Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; only my original character Lucy.

AN: This chapter probably feels like a bit of a filler, I'm not sure. More action will be coming…~Zyii

Kindly Edited by: Mione Boleyn

FIVE

It hadn't taken Lucy long to warm up to the idea of Emmett being her Dad. She was still a little cautious but that was to be expected. She was finally able to walk around without help. It was usually Emmett of Alice that helped her move around and in that time Lucy had bonded with both of them. If the family were surprised with Emmett announcing his parental title over Lucy they didn't show it.

However Rosalie still kept her distance and Edward avoided her altogether – it must be sad to have spent so long looking for the one only to find out she wasn't what you thought she was.

Since Lucy made it possible for the Cullen family to taste food there had definitely been a change. I.e. they cooked a lot more, always wanting to try out meals that they'd missed out on. Lucy had to adjust to this new way of life. She was slowly remembering the actions she took that made her disappear the first time and was determined not to make the same mistakes again. Allowing the Cullen's to taste food was a privilege she'd taken away from vampires a long time ago.

Eating food did nothing for them, they were still required to drink blood to survive but it was a nice benefit and allowed them to further blend with the humans. However, Lucy knew that this privilege wasn't one that should be given to everyone, it was particular to certain people.

As much as Lucy was coming out of her shell, she was also retreating into it. It was a vicious cycle she was trying to break.

'Lucy honey, come have some food' said Esme in a motherly voice.

Case and point, Lucy didn't know how to act around Esme so she tended to retreat into herself.

It's hard to talk about being loved when one has not been loved. Lucy could understand that her use of the word love was similar to that of a teenager that complains of life being so unfair. Lucy knew that to others she probably seemed like a hopeless case that couldn't think of anything but the one thing she was focused on; love. However, love was such a fundamental part of life, how could she not think of it.

Lucy would just have to admit to herself that Esme was the mother figure that she was being allowed and that her hopes of having Rosalie fill that void were falling on deaf ears. Despite Emmett taking up the role of being her Daddy, it was just too hard for Rosalie to fill the role of her Mother. Lucy couldn't force her into the role and could completely understand why she wouldn't want to do it.

When one has waited so long for a family, why settle for a pretend one when the real thing is an option. Of course to Lucy there wasn't an option, she didn't have a real family so she had settled for this one. In Rosalie's eyes she couldn't have a real family so she had settled on this one. All Lucy needed was to see an act of something and it could all change.

Lucy picked up her feet and slowly walked into the kitchen. The rest of the family were already sitting around the table, laughing and joking as a normal family would.

'I can't tell you again how thankful we are that you have allowed us the gift of taste again' said Carlisle for the hundredth time.

Lucy nodded her head in response; she didn't need them to keep telling her how thankful they were. She hadn't done it to gain respect and admiration, she done it because she believed it to be the right thing.

Esme placed a bowl in front of her; she'd made spaghetti and meatballs. It did look really good but Lucy just didn't feel hungry. She didn't want to upset anyone however, so she slowly began to eat small mouthfuls.

'Do you not like it?' asked Esme, concern written all over her face.

Lucy blushed, 'I am sorry, I am just not that hungry' she replied.

Esme frowned but said nothing more.

It was Carlisle's turn to talk.

'I was thinking, now that you are back on your feet, we should really alert the town to your presence, I know they have been searching for you since your disappearance' he said.

'Oh' replied Lucy.

'I know you did not want them to search for you but they were duty bound to do so' added Carlisle.

'I guess it would not be considered humanity if they didn't search for one of their own. I suppose it would be the right thing to do' she said.

'Sweety, if we announce your arrival they will want you to make a choice about your schooling' she said.

Lucy jerked her head up glaring at anyone whose eye she caught, 'I will not go back to that school' she said in a deadly quiet whisper.

'Now they know they might make things better for you' said Esme timidly.

'It would make no difference, the bullies are still there, and I doubt they got so much as a warning for their actions. It's the same all over, it took Carlisle no time at all to inform the authorities of my captivity yet it took them far longer to free me and even longer to punish those involved. I will not go back to that school' she said.

'If you like' began Alice, 'I'm sure that between us all we could home-school you' she said.

