A/N Thank you so much for all the reviews! I appreciate each and every one of them more than you know! Everyone who's following this story is amazing! 3 Ok... to the point. You'll probably end up with more questions than answers after this chapter... but I'm building up to it! No... we don't find out who did it... but many of you have some ideas of your own. Just remember, you will have to wait and see like everyone else! :) Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 36 – Twisted

Charlie couldn't believe the destruction that had been done to his house. After Jake, the local crime scene tech finished checking the house for prints Charlie went back inside to really survey the damage. He had only really glanced at the damage before.

Now that he was able to take his time as he walked through his house, it finally hit him. The room with the most disturbing damage had to be Bella's room. Sam had tried to warn him earlier to brace himself before he went in there, but didn't give him much more than that to go on. When he finally went in to survey her room, he found himself almost immediately turning on his heels and stumbling to the bathroom, where he then emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet.

Whoever it was that did this to his home was obviously a very sick, twisted individual. Charlie had been to many accident scenes in his time as Chief of Police and he had always maintained his composure. He had seen mangled and twisted bodies covered in blood and still he was able to hold everything in. Tonight was different. Almost every inch of Bella's room was smeared in what he assumed to be blood. He figured it was animal blood though, because lying in the center of Bella's bed was a wolf with its belly cut open and it's entrails hanging out. The most disturbing thing about it was the poor creature's lifeless stare.

He wasn't sure how long he knelt in front of the toilet but eventually he became aware of another presence. His hand immediately found it's way to his service pistol on his belt and he had the weapon out of its holster and cocked before Carlisle was even able to say a word. When their eyes met, Charlie holstered the gun again, realizing it was his friend standing in the doorway, and not whatever sick fuck it was that destroyed Bella's room as well as everything in it.

This was one of the reasons that Carlisle had been his closest friend for so long. Without Charlie even having to ask for his help he was there. He was kind, caring, and compassionate to everyone knew. It was part of what made him an excellent doctor and he had, by far, the best bedside manner Charlie had ever seen.

Carlisle slowly offered his hand and Charlie took it, allowing himself to be pulled up off the bathroom floor. Silently, they walked down the stairs to the living room and Carlisle looked around for the couch cushions. When he found them, he swept the remaining debris off the couch, replaced the cushions, and sat down waiting for Charlie to do the same. When Charlie sat down and placed his head in his hands Carlisle finally spoke. "What the hell happened here Charlie?"

Carlisle sat there beside him and listened patiently as Charlie told him everything he knew. Jake had dusted for prints, it didn't appear that anything was missing, they had destroyed everything they could get their hands on, and Bella's room was, by far, the worst in the entire house. He explained to his friend the scene that was waiting for him up there.

The whole time he was explaining she scene to Carlisle, he couldn't help but remember the lifeless gaze of the poor wolf. He hadn't realized he had begun to shake until he felt his friend's gentle pat on his back.

"It's going to be okay Charlie. I'll stay as long as I need to in order to help you get this place cleaned up. Has Bella seen it?" He sounded genuinely worried at the thought, but all Charlie could do was shake his head. "Good. She's with Edward now, so she'll be fine. Let's get to work."

…..

Keep Bella home today. DO NOT LET HER OUT OF YOUR SIGHT! I'll explain everything when I get home. – Dad

Bella couldn't help but go over the message Carlisle sent Edward again and again in her mind. She knew that someone had broken into her house last night, but she didn't understand why he told Edward to keep her home today. She wasn't complaining because it was a chance to spend the day with Edward away from school, but it still worried her.

As Edward led her around his house looking for Esme, she started to worry more and more. Finally, the stopped in front of a set of double doors and Edward knocked. After not getting an answer, he knocked again. When Esme opened the door to the den, the look on her face was nearly enough to make Bella collapse right on the spot. Edward must have felt the same way because he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him.

"Mom, what the hell is going on? I got a text from dad and its worrying me. He said he'd explain everything later, but I can't wait." Edward spoke to Esme like Bella had done to him earlier, not giving her the chance to respond. And just like what Edward did to her, Esme interrupted him.

