Chapter 4

EPOV

The snow was fluttering down covering my windscreen making the driving conditions treacherous. If I wasn't already past the town limits and heading into the city I would have turned back. I was literally risking my own life here to find a woman I didn't know. My jacket was custom made for gods sake and was made for my yearly skiing trips in Austria with my college buddies and yet I was still shivering. I could not help but wonder if I was shivering wrapped up like this how was Bella feeling. The worst case scenario crossed my mind but I could not linger on it for long. Death. Everyone knows it is not a pleasant subject. But how was one supposed to survive in these conditions and the temperature was still dropping rapidly. I did not know what I was going to find when I got there but I already cared for this Bella character so badly. I had no idea what the girl looked like yet I still felt a little twinge in my chest at the thought of her not being at my side within the next few hours. There must be something I'm allergic too nearby I thought as I reached up to wipe some water from my eyes. Or maybe it was just the thought of her not being found and not being in this world anymore. It could be my caring doctor side but I doubted it. 'For god's sake!' I scolded myself I didn't even know what this woman looked like let alone have feelings for her. I had risen so fast to the top of my field simply for the reason I didn't let emotions get in my way so why was it so different now.

Parking the Volvo in the same spot it was parked yesterday I began to retrace my routes. I may go to the coffee shop everyday but it was a good thing I was a fairly astute person or I would not be able to remember as the alleyway was well hidden. Taking a deep breath as I rounded the corner I reminded myself that my journey might not have been worth it and would become less of a rescue mission and more of a recovery. I could not think along this train of thoughts for long though I could just imagine little Avas face when I brought her mother back to her new home and I strided in my mission to make that happen. The makeshift shelter was still there however snow had piled on top of the tarp during the night dipping it until it had collapsed. Just the thought of Ava and her mysterious mother being crushed by snow in the middle of the night made a shiver run down my back. Following the alleyway round a bend I began to lose hope when I reached a dead end. About to turn around like a failure I was stopped by a whimpering sound. The corner of the dead end was so dark I had not seen it at first but there she was. The reason for me coming out in the freezing weather, when I should be curled up on the sofa in my penthouse with a cup of hot coco. At least I thought it was her after all I had no description to go on. I froze still not wanting to startle her like I had done with Ava the day before.

Time passed slowly and I had not moved from my position as I waited for the strange woman to calm down. The cold was getting to me fresh snowflakes was falling from the sky threatening to pile up on the already frozen ground. As I winced from my freezing toes she must have sensed my slight movement as she jumped in surprise letting out a small gasp.

"Hey hey it's alright I'm not going to hurt you." She just ignored me continuing to shake from fright.

"Come on don't be afraid, you are actually the reason I am here. I believe I have something of yours." it was possibly not the right thing to say as her movements became stiffer and defensive however she did begin to speak.

"its you, you took her from me!" how she went from being so shy and scared to defensive and accusing in a matter of seconds confused me but I went with it having seen Alice and Rose getting defensive over their kids in the past as well. It must be a mother's instinct thing.

"It's alright Ava is safe at my mother's house, nicely fed and cared for, she's asking for you."

"Of course she is I am all she has." Her heart shaped face seemed so broken at this point I couldn't help letting a little tear roll down my cheek. No it wasn't a tear it was just a snowflake melting on my warm cheek; I couldn't afford to get so close with only a few words spoken between us, who knows what circumstances led them to be out here in the first place.

" I came especially to find you, to bring you home to my family and look after you and offer you my home. After all I cannot leave two vulnerable girls on the streets like this I mean look at the weather."

"You don't think we can get through this. You think we're weak and unable." There she went being all mother bear again and I had to admit it was kinda sexy. Wait, stop it, I am doing it again. I don't even know the poor girl.

"I don't think you are weak but I do know if you stay out here one poor night and I bring Ava back too you, out here that she will not survive. She is still young and her immune system is weak."

"She's lived out here her entire life and has never been sick or ill in any way shape or form." The relief that went through me when she said Ava had never suffered from anything only made me wonder a few seconds later what Bella has gone through to keep her healthy and well. What has she had to endure?

"listen to me, Ava is safe and I want you to be too, she's asking for her mommy so I suggest we grab a coffee since we're here anyway and then go and re unite mother and daughter back together, what do you think?"

She was mulling it over, I could tell, she looked so cute , her face all rosy red from the cold kind of like Rudolph, she seemed to chew her bottom lip and wrinkle her little nose as she thought somewhere deep inside me I felt the urge to save that little lip.

"Ok, fine I will go with you. For Ava's sake not mine. I don't want to be known as the scrounger living of other people."

"You won't be I promise you, all my family seem to understand."

"Family?" she questioned me. I thought she would have already known considering I had told her my mother was currently looking after Ava.

"Yes family. We will have to go to my mother's house to collect Ava before we head on over to mine."

She remained silent at this revelation and I hoped she would be fine with meeting my family all at once and would not retreat back into her shy self; I liked this new confident side and planned on making sure she stayed like that. It was alright with Ava as she was asleep but Bella seemed to look over her shoulder and flinch at the slightest noise so there was little hope in that happening.

Some would believe I should take her straight home, I mean she has already gone more than I bet she has ever gone without seeing her child, I could almost feel the anxiety coming off of her but thought it would be best to learn about each other before we entered my mother's house to make it easier on her and to build up that trust issue.

We entered a cute little café which I personally prefer to the over franchised chains such as starbucks and Costa. Seriously don't they make enough money whilst these individual business struggle to make a living. Plus it also provided a more relaxed atmosphere, it seemed like the kind of place families come to catch up and in the far corner there were grandparents with their grand daughter treating her to a huge pink cupcake something I bet her parents would love and a few couples meeting up over lunch but other than that the place was empty, there was no businessman in suits rushing in and demanding their drinks fast before they were late for their next meeting. No this place just screamed peace and was the best choice in the little area to take Bella to where she wouldn't feel too overwhelmed.

I ordered us both a large black coffee not knowing what else she would like to drink and guided her away from the few other customers to the quietist area there was so we could talk. There were a few scornful looks from other customers from bringing a homeless person into the building. It wasn't like it was not obvious I mean Bella still had on a summerish outfit which immediately drew attention to her for being so out of place in the storm adding to the fact in laces it was torn and definitely not the cleanest but that was none of their business so gently putting my hand on the bottom of her back I tried my hardest to guide her away to shield her from the looks.

"I don't know who wants to go first, what do you think?" I decided to let her have the first words as I placed her coffee into her hands. She immediately took a big gulp of her first proper hot drink in what I would guess to be about a few years and then let the rest warn up her poor frozen hands.

"Flip a coin." She stated simply, so simply that I wondered why I had not thought of it first. I still had my change in my hand so flip a coin we did.

"Ok so you first."