A/N Thank you to everyone for the fabulous reviews... Love you guy.

Rescued.

Chapter 4.

After we stripped off our clothes it never once occurred to me that this was weird, I was naked in the bath with a little girl I didn't really know, but for some reason it just felt right. I needed her close to me, and I certainly didn't want to be away from her while I soaked, I had to know that she was safe, maybe it was the residual memory of seeing her being swept down the river or something, I wasn't sure. All I was sure about was that I had to stay close to her, too keep her safe, to protect her. I washed her hair whilst she hummed sweetly, I helped her out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel before quickly washing and getting out, wrapping myself in a towel. I dried Pumpkin and myself off and we went to snuggled up in bed, I had never been protective over anything or anyone before, but that was how I felt about this little girl, I couldn't even consider being away from her, and I needed her to be able survive my time in this hell hole town. Esme had laid some night clothes out for my Pumpkin, and she had left sandwiches for us, Pumpkin only ate one before she curled up with her head on my lap, she was out in seconds.

"Do you want me to move her to her room?" Edward asked from the door. Some time later.

"No, she's fine."

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Of course." I said, I peeked at the clock, it was a little after seven.

"I can't thank you enough, for what you have done for her... for me, today." he said sadly, he seemed so broken, as he sat near me on the bed.

"Believe me, I am just thankful that I was there." I said, "She's your niece?" I asked.

"My twin brother, Masen and his girlfriend Kate were killed in a traffic accident, they lived in Chicago, I hadn't seen Vanessa since she was a baby. Masen named me as Vanessa's guardian should anything happen to him. She doesn't even know me, that's why I came home, so I at least I had mom and dad's help, I don't have the first clue what I'm doing." he said, shaking his head. "She'd have died if you hadn't been there and done what you did."

I automatically reached over and placed my hand over his on his knee, "you just have to do what you feel is right, no new parents know what to do really, and believe me you can't be worse than mine." I said with a small smile which he returned.

"Thanks." he said.

"For what?"

"Just thank you, you're here trying to help me out when clearly you have... parent issues of your own." he said tentatively.

"Oh you have no idea." I said, moving my hand and rubbing my stiff neck.

"Shove up." he said, I looked at him questioningly, "Move forward a little." he said and I did as I was asked, he slid down behind me and started to massage my stiff neck and shoulders. "Damn you're a mass of knots back here." he said, I knew that, I could feel them.

"Doesn't your.. um girlfriend.. wife help with Pumpkin, I mean Vanessa." I asked, "sorry that's personal, forget I asked." I said, I only spoke to stop me from moaning out loud because of what his hands were doing to me, unfortunately my brain filter was obviously still water logged.

"Actually I don't mind, you can ask me anything, and no, we broke up, she thought a kid would put an end to our social life, so she gave me the ultimatum, Vanessa or her." he said.

"Is there no one out there that understands the true meaning of family?" I said disgusted.

"Well I was beginning to think that, but you are slowly restoring my faith." he said. "So what happened. If you don't mind me asking?"

"With what?" I asked confused.

"Your family."

"You mean you live in Forks and you don't know?" I asked with mock horror.

"I haven't been back here since I graduated high school." he admitted.

"I had to come and live with Charlie when my mom died, and I started dating Jake Black, we had been together for six months, the day we were supposed to be celebrating my graduation I found him with my step sister, and my stepmother, and my father, they were." I had to pause, I didn't want to remind myself of the picture I'd seen when I walked into the living room that day. "Well lets just say I caught them in a very compromising position." I said and left it at that.

"Oh come on, you can't say something like that and not tell me the rest." he said leaning around me, his eyes alight for the first time. It actually made me laugh.

"Thank you." I said.

"For what?" he asked.

"Well the shoulder rub for one, and for making me laugh, I haven't done that in a long time." I admitted.

"Any time, you have a cute laugh, you should do it more often." he said. "So are you going to tell me?" he asks. I sigh and my head slumps. "If its too much, you can tell me to get lost you know." he offered.

