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 12 – Beginnings of Trust (EPOV)

The girl was perfectly calm now, with no hint of any pain in her features. I was still worried, but I knew I had to wait for Carlisle to check her so I just worked on not showing my stress to the girl.

I held her hand in both of mine, stroking gently over every part in soothing motions. She didn't show any aversion to what I was doing as she lay there and watched me. Her deep brown eyes, I had noticed, could give me great insight into her that my ability could not. When she was not on the defensive, I could read a lot of emotions there that her face did not reveal.

We went so long in silence, the only sound being the soft tones from the speakers and our steady breathing, that I was surprised when she moved suddenly. Her free hand lifted tentatively towards our joined hands, her fingers outstretched toward my hand.

I stayed as still as a statue as I waited while she debated with herself. I could feel the heat of her warm palm on the back of my hand despite the distance that remained between us and I had to fight the urge to reach out to her hand. This had to be her decision, I thought.

Slowly, her hand lowered until the tips of her fingers pressed cautiously to my cold, marble skin, immediately igniting the electricity. Her hand stayed there and I looked up to take in her expression. She was staring at my hand as if she was analysing it. Maybe she was noting the differences in my cold, dead flesh compared to hers, vital and alive, or wondering about the strange spark that sprang to life each time we touched. I know that I was thinking of the latter.

I watched in amazement as she ran a hesitant finger over the back of my hand and along my fingers, trailing back and forth a few times in a similar way to what I had done to her. She did this several times before withdrawing from the contact and tucking her arm close to herself again.

Her touch left a trail of fire across my skin that tingled even now that the contact was removed. I pondered that briefly, as confused by this as I was by my own emotional response to her.

I smiled when I noticed the perplexed look on her face as she glanced between our separated hands. She looked rather cute when she was concentrating like that. I was immediately shocked by that thought. When did I start thinking things like that? I wondered.

She raised her gaze to meet mine and gave me another of her small, shaky smiles. But what made me smile in return was that, in her eyes, she actually looked happy, and seeing that made me exceptionally happy as well. It was as if my emotions always matched hers. If she was in pain, so was I, or if she was afraid then I wanted to comfort her and protect her.

I didn't know what to think of my reactions since the girl had come into my life. I had never felt this way towards anyone before, not even my own family. It was true that I loved my parents and my siblings and mostly we got along really well, but this just seemed different in a way that I couldn't explain.

I had never felt the need to protect someone as strongly as I did towards this girl and I didn't even know anything about her. But she was already becoming important to me, worming her way into a special place in my still heart. I wanted more than anything to help her, to see her get better again. I wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh, her voice.

She hadn't spoken a word since we had found her. We didn't actually know if she was capable of talking, but I was confident. I knew she could understand us, so it was likely that she could talk as well. She just needed time. And I wasn't going to rush her, despite my own selfish desires. I was just going to be there and support her where she needed it.

The quiet wasn't uncomfortable, rather the opposite. It was peaceful, comforting in a strange way. We both lay together silently, my hand still holding hers securely while her fingers wrapped lightly around my own. I watched her, fascinated, and found myself absorbed in my own little world, consisting only of this beautiful angel.

I was so distracted that I didn't hear Alice's thoughts as she approached the room until she was opening the door. The angel immediately tensed and started growling as she stared over my shoulder to where I could sense Alice standing.

"Shh," I hushed her gently, stroking her hair and humming softly, "It's okay, it's just Alice, my sister." I wondered if she remembered how my sister had washed and dressed her and how that would affect her reaction to her. She didn't seem to like her being close, though that was possibly because she wasn't as used to her as she was to me.

Alice came around behind me, hesitantly walking closer to us as she watched the girl cautiously. Before I could warn her not to, she sat down on the bed on the girl's other side, causing it to dip under her weight.

The girl whimpered slightly and shuffled closer to me. She was trembling again, I noted. It was a reaction I hadn't seen for a while, only this time it wasn't directed at me. I felt a swell of emotions in my heart that she was coming closer to me for protection, but I pushed it away. I had to focus on her now.

My hand went to her shoulder, rubbing it reassuringly. "Hey, you're fine," I murmured, encouraging her to look up at me. When she met my eyes, I gave her a smile, my fingers carefully squeezing on her shoulder. She blinked at me purposefully and relaxed. My smile widened. She trusted me, I thought, amazed.

I could make out some of Alice's thoughts turning over in her head as she observed my interaction with the girl. I waited for her to say something, knowing it wouldn't take long. I was right. "It's strange the way she responds to you," she mused quietly. Her hand reached out to touch her.

"Don't, Alice," I warned, nearly pleading as I looked worriedly at the girl under my hand. She ignored me and laid her palm next to mine, slightly lower on her arm. The girl flinched away at the new contact and her trembling increased as she glanced at me fearfully. I resumed massaging her shoulder, hoping to reassure her.

"She reacts so differently to each of our touches," she continued, "I guess that's because she trusts you more than me." Her words sent a thrill of pleasure through me, but I couldn't focus on that yet. I was thankful when she took her hand back, but the girl didn't settle.

