AN: Okay to clear things up Royce clearly IS NOT going to get away with murdering an officer...that would be completely unrealistic! Hopefully things will start to fall into place for all you lovely readers within the next few chapters. If you're still confused you can always ask me questions. (:

Rosalie POV

I didn't have time to put my shoes on; that's all I can think as I'm running through the forest behind Esme and Carlisle's backyard. The sun is shining high in the sky, but the air is cold and I can feel my body shaking. My arms and legs are covered in Goosebumps and scratches from branches that snip me as I sprint by. I can't figure out why Esme told me to run.

All I heard was her shout and then a thud. I had never heard Esme shout. I wasted no time before bolting out the door, repeating Esme's order in my head run, run, run.

Somehow, in my frantic state his voice is still able to breakthrough to me. "Don't you dare take another step! Do you hear me?"

It's Royce. A thousand memories flood through me and I come to an abrupt halt; knowing I am powerless against him. He is here, and he will take me. I imagine Royce hitting Esme; my next breath comes out as a sob. What had he done to Esme?

He doesn't attempt to be quiet, taking loud purposeful steps towards me. I keep my back to him, my arms wrapped around my body protectively. This was a dream, it had to be a dream.

I pinch myself in the arm, the way I'd seen people do in movies to wake themselves up from a nightmare. It doesn't work.

Royce is still a good twenty steps away from me and I contemplate bolting farther into the trees. Maybe it would give me enough time to wake up. But dream or not, I'm frozen with fear at the thought of Royce being so near to me.

I glance at the forest around me, it's breath-taking. I had never actually been in a forest; but I used to draw them and imagine myself running away into them forever. The tree filled area behind the Cullen's home is even more beautiful then I'd imagined forests would be, and I decide that when I wake up I'm going to ask Esme if we can have a picnic outside. Even in the winter the forest is still full of life.

Royce is much closer now, I can hear him breathing. Now I am really starting to worry. Never had I had such a realistic dream before.

This was real, this was happening. He is here.

Realizing what is going on, this time I do try and run away. But I've waited too long and Royce is close enough that he easily is able to grab my arm and yank me back as though I am a rag doll. His hand clamps over my mouth and I hang limp in his grasp.

"Don't fight," he warns me.

I stay perfectly still in his grasp, afraid of what consequences I may bring upon myself and my family if I don't cooperate. Just leave them out of it, I silently think to myself, you can have me back.

I don't know what's wrong with me, but I am suddenly very very tired. Royce seems to sense this, as he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder like I'd seen kitchen workers throw a sack of potatoes over their shoulder at my family's estate where I grew up.

The last thing I hear before falling asleep is Royce humming the tune of a lullaby.

Carlisle POV

My heart is thudding as I stumble out of the car. The front door is open; someone has shoved it so hard the glass in it had shattered. The shards of glass litter the steps leading to my home, sparkling in the sunlight.

Oh my god, what have I done. I should never have left them, I could've taken an extra couple of weeks of holidays and sacrificed some of my time off in the summer. I had left my wife and Rosalie alone for a single day, and they had been attacked while I sat at my desk doing pointless paperwork. I race up the front steps, for all I care the intruder can be sitting on one of the leather coaches in the living room waiting for me with a gun. I'm too panicked to think straight, although the logical part of my brain screams warnings as I race into my house and frantically call my wife's name.

There is a pool of blood on the foyer's rug when I come in. My throat feels thick, and suddenly I feel like throwing up the bagel I'd eaten at the hospital for breakfast. Careful not to move anything the police could use as evidence I race through the rest of the house, begging out loud for their safety. "Please God, please don't take them today."

The back door leading onto the deck and our backyard has been opened too. It's only open a crack, as though someone couldn't spend the two seconds required to properly close it. I imagine the person who had orchestrated this awful attack must have been in quite the hurry.

I think of what to do in an emergency situation. Call the police-access the situation logically-determine whether or not your location is safe. The steps are easy to follow. They were the steps written on a poster along with a few others that were stuck to the bulletin outside the door of my office. I'd mesmerized them all the time about a month ago I'd left my keys on the kitchen counter at home, and had to wait for one of the orderlies to unlock the door for me so I could grab all the necessary equipment I'd need to check over patients.