"Its not that... I've never actually told anyone, that would kind of make it too real, and I have been trying to forget it for a good three years." I admitted.

"So you have let something that they did to you, eat away at you, for the sake of what? those that don't deserve you? Speaking as a doctor I think it will be of great benefit to you to release your pent up feelings." he said.

"Wow, you really want to know this tasty bit of gossip don't you?" I asked, and I felt him put his face in my hair, and nod with a chuckle.

"Charlie hates me, throughout high school he was always finding me parked somewhere I shouldn't with some girl." he admitted.

"Well I hope he didn't learn this from you." I said. And I mean it.

"Oh come on... um.. Bella," he paused seeming unsure about using my name, "you have to tell me now."

"Okay, but if this gets out, I will be hunted down and shot." I said, where Charlie and Jake are concerned I wasn't sure if that was a joke or not.

"I'm not going to tell anyone Bella." he said and for some reason I believed him, maybe foolishly... but I did, and I was not one to trust anyone.

"Okay firstly you have to understand that neither of my parents wanted me, and they used to argue over who looked after me, so basically I was never shown any affection growing up." I said and his hands slid down my shoulders and snaked around my waist.

"That's awful Bella, I'm sorry you had such an unfair upbringing." he said nuzzling in my hair again, it was very distracting, but I had to admit I liked it... a lot. Asides from hugs from Angela and Alice, I'd never had this close an encounter with any, well maybe Jake, but he never made me feel cared for... not once, yet Edward holding me this way made me feel it. Maybe it was the combination of his closeness along with the feelings of motherly love I felt for the sleeping child on my lap, I felt protective and protected.

"It was worse when my mom died because my um... Charlie had no choice, he didn't want me here." I said my voice monotone as I recited my past, his hold on my waist tightening and he pulled my back against his chest. "I met Jake, and he showed me with what I thought was affection, it was something I had never received from my family, I thought he actually loved me, so stupidly I let my guard down and allowed him access to my feelings, what I didn't know was that he was just trying to get to my step sister." I admitted. Edwards breathing was loud enough now that I could hear it, I thought I even heard him growl. "Anyway long story short, on the day they were supposed to be at my graduation, well I came home and found them... well I'd rather not remember it, but they were all naked, Charlie, Sue, Leah and Jake, all... um, connected in some way. I kind off ran to my room, packed a bag and left, I hadn't been back to Forks since, well until my damn boss insisted I come here whilst she's busy with this wedding." I said, then sighed deeply, there I'd said it, and he was right I felt better for it. "I swore then, I'd never let another person in as long as I live, but I have broken that promise now." I admitted.

He was silent for some time before he spoke, "Bella there are still some good people out there, you just need to find someone who deserves you, I know there is someone out there for you... why have you broken that promise? Have you met someone recently?" he asked.

"I met this gorgeous person, and I think I fell in love with her at first sight." I said looking down at my pumpkin sleeping soundly with her head on my lap.

He chuckled, "Yes she did that to me too, hopeless under her spell from the second I set eyes on her." he said and rested his chin on my head, wow he really was tall. I felt warm and relaxed, and I found myself leaning into him, and before I knew it light was flashing on my eyes, I cracked my eyelids open slightly to see it was the light from the window flashing through the trees as they moved in the wind.

"I don't remember sleeping that well before, or for so long." Edward said, almost making me jump off the bed, I hadn't notice that I was lying with him wrapped around me.

"Me either." I admitted, I could feel my cheeks burning.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you, well I didn't mean to fall to sleep with you either, but after sleeping so well I can't complain." he said. "Though this does break all you rules." he added, a smile playing on the edge of his lips.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well, we just met, and we've already slept together." he said, and I had to pull the covers over my head to hide my blushing face, it was weird I just felt so at ease around him, almost like we had been friends for years and the familiarity of being so close to him was just... normal, comforting even.

A/N So what do you think so far? Thoughts on what's going to happen?

Charlie and Jakes secrets revealed :3 think I'd be scarred by that too! LMAO

I'm off to work on the next chapter... Happy NEW Year to you all