BPOV
"Bella, who's Phil?" Alice's question was barely a heartbreaking whisper. I froze as I felt Emmett's arms tighten around me. "Please, Bella, this is very important."
I blinked back a few tears and refocused my attention on her. "Why?" I asked quietly.
"He's coming to Forks for you."
I took a deep breath and released it. Emmett tightened his gripped around me pulling me closer to the safety his chest provided. I laid my head against his shoulder. "I know." I whispered.
"Why didn't you tell me, Bella?" Emmett asked quietly sounding pained. I swallowed hard and shut my eyes trying to ignore the memories threatening to plague me.
"I don't know." I whispered as tears began to cascade down my cheeks. "I just… didn't want to cause any problems for you guys."
"Bella…" His voice was reproachful yet so heartbreaking.
"It's over now. I'm not there anymore. I'm here, and I'm not going back."
"He's going to hurt you." Emmett whispered kissing the top of my head.
"Please don't be angry with me."
He lifted my chin from his shoulder and made me look at him. His cold fingers ran along my cheeks wiping away my tears. "I'm not. I'm mad at him." I sniffled and nodded seeing the sincerity in his eyes. He leaned forward and kissed me lightly before allowing me to twist back into my original position.
Silence hung in the air for a few minutes. "Bella?" Alice said softly.
"Hmm?"
"In my vision, um…" Her voice trailed off. I nodded for her to go on. "In my vision, he was saying things that made it seem like he's hurt you before." I shut my eyes and buried my face in Emmett's cool neck. I felt his hand run soothingly up and down my back. I nodded ever so slightly.
"How long?" Emmett's voice sounded so pained.
"It's not important." I whispered.
"Please, Bella." He pled softly.
I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Two years."
I heard a chorus of gasps from around the room and I couldn't bring myself to look at them. Emmett stiffened beneath me as a growl erupted from his chest.
"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."
My head popped up at this. "No, Emmett, please don't. I don't want to be the source of problems. You can't hurt him." He looked at me through confused eyes. "Please, I don't want any problems for you guys. I don't want you guys to have to leave."
His face softened as he pulled me closer. "Never."
"Promise me you won't hurt him."
He was quiet for a few minutes. "If he touches one hair on your head, all bets are off." I just nodded knowing that at the moment that was the best I'd get.
"What did he do to you, Bella?" Carlisle said softly from across the room. I knew what he was really asking. He wanted to know if he ever sexually assaulted me.
"Just hit me." I assured him solemnly. The reassurance was fairly empty since it brought on another wave of pain for the entire family.
"We want to help you, Bella. Can we help you press charges?" He asked.
I quickly shook my head. "No, my mother is so happy with him." They looked at me confusedly. "It'd kill her if she knew."
"Bella, he hurt you." Emmett said.
"Please, for now, can we please just drop it?"
"Can I take some pictures just in case?" Carlisle asked. I sighed and slowly nodded. It was for the best just in case I changed my mind in the future. He was gone and back within a second with a camera. "We can go to my office if you'd like." I nodded and stood. Emmett held onto my hand and cautiously began standing.
"You don't need to see this." I whispered and kissed his cheek. "I'll be right back."
"Bella…"
"Please."
He nodded and pulled me in for a kiss on the lips before letting me go. Carlisle led me to an office that was no far down the hall and shut the door behind me. "Would you rather Esme or Alice or Rose do this?"
"It fine." I whispered.
"How bad was it?" He asked quietly and cautiously. I shrugged.
"Some days were worse than others, but I managed." I replied.
"Shall we begin?" I nodded and slowly lifted my shirt exposing my now dark yellow bruises. "Oh my god." He breathed out. I looked away as he snapped a few pictures of my abdomen. "Has he ever broken anything?"
"Few ribs here and there and my wrist once." I slipped off my sweatshirt and turned my arm so he could see a scar I had received over two months ago. He tried to hide his shock as he ran his finger down the scar.
"How? When?"
"Six weeks before I left." I answered. "I'm not sure how it happened. I, um, fell unconscious. I, ah, have another one on my back from a week later."
"I'm so sorry. May I?" I nodded and pulled my shirt off wrapping my arms around my chest. I turned so that he could take pictures of my back. I could hear him mumbling under his breath about something I couldn't quiet hear. "All done, Bella."
I nodded and quickly put my shirt back on then my jacket. "Thank you, Carlisle." He pulled me into his arms.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you."
"Thank you." I whispered. After a second, I pulled away. "For everything."
