AN: A massive thank you to Jane Dee for Beta'ing this chapter and Michelle Spencer for pre-reading it for me! You guys are the bomb thank you.

Warning: This story contains a lot of different types of abuse and violence so please be warned before continuing with this chapter.

Hope you enjoy xx

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Two
Part one: Awakening
-*-*-*- Three days later -*-*-*-

Bella had slept so profoundly, that when she slowly drifted out of that deep slumber, she thought that she either hadn't dreamt, which was unusual for her, or she had dreamt that she was floating in utter darkness, only anchored by the hand that was holding her own. Strangely though, the hand interchanged between calloused and powerful, yet feverishly hot fingers or soft, fleshy, almost silky-smooth, also warmer-than-average fingers. Both hands had the same firm grip. During these fleeting moments, someone would sing softly to her, in a language she didn't understand, ranging from a deep baritone with an almost majestic ring to it, to a deep husky one. Both voices had the same pained undertone to them, yet it was so melodic, it was as if an angel were whispering in her ear. At different times, it seemed to Bella that the angels' voices were conversing together, sometimes different deep voices would speak or a feminine voice or two would join in. The angels were too far away for Bella to make out their words, it just seemed like a whispered murmur in the wind. At other times, she could feel both of the hands around each of hers, grounding her, as if they were secretly worried she might float off somewhere beyond their reach.

These short evanescent dreams made no sense to Bella and as she began to stir she could only remember the pain that encompassed the beautiful singing, not the voices or even the lullaby. For some unknown reason, she was positive that's what it was. Bella had a sense of déjà vu wash over her when she heard it in her dream-like state; transported back to a time of being a small girl, in a room she didn't recognise. She was being sung to by a beautiful lady, but the more Bella tried to recall these memories, the further they slipped through her grasp, like grains of dry sand.

Beginning to rouse, Bella suddenly felt the weight of the world come crashing down onto her. The overwhelming fear she felt every morning, threatened to drown her yet again. Bella wasn't ready to wake and face whatever torrent of anger Edward was sure to deliver today. Yet, she knew if she didn't get out of bed before the alarm, she would no doubt infuriate him, and she loathed starting the day like that. She knew from past mistakes that the day would only get worse, whereas if she could have his breakfast and coffee on the table, plus be showered and suitably dressed before he came down, he at least would leave for work moderately happy. She cringed, knowing she better get a move on before he woke, otherwise he would expect her to perform her wifely duties. The thought alone made her skin crawl like a thousand cockroaches were under her skin, digging their way out. Her eyes flickered as her body shuddered, and a loud buzzer blared besides her. It startled her and sent her into a panic, attempting to open her eyes simultaneously, while swinging her hand out to swat the alarm clock. The most agonising pain shot across her arm and rib-cage with her movements. One of her eyes wouldn't unclamp no matter how furiously she tried to pry it open. The other eye, she was sure was open but everything was pitch black. Panic swelled in her throat, a scorching sensation blazing through her, as her senses slowly came back to her. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire… at least, what she could feel of it. She couldn't feel her legs, they were numb, and her arms wouldn't move. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. But, oh! The pain that ripped through her!

A warm hand touched hers, gently.

"Bella! Bella? It's okay. Try to calm down, please," a woman's voice asked her calmly, "I know it's hard, but you have to calm down."

Bella was beginning to hyperventilate. She had no idea why she couldn't move, see anything or talk. And who was this person talking to her, and telling her to calm down, as if everything was normal and she was just overreacting!

"You have no idea how relieved we all are to see you're finally awake, Sweetheart."

Finally? Bella thought. She had only been asleep a few hours, hadn't she?

The alarm stopped blaring harshly beside her. Suddenly, light blinded her right eye, as something was removed from her face, tugging slightly at the skin around her eye.

"There we go, Sweetie, is that a bit better? How are you feeling?"

Bella tried to turn her head to see who was talking to her and reply, but she yelped instead, as yet another agonising spear of pain tore through her neck, head, and jaw.

"Oh, Honey, don't try to move or talk just yet, okay? That's my fault. Always talking, never thinking." The strange voice muttered, more to herself then to Bella, as she fiddled with something that Bella couldn't see. "You've suffered a lot of nasty injuries, so you need to rest. No moving or talking, just yet. Okay?"

