A/N: I forgot to add this to the last two chapters, but I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

Also, a huge thank you to all of you who have been reading this story and actually letting me know! I hope you enjoy this.

The police proceeded to ask me question after question about who could have had a scrap of fabric from my old comforter. So I told them about Phil. I told them about Phil and how he was a drunk, and how he had abused my mom. I neglected to tell them about him abusing me, call it fear or whatever, but I just couldn't tell them. They called down to Phoenix and found out that Phil was sleeping at the Rehabilitation Center in Phoenix, so it couldn't possibly be him. The police asked me if there were any other "persons of interest." That's how they put it, "persons of interest." I wanted to scream at them. I didn't know who else could possibly want to scare or maybe even hurt me. All I knew was that their little scare tactic had worked and that now that I was lying in bed for the second time that night I could not fall asleep.

I tried to think about who could possibly want to hurt me. Only one name came to mind, the name of the man that had taken my mother from me. But fortunately for him he was locked up in a rehab center. I couldn't think of a reason why he would be after me, though. Was he afraid I would go to the police about the abuse? Too late for that. But mom is dead, so it's not like a case would hold in court now, not without a primary witness. I learned a lot about primary witnesses this last summer. A case could be made or broken on the primary witness. In our situation, the case had been broken. Phil had claimed that he had only had two drinks so no one could blame him for drunk driving. But by the time the police actually got around to testing him, a lot of the alcohol had already evacuated from his body. Seeing how mom was dead, there was no primary witness to explain what exactly happened that night. Phil claimed temporary amnesia and couldn't remember a single thing from that night. But I heard him, when he came back to the house later he pleaded with me not to tell anyone. He said he was sorry and he didn't mean for anything bad to happen. Then he got drunk and threatened me, he said that if I told I would be buried right next to my mother. I swore I wouldn't tell and then moved in with my best friend Angela. After that I was forced to move in with Charlie.

A knock on my door pulled me out of the past.

"Bella?" Charlie peeked through the door. "Bella are you okay."

"I'm fine." I said, all the while trying to hide the fear and terror in my voice.

"I've arranged to have a cop car outside the house at all times. Also, I've put out a report for anyone who spots a suspicious character to bring them in for questioning."

I just nodded. He walked out of the room and closed the door. I thought for a few more minutes about everything that had happened last summer before finally dozing off.

Again I crash landed on my bed when I awoke. I turned over and saw that the clock was blinking twelve. I decided to roll over and grab a few more winks before Charlie came storming in to tell me to get my butt to school. Time passed, and I had no idea how much, but I was rudely awoken by the ringing of the phone on my bedside table.

"I decided to give you some extra time to sleep. But don't forget, you have a meeting with Dr. Cullen today. It's about one and you have to be there in two hours."

"Thanks Charlie."

"No problem. Have a good afternoon." I doubted that since I would have to see The Shrink today, but I returned the pleasantry and then hung up. I got up and ambled down to the shower. I stood there rinsing off last night's horror and then towel dried my hair. I had a lunch of leftover spaghetti and then watched some stupid sitcom while I waited for the time to go to school.

The clocked turned to 3:35 and I finally decided that I should head out. I grabbed my backpack and my keys, and then was hit with the sudden realization that I was again without a car. I thought about my poor truck stranded on the freeway when a strong knock pounded on the door. I looked through the peephole and saw the brown-eyed officer standing on the front stoop.

"Yes?" I asked him.

"Your father told me that you were without a car and would need a ride to school."

"Do I have to ride in the back?"

"Have you recently committed a crime?"

I smiled. "No."

"Then I guess I could let you ride shotgun."

I went back into the house and grabbed my backpack and keys. I swung the door shut and then locked up the house. The officer stood holding the passenger side door open for me. I climbed in and placed my bag at my feet. The ride to school was silent, but it wasn't awkward, just empty. When we finally got the school the officer told me my father would be here to pick me up at four and to wait for him and accept rides from no one. I got out of the car and then rolled my eyes, I wasn't four!

I walked through the deserted school campus towards the school office. I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching me. Everyone was in class and no one was out, so I couldn't understand why I couldn't staunch the feeling of being watched. I turned back to see if the officer had left, and sure enough, he hadn't. This guy was good, probably looking for a promotion or something. I looked at the officer in the car and waved; he waved back but just sat there. He probably wouldn't leave until I was in the building. This was going to get old fast.

I walked into the school office and watched as a short, pixie-haired, brunette walked out of The Shrink's office.