I pull out my phone and call 911 as I scan the house for any signs the attacker is still around. I tell the almost unbearably calm operator my address, and that my wife and daughter have been kidnapped and she tells me that two squad cars will be at my location in five minutes.

"Sir, if you'd like I can stay on the line with you." The operator-who's voice I surprisingly don't recognize-offers warmly.

"That's fine." I respond in an equally warm voice. I thank her before hanging up. Inside I am frantic. It's almost eerie how easily I can maintain level headed given the current situation, it was a trick I'd learned in medical school I often felt myself falling back to in tough situations. This time was different though, and I was struggling to keep up the facade.

I figure that a bit of fresh air will help ease my nerves. I'm only pushing myself closer to the edge of a breakdown by staying inside the house that is filled with memories of my family.

I climb back into my car and sit down with my head in my hands, keeping the door open so I can still breathe the fresh air. After a minute I open the glove department pulling out a neatly folded piece of paper.

"Thank you for being you. Thank you for caring for me, making me laugh, taking me to enchanting places, and finally: thank you for loving me."

Esme had written me the note the day of our wedding, and I always kept it close to me. My wife had blushed as she'd slipped it carefully into my hands after we'd danced and our vows had been exchanged.

"I know it's cheesy," she'd said with giggle.

But to me, it wasn't cheesy at all. When it came to Esme everything between the two of us was special. Every memory shared, every experience, every touch, every conversation. Everything meant something to me when it came to my wife.

I hold the note tightly in my hand, reading it repeatedly in an attempt to find some hidden meaning from God as to where my wife and daughter were. When the emergency responders show up, this is how they find me.

I feel like hell. Was this what the families of patients I had lost over the years felt like when I told them I could not save their loved ones? This has to be the most agonizing feeling I've ever felt, and I've had my fair share of hardships over the years.

The police have been questioning me for what felt like hours, but in reality may have been a matter of minutes. I want to shout at them that all the questions they're asking me are pointless, that every moment spent in this investigation room is a moment that could've been spent finding my daughter and wife. I'm suddenly exhausted, the past few hours have drained the energy out of me. How was it my family's happy life had so easily shattered into pieces? Of course as an ER doctor I knew just how easily life could change for the better or the worse. But I'd never imagined something so terrible could happen to my family

My cell phone rings from my jacket pocket and causes me to jump in my seat. The officer across from me-who's introduced herself as Tessa-quickly nudges her partner, who starts playing with buttons on the laptop placed on the table top between us. His fingers fly so fast over the keys I can't keep up.

I glance at the caller ID and realize that it is Seattle Elementary School calling me. I wave my arm in dismissal, letting the officers know it is not someone calling for a ransom. Tessa gestures for me to put it on speakerphone so she can be sure for herself, so I do. Though I'd tried to convince them the kidnapping had nothing to do with money they'd taken one look at my expensive Mercedes and said 'we don't want to rule out any possibilities.'

I told them about my phone call with Detective Connors, the pair had looked sullen. A group of officers was out scaling the city for his body. He hadn't shown up for work that morning and his squad car was found on the side of the interstate. Search parties were out looking the surrounding area for him, and every cop in the city was on the lookout formy wife and daughter. They told me that they'd put out missing persons profiles on Rosalie and Esme, and that they'd be mentioned in the news tomorrow so people would know to keep an eye out. We didn't have much information to go off of, but the police reassured me they were doing everything possible to return them home safely.

"Hello?"

"Oh...hi." I respond, realizing that in my daze I'd forgotten I'd answered the phone call.

"It's Jeanine calling. I'm not sure if you remember me? I'm Alice's kindergarten teacher. We're waiting here together for her ride." The woman explained.

I glance at the time on my phone. I hadn't even thought about picking Alice up, it was usually something Esme did.

"I'm so sorry! There's- it's uh been a hectic morning," I say feeling suddenly overwhelmed. What would I tell my kids?

"That's no problem. We'll see you soon," Jeanine reassures before hanging up.

"We'll send someone to pick her up." Tessa says.

"But-" I protest.

"No buts. We'll get an officer to look after them, we need your help with the investigation." Tessa interrupts. Never argue with a professional negotiator, lesson learned.

"Okay." I agree reluctantly, "I don't want them to be scared though."

