Bella stepped into the house with a heavy sigh, glad to be back. Her bag felt heavier than it should and she stumbled on the steps getting off the school bus, so she needed to be safely in the house. Setting her bag down near the front door, she moved into the kitchen for something to drink. She barely got to the fridge when the phone rang.

She was right next to it, so she answered it, while checking to make sure there was paper to write on. "Hello?"

"Bella!" Alice's voice was a bit more energetic than Bella wanted to hear, in spite of the fact she liked the little vampire. "We're having a school night sleep over."

"Wait a minute, the big part of that is school night." Bella sat down at the kitchen table. "I can't."

"No, Charlie already said you could, as long as I didn't keep you up all night." Alice spoke and Bella sighed heavily.

"Alice, you should really ask me first, before going over my head." Bella leaned on the table, resting her head on the hand that wasn't holding the phone.

"You don't want to come over?" Alice sounded stunned, and Bella felt bad. She never had said no before.

"I'm having nightmares again and I don't really want to bring them to your house." Bella explain. It wasn't a secret, lots of humans had nightmares. "I'm not going to be the best company tonight, I haven't been sleeping well, and I don't know when that's going to stop."

"Why are you having nightmares?" Alice asked, her voice soft and confused.

"I just do." Bella sighed. "So, I appreciate all the work you did convincing Charlie and all, but,"

"No, come over. We'll find a way to stop your nightmares. Maybe Carlisle can help." Bella paused at Alice's words and wondered if the doctor really could. Most doctors would probably suggests talking about it first, but what in her nightmares these past two nights would really be a problem to talk about? It wasn't odd to have strange nightmares, and maybe he'd give her a sleeping pill. He might be a doctor, but as a vampire who hadn't slept in forever he might be more inclined to hand over a pill. Just one night of good sleep and Bella could try and come up with a better solution.

She looked out and noticed the sun. "I still don't have a car." She spoke flatly.

"Rosalie said she'd pick you up." Alice spoke and Bella just stared outside at the beautiful spring day.

"What?" She had to have fallen asleep there for a moment, there was no way Rosalie was coming over in the sun.

"I said Rosalie will pick you up, but she's in a mood so be ready to go when she gets there." Alice added and Bella was a little surprised.

"What time?" She looked over at the clock and found her vampires were a bit impatient. She had to argue that she needed an hour, because she still needed to shower. She hadn't expected to see any vampires today and she just left the locker room after gym without bothering to shower.

Fifty minutes later Bella was drying her hair, with the bag packed and sitting on the bed. "Hey Bells." Charlie spoke as he moved into the doorway. Bella's body jerked in shock, because she hadn't heard him come in. "Sorry."

"I'm putting a bell on you." She muttered and he grinned at her.

"So, big night planned?" He smiled.

"I guess so." She did like that he was willing to let her out all night on a school night, as a father that was a bit permissive, so even though she hadn't really wanted to go she thanked him.

"Don't stay up too late." He told her as she noticed a honking sound.

"I don't think I'll be able to." She told him and grabbed her bag. She could see the BMW on the road in front of the house. As soon as it stopped, she could hear the blonde vampire hit the horn.

"Honking?" Charlie frowned.

"They were camping and called it short, maybe she twisted an ankle." Bella muttered, to keep it from becoming a big deal. "I'll go out there before she tries walking on it." It was a simple excuse, her vampires should have thought of it.

The BMW had somewhat dark tinted windows, which probably helped a lot, but Bella made sure to get into the car quickly and didn't look at the driver while the door was opened, just in case, though it would be tempting to see Rosalie sparkle, she probably made that odd little quirk of vampire life look good.

"Are you okay? You look a little run down." Rosalie asked her when Bella did look over at her.

"Oh yeah," Bella sighed. "I go through sleeping problems every once in a while. I'm fine." She had been getting a bit better, but this weekend had her backsliding hard. Bella gave Rosalie a small smile when the vampire didn't start driving right away and was still studying her. "As long as I avoid operating heavy machinery it isn't a fatal condition." She was tired, and Rosalie looked a little too concerned for that.

"That's not funny at all." Rosalie spoke softly and Bella found a cold hand move to push some hair out of her face as Rosalie stared into her eyes. "Don't joke about that."

"Sorry." Bella muttered and Rosalie let her go to start driving. Bella sighed and leaned her arm on the door. "So camping wasn't going well?" A friend would ask, so she was stuck with it. Still, this night over was a shock and she had no idea why they were doing that.

"Well, Edward needed to go out of town tonight, so we had to leave early." Rosalie told her and it was a relief to know he wasn't around. "That's why Alice wanted to drag you over, that and the fact our TV broke down. I'm afraid you will be our entertainment."

