Playtime
Emmett was counting while Bella was hiding. He was chuckling the whole time, when they first heard her hide behind the curtains in the next room. She obviously changed her mind, because they heard her move to another room and hide in the closet. Then she changed her mind again and moved to the attic.
How long shall I give her? Has she made up her mind yet?
Edward knew Emmett expected him to know, but of course he didn't.
'I don't know. I can't read her mind.'
'What?' Jasper asked.
'I can't read her mind.' His irritation was evident in his voice.
'This girl is really something.'
Edward couldn't agree more. He wanted to know badly why she was his one exception.
'I think she is going to stick with this spot. I can't be sure, because she is still wavering.' Alice said, watching the future.
Edward chuckled while he saw Bella hiding in a dark corner in the attic, but also saw her getting up again and running to yet another hiding spot. The first choice was the most likely.
'Ready or not, here I come.' Emmett shouted.
Edward could hear her sharp intake of breath all the way from the attic. She was apparently holding it out of anticipation.
'Rose, why don't we let the boys play and go get Bella some things she needs. I have a 'feeling' she is going to stay here awhile.' At the word feeling Alice raised her eyebrows pointedly.
'I will get her food for diner.' Esme added.
'I will help you.' Jasper offered.
Edward and Emmett were now the only ones in the house beside Bella. Edward followed Emmett around while he pretended to look for the girl. After some minutes of looking in the wrong places, they moved to the attic.
'Where can she be? We looked everywhere.'
They both heard her small chuckle and Edward could hardly hold his own laughter. They looked over the whole attic, purposely skipping the place where she was hiding.
'I give up. Do you have any ideas?' Edward pretended to be exasperated.
Emmett had moved very quietly to the place she was hiding.
'What about right here!'
He jumped right in front of her.
'Run for your life!' Emmett shouted, coming for her slowly.
She ran under his arms to the other side of the attic and Edward froze. He heard a sound that was incredible. It was her laughter. He didn't know how to describe it, but knew it was something he wanted to hear many times. Emmett was spreading his arms and legs wide, coming at her with large steps and she laughed even harder.
'You will never get me.'
She ducked under his legs and ran to the stairs. Edward scooped her up in his arms before she could reach the door. He tickled her and her laughter filled the room. When she couldn't stop laughing anymore he stopped and put her down.
'That's unfair, you walk so fast.' She accused him, catching her breath. 'No one can escape you.'
Her observations are dead-on, bro. Does she realize how right she is?
Edward was momentarily amazed and worried by her keen observations, but then he shrugged. She was just a little girl, nobody would believe her if she told anybody.
'Now you hide and I seek.' She said with a smile. 'I am counting.'
Her counting skills were amazing for a four-year-old, although she was counting slowly, using her fingers just like before and apparently couldn't count further than twenty. Emmett and Edward of course didn't even need one count to find a hiding place, but they waited patiently until she was done.
They played and laughed for two hours and Edward couldn't remember a time when he was happier than he was now. The unbelievable part of it was that he was happy, while playing a silly kids game with a four-year-old. It didn't took him long to realize it was all Bella. She lighted his day. They stopped playing when they heard Carlisle coming home.
They rushed to him quickly, taking Bella with them.
'What have you found?' Emmett asked.
You are not going to believe this.
'What?' Edward asked impatient.
'I have asked around everywhere in town and in the hospital, no one knows her or has seen her.' His voice was serious.
'How can that be?'
'I asked that question myself, so I called in some favours and asked the sheriff to look in missing person's files from several states. There is no girl filed missing in the last few weeks, fitting Bella's age and description.'
They both watched Carlisle in shock.
'So nobody knows her or is looking for her.'
'Yes and the most disturbing fact is that we can't know for sure if she has family left, until we know her last name, her date of birth or her hometown. Bella can't remember any of those facts.'
'So what do we do now?'
'We could call child services and hand her over. She will be put in the foster care system.'
Edward immediately felt the loss that came with that option, although he planned to look after her as much as he could anyway.
'Or...' Emmett asked, clearly not liking that option either.
'Or we could take her in. We could easily forge her papers, just like we did with yours.'
'Let's do that!' Emmett said excited.
