Warning: Contains non-sexual spanking. Don't like, don't read, don't flame.

Disclaimer: Do not own Twilight in any way shape or form.

A/N: Wow you guys, thanks so much for all the positive reviews I really appreciate them! They make me wanna keep writing!

Chapter 5: More Questions than Answers

Carlisle's POV:

I held my daughter close to me, praying that my presence would be able to keep the nightmares at bay.

Nightmares, I thought sadly. So this is what has caused her to look so rundown. Judging by her appearance and her conversation with Charlie, I would have to deduce that these nightmares have been going on for a while. But then why has Edward not mentioned anything? Charlie did say the nightmares ended when Edward returned, but if they had Bella would not look like this. Edward has been gone only 2 days, and yet Bella looks as though she has not had a decent night's sleep in weeks.

The longer I pondered, the more I began to think that Bella was keeping these dreams to herself. I sighed. It would be a very Bella thing to do, to not speak with anyone of her nightmares so as not to worry them. Perhaps she did speak to Edward, and he was told not to speak to anyone else about it.

I shook my head before sighing once more. This night was full of more questions than answers. Why had Bella not come to me after injuring herself? Even more worrisome, why had she left? What had happened to cause her to leave in such a hurry? And what had she been thinking driving with a head wound, especially as exhausted as she was.

My heart seized up at the image of Bella's truck heading for a head-on collision with another vehicle. I had not been sure I was going to make it in time. I shuddered at the thought of what would have happened, had I not. Images of Bella's broken body coursed through my head, causing me to pull Bella closer to me. I listened intently to her heart beat, and her breathing. She is alive, I told myself. She is alive.

What was going on? I thought desperately. What had driven my little girl to do such a foolish thing? She had obviously been panicked by something, but why had she not come to me? I could not help but feel hurt. It seemed as though Bella did not trust me as much as I thought she did.

My thoughts began turning to the events of the day. I could tell immediately when Bella called me this morning that she was not well. I should have come to see her right away, I thought disgusted with myself, instead of leaving her on her own. Bella always puts her health as a low priority. I should have realized right away that there was more to the story than she was telling me.

I had spent most of the day worrying about her, so I had come here earlier than I had said only to find her gone. I had not been that concerned at first, thinking she may have gone to the store for something, but then I had smelled her blood.

Flashback:

I quickly ran to the kitchen and noticed there were drops of blood on the counter and floor, leading me to believe that Bella had hit her head.

Deeply concerned I immediately pulled out my phone and called her cell, only to hear a ring come from behind me. Looking behind me, I quickly spotted her phone on the table, next to a note to Charlie saying she had gone out for a drive.

What? I thought perplexed. Bella would never just go for a drive, especially when injured. I looked at the mess in the kitchen, and at the hurriedly scrawled note. Bella had left in a hurry; she was running… but from what? I need to find her, I thought extremely concerned.

Glancing once more at the kitchen, I hurriedly cleaned up the blood and cleaning tools. It would not do for Charlie to come home to this. Throwing the note away, and grabbing her cell, I quickly set out in search of my missing daughter.

Finding her scent had been fairly easy since I was so attuned to it. I quickly set out following it, searching for any sign of a red truck. I had just passed Port Angeles when I spotted her car sitting partly in the left lane, and partly in the right. At the same time I also noticed that my daughter was fast asleep, and another car was coming towards her with no intentions of stopping. The driver was searching for something in his car, so unaware of what was right in front of him.

"BELLA, WAKE UP!", I screamed in warning. If I had been alive, my heart would have stopped beating at that point. Running as quickly as I could, I grabbed onto the side of the car the oncoming driver could not see and pushed the car out of the way. After the other car had gone by, I practically ripped the driver's door off the hinges in order to check on Bella. Giving her a quick once over I noticed she had no major injuries, so I pulled her into my arms comforting her as she promptly burst into tears.

End Flashback

The last time I had felt such fear was when I thought I would lose my son to the Volturi. I truly thought for a second that Bella was going to die; that I would not arrive in time. At the speed the oncoming car was going death would have been instantaneous, and there would have been nothing I could have done. I put a hand over my mouth to choke back the sob that was threatening to escape at the thought of losing Bella.

She is safe, I consoled myself. She is alive and safe in your arms. I ran my hand through Bella's hair before softly caressing her cheek. She looked so fragile right now; as if a gust of wind could knock her down.

She is safe, but not well. I had been shocked at the state she was in. Bella had bloodshot eyes, dark rings under her eyes, and was as pale as me. She was also thinner than the last time I had seen her, which had only been a week and a half ago. Something was seriously wrong and I was going to find out what it was. How had Edward not noticed this? He should have told me something was wrong, so I could have stepped in before this got out of hand. Bella's nightmares obviously take a serious toll on her, so she needs to speak with someone about them. And are these nightmares in any way connected with her hasty decision to leave? I bit back a groan. Can things never be easy for Bella?

My musing was abruptly halted when Bella began to scrunch her face, as if in pain. I frowned disappointedly; she was having a nightmare. She whimpered quietly and my heart broke at the pitiful sound. I immediately pulled Bella onto my lap, and began rocking her slowly, while humming an old lullaby from my youth to her. I watched in amazement as it seemed to work. Slowly, her whimpers ceased, and her face relaxed into a more content look. I sighed in relief when a small smile finally graced her features.