This time she had turned around, and held something in her hand as she spoke. Bella looked up to see who the girl speaking to her was, but she didn't recognise her. She did however, recognise the nurse's uniform and the thermometer in her hand. Bella tried to get a good look at her, but she busied herself checking Bella's vital signs. It wasn't until she had finished that she finally stood still beside the bed, so Bella could finally get to see they mystery woman. She looked about Bella's age, maybe a year or two younger. She was extremely beautiful with the darkest brown eyes Bella had ever seen, which were framed with long ebony lashes. Her skin had a gorgeous deep tan to it, and glossy raven black hair plaited into a French braid. She smiled at Bella, a kind, wide, toothy smile, which wrinkled the corners of her eyes. Bella could see the pity gleaming from them. It was the same look Bella had grown used to seeing, but she still felt the same shame as the first time she had been on the receiving end of this look. Allowing her good eye to close, and struggling to sink further into the pillow, she attempted to block out the sympathetic look she knew all the nurses and doctors would give her.

"I'm not going to vanish just because you closed your eyes, Honey," Bella gave a strange noise that sounded nothing like the sigh she had intended, "if that was the case, my fiancé would walk around with his eyes closed all the time," the nurse spoke as if she was confiding a big secret before giggling to herself. It would have been infectious, if Bella wasn't in so much pain and wanted to be left alone. The bed dipped a fraction, not enough to hurt Bella with the movement, but sufficient enough that Bella opened her eye to see why. The nurse was leaning towards her, holding a cup of water with a straw up to her lips. She spoke softly, as if she was worried she may startle Bella. "Try taking a few sips. It may hurt at first, but it will help. You have an IV drip in, too." Bella's face contorted at the mention of the IV, but regretted it instantly, as torturous pain made her face spasm. She couldn't respond to the girl's constant chattering, even though she very much wanted to. She seemed nice enough, but Bella desperately wanted to try and explain how she got here, to take that look of sympathy of the nurse's face.

And what? she thought to herself, Lie again? Make up even more excuses for the injuries, rather than face people's pity... or their questions, if they knew the truth.

"I'm Lori, by the way. I'm your nurse for the day." Bella's eye flicked to her name badge as she spoke, recognising the hospital name right away - Forks General. How had she gotten here? Bella began panicking once more, not only was she mysteriously in Forks, but she couldn't remember which surname she had given. Normally she would use her maiden name, never did she give her married name. Yet, she was praying she hadn't given her maiden name, either. That name, like her married name, would stand out in the small town of Forks. She prayed they hadn't found her driver's license or ID. The nurse had called her Bella, not Isabella, so surely that meant she had given them that name - no one else would have used Bella. Even Edward would have called her Isabella, or a fake name altogether - but then again, when had he ever brought her into the hospital? He would sooner leave her in a puddle on the floor.

The nurse, Lori, must have seen her confusion… or maybe she was just filling in the space with her friendly chatter, as she began to speak to Bella again. "I was here the night when you were brought in. Would you like me –ah silly me, let's try something shall we? Can you lift a finger or a thumb at all?" Bella managed to raise her right thumb, slightly. Lori seemed pleased.
"Good, okay, so I'm going to ask you some questions and you lift your thumb for a yes. Can you do that?" Bella raised her thumb slightly, making the young woman smile at her enthusiastically.

"Would you like me to plump your pillows?" Bella raised her thumb.

"Great! Shall we see if we can raise you a little, so you're not lying flat?" Bella kept her thumb up.

"Brilliant, how about we sit you up?" Bella raised her thumb again, before it fell quickly with the effort.

"How about some television?" This time Bella remained immobile, "Okay how about the radio?" Again Bella remained motionless.

"Okay, what if we open these blinds, so you can see out? You have one of the best rooms; it has a perfect view of the forest, lucky thing!" Bella lifted her thumb as high as she could manage making the nurse laugh.

"Okay, you've got it, Sweetheart." Lori moved around Bella, helping her to sit up with the remote and plumping her pillows. She angled the bed a little, so Bella could see the pretty view out of her hospital room. Lori chatted about nothing in particular, but the constant chatter was actually nice to hear; it had been a long time since Bella had a normal conversation with anyone, besides the cashiers at the shops.

Lori checked her watch, before looking at Bella, a brief flicker of sadness flashed across her face. "Right, well, I have to go do my rounds, but I'll pop in as often as I can. If you need me press this button okay?" Placing a remote under Bella's hand, ensuring Bella's thumb was resting over the help button.