It took me another minute of quiet soothing before she finally relaxed. She moved further away from Alice, consequently bringing her closer to me. I was relieved that she was okay, but now that my worry for her was out of the forefront of my mind I found myself annoyed at my sister's intrusion into our peace.

"Was there a particular purpose for your visit?" I asked her, trying and failing to not sound irritated. I was running out of patience for her.

She shrugged at me, her eyes remaining on the quiet girl. "I wanted to see her," she mumbled, trailing on in her thoughts, she looks so vulnerable. She shook her head and looked back to me. "Carlisle will be home soon and he'll want to talk to you," she told me.

I nodded but glanced anxiously down and met the two brown eyes of the girl. As if she could read my thoughts, Alice added, "I can stay with her." I sent her a wary look and she rolled her eyes. "I won't touch her or anything," she promised, "I'll just sit here and maybe talk to her a bit."

"She might like that," I said, smiling fondly at the angel. "Have you seen anything yet?" I asked Alice, returning my gaze to her.

She smiled sadly, but answered. "I keep getting flashes, but they're all different. Sometimes I see her better and she's up and moving around the house. But other times, she's just like this, lying here and not moving," she shook her head and frowned in frustration, "I don't know what to make of them and there's no way for me to place the timing, either, which complicates things."

At least she had seen that the girl could get better, I thought. That was something more than we had before. "Don't beat yourself up, Alice," I told my sister, "It's not your fault."

"I know," she sighed. Her eyes blanked out in a vision then, but before I could ask she was already talking to me. "Carlisle will be home in two minutes. Why don't you go wait for him in his study?" She suggested.

I heaved a sigh and reluctantly sat up. The girl's eyes followed me, suddenly frantic, and I reached out to soothe her. "It's okay, I'll be back soon," I murmured, brushing my hand along her cheek, "Alice will be here."

She glanced over at Alice and then back to me and blinked. I smiled at her and nodded, happy that she understood, but I knew she wasn't comfortable with the situation. "Look after her," I spoke to Alice, "Please."

"Of course I will, Edward," she said exasperated.

I chuckled at her reaction. "Thanks, Alice," I said amicably as I stood up, going over to the door. The last thing I saw as I left the room was the girl's worried brown eyes watching me intently as I walked away.

My heart panged and I had the brief urge to turn around and go back to her. I couldn't stand to leave her when she was like that. But I had to speak to Carlisle so I forced myself to walk down the hall and to his study, which I entered and took a seat to wait.

It didn't take long for Carlisle to find me, but I spent that time thinking about the girl. I couldn't help but wonder about what Alice had pointed out to me. Was it really possible that she already trusted me more than the others? It shouldn't have come as such a surprise considering that I spent much more time with her than the rest of my family had.

The door opened and my adoptive father came in, smiling when he noticed me seated opposite his desk. "Hello, Edward," he chuckled, "I'm assuming Alice told you I wanted to talk?"

I nodded my head and smiled ruefully. "You want to do another examination of the girl," I stated simply.

Carlisle looked at me seriously for a moment before moving to sit at his desk, resting his elbows on it and knitting his fingers in front of his face. "You know that we need to check her more thoroughly, Edward," he said, "The last time I looked at her was quick, just enough for me to get a basic evaluation of her condition. But now, she's been here a few days and I need to know more. Alice has said she's covered with bruises under her clothes which I find very worrying. I think it is necessary to do this now."

I sighed. I knew this as well and I had been worrying about her condition frequently. This way we could see if there was anything that needed serious attention and decide what else to do.

"I also want to see about getting her to eat something," he continued, "She hasn't eaten anything since she arrived here a few days ago and we have no idea how long ago before that she last ate. But we'll have to be slow. It may take us a while to convince her, but she trusts you, which is why I want you to be there."

"I will be," I promised. Nothing would make me leave her alone, especially when I knew that she wasn't going to like what had to be done. I just hoped it wouldn't set me back with her again.

Carlisle nodded gratefully, looking at me curiously. "Thank you, Edward. That's all I'm asking for," he said. "And, of course, you're medical experience will come in handy," he chuckled.

I gave him a small smile as I stood up. "We'll wait until tomorrow," he called after me, "I think it would be better then." I nodded once and returned to my old room, feeling the anticipation build in me as I got closer to being with the girl.

When I opened the door, I saw that Alice had taken my place, where the girl could clearly see her, and I saw that the girl was watching her warily as my sister talked to her in soft tones. The girl was the first one to look up at my entrance and she looked relieved to see me. I smiled.

"It will be fine, Edward," Alice assured me when she looked up. She'll be fine, she added in her thoughts. I guessed she was talking about tomorrow and while I trusted her judgement, it didn't rid me of my worry. "I'll leave you to it," she looked down at the girl and then stood up and left shortly.

I watched the girl as she blinked at me and let out a yawn. I chuckled in amusement. "Why don't you go to sleep," I persuaded gently, stepping closer to her so I could sweep a hand through her hair.

She gave me a small nod, yawned once more, and closed her eyes tightly, slipping easily into sleep.

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.