if I was in the room when she woke. She really doesn't like being near other people. I guess she just needs some time to acclimate to where she is before having to deal with my presence.

Her thinking made sense, but I was sad. This girl shouldn't have to be afraid, though she had every reason to be as she was living in a house with vampires, but she didn't know that. I sighed, and lay back against the pillow, my legs stretching the length of the bed. I had moved myself into the guest room while mine was being occupied.

Alice appeared at the door to my new bedroom wearing a sad look as she stared at me. I raised one eyebrow in question when she didn't speak immediately. "You have to stay in here when I clean her," she stated. I continued staring, still not understanding. "I saw that she is going to be terrified, but it will only make it worse if you come in there as well."

I winced, but nodded. Accepting my response, she left again. I followed Alice's mind as she returned to the girl's room, I wasn't going to pry on her, but I wanted to see her again. I had to admit, I was more curious about this strange girl than I cared to acknowledge. But then, who wouldn't be when they find a small child in the middle of the forest in the state she was in? At least, that's what I was convincing myself of.

I heard no sounds of the angel stirring, but the tell tale speeding of her heart and breathing let me know. Well that and Alice finally made her presence known in her room. A rough growl sounded and I saw through Alice that the child had backed herself to the edge of the bed, and was curled tightly into a ball, snarling softly.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Alice murmured quietly as she approached the frightened human slowly. She sat down on the other side of the bed, causing another sharp growl to be emitted from the girl's mouth. "It's okay," she soothed. Carefully, she stretched one hand out and touched her lightly on the leg closest to her.

The girl flinched so bad she nearly threw herself onto the floor. Alice pulled back, discouraged. "I wish I knew your name," she sighed, "Or at least if you could understand me. It might make things easier."

Still, the small girl didn't remove her untrusting gaze from my sister and I caught the fear that was hidden, masked behind the glare she was trying unsuccessfully to send. Alice steeled herself and reached out again, this time contacting her shoulder. She refused to draw back even when the girl jerked from her touch and began whimpering almost silently.

Alice shifted closer to her and a light tremor ran down her spine. Before I could warn her, my sister had a hand clasped around her arm, just above the bandages marking where her injury lay. The angel thrashed violently at the contact and Alice released her out of shock.

"Don't touch her arms if possible," I advised Alice, dismayed when I saw that the girl was now trembling even more frantically than before and her eyes looked wild as they flashed around the room. She looked so scared that I felt my heart react to her pain, clenching tightly.

I was aware of Alice nodding as she tried a different approach. She slid off the bed and moved to the side the girl lay on and scooped her up into her arms as she was trying to turn over. The girl wriggled and squirmed as she had done to me, but Alice was able to restrain her easily with her superior strength.

I left her mind once she entered the bathroom, not wanting to intrude, but I kept listening with my own ears. The door to the bathroom clicked shut softly, dampening the light murmurs as Alice continued to soothe the poor child. I sighed and wished momentarily that I was able to see her and see for myself how she was coping, though I could easily guess. All I had left to do now was to wait. Alice would let me know when I was needed again.

(APOV)

It was strange for me, seeing this girl curled up, so afraid of me, on the bed. I wanted to help her, I already felt as though she could be another sister to me, but the future wasn't clear on what would happen to her.

I didn't exactly know how to approach her, but I quickly learnt not to grab for her arms. Edward told me quietly that she didn't like that and I made a note to be more careful in the future.

Eventually, I had taken her into my arms and carried her into the bathroom. She struggled against me and it was a pitiful sight to witness; she was so weak and so afraid. I wondered what had happened to her. Never before had I seen anything like what this girl was displaying and it made me unsure. I didn't like that.

I paused once I was in the room with the door closed. I realised that I couldn't put her in the tub as it would make my job more difficult, so I placed her gently on the floor. The instant I withdrew my hands, she was curled into her protective ball again, trembling against the tiles.

Shaking my head miserably, I quickly darted around the room, gathering the things that I would need. I took a wash cloth and towels as well as various body products. This would need to be quick in order to reduce the amount of stress because it was obviously traumatic for her to have contact with anyone else.

Once I had placed these things within reach, I knelt down beside her shivering frame. She cringed away from my presence and tried to back into the nearest corner without success. Reluctantly, I tugged her legs away from her chest and began removing the clothes that she was wearing.

She tried to fight me with every movement, but was too weak to even crawl away, though that would have made no difference with my strength and speed. I was trying to be gentle with her, but it was hard, knowing that everything I did caused her distress.

I managed to pull her top over her head after some coaxing and soothing. The girl tucked herself around her torso, pressing her face into her knees so she wasn't even looking at me. I frowned at the state she was in beneath the clothes.

The bandages on her wrists were stark against the filth coating her skin, but even under that I could still clearly see the bruises and the way her ribs protruded more than normal and the dark marks under her eyes when she lifted her head a fraction.

"You're going to be okay," I assured her softly, "We're going to make you better." As I said this, she raised her head and met my gaze. It looked as though she had understood what I had said and I felt hope for the first time since seeing the state she was in. I reached out and stroked her hair back comfortingly, ignoring it when she flinched visibly.

With one hand I grabbed the cloth, dampening it before setting to work. I scrubbed away carefully with steady movements, removing more of the dirt each time. The girl had resumed her struggling in the instant I had started and I was disappointed to lose what contact I had managed to make with her, but it was necessary.

As I moved over her body, she began to still, but I was aware of the salty smell of her tears as they stained her cheeks. Tremors racked her body and she seemed powerless to prevent her reactions.

Finally, when I had cleaned the last part of her, I stepped away, allowing her a small reprieve. Now that she was clean I could clearly see the marks that marred her fair skin and I was horrified at how she had been treated.

I took the towel, a large fluffy one so she would be more comfortable, and wrapped it around her. She was quiet as I dried her, and she remained tense, barely flinching, though she still cringed into the tiled floor.

Now the hardest part came. I had brought some clean clothes in here before I set to work and I picked these up. With some effort, I was able to manipulate her into them and started towelling her hair.

When I picked her up again she jerked and whimpered, but didn't put up anything like the fight she had earlier. I guessed her energy had been spent for now. I laid her on the same spot of the bed she had been when she woke and stepped back, watching her.

She looked more comfortable now. She had resumed her tucked position and was hugging her knees to her chest tightly as though someone would try to hurt her otherwise. I wanted to help her so bad and I know the others did as well, at least Edward, Carlisle and Esme definitely. Emmett was sympathetic to her and I was pretty sure he wanted to help. Jasper was unsure, but he would do it for me and I had a feeling he would accept her as well.

Rosalie was a mystery, though. I knew she hated her at the minute and wanted her gone, but I couldn't tell if or when those feelings would change. My hopes were that we would help this strange girl recover from her ordeal and that she would eventually find a place to belong within our family.

I walked to the door and cast a last glance back at her vulnerable form. She had lifted her head and was watching me closely, though still highly suspicious and fearful of me. I wondered again if she understood me, and the felt somewhat certain as I remembered when I talked to her in the bathroom. It was like we had connected.

I felt hopeful now that, even without a vision, she would be able to recover. It would just take time and patience to get her there and lot of carefulness to not knock her off the path. She was so vulnerable and almost anything could set her rehabilitation back. We definitely needed to be aware of what we did around her.

A/N: I make no promises as to when I post new chapters…but I will do my best to make them as closed together as possible. Please remember to review as more reviews will get a faster posting of the next chapter.