Left to her thoughts, Bella's mind began to gradually recall excerpts of how she had ended up at Forks General. She felt her cheeks and pillows dampen with the tears she couldn't control, as the realisation that Charlie was dead hit her all over again. Finally able to mourn for her lost father, slowly the events of how she had ended up in Forks began to come together. Dredging up numerous different occasions over the last four years that she had ended up in one hospital or another, Bella had no idea how much time had passed when Lori came back in. "How you doing, Sweetie?" Bella tried to give the smallest jerk of her mouth, hoping it would look like a smile, but gave up and gave her a twitch of her thumb instead.
"Good, good. Well, I have a surprise for you. You have a visitor."

Bella's heart, which was still being monitored, raced with her surprise and then alarm, making the machine blare loudly twice before becoming a loud ringing. Bella's face must have shown her terror and fear, as Lori rushed to turn the machine off. No one knew Bella was here, well, only one person, and she definitely didn't want to see him again, not yet… or at all.

"Calm down, Sweetheart, you're okay. You're safe, I promise." Lori looked earnest and sincere as she spoke, but how could she possibly know? Edward could sway anyone into believing his lies, here would be no different, especially when they realised he was the famous Carlisle Cullen's son.

Trying to talk despite the agonising pain, Bella could only manage to rasp. Lori leaned forward, seeing how determined Bella was to tell her something, pressing her ear as close to Bella as she could without causing her any pain.

"No. One. Kno-"

"Bella… I hope it's okay to call you Bella? I was told you didn't like Isabella and you wouldn't want your husband or father-in-law knowing you were here, am I right?" Extremely bewildered, Bella raised her thumb.

"Okay, Bella, I'm going to be straight with you as much as I can and then I will let your visitors explain the rest, okay?" Bella winced at the word visitors, becoming agitated again. Lori switched the buzzer off once again.

"It was me who registered you when you were admitted three nights ago." Bella was shocked when she heard how long she had been in the hospital already. "You were badly injured and had to have surgery. Afterwards, the doctors put you in a medically-induced coma, to help you recover and rest. I know the policemen who brought you in, but because you were rushed into surgery, I had to register you before I learnt about the circumstances surrounding your admission. Anyway, I tried to look up your notes from when you lived here before I put your details into the system, however they were extremely vague. I took the liberty to look at your notes from Seattle. Look, it doesn't take a genius to work it out; I've met several ladies in my line of work who are in similar situations to yourself." Bella was visibly speechless at this young girl's audacity. She couldn't speak without great effort, and she would need Lori to come much closer to be heard, so Bella didn't argue or even respond. She knew anything she said would be lies or excuses, defending Edward's actions. Lori was right, it was exactly what it looked like.

"Sorry", Lori apologised, bashfully. "I'm not explaining this very well, am I?" Taking a deep inhale of air, as if trying to find the right words as she did so.

"Okay, let's try again," she smiled a shy smile, which pulled at one side of her face. Bella was struck with a yearning to have met this woman under different circumstances; she seemed like someone Bella would have liked to be friends with, in a different time or lifetime, even. She reminded Bella of her old school friend, Angela, although she talked a hell of a lot more, more than Jessica even.

"Anyway I checked the system, and I couldn't find you under Isabella or Bella Cullen, so I tried Swan, and found all of your - eh - accidents. So, I guessed that was on purpose, given they were during your, er… while you were… uh, since you have… um, been married. I guessed it was so they weren't flagged up to your father-in-law," her face twisted as she said it. "I was told you wouldn't want to go under Swan, either, because it would cause a lot of attention what with you being Charlie's - I'm sorry for your loss by the way… But you know what little towns are like, you being the late Chief's daughter, suddenly back in town and in the hospital no less, especially given the circumstances, it would be like kindle to the gossips. Anyway, I took the liberty to register you under the alias 'Annabella Black' with Bella as your 'preferred name'. That way you can stay under the radar as much as possible, from everyone. Hopefully that's okay?"

Bella was incredibly touched by this stranger's actions. It had been so long since anyone had done anything so thoughtful, so kind, for her that a tear slipped from the corner of her eye, rolling down her cheek. She would be forever indebted to Lori. Bella didn't know why the nurse had gone to such lengths to help her, before they had met and before she had even known there was anything amiss with her situation.