"Edward, you need to take a deep breath and try to relax for a second. I talked to your father so I do know what's going on and I'll be happy to tell you, but I don't want you to freak out. Why don't the two of you come in and have a seat," she suggested to them.

With his arm around her waist, securely holding onto her, Edward moved into the room and led her to the loveseat against one of the walls. Instead of allowing her to sit beside him, he pulled her into his lap and embraced her again. She could feel the panic building inside her as each second passed and knew she was well on her way to a full-blown panic attack so she didn't resist the embrace at all. Edward's presence always brought her a measure of peace; she only prayed it would be enough today.

She sat there silently as Esme explained to Edward what Carlisle had told her. Apparently, whoever it was that broke into the house was on a rampage. All of the dishes in the kitchen were smashed and there was soda covering everything. The TV was ruined as someone had taken a baseball bat to it. There were clothes strewn throughout the house and every single picture frame had been smashed. The list of destruction seemed to go on forever. The beds had both been overturned; Charlie's mattress was actually flipped up with so much force that it broke two of the blades on the ceiling fan.

Edward and his mom continued to discuss the damage but at some point Bella stopped hearing what they were saying. She was still there and the voices were traveling to her ears, but she wasn't grasping what they were saying. She could feel her heart pounding in her head, which was part of the problem.

Finally, a word broke through to her and as soon as it did, the floodgates were opened and their words were pouring in again; only she didn't understand the meaning of them.

Bella's… worst … blood… smeared… everywhere … walls… covered… bed… wolf… dead… gutted…eyes. The words all made sense as individual words but because she was only catching one out of every several words or so, nothing seemed to fit together. She couldn't make sense of anything at all.

She felt herself starting to gasp for air but wasn't able to pull it into her lungs fast enough. She needed to breathe but she just couldn't; her body was revolting against her. She felt Edward's arms tighten around her but his usually calm presence did nothing to help calm her down. She was having that full-blown panic attack that she feared the most.

Her vision started to blur until it seemed as if she were at the end of a dark tunnel. The pounding in her ears seemed to be magnified by ten. She felt someone shaking her and could hear faint voices whispering her name.

She didn't know how long she was in that state, but somehow, Edward was able to get through to her. "Bella! Baby please, you need to swallow this; it'll help." She felt him put something small into her mouth and she was immediately overwhelmed with an awful, bitter taste.

Her gag reflex was triggered and she almost threw up, but she felt what only could have been Edward's hand on her cheek causing the familiar electric tingle on her skin. She relaxed enough to where she was able to swallow whatever it was in her mouth without any water and then she just lay there.

Eventually, her heart stopped beating frantically in her head and her vision began to clear. She looked straight into Edward's eyes and saw so much there – love, fear, and anxiety. She was still cradled in his arms staring up at him silently when she felt her eyelids grow heavy. She didn't want to close her eyes but she couldn't help it. As if of their own accord, her lids came down and darkness took over. Esme must have given her an Ativan and it made her drift into a deep sleep.

…..

When Esme finally answered the door to the den, Edward jumped right in questioning her. "Mom, what the hell is going on? I got a text from dad and its worrying me. He said he'd explain everything later, but I can't wait!" He needed to protect Bella at all costs and in order to do that he would need answers.

He didn't exactly have a plan to get those answers, but luckily he didn't need them. He was talking non-stop, not allowing her to answer his question, so finally she just interrupted him. "Edward, you need to take a deep breath and try to relax for a second. I talked to your father so I do know what's going on and I'll be happy to tell you, but I don't want you to freak out. Why don't the two of you come in and have a seat."

He released Bella from the embrace but kept his left arm securely around her waist and led her to the couch against the wall. When he sat down he drew Bella into his lap, pulling her back into a tight embrace. Without knowing what Carlisle's cryptic text message meant, he wasn't about to let her go.

Esme started explaining to them what had happened last night and the damage that had been done. It seemed as if whoever did this was just some kid trying to screw with the town's chief of police. At least it seemed that way until she mentioned what had been done to Bella's room.