"We'll send Billy, him and his wife have six kids at home. He's great with kids-practically is one himself- he'll take good care of them." she reassures.

"Okay," I give in with a sigh. It was really starting to get hard to think clearly.

"Alright Carlisle let's start at the beginning, what can you tell us about your foster child Rosalie?"

I sigh before repeating the little information I had on my daughter for the thousandth time that day. The detectives nod, like the things I'm telling them are going to miraculously bring my little girl and wife back.

Inside I am furious that someone was putting my family through so much pain, outside I feel like crying. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was going to make the person who had done this to my family pay.

Esme POV

I'm in the trunk of someone's car when I wake up. Someone had tied my arms and legs together. I stifle a groan from the searing pain in my head, I definitely have a concussion. For a moment I'm at as loss as to how I ended up in such a situation, then I remember the visitor at my house this morning. How long had I been out? Hours? Days? I hear people talking outside of the car, and I listen intently to their conversation, hoping it may lead me to my daughter.

"-can't just leave her. The lady saw my face, she'll tell the cops!" I recognize the voice as the man who'd come to my house.

"Shit. This wasn't supposed to happen man. What are we going to do?" The second man is stressed.

"Calm down. The plan had to change, we just need to adjust."

"So what are we going to do?"

I was starting to get a very bad feeling as the men talked. I was definitely the 'lady' they were talking about, and I did not like the direction the conversation was headed in. 'Just tell me where my daughter is, is she okay?' I felt like shouting at the two idiots. But for now the best thing to do was wait and think of a good moment to strike; plus I had a killer headache and shouting wouldn't help the throbbing in my head any.

"You're-" a pause as the men exchange something, "-going to fix the problem."

"Why me? She didn't see my face." The other man asked, sounding shocked.

"Because I told you too."

"Listen that officer was a prick, I didn't mind pulling the trigger. This is different she ain't done nothing to me, and don't she got kids or something?"

"Shut up!" He rages, "just shut up. I can ruin everything you've ever liked about your life in a matter of seconds, do you understand? You'll do as I say!"

"Fine." The man says, his voice strained.

Uh-oh.

"Good. I'm heading back. Reg lent me a home of his, I'm staying on the property for a couple weeks while things calm down a bit. Once your done tidying things up you're free to go."

If these two thought I was going to give up without a fight, they were in for a shock. I listen to a car door open and shut, and then the sound of an engine coming to life and slowly fading into the distance.

I close my eyes as someone walks towards the trunk, keys jingling as they unlock the car and pull it open. For now I'd need to continue to be asleep, if the mans guard was down he'd be easier to escape from. He breathes heavily as he leans over me. Swearing as he roughly pulls me out of the trunk, and I have to stifle my scream of pain when my head hits against the paved road.

He stops for a second to breathe. He is not extremely fit, this man is a business man - not a killer. I consider reasoning with him-but given the fact he has a gun I'm not sure he's in much of a listening mood.

He grabs me by my armpits and begins to drag me off the road, he swears fluidly throughout the journey.

I can hear his breath in my ear as he continues to pull me, and I decide now may be the best opportunity I have left to escape. I slam my head back as far as I can into his nose-which breaks upon the impact with a snapping sort of noise.

He falls backwards holding his face, he drops his gun in the process. I ignore the continuously rising pain in my head; the hit to my attackers nose was probably not the best thing for it, but I figured I would gladly take it over the alternative-which was being murdered.

I grab the gun and have it pointed at the man before he can re-orientate himself. When he looks up at me he pulls his hands away from his bleeding nose and raises them up in surrender.

"Don't shoot!" He shouts.

"Give me your phone." I order, keeping my voice and the gun steady.

When he hesitates I shake the gun around for emphasis, "do it now!"

"O-okay, just don't kill me." He pulls a phone out of his expensive jackets pocket and holds it out to me.

I snatch it from him and begin to dial my husbands phone number, while still keeping the gun pointed at him.

"Honey? Is that you?" The voice on the other end is thick with emotion.

"Yeah baby, it's me. How quick can the police get here?" I respond, feeling my eyes slowly start to water up.

"Five minutes." Carlisle says, "I'll be there."

Thanks to all of you. I don't reply to all of you anymore, but I hope you know I appreciate each and every one of you!