Chapter 4: Nightmares Explained

Bella sighed as she was sitting on a tree limb, staring out at the backyard. Biting her lower lip, she looked back down at the ground. "Hey Bells," Emmett called.

"Hey," she answered smiling a little.

Emmett grabbed a branch, pulling himself up. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Good," she replied.

He pushed the bangs from her eyes. "No nightmares?" he asked.

"Not lately," she replied kicking her feet back and forth.

Just as Bella tried to move forward on her branch, she started losing her balance. Emmett reached out, grabbing a hold of her arm before she fell out of the tree. "Careful," he told her.

"Yeah an uncoordinated person sitting in a tree, not one of my best ideas," she answered.

Emmett chuckled as he reached into his shirt pocket. "Here," he told her, removing a purple Iris. Bella smiled a little as he put the flower into her hair. "Beautiful," he added. Bella started blushing, her eyes lowered to the ground.

"Um…thanks," she answered, clearing her throat.

Smiling, he sat back against the tree. "Hey Bells, do you mind telling me about these nightmares of yours?" he asked. She shrugged.

"They're not important Em," she insisted.

"Bella, you've been screaming from these nightmares," he answered.

She let out a sigh, closing her eyes. "Emmett, it's just a long story," she told him.

"I have time," he answered.

She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes. "They're about my previous foster parents. They weren't really the greatest people I have met," she told him. Emmett just sat on his tree limb, listening to her. She let out a sigh, tilting her head back a little.

"What happened?" he asked gently, his hand reaching to rest on her knee.

Letting out another sigh, she looked down at the bark of the tree. "You're lucky Emmett, you're so lucky that Anita and Don were the ones that had you and made sure to keep you," she murmured. She grabbed a hold of another tree limb, getting herself down from the tree.

Emmett jumped down from his branch and followed her as she was walking further into the trees. "Bella, talk to me," he told her following her.

"It's humiliating Emmett," she answered.

"This is me we're talking about. You know the guy who's been sharing the same house as you for the last two and a half months," he commented as he followed her down a hill.

Bella let out a yelp as she slipped and fell down the hill. Running down the rest of the way, he hurried over to Bella's side. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied.

Moving to help her up, he saw the scar on her stomach, making his bright blue eyes go wide. "Bella…" he started. Pulling the sweater down, her face was blushing deep red with embarrassment. "What happened?" he asked.

"She did it," she replied, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

"But…why?" he asked, trying to wrap his head around the fact that someone did this to her.

Swallowing hard, she had tears in her eyes. "They didn't care about me. They acted as if they cared about me but they really didn't. After mom died, I was sent to Jacksonville where I lived until I was I was eight. After that, they moved me to Chicago where I lived until I was nine. Then I was sent back to Phoenix where I stayed until two and a half months ago," she explained. Letting out a sob, she pressed her fingertips against her forehead, not caring her hands were covered in dirt.

Seeing her in so much pain tore Emmett apart. He couldn't understand how people could be so cruel. "They told my social worker such a stupid story. I was too much of a handful when I didn't do anything. I just sat in my room and read my books. I didn't hurt anyone," she babbled. She lied back on the ground, staring at the sky.

"All your foster homes were cruel?" he asked.

"No, just the last one. The other few couldn't keep me because of finances. I was sent to Phoenix because that was my hometown and they thought I would be better off there," she answered.

Letting out a shaky breath, there was silence between the two of them. "Victoria…that was my last foster mother before I was sent here. She was just cruel. She and her husband, James, were only in it for the money. Didn't care about me. I did everything I could to stay away from that place. Whenever I would come home, they would lock me in my room so I couldn't bother them and their friends," she explained. Emmett was lying on his side, listening to her. "Then one day…" she trailed off.

The tears were starting to form in her eyes again, making her sob a little. "She went completely crazy. She started beating me with her hands and fists. I don't even remember what happened after that because I passed out. I woke up in the hospital…three days later…hooked up to all these machines and everything. I had thirty-six stitches. Emmett she cut me and left me to die!" she exclaimed. Before she could say another word, Emmett pulled her into his arms, hushing her quietly.

"You don't have to say anymore," he told her, hugging her tight.