"Maybe Esme will paint a wall, so you can watch it dry." Bella muttered, "Because I'm not really up to being an entertainer tonight."

Rosalie's smirk, even seen from the side, was enough to have Bella staring, in spite of herself. It took strength to turn and stare back out the window. "I think you'll do just fine." Rose spoke softly. "How was school today?"

"I took notes, but I think the teacher is just repeating himself, since the test is this week. I could get them for you tomorrow." Bella paused and considered the library incident. "Lauren is planning to tell you I'm trying to steal Emmett from you." Bella chuckled just a little. "Like anyone could do that."

"Why is she even talking to you?" Rosalie sounded just a little tense when she asked that. "Are you having trouble with her?"

"Just stupid teenage diva issues, nothing big." Bella wasn't worried about her yet.

"If she ever touches you," Bella turned to see Rosalie's eyes were a bit darker, and there was a hint of a growl in that unspecific threat.

"Thank you." Bella didn't know what else she could say. Hopefully no one tried to test things, because aside from Bella not wanting to fight, well, Rosalie was hopefully talking about a verbal smack down, but it might not be.

"I heard you got sick in Portland." Rosalie seemed to turn that statement into a question and Bella sighed.

"Just a bit." Bella admitted, and then turned to look out the windshield again. "So did Jasper get his car?"

"It's really for both him and Alice. Alice has never borrowed my car as much as she's been doing it these past few weeks. It was just time for us to have another one." And Bella nodded, but it made her think about the fact that their garage had lots of cars in it. Apparently not everyone was willing to share.

"Did our work with your room help with your Jacob Black problem?" Rosalie asked and Bella chuckled.

"Yeah." Bella had to smile at that. It had done the job, and most of the 'art' was in an empty drawer in her dresser in case it was needed again. Just the picture on her night table and the one decent picture remained. "I think it's taken care of."

"Good." Rosalie spoke softly and Bella found herself glancing over at her again.

When they got up to the house Rose pulled into the garage. "I'll just be a minute." Rose popped the hood of her car. "Why don't you go inside though, before Alice implodes with impatience?"

"Okay." Bella could see the sun hitting the ground outside of the garage and stretching most of the way to the porch. Of course Rosalie couldn't go in with her.

Bella made her way to the door, and it opened before she knocked. Emmett pulled her inside with a laugh and hugged her tight for a moment. "Bella Bear, I was worried Alice was going to forget and leave you in Portland." He teased.

"Don't rock her too much." Alice spoke up, and Bella sighed and gave the little vampire a shake of her head.

"I'm not loaded with candy, it's safe to shake me a little." But she did smile at Alice. She glanced around and took in the fact that everyone but Rosalie was in the main room. She'd missed this place in the little time she'd been banned from it, and seeing Esme smiling warmly at her, she missed her too. "Hey Esme, missed you."

Esme's smile was touched and the woman moved to take her from Emmett and give her a gentle hug as well. "You and I are just going to have to make plans. How about this weekend we go to the Home Show, it's in Port Angeles."

Esme's hands were caressing her cheeks and Bella could see her concern as Esme looked into Bella's bloodshot eyes, but Bella ignored that and gave her a shy smile. "It's your turn, isn't it?" Esme gave her a small smile at that, but it faded. "Are you okay?" Yet another female vampire asked her. Bella just sighed heavily.

"I'm doing okay for now. I get sleeping problems sometimes, and I'll admit it hasn't been this bad since last summer, but if I can just ride it out it should calm down again." She glanced at the Doctor behind Esme. "I'm hoping I might get a couple sleeping pills."

"We'll see about that. I'm not willing to write out prescriptions without actually doing an exam and deciding if that is the way we should go." Carlisle told her and Bella wasn't thrilled, but then it was what she'd expected. She noticed him looking over at Esme for a moment, before his eyes went to her, "Did you want me to exam you?"

"You can't see into my head, so I don't know what good it will do, but sure." Bella spoke without thinking and noticed that Jasper tensed up a little and stared at her strangely. Bella couldn't help but blush as she remembered her shield and the fact that this coven's telepath couldn't get in. She hadn't meant it that way.

"If you all don't mind, we could do this now, before the kids start trying to monopolize your time." He smiled at her and Bella shrugged and glanced around to see a few caring eyes giving her concerned looks. It was kind of nice, to be cared for, Bella thought, before she followed Carlisle upstairs.

"How are you going to do this? Do you have an exam table and nurse up here?" She joked just a little.

"Would you prefer another person to be with us?" He asked and Bella was a bit surprised.