"At first Charlie thought the person vandalized the house because of something he did. When he was clearing the house he was joined by one of his Deputies. The Deputy ended up clearing Bella's room so Charlie didn't get a chance to see it until well after you went and got her.

"When he finally checked it out for himself, he discovered that her room was the worst in the house. He started second-guessing the fact that he was the focus of the attack. Now he thinks it may be her.

"Apparently there is blood covering every surface in her room. It's smeared pretty much everywhere in the room. The walls look like they're painted red, her pictures and books are covered in it, and even her clothes have been ruined by all of it.

"The most disturbing thing though was her bed. Positioned in the center, was a wolf; a dead wolf. The crime techs think that's where most of the blood came from because the poor thing had been gutted and its insides were spread across her comforter.

"Your dad, of course, is helping with the clean up. When he saw her room for himself, he was almost sick. He said the poor creature had the most disturbing look in its eyes, like it knew what was coming. I can't image how horrible the scene must have been but I'm grateful that neither you nor Bella had to see it."

When Esme finished talking the room was almost quiet. There was a sound he couldn't place at first that sounded a lot like wheezing. He automatically brought his eyes down to look at Bella and freaked out. Bella was hyperventilating in his arms, breathing in quick, shallow gasps.

He began shaking her shoulders and shouting her name, trying to get her attention but it was no use. It didn't appear that she could hear him nor see him even though he was a mere inches from her face.

"Mom, help her!" he screamed. He felt so helpless but knew that if anyone could help her it would be his mom. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Esme go behind her desk and unlock one of the drawers. He didn't really see what it was she was grabbing, but when she approached him a moment later carrying a tiny white tablet, he immediately took it from her.

"This is Ativan, son. It's an anti-anxiety medication that will help calm the panic attack. Once it kicks in though, she's going to end up sleeping for a while." To answer her, he simply nodded while he moved his hands to Bella's face.

As he opened her mouth he shouted, "Bella! Baby please, you need to swallow this; it'll help." He placed the pill on her tongue and willed her to swallow it, placing his palm on her cheek. He cringed as she gagged and prayed she didn't throw up but used his thumb to stroke her cheek.

He felt her body almost instantly relax and watched as she swallowed the pill. Still rubbing her face, he held Bella on his lap and quietly observed her as she just lay there staring at nothing. After several minutes though, her gaze finally became focused and she met his worried gaze. He loved her so much and was terrified for her but resolved to do everything in his power to keep her safe.

Still gazing into her eyes, he watched as her eyes began to close and her breathing became heavy. Within ten minutes of taking the Ativan, Bella was out cold.

…..

Esme watched as Edward began to panic when Bella started hyperventilating. He was shaking her and calling her name; doing anything he could to try to get her to focus on him and to slow down her breathing.

When she realized that Bella could no longer hear either of them nor could she see them, she knew she had to step in. Edward screamed for her to help but she was already in motion. Calmly, she walked around her desk and unlocked the top drawer. In the drawer, she kept her emergency drug stash: anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds, and anti-psychotics.

She immediately pulled out a bottle of Ativan 2 mg, the strongest dose available, and removed a single pill. She walked back to Edward and he immediately took the pill from her but didn't move right away.

She knew he had to convince her to swallow the pill, but she wanted him to know what it was before he tried. "This is Ativan, son. It's an anti-anxiety medication that will help calm her panic attack. Once it kicks in though, she's going to end up sleeping for a while." She needed him to know that it was going to knock her out. His only acknowledgement of what she said was a brief nod as he moved his hand to her face. Coaxing her mouth open, he begged her to swallow the pill and placed it on her tongue. After gagging once, she was finally able to swallow the pill and then just lay there in Edward's arms.

Esme knew that Bella was prone to panic attacks because of what had happened to her mother, but this was the first one she actually witnessed for herself. She hovered over Edward and watched as Bella's eyes became focused on his. Once that happened, Esme was able to feel a bit of relief and stepped back to give her son at least a small amount of privacy.

It took nine minutes from the time Bella swallowed the pill to when Edward cleared his throat to draw her attention. She looked over at him and saw that Bella was sleeping soundly in the cradle of his arms.