She yelled back okay to The Shrink and then turned. Her eyes lighted up when she saw me. I felt like I should show just as much enthusiasm, but I had no clue who the yell this Pixie was.

"You must be Bella. I'm Alice, Alice Cullen." Great, exactly what I need, another Cullen. I just looked at her and then began to walk by. "Well, it was nice to meet you. Oh, and Bella, if you ever need anything," she paused to look me straight in the eyes, "Just ask."

I stalked past The Pixie all the while thinking that this chick was insane. As I walked into The Shrink's office I was surprised by the shock of sunlight pouring in through the window.

"Ah, Bella. You're here. I heard about the situation at your house last night. Are you alright?" I just looked at him. Of course he had heard, this town was tiny and gossip probably spread like an STD at a retirement home.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that you need to start talking to someone before all of your emotions become too much for you to control and you explode."

"I think you've been reading too many psych books." He chuckled at this. I had no clue why he found me so hilarious, but it bothered me. "You know, not everyone likes to be laughed at."

"Yeah, well not everyone likes to be glared at for an hour."

"Hey, I don't want to be here, I have to. So why don't we make it easier on ourselves and agree to make this time a free period. You come, I come, and we'll mutually ignore each other?"

"Sorry Bella, but I can't do that." Well it was worth a shot, wasn't it?

"Well then, what else can we do?"

"You could try to tell me about your life before forks."

"I told you yesterday that I did not want to talk about that. God!"

"No, I am not God, but I would love to pass along anything that you would like to tell him." He looked at me dead serious and I wanted to hurl myself out of this chair at him. I wanted to grab him by his beautiful blonde hair and make him wince in pain.

"Sure, you can give God a message for me. Tell him he's an asshole."

"Why?"

"Because only an asshole would take a mother away from her daughter."

"From what I hear it wasn't God that took your mother from you, it was a man named," at this he looked into a file he held in his hand, "Phil."

"How do you know about Phil?" My voice started to shake, what did The Shrink know?

"Your father told the school about what happened to your mother before you came here. I asked for information on your background and found this. Do you have a problem with that?"

Of course I had a problem with that. I didn't want some beautiful man knowing about my past. My past was my past. Mine. If I wanted to share it with someone I would, but going around me to find out, that was just not right.

"You had no right." I said through gritted teeth.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Would you like to tell me about it?"

"No."

"Bella, if this is going to work then you're going to need to—"

"I said no! Freaking A, why can't you take a hint? I don't want to talk about my life before Forks because up until three weeks ago my life before Forks was still my life. I don't want to talk about my life before Forks because part of me still hopes that this is some horrible nightmare and that I'll wake up eventually. I don't want to talk about my life before Forks because, because, because it hurts too much."

I broke down and started crying at this point. I hadn't mean to say so much, but the frustration and then anger in me just bubbled up and I couldn't control what was coming out of my mouth. The Shrink said nothing, he didn't even look at me, he just sat there scribbling away on his notepad. Finally he looked up at me and I actually saw concern in his eyes. This pissed me off, who was he to feel sorry for me. I was Bella Swan and I could take care of myself.

I was about to tell him off when the phone on his desk rang. I tuned out his conversation while I tried to regain my composure. I finally had it all together when The Shrink cleared his throat and began to speak.

"That was your father. He said he would not be able to pick you up. I told him not to worry, I could give you a ride, or maybe one of my children could. That is if you don't mind."

"Whatever."

"Alright then. Well, you seem to have met Alice so maybe she wouldn't mind."

I tuned him out again as he made a phone call. I supposed it was to The Pixie.

"She said she would love to give you a ride and would meet you outside the school in five minutes."

I just nodded and grabbed my bag while heading for the door.

"And Bella, I'm sorry about your mother."

I hightailed it out of there, afraid that my emotions would betray me again and I would tell The Shrink something else that he didn't need to know. But oddly I felt a bit more at ease about everything that had happened that summer. A little bit.

I stepped out the door and waited for the Pixie to come get me. I was standing there for only a minute when a man appeared from out of the shadows and started walking towards me. There was something familiar about his walk, and the way he carried himself; but I couldn't quite place it. It wasn't until he got closer that I saw the four horizontal lines on his face. The scars. I started to hyperventilate because I finally realized who the man outside the door had been. Then I started to freak out more as I realized that he was coming towards me and there was no one around to help me.

"Hello Bella. Miss me?" He asked in a voice that softly whispered each word.