"I don't really care." She told him. She knew nothing said tonight was going to remain between the two of them, and what could he really look at?

He opened a door and she finally saw his office. It had lots of books, and that painting over his desk drew her attention. She focused on it, and the three vampires that it would be best for her to never meet, the Volturi. It was also the first time she'd seen even a reproduction of someone with red eyes. "Nice, you paint?" She asked casually, when she realized she'd been looking too long.

"No, a friend painted it for me." He moved to clear off his desk, which considering how many things were in the room didn't have much on it. "This will have to do as an exam table. Why don't you sit down and I'll get my bag."

She used her arms to help her get onto the desk and then sat with her legs dangling off as he pulled out an old fashioned medical bag, the kind seen in some movies in doctors hands when they were doing house calls. It looked a little worn, and Bella wondered if it had sentimental value or if he simply couldn't find a replacement anymore.

His physical exam was a waste of time, but she allowed it. He checked heart, ears, listened to major veins as if he couldn't do it without the stethoscope. He checked reflexes, which were a bit slow apparently, but it could be the lack of sleep. He checked her eyes a lot, motor skills, and Bella suspected it wasn't all for her sleeping problem.

…..

Esme Pov

"I'd like to draw some blood." Carlisle's exam was going on a little long and Esme felt some irritation. They'd agreed not to pressure Bella to see him, but now that Bella needed a doctor he was going well beyond what was needed for her problem. His curiosity was cute, when it wasn't being intrusive.

"Not here." Bella spoke up quickly and Esme noticed a few vampires stopped what they were doing to listen. "That's a procedure done in a doctor's office, not their house and I'm not willing to deal with needles. My blood wouldn't affect my nightmares."

"Respect her limits, she is right and you know it." Esme growled out a little and ignored the shocked looks the others gave her. She never scolded him in front of them, but she couldn't exactly go into his office and say it to his face right now.

"Alright Bella, I was just trying to be thorough, but if you don't want to do that, it's fine." He spoke softly and Esme relaxed. "Let's talk about these nightmares. Can you tell me what you're dreaming about?"

Jasper spoke softly, "She's nervous."

"Of course she is, this is about what's keeping her up at night. I doubt she'd call winning the lottery a nightmare." Rosalie muttered.

"Well, I died," Esme grimaced at the mere thought of that, "And when I come to I'm in another body that isn't mine. Sometimes it's a baby and I can't even move, or other times I'm a zombie and I'm trapped in my coffin, or I get out and people are running from me."

"Poor thing." Esme put a hand over her mouth as she listened.

"She needs to stop reading those books." Alice added quietly. Esme wondered though if it was those books, because Bella had been reading them for a while and just now started with these nightmares from the sounds of it.

"I keep calling for help and nobody can understand me." Bella continued, and her voice sounded a little raspy. "Sometimes I come to and I'm an animal and I'm being slaughtered. I just keep being reborn into hell."

"Fuck." Emmett let out a disgusted noise. Esme didn't even bother to scold him for his language.

"No wonder she isn't sleeping." Rosalie sounded pained and Esme looked over to see Emmett rest a hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Are these dreams always the same? What happens when you have one?" Carlisle asked.

"They are mostly the same, and I wake up with my heart racing and I can't sleep. If I manage I just have another one. That's why I want a sleeping pill, I won't last much longer on the hour or two of restless sleep I'm getting. Even if I'm trapped in the nightmares, I have to get some sleep, or I'll start bursting into tears for no reason, or I'll stumble down the stairs or something. I don't want to wait until it gets that bad."

"Have you had nightmares before?"

"Some last summer." Bella spoke softly.

"She's too nervous, I think it's more than that." Jasper added.

"The Poor thing." Esme whispered, her heart aching to know the girl was going through so much just to sleep.

"Why does she have nightmares?" Alice asked, sounding bewildered.

"I'd guess she feels helpless." Jasper spoke up. He'd taken a few advanced degrees in Psychology. "Seems to be a theme in the dreams she's sharing."

"She wants help and nobody is hearing her." Emmett spoke softly. "Why doesn't Bella bear just ask for help? We'd listen."

"It's not so simple with dreams. She may not even be aware of what is causing this." Jasper explained. The room went quiet at that, but Esme became more determined than ever to make sure Bella knew that Esme was willing to be that help, that shoulder to cry on, no matter what was bothering the girl.

"Aside from the nightmares, are you having any other odd dreams?" Carlisle asked. "Or moments of déjà vu? Could you be having trouble because memories are coming back?"

"Or strange psychic powers." Emmett muttered the underlying question Carlisle really wanted answered.

"No, no, nothing."