Crying softly, she wrapped her arms around his back. "I dream that she's still coming after me. Saying how I was worthless and I didn't deserve anything in life," she answered.

"That's not true Bella," he assured her.

He rested his forehead against the top of her head. "Oh Bella if only you knew how untrue that really is," he murmured.

"I'm tired of being afraid. I just want to belong somewhere. However, everywhere I go people stare at me; whisper about me. I'm weird and they keep rubbing it in my face that I am," she answered.

"Hey," Emmett started pulling back.

Wiping the tears from her face, he forced her to look at him. "You are not weird, you are far from weird," he told her.

"You sound so sure of that," she murmured.
"That's because I am sure," he answered.

Stroking her hair gently, Emmett smiled softly. Bella smiled back, letting out a sigh. "EMMETT! BELLA!" they heard Anita shout.

"I guess they're looking for us," he commented getting up from the ground.

Before Bella could stand up, she let out a shriek when Emmett grabbed her by her arm and pulled her up onto his back. "You are something else Emmett McCarty," she commented.

"Yeah I know and people seem to love it," he answered with a wink before he started running up the hill.

Anita was standing in the backyard when Emmett and Bella came back from the woods. Emmett was spinning Bella around in circles. The girl was laughing with her arms wrapped tightly around the young man's torso. "Come on you guys, dinner's ready," she called.

"Alright," Emmett answered as he carried Bella back to the house.

"You seem happier today Bella," Anita commented.

"Thanks, I am," Bella, answered.

Emmett gave his foster mother a wink before going inside. Tara was standing next to Anita, her arms crossed over her chest. "Come on sweetie, you'll learn to love her after awhile," she commented.

"Yeah, yeah," Tara muttered before going inside.

Shaking her head slowly, Anita smiled at Don before holding her husband hand and they went inside.

Later that night, Bella was sitting at her desk finishing the last part of an essay when she heard a knock on the door. "Yea?" she called. Anita walked in with a smile.

"Hey sweetie," she greeted.

"Hey," Bella answered.

She stood behind the girl's chair. "What's this for?" she asked.

"Social Studies," Bella replied.

"Ah, fun class," she commented.

"Not really," the girl replied slowly.

Anita laughed softly, stroking Bella's hair. "I hope I'm not much of a burden to everyone," Bella commented.

"Nonsense sweetie. Tara has always been the only girl in this house and she thrived on it. Don't worry, she'll get over it," her foster mother assured her.

Bella smiled a little before looking at the picture of her and her mother on the corner of her desk. "Your mother was a very beautiful woman," Anita commented.

"Yeah, she was," Bella, agreed quietly.

Sighing, feeling nothing but sympathy for the young girl, Anita hugged Bella gently. "No girl should ever have to go through that kind of pain," she murmured. Bella rested her head on her foster's mother's arm, biting her lower lip. "She would be so proud of you, for being so brave," she added.

"You think so?" Bella asked.

"Oh I know so," Anita replied.

She smiled a little, kissing the top of Bella's head. "Don't stay up too longer sweetie," she told her.

"I won't," Bella, answered.

Anita smiled, stroking Bella's hair for another minute before leaving her alone to finish her essay.

After finishing her essay, Bella got up from her chair, quietly sneaking out of her room after turning her reading lamp off.

Walking down the dark hall, Bella felt along the wall before she found the door she was looking for. Opening the door, she poked her head inside to find Emmett awake and reading a Sports Illustrated. "Em?" she called quietly. Emmett looked up from his magazine.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

She nodded her head slowly. "Can I stay with you?" she asked. Staring at her quizzically, he sat up a little.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied slowly.

Moving over, Emmett lifted his blankets up a little as Bella walked over. Getting into the bed, she curled up next to him as he turned his reading lamp off. "I just feel safe here, with you," she murmured. Wrapping his arm around her back, Emmett smiled as he rested the side of his head against the top of her head.

"I'm here whenever you need me," he assured her.

"Okay," she answered tiredly.

Smiling, Emmett stayed awake until he heard her even breathing, verifying that she was asleep. Closing his eyes, Emmett let out a sigh as he joined her in a peaceful slumber.