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Chapter 31
Bella POV
I had a pretty peaceful dream last night considering what happened yesterday. For some reason, Emmett was in a rabbit suit eating brussels sprouts while trying to make me eat some. He promised it was ice-cream afterwards and I frowned because I knew he was lying.
After my particularly bizarre dream, I woke up, once again cuddled against Edward's side which made my heart flutter. This whole 'keep feelings a secret' thing was getting harder. I tried to stretch, only to realize that I was extremely sore. Police. Jane. Walk. Be strong. It all came back to me in full force as me eyes automatically flickered to the photo frame beside my bed. I took a deep breath. I will no longer cry; if I can't be strong physically, I will be emotionally.
"Bella?"
Edward's smooth voice captured my attention.
"Are you hungry?"
He asked bluntly.
"No, not really…" I trailed off, confused
by his different behaviour.
"Come on, you need to eat." He
took my hand and led me downstairs while supporting most of my
weight. He wasn't as patient as he usually was, he was…
fidgety.
"Is something wrong?"
"No." He answered
curtly. I started to panic. What else could have gone wrong? What
else can I lose? The Cullens. It struck me in the face. Were they
sick of me? Edward took in my expression and immediately the concern
I knew so well re-appeared.
"I'm sorry. I promise everything
is fine." It was now my turn to be curt as I simply nodded once and
headed to the kitchen where all the Cullens sat. Esme place French
oast before me and I picked at it lightly. Carlisle cleared his
throat.
"Bella, there is something we need to tell you."
Whenever Carlisle spoke in this tone as the head of the family,
something serious was going on.
"Another secret?" I squeaked
and Emmett chuckled half-heartedly.
"It's the last one-
promise." He said.
"One thing we haven't told you about
vampires is that we are immortal." Jasper began and I nodded for
him to continue, instead, it was Rosalie.
"You remember how you
told us a family found you on the street when you were a baby and
just put you up for adoption?" I nodded puzzled.
"It's a
lie." How would she know?! "They were forced to give you away.
They really wanted to keep you." Rose whispered the end and I
gasped.
"You, you – you?" I stuttered like an idiot.
"We
found you Bella." Esme said softly. I stared at her through bleary
eyes for a moment before I said the first thing I could think
of,
"Mom?" Esme beamed and stepped forward to embrace me.
"Oh
Bella! I am so terribly sorry we left you!" Faded images passed
through my mind of long ago and I turned to look at a hurt Rosalie
incredulously.
"You too! You TOO! You were also a mother to me!"
I wept remembering soft and gentle touches. Rosalie became
euphoric.
"You remember." She sighed.
"I always
have." I said confidently. "My dream. It always started with you-
all of you." I said bewildered. It was abnormal for a human to have
memories from such a young age, especially when they are all mixed up
together. However, mine weren't mixed. I had clear stages in my
childhood and each stage gave me memories, even if they were
murky.
"You called me Bellsy." I said looking at Emmett. "And
you honey." I shifted my gaze to Jasper. They both nodded with a
small smile.
"Wow." Was all I managed to say. Years of
unanswered questions had finally been solved and I definitely felt
overwhelmed.
"Bella, I know this is a lot to take in. Just calm
down darling and we will explain the rest." Carlisle said
softly.
"Okay." I whispered.
"You w-wanted to keep
me?" I asked uncertaintly.
"Of course we did! You were taking
away by this social worker, this Sharon." Esme spat the
name. " And we tried to find you and then you just disappeared! And
when Carlisle finally found your new name-" I cut her off.
"You
found me? As in, moving to Forks wasn't a coincidence?" I
asked unbelieving and slightly mad.
"Why didn't you tell me
sooner?" Rose looked at me pleadingly.
"We wanted to, really!
But we were so afraid you would reject us or not believe us and it
was so obvious that you just needed some friends!" I mulled it over
and couldn't deny that it made sense.
"It's okay, I
understand." I sighed.
"You are just 'okay' with it?"
Edward spoke for the first time since the conversation
began.
"Yes."
"How?" He asked incredulously.
"Well,
I mean sure, it is a bit strange. But I feel relieved above anything
else. During the past few years, it seemed that your faces in my
dreams was the only thing keeping me safe. The only thing keeping me
sane. When I first saw you in the cafeteria, when I saw my 'angels'
I could have died from shock. Bu now, I have really found you and I
know what you are. It didn't bother me that you were vampires who
could kill me by simply blowing in my direction so why should it
bother me to know that you actually are family?" Edward
looked at me in awe as Esme and Rose sobbed.
"You are
amazing." Edward muttered and I blushed.
"Just one thing." I
asked, suddenly extremely vulnerable.
"Anything." Jasper said
confidently and the stupid tears started rolling down my cheeks. Only
this time, they poured straight from my heart.
"Please don't
leave me again." I cried pathetically. They all seemed too upset to
answer with Edward looking as some one was burning him. Emmett
eventually crouched before me and took my chin gently so that I
looked at him.
"We promise." He said simply and sincerely. He
didn't try to deny or defend their departure, he just accepted it.
I lurched forward into his arms and clung to him needily. I needed
him as a proof of reality. I needed him as my big
brother.
"Thank you." I whispered and Alice hugged me from
behind followed by Edward and Jasper and pretty soon the whole
family.
"Group hug!" Alice exclaimed happily and I laughed at
the situation.
Here stood an orphan who lost her birth mother followed by her adoptive mother. She also lost her father and she mourned that loss, because she lost him long ago. This orphan lost her father when she was merely a few months old before he lost himself. This same orphan now stands at the core of a loving embrace from no other than seven vampires, but not only that; she stood with her family.
There was only one thing left to do, only one thing left to say.
"Will you adopt me?"
Voila les cheris! Aww, some nice brotherly love ;) Sooo what do you think? Thanks for reading and just keep doing your thing!!! =)