Lucy turned to Alice and actually gave her a real smile, 'I would like that' she said.

'Alright, then I'll inform the Chief of Police that you have returned tomorrow and add that you wish to be home-schooled' said Carlisle.

'They won't try to take me from you will they?' she asked quietly.

'You are of age sweety so I doubt it but if they did we'd find a way around it' said Esme.

Lucy nodded.

The rest of lunch continued quietly, Lucy reclined the many opportunities given to her to join in the conversation. She didn't feel like talking. She didn't miss the concerned looks that everyone gave her, she just chose to ignore them. She was trying not to be so much of a burden to them all but it seemed like she was constantly failing. If only she woke up and realised that she would never be a burden to these people, life would become a little smoother.

'If you'll all excuse me, I need some time with Lucy' announced Alice once lunch was over and done with. Without waiting for a response she dragged Lucy from the room.

Once they were up in Alice's room, Lucy noticed some cardboard boxes that looked strangely familiar. E.g. they were from the house she'd been living in before.

'Is that my stuff?' she asked pointing to the boxes.

'Yep, sorry we haven't had a chance to unpack everything, you sure brought a lot of stuff' replied Alice.

Lucy nodded, 'I packed up my whole life for a new start' she said.

Alice studied her, 'your whole life was a cuddly toy and a bunch of clothes?'

'Pretty much, I never had anything of worth from anyone else. The parents I had, had a lot of money but believed spending it on me was wasteful. I didn't even know who Santa Claus was until I started school and when I built up the courage to ask my parents who he was and why he didn't visit me at Christmas, they replied telling me that he only visited good girls and boys so why would he visit a pathetic nobody like me' she whispered.

'That's awful' said Alice, outraged.

'Life can be awful at times but I've found that if you concentrate on those moments of joy that come along quietly that the rest of the bad stuff gets blotted out' she said.

'What moments of joy do you focus on?' asked Alice quietly.

Lucy smiled secretly lost in a memory, 'there was this one time when I was about seven or eight. My Mother had asked for my help on something but I couldn't do it right, she didn't understand that I was too young for the task she had given me so she told me to stay out in the garden until nightfall and forbade me from having any dinner. I remember sitting out in the garden under an old oak tree watching the sky darken and the sun go down. I was afraid of the dark when I was young so I had huddled myself together and was trying my best not to cry, it was cold and I remember shivering a lot. Then, suddenly, the sky around me was illuminated by a hundred fireflies. They swam all around me like they were putting on a show, they guided me all the way back to the backdoor of the house. Some had even landed on me. As I turned back they had almost arranged themselves into a collective goodbye to wave me off as I returned to the house. It's moments like that that I like to focus on' she said.

Alice looked at her in awe, 'that sounds like an amazing memory' she said.

'It is one of the best' replied Lucy.

Alice sat still mesmerised by the story.

'I was without anything a young child should have; there was no real light in my life so I made my own light. Those fireflies were like a comforting hug, the presence of a Mother's love and the hand of a friend for many years. It is a way of coping with what life has thrown at you' she said.

Alice nodded, completely amazed by how Lucy talked of her life. Alice doubted she could find one vampire who spoke of all their hardships in the same way that Lucy did.

'However, I guess you didn't bring me up here to talk of my past' said Lucy.

'No, I wanted to know why you didn't tell me how much of a fashion expert you are' said Alice.

Lucy smiled at her excitement, 'I guess mentioning that you didn't ask wouldn't cut it?' she replied.

'Nope' said Alice smiling.

'I do have an obsession with fashion as you can obviously see, it was one of the good things from my old life. I did not tell you because I do not yet know if I still enjoy it' she said.

'That makes no sense' replied Alice.

'Well I haven't exactly had the time to shop in the last couple of years!' shouted Lucy.

'Sorry' replied Alice.

Lucy sighed, 'If you want to go shopping, we can. Just not right now ok' said Lucy.

'It's a deal' replied Alice, adding 'whenever you're ready'.

'Alice' said Lucy, 'you know with your visions how you suddenly blank out the world'.

'Yes' replied Alice uncertainly.

'I think I'm' was all Lucy managed to get out before her legs crumpled beneath her and she fell to the floor uncon