"And as for your husband, Mr. Cullen -" Bella visibly flinched, trembling at his name. Lori pulled the chair next to Bella's bed closer and sat down, taking Bella's hand in her own, she continued, "he was arrested not long after you were brought in. A neighbour called in a disturbance at your father's house. When the police arrived, you were," she paused talking, as if unsure how much to tell Bella. Looking down at their hands, Bella struggled to push her thumb down onto Lori's hand for her to continue. Lori looked up, surprised, but understood her. The look of sadness emitting from Lori's eyes would have made Bella stagger backwards, had she been standing. "You were unconscious and... well, just not in a good state," Lori apologised, as she wiped a tear from her own face. "Mr. Cullen was found not far from his family's estate, burning clothes, which were covered in blood." Lori cleared her throat with a slight cough, covering her mouth with her hand. "He, uh, didn't have any apparent injuries to himself, so he was arrested and is currently being held in police custody. However, if and when he is released, he isn't allowed within fifty feet of you, or on to this hospital wing, okay? So you're safe, I promise. I swear, you are well protected here. Now, does this make you feel a little better?" she asked, concern apparent in her tone. Bella moved her thumb, trying to pump her fingers at the same time, to squeeze Lori's hand in gratitude, but her fingers wouldn't cooperate.

Someone cleared their throat deeply behind Lori, making Bella jump with fright. Lori was obscuring Bella's view, and since Bella was unable to move her head to see who it was, her heart raced. Lori patted her hand, reassuring her, "You're safe. I promise."

"Right!" Lori exclaimed happily, clapping her hands, and smiled widely, "I have a very nice young man outside who is extremely keen to see you." Her smile had grown to a full-on smile again, that reached her eyes. "Annnnnndddd I know he won't take a no on this, and neither will I." She chuckled deviously, "So, I'll leave you two alone." Lori beamed at Bella, and gave a wink before slipping out of the doorway. Bella was surprised to see it was now empty, the enigmatic cougher had gone. Bella sat staring at the door, waiting anxiously for her mysterious visitor.

She was trying to work out who it could be, but no one came to mind. She guessed it wasn't any of the Cullen's from the way Lori had spoken of both Edward and Carlisle. Plus, she had spoken fondly of 'him', giving Bella the impression she knew whoever it was very well. Bella was lost in her thoughts, when an exceptionally tall and tremendously good looking man tapped lightly on the door frame. Bella's mouth popped open in surprise, before the familiar blaze of warmth crept up her neck, spreading over her cheeks. Dipping her head so her hair, which she now realised was a dirty, tangled mess, fell over her face; her blush glowed furiously. She had never in her life experienced such an intense physical attraction to anyone. Well, maybe once, a long time ago now. Not even Edward had made her feel like this, and she only got a quick glimpse, before embarrassment had made her hide. Edward had been very insistent with his attraction to her, and although Bella thought he was attractive in a runway model kind of way, that was a million miles from the way this man was attractive. Bella had been flattered by one of the most popular boys, not to mention the son of one of the most influential men in Forks; he was incredibly picky with the girls he dated and in truth, she was overwhelmed by his persistent nature. He had never actually asked her to date him. He had simply took it for granted that she would by telling everyone they were a couple. Bella had tried a few times to explain that she just wanted to be friends, but she could never quite find the right words. He never let her get the words out anyway, on the few occasions she did try. Angela and Jessica had been mortified when she had reluctantly confessed her feelings. They told her she had 'hit the jackpot' because 'Edward was so besotted with her'. Jessica had rambled on and on about how lucky she was, as Angela smiled at her. Basically, Bella had been talked into liking Edward. She never even got a chance to tell them she thought she liked someone else. The problem was that she wasn't sure. She'd never had a boyfriend before; never been romantically interested in a boy, or a boy with her, so she took her friends' advice to 'go with the flow'. How Bella wished she could have been stronger or more confident in her own mind back then. She often thought about how her life could have ended up so differently.

Peeking out from under her long lashes, Bella noticed he looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place him. Upon seeing his full police officer's uniform, she realised she must be mistaken; he was too young to have been working with Charlie when she lived here. He looked about twenty-five, and Bella couldn't remember there being any young officers back then. Mark had been the youngest, and he had been in his thirties when she left Forks. Dismissing her thoughts as silly, he was obviously here on duty; only here to get her statement, nothing else. Bella sighed heavily, this was something Bella was well-rehearsed in by now.

"Bells! Oh, God! I'm so, so happy to see you awake! You have no idea how relieved we all were, how relieved I was when Lori rang with the news! God, it is so good to see you, Honey! You gave us such a scare! I've never been so worried in my life. To get that call was… it…" He stopped, pain etched across his face as he bounded over while he chatted. His constant chattering had taken Bella by surprise, this wasn't what she had expected. He knew her, it would seem.