"She had a reaction to that question." Jasper moved a few steps toward the stairs and stared up. "She became nervous for just a moment."

"What could that mean?" Emmett asked before Esme could.

"Too many things to pinpoint at the moment." He spoke.

"But it could mean she's having visions." Alice spoke flatly.

"Or she's starting to remember and doesn't like what she's seeing." Rosalie added.

"Sleeping pills aren't really what I'd prefer to use to deal with an issue like this. You would benefit more from some therapy. Didn't anyone suggest that after your accident?"

"Sure they did, but there wasn't much to say." Bella sighed so heavily Esme ached to be in the room to comfort the girl. "I don't want to go that route."

"Fear, frustration, helplessness." Jasper listed out reactions. "I believe she thinks that will make things worse." He interpreted the girl and Esme frowned. Bella had to know doctors were there to help.

"You're going through a lot Bella. Few people can even understand what you're experiencing having to relearn your own life." Carlisle spoke gently, his compassion easy to hear and Esme hoped he got through to her.

"I need to tell her." Alice spoke so quietly and Esme turned to see pain in Alice's eyes. "She must feel so alone, I need to tell her about me." Esme didn't think it could hurt, it might even help both of them. It didn't fit with the fiction they'd created for themselves in Forks though. They'd claimed to have adopted Alice young.

"Then tell her." Esme spoke firmly, and quietly, as she stared up towards the office where Carlisle was warning Bella about the side effects of the pills he was giving her. They'd watch her carefully tonight, because Carlisle was talking about sleep walking, sleep talking, difficulty waking up. He was also telling her he was only giving her a few, that she needed to not become dependent on them. "Tell her we lied to the whole town if you have to." After Bella's problems at her last school, the family lying to protect Alice wouldn't seem odd at all.

"She is so relieved he is giving her those pills. It's powerful. She was desperate for the help sleeping." Jasper spoke up as the door upstairs opened. They all moved into place, to pretend they weren't all listening in.

"I'll go fill her prescription." Esme offered, knowing everyone else was needed to see if the girl had powers. She was the one least likely to be missed for that, and she wanted Bella sleeping well tonight.

…..

Bella PoV

Bella found herself tugged gently to the dining room table when she got downstairs. Jasper was sitting there with Rosalie in front of him and a stack of cards. "Playing poker?" she asked, but something seemed off.

"Actually I'm seeing if I'm more psychic than Emmett." Rosalie gave her a small smile. Bella tilted her head a little and stared at the cards, sure she'd misheard that.

"These here are for testing ESP." Jasper told her gently and flipped one over to show a triangle was on it. "If someone guesses the next card before I pull it up, that might be precognition. Next round I stare at the card and see if someone can guess what I'm seeing,"

"Telepathy." Bella muttered quietly, but it was strange that they'd play these games.

"Yes." He nodded and then focused on the cards while Alice took the seat across from Bella and they got to watch Rosalie attempt what Alice could have done so easily. Rose proved to not be precognitive, before Jasper turned to her. "Your turn."

"What, no," Bella shook her head and chuckled. "I'm not even close to being a precog."

"You don't know, give it a try." Alice told her and she had a soft pleading look. Bella stared at her a moment and realized that this was a test for her. Something Bella did made them think she might be like Alice. She wasn't really sure what she could have done, but she turned to stare at the cards stacked in front of Jasper.

With a heavy sigh Bella turned her chair slightly to face Jasper and she waited for the first card. There was no point in not trying, because she knew this wasn't her gift. Her gift was a lot less showy, she was immune to mental powers and there was no fun card game for that one. They tested her for precog, and then Bella watched in amusement as Alice had her turn and the small grimaces Alice made once in a while let Bella count correctly when Alice was being wrong on purpose.

Her amusement was what made Jasper give her an odd look and Bella tried to not pay as much attention to Alice's test after that searching look. He clearly could tell she knew when Alice would be wrong, even if she never did well with the cards herself. Bella found herself a little lost as to what to do, because the vampires clearly thought something was off about her.

"Bella?" Alice spoke up softly, and drew Bella's attention back to her. "How about another round, you and me, whoever gets the most right gets to pick our next movie when we go out."

"Against you?" Bella spoke in shock and her tone said it all, it was insane and she froze as she realized her mistake. "You'll cheat." She added and glanced at Jasper, trying to fix her mistake. "He made signals for you or something."

Emmett chuckled from somewhere behind her. "Twenty bucks on Bella Bear." Bella turned to give him a sharp look. He was throwing money away and he knew it.

"Sorry Bella, but I'm going to have to bet on Alice with this one." Rosalie told her with what should have been a mysterious smile, but Bella just let out a huff of air.