What is Bella dreaming about that affects her so? She has been so strong and brave though all the trials that have been thrown her way, what could possibly scare her so much? Perhaps, this last incident with the newborns and Victoria had been too much for her? I should have made more of an effort to see her afterwards, I thought guiltily. She has shown no fear when faced with the horrors of my world, so I have grown used to taking her bravery for granted. But perhaps, her fears are manifesting themselves in a different manner? Bella is a very private person, so perhaps she has tried to suppress her fears or doubts so much that they have manifested themselves into these nightmares. I would have to wait until morning to know for sure. Whether Bella liked it or not, she was going to have to talk to me.

I continued my musings until morning, when around ten Bella began to stir.

Bella's POV:

I awoke, feeling, if not well, more refreshed than I had in a while. I blearily noticed that I was lying on top of someone. Confused, I looked up into the concerned face of my father. Memories immediately rushed back to me, and I lay my head back down in embarrassment. He knew, I thought despondently. He knew about my nightmares and he was going to force me to talk.

Thinking about my nightmares made me suddenly recall something interesting about last night. I had been in the midst of one when all of a sudden a beautiful tune had entered my subconscious. The sound had filled me with so much love, that the nightmare had completely dissolved away, and I had found myself in the comforting and protective arms of my father. I looked up at my father once more, but in gratitude.

"Thank you", I softly mumbled. At his confused look, I expanded, "You stopped my nightmare last night with that tune you were humming to get me to fall asleep… I've never heard it before, where did you learn it?"

I watched as my father's expression closed off for a brief second before he smiled at me warmly. "I don't know what it is called, but I learned it when I was a little boy." I stared, astonished at his words. I knew next to nothing about Carlisle's human life, so to hear him speak of it had me instantly captivated.

Carlisle chuckled at my expression before continuing with his explanation. "There was an old woman who used to take care of me when I was very young. The thing I remember most about her was her kindness and her voice. She had such a kind, loving, and soothing voice. I always thought that if my mother had lived, this is what she would have sounded like". I watched silently as my father stared off into space, lost in his memories. "It was this woman who taught me the melody. She used to hum it to me every time I had a nightmare and every time my father…" he trailed off before looking at me with a wry smile. I stared back, wondering if I really wanted him to continue, but in the end my curiosity won out. "Every time your father…", I prompted him.

My father studied me closely, and I was at the point of apologizing for asking when he took a breath and began speaking. "My father was an intolerant man, and I was nothing more than a burden and a disappointment to him. He used to punish me often and harshly for actions he deemed unworthy of a pastor's son. I could do no right in his eyes", he said with only a hint of bitterness. How horrible, I thought. How could anyone treat Carlisle so harshly, especially his father? How could he not be proud of the wonderful, caring, intelligent man his son grew to be? I voiced my opinion to my father and he smiled warmly at me before kissing me on the forehead. "You are very kind Bella", he told me softly before continuing his tale.

"The old woman would always hum this tune to me after one of my father's punishments. It would always soothe the emotional pain I felt, and relax me until I fell asleep. I always felt loved and safe when she would hum me that tune." Carlisle stopped at this point, but I had a feeling there was more to the tale. "What happened to the old woman?" I asked quietly, causing Carlisle to grimace.

He took a deep breath before speaking in a quiet voice. "I cannot recall exactly why it happened, but I do know that the old woman did something to enrage my father. Whatever it was it cost her, her life. My father had her declared a witch and she was burned at the stake shortly afterwards. I was devastated at the loss."

I stared in shock and horror at my father. How could anyone be so cruel? "How old were you?" I asked softly.

"Seven", he replied shortly. I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes at the thought of what little Carlisle had to have gone through. At the thought of what pain he must have felt and endured as he grew. Carlisle immediately noticed my distress and with a guilty expression he pulled me into his arms and apologized profusely. "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to upset you so. Please don't cry"

"How could someone be so cruel?" I questioned tearfully. "Oh sweetie", Carlisle responded sadly, "I truly do not know. I never should have told you that story".

"No, don't be. I'm fine. I'm sorry, I just can't imagine how h-horrible it must have been for you…" I trailed off looking into my father's loving eyes. "Oh Bella, you have such a tender soul", he said lovingly while stroking my hair. "Please do not shed another tear for me. I have moved past these events, and they no longer hurt me as they once did. Please Bella, I hate to see you in such a state".

I slowly got myself under control, and gave my father an embarrassed smile. He replied with a bright smile of his own before pulling me into a hug. "I am glad I was able to help with your nightmare Bella", he murmured softly to me.

A/N: So, what'd you think of the small look into Carlisle's past. Not much is said about Carlisle's dad in the books, but I did get the feeling he wasn't a very nice guy. The thought of Carlisle still being such a great and loving guy even after having an abusive father shows a great strength in character. Anyways, hope you're enjoying the story still! As always, PLEASE REVIEW, especially you people who are putting this story on story alert or in your favorites. It doesn't take but 1 minute to write, good job, or I hate your guts. Frankly, I would prefer if you wrote positive reviews, but to each their own.