Edward understood where his brother was coming from, but they were vampires and not really equipped to watch over a 'human' and very easily hurt little girl.
'I don't know, Carlisle. We are vampires and we could hurt her.'
They were talking fast and low, leaving Bella out of the conversation, but she didn't seem to mind. She was quiet, looking serious. The playfulness of the four-year-old child was all forgotten. Carlisle eyed her worriedly.
'There are several points to this argument and I think we need to decide this together. We will wait for the others.'
Edward nodded in agreement, but he found that Carlisle was already thinking about how they could take in Bella and keep her safe. Emmett wasn't even thinking about giving her up. In his mind she was part of this family and you protect your family. He sighed. Alice and Rosalie were in no way against taking Bella in and Esme always wanted another child. He was going to stand alone in this, except maybe for Jasper, but even then there was no way he was going to win this argument and maybe that was for the best.
They were vampires, but they had money to burn and could give her everything she needed. They would all love and protect her. In a foster family she might not be so lucky. Edward sat down on the couch, considering every option and to his surprise, Bella climbed in his lap. She curled in his chest. He talked for awhile with his father, but stopped midsentence when he heard something. The lovely girl in his lap was singing softly. If he didn't have super hearing he probably wouldn't have noticed. Her voice was cute when she spoke, but it was even better when she sang. He bowed over her and Carlisle did so too. They both listened to her song. It was something Edward had never heard, but he guessed it was a lullaby. He cradled her in his arms and he saw her eyes drooping. Her big black lashes touched her cheeks and her body began to relax. There were no words for what Edward was feeling. It was a hundred times stronger than anything else he had ever felt in his entire life. Holding her in his arms while she trusted him enough to sing herself to sleep. There was a connection between them and it was now more evident than before. Carlisle watched them and he could hear it in his father's thoughts.
They look like a perfect picture. Their bond is stronger than I thought. I don't think he will be able to let her go. Sorry, Edward.
He nodded to his father and knew he was right. He would not be able to let her go. He wanted to be there, to see every little step she took, to see her grow up. He wanted to know exactly what kind of woman she would become. It was not enough anymore to simply watch over her and protect her. He was engrossed by every minute of her life and he would never be able to let that go now.
He also knew that he would never let anything bad happen to her. Even though her smell still made venom flow into his mouth every time he took a breath, even though his muscles tensed with the effort of making sure she was handled by him with all the care she needed, even though he was being selfish with wanting to keep her close. She had made him happy and it was too hard to go back to his life before her. She was shining on his horizon like a bright star, blinding him of reason. The darkness the world would bring without her was too scary a prospect. He needed her.
This realization pained him as much as it made him happy. His need of her was selfish and if she was hurt by any of them or by his world he would never forgive himself. Could seven bloodsucking and dangerous vampires keep a small child whole for several years?
I am going to do some research on the internet, although I don't expect to find something. Call me if you need anything.
Carlisle disappeared in his office and Emmett followed him. He was alone with the sleeping girl. He didn't mind one bit. For minutes he studied her carefully, watching every aspect of her being. He watched her peaceful expression and counted every breath she took. She was so beautiful. He was shaken out of his adoration by Esme and Jasper whom had returned from the grocery stores. They had several bags filled with food and Edward smiled. As he had said, they could give her everything she needed. Esme stared at them for a while, sobbing a little.
You two look so sweet together.
Jasper felt his happy, peaceful mood, polluted with some guilt and arched his eyebrows.
What are you guilty about? You haven't hurt the girl, have you?
'Of course not.' He glared at Jasper.
He didn't feel like explaining his guilt to Jasper, so he shrugged it off.
'We are having a family meeting about Bella the moment Alice and Rose return.' He informed Jasper.
I figured that much. I will help Carlisle with his research.
He waited silently, hoping Bella would sleep through their meeting. They will ask her opinion on the matter of course. Carlisle would never force the girl to stay with them. He had never forced any of them, but it was better when they had first officially decided the option was open for her, before asking what she wanted. The moment she would be waking up, he would be able to tell her that she had a home if she wanted it. He was looking forward to that and to her reaction. He was very certain that she wanted to stay. The moment Rose and Alice walked through the door, Carlisle came out of his office and called in the meeting. Within seconds, they all surrounded Edward and Bella.