"Come out when you're ready." He said before disappearing with his camera.
--
EPOV
I began to stand up as Bella turned to go with Carlisle, but she turned to stop me. "You don't need to see this." She said quietly before pressing her warm lips against my cheek. "I'll be right back."
"Bella…" I began to protest. I wanted to be there for her. I didn't want her to face this on her own, but the look in her eyes showed how much pain she was in and how embarrassed she was.
"Please." She pled. Nodding, I grabbed her and pulled her closer to me to kiss her properly on the lips. With that she followed Carlisle towards his office. My family began talking about how dreadful it must have been for her, but I was too focused on Bella and Carlisle's conversation to pay attention to them.
"Would you rather Esme or Alice or Rose do this?" Carlisle asked cautiously. He was a doctor, but he's never dealt with an abuse victim that struck so close to home. He seemed unsure of himself.
"I'm fine." Bella assured him.
There was silence for a minute before he asked, "How bad was it?" It was the question that I was afraid to ask and wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer now that I had promised Bella I wouldn't go after this Phil guy. I didn't want to break the promise I made, but I had a feeling if I really understood what she went through, there'd be no stopping myself.
By now there was silence in the room as everyone held their breath to hear the answer. "Some days were worse than others, but I managed."
"Shall we begin?" She didn't respond but must have showed him something because after a moment, he gasped, "Oh my god." I cringed just imagining what she had shown him. I heard the snap of the camera. "Has he ever broken anything?" He asked carefully.
"Few ribs here and there and my wrist once." She answered trying to sound indifferent, but I could hear the pain laced within her voice. I heard them move around some down the hall.
"How? When?" What they were talking about, I wasn't sure.
"Six weeks before I left." She answered. "I'm not sure how it happened. I, um, fell unconscious. I, ah, have another one on my back from the same night." That son of a bitch knocked her unconscious! I'm going to kill that bastard. Promise be damned. Anyone who hurts my Bella will have to deal with me.
"I'm so sorry. May I?" I heard her rustling around again. "What the hell did this asshole do to her?" I heard Carlisle mumble too low for Bella to hear. To make Carlisle curse, it had to be something bad. I fought the urge to break down the office door and find out for myself. But I would respect her wishes and let her show me when she's ready."All done, Bella."
"Thank you, Carlisle."
"I'm so sorry this happened to you."
"Thank you." She whispered again. "For everything."
"No problem, Bella." I heard the door open.
"I'll be out in a minute."
"Come out when you're ready." Carlisle walked back in after a minute with his camera in hand. He was shaking his head mumbling even too low for us to hear.
"Well?" I asked too low for Bella to hear.
He sighed heavily and sat down next to Esme running his fingers through his hair. She instantly moved over to him and wrapped her arms comfortingly around him. "The bastard took a toll on her." If the circumstances were different, Carlisle would have never called anyone a bastard. I growled loudly.
"Is she okay physically?" Rosalie asked.
He sighed. "As far as I can tell, her old wounds have been pretty well treated. But I doubt she's ever seen a doctor for them unless there's been a break. Even then, who knows?"
We spoke quietly for awhile longer generally about Bella, but Carlisle refused to show us the pictures. Twenty minutes passed without a peep from Bella. I was getting worried, but everyone kept insisting to give her time. Jasper ensured us that she was still in the house, but her emotions were a rollercoaster. He said they were most prominently shame and sadness but other things came and gone too quickly for him to accurately read them. I allowed them to convince me to stay put for another ten minutes before I got up, ignored their protests, and walked out.
I knocked on the office door quietly so I wouldn't startle her. When I didn't hear any movement or anything other than her breathing, I panicked. "Bella." I said softly. Nothing. Giving up, I opened the door. She was sitting hunched over his desk sleeping. Her face was contorted into a look of pain as she mumbled things too low and strung together for me to understand. Tear stains went all the way down her cheeks, and there was even a large wet spot on the book she was using as a pillow that Carlisle had left opened. I hated to see her in so much pain. I just wanted to take it away. I carefully lifted her in my arms and headed towards the stairs. My family watched us concernedly as I carried her up the stairs without bothering to stop and say anything.
I got to my room within a couple of minutes and laid her down in my bed. "Alice, will you call Charlie and say Bella is spending the night with you?" I said quietly.
"Sure thing, Emmett." I heard her from two levels down. I lied down beside her pulling her into my arms. She instantly relaxed in my embrace and rested her head on my chest. I hugged her close willing all my thoughts of this Phil guy to dissipate and focused on her.