I started backing away trying to find someone to help me but the campus was deserted. Classes had gotten out an hour ago and now I was the only one on campus. He kept coming closer and I hoped for something, anything, anyone to come help me. I was backpedaling and not watching where I was going when I fell over an exposed tree branch. I started to panic because he was getting closer and I was too frightened to get up. Then everything changed. He was running away and The Shrink was walking out of the school doors.

"Bella, you left your jacket in my office. Bella, are you alright."

"Fi-f-fine. I'm fine." I stammered. He came over and helped me to my feet while giving me my jacket. I looked around me but he was nowhere to be seen. It was at that moment that I remembered the name that went with the face, the scars, the bloodshot blue-eye…James.

A yellow sports car pulled into the school parking lot and The Shrink started walking towards it. Out of the driver's side came The Pixie.

"Bella this is Alice. Alice this is Bella." The Shrink introduced us. I smiled at her, which probably looked like a grimace and she smiled back.

"I know Dad. Should we go Bella?" I nodded and made my way to the passenger side door. Once out of the school parking lot The Pixie fixed her attention towards me. "So Bella, you're a junior, right?"

"Yeah."

"Same as me. Cool. I haven't seen you in any of my classes though."

"Well, I don't make it to most of my classes."

"Oh. Well, that's okay, I don't make it to some of mine either. So what brought you to Forks."

I thought this question to difficult to answer with the truth so I asked a question of my own.

"You're related to Edward right?"

"Not really. Edward and I are adopted. So is our other brother Emmett. Esme, our adoptive mother, and Carlisle adopted us at different times. I was the first and youngest; they adopted me 14 years ago when I was 2. After me they adopted Emmett. That was four years ago and he was 14. They adopted Edward just last year; he was only 15 and a mess. But Carlisle is so good with children; Edward has come a long way."

I tried to think of Edward being a troubled youth. For some reason it just didn't compute, this overzealous upstanding citizen, troubled?

"Huh." I said, hoping she would go on.

"Yeah. Edward's parents both died and he was a mess. But I probably shouldn't tell you, he wouldn't like it. He doesn't like telling people his story, but maybe he'll tell you."

I just nodded, understanding exactly how Edward felt. The Pixie looked at me then, studying me more than the road.

"You know Bella, your hair is very beautiful, very healthy. You should wear it down sometime."

I actually laughed at The Pixie. This caused her to giggle and the rest of the trip was spent listening to music while Alice talked over it about random hair and beauty things. I found myself fairly entertained by this girl how had nearly no hair, but thousands of ideas about how she could do mine.

I was slightly disappointed when we finally arrived at my house. There was another cop car sitting outside my house.

"Uh oh. Are you in trouble?" She looked at me somewhat humorously.

"No, we had some strange guy loitering outside our house and now my dad is paranoid. He's the Police Chief."

"Oh, do you think he could waive a few traffic tickets for me, I'm a cop magnet in this thing." She gestured towards the car.

"Probably not, but I could ask." I said even though I had no intention of doing so.

"Sweet. Well, this was fun Bella. I really really hope we can do it again sometime."

"You know what Alice, I would really like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then it's a plan. I'll figure something out!"

"Cool."

"Maybe we could hit Port Angeles and do a movie, or go to Seattle for some primo shopping."

"I vote the movie over the shopping, but I'd be okay with either. Anything to get me out of the house."

"Oh, I thought you wanted to hang out with me…"

"Oh, no Alice I do!"

"I'm just kidding Bella! I get it. I have parents too."

We laugher for a few minutes before I got out of the car. We agreed to a movie in Port Angeles a week from Friday. I got out of the car and made my way up to the door. Alice waved and pulled away, then the officer stepped out of the car.

"Miss Swan, your father asked that I make a preliminary run through of the house before you entered, would that be alright."

I nodded and the officer walked in the house. No less than a few minutes later he walked back out.

"All clear, no monsters in the closest or under the beds." He attempted to smile but I just looked at him like the idiot that he was. But still I was grateful that he checked everywhere. I was still going to check them for myself, but it was a nice thought.

I walked into the front room and then the kitchen, there sitting on the kitchen table was a note and a spray can.

Bella,

Here's a can of pepper spray, carry it with you at all times.

Charlie

I rolled my eyes at Charlie's attempt to be fatherly, but felt safer with the spray in my hand. I made my way through the house and found the officer to be right. Not one monster hiding anywhere. I sat down in front of the t.v. and waited for Charlie to get home. I knew once he got there I would have to tell him about James, and about how he had cornered me at school. This didn't mean I was looking forward to it though. He would probably ask me why this James character was looking for me, and I was not ready to tell him that story yet. I wasn't even ready to think about it, not yet.

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