Rosalie's POV

I couldn't imagine the terror that she felt.

When we were kids, I know that my brother felt remnants of fear whenever he was placed into a new situation with people that he didn't know very well… especially men. As we got older, he worked it out and eventually learned how to handle triggers and function overall, normally. I remembered more of my early childhood than I ever let on to my brother, the flashes and bits coming together over the years to form full memories. For a long time though, I wasn't nearly as sensitive to it as Jasper had been, but after I was raped by Royce, I eventually came to understand what we had gone through as young children… going through it again myself, completely terrified of having anyone too close to me. It took a long time for Emmett to break down those walls, both of us working together to push through it and become as close as we had eventually become. Even still, there were still times where even Emmett wasn't able to come too close or take me by surprise.

Bella was far stronger than I was though; and despite her fear, she just kept going throughout it all… terrified, but stubborn as hell.

But I watched her after that day that she and Edward had spent at the beach, after Nessie was approached and grabbed by the man who we now knew had initially been a part of Bella's kidnapping. Although Nessie couldn't positively identify him, all of us had a gut feeling… an instinct within that told us that there was no doubt… it was him.

And as I watched Bella, I saw her strength shine through, even as she began to simultaneously slide backwards again.

As she continued to work at the book store, we all checked in regularly, ensuring that she was never alone for long, and always able to contact us. Neither Edward nor her father were overly happy about her continuing to work while they tried to track him down, but she wouldn't have it any other way – her assertive demeanor letting them know that there was no room for arguments. She was determined not to let the fear rule over her.

But it didn't stop her from constantly looking over her shoulder, while the bags under her eyes got darker once again. I knew that she wasn't sleeping much at all. She had confessed her inability to both fall and stay asleep at night, one evening while she and Nessie had joined Emmett, Haley and I for dinner. That conversation had led to Emmett insisting that she stay to watch a movie with us, since Edward was of course, working late again. My husband, being far more sensitive than most people realised, picked out the most boring docu-drama that he could find, and within minutes Bella was passed out on the couch.

"She doesn't sleep good unless Edward's close." Nessie whispered as I moved to cover Bella with a light blanket.

"Come on, let's go put Haley to bed." Moving across the room I reached into Emmett's arms where our daughter was also fast asleep. She had spent most of the afternoon playing with Ness which always tired her out.

Carrying Haley up the stairs, Ness followed quietly behind me until we got into the small nursery and I began to pull out pajamas and a fresh diaper.

"Is it weird that I sleep better when Edward's close too?" She asked me quietly and I shook my head as I laid my half-awake daughter down and worked quickly to get her ready for bed.

I didn't answer immediately, focusing first on the task at hand so that when I finally answered, I could give Nessie my full attention.

"I think that you trust Edward." I finally spoke up as I laid Haley in her crib, watching as her eyes blinked slowly up at me. She was exhausted and would be asleep again in minutes. Shutting off the light, we walked down the hall and towards mine and Emmett's room. "I think that when you have someone that you trust to keep you safe, it is much easier to relax in general." I answered her and she nodded, remaining quiet.

I had sat down on our bed, my feet curled up underneath me as we spoke and Nessie had gradually laid down, her head resting in my lap as I combed through her hair with my fingers. She was a beautifully affectionate child, and I wished that any of us could provide her with the safety and stability that she craved. She had come so far since they had been found in that god-awful bunker; but she still needed something more.

"Edward, what are you doing right now?" I didn't even give him a chance to answer his phone, speaking as soon as I heard the line connect. At the sound of my voice, Nessie's head shot up and I saw the confusion on her face.

"Are Bella and Nessie alright? What's wrong?" He panicked like I knew he would and I rolled my eyes at his dramatic questions. Of course I knew he was always worried about them, but he also needed to just breathe once in a while and let others speak before he jumped to conclusions.

"They're fine. As fine as they can be." I answered quickly before launching into my speech. "But you need to come and get them and take them home… and not just to drop them off and tuck them in and go your separate ways." I lectured quickly. "Bella hasn't slept well in days, and Nessie needs the security that you provide the both of them with. Take them to your parent's house, take them to the Chief's house… but stay with them. I shouldn't have to tell you this…" I sighed and I heard him take a deep muffled breath himself.

"Give me…"

Edward's answer was cut off by the shrieking coming from our living room down below and I waited as I heard her wake herself up, the murmur of Emmett's voice nearly undetectable as he comforted her. Thankfully he had more than enough experience dealing with nightmares, and I wasn't worried as I waited for Edward to continue.

"Bella?" He asked, resignation in his voice.

"Less than thirty minutes of sleep on our couch…" I said quietly into my cell phone and waited.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He finally answered and I sighed, I knew this wasn't easy on him… and he was exhausted himself, determined to find the creep before he could hurt either of the girls again. But right now, both Bella and Nessie needed him with them, more than he realised. He would have to somehow figure out the right balance.

"Thank you Aunt Rosalie." Nessie had relaxed immediately following my call to Edward, even the knowledge of him on his way, obviously comforting to her.

"Anytime Ness." I smiled down at her as she closed her eyes to wait, while I continued to run my fingers across her scalp. She wasn't sleeping, but she was more at peace while she waited.

Less than an hour later and Edward had arrived to pick the girls up, Nessie thrilled to be going home with him, and Bella although surprised, relieved as well. Her face had both lit up and softened when he had come in, asking her if she wanted to head back to his parents' house with him for the night.

As Emmett closed the door behind them a few minutes later, he pulled me into his arms and I gladly let them surround me.

"You know, I love my brother… but sometimes he needs a kick in the ass to figure shit out." Emmett grumbled as we moved to go upstairs.

Snickering, I turned around and walked backwards.

"As if you've never needed a good ass-kicking yourself?" I watched as first his jaw dropped open, and then after a moment closed again, his eyes twinkling brightly as his dimples appeared.

"Do you remember what it was like growing up? When Edward was so insistent that she was out there and alive?" I couldn't stop the question from flowing out from my mouth, Emmett once again frowning as he remembered it himself.

"I wanted to believe she was alive… but I couldn't." He said and I nodded. It wasn't that we had given up all hope… it was that we all knew the statistics and the likelihood of ever finding her.

"At this time last year, if you had told me that we were going to find Bella and her daughter that looks so much like her that she could almost be her clone… I wouldn't have believed it. I don't think that I could have. And I never could have imagined the horrors that she faced, or the way that Bella and Nessie kind of fit back into everything." I continued on with the thoughts as we got ready for bed, not quite sure why I was on this track tonight.

"I don't think we could have pictured this." Emmett said simply and I hummed in agreement. It was true, seeing everything that Bella had to work through, the way that although she fit, she had to find herself and her place again…. Even seeing the development of hers and Edward's relationship – slow and steady, but consistent; as if they had always been meant to be together.

"Once this bullshit with that prick is done…. Once they find him and put him away too… Bella's going to change again… she'll settle down." Again, Emmett surprised me. He was not only sensitive, but he was also quite intuitive when it came to his family… when he said things like this, he was rarely wrong.

"Do you think she and Edward will be able to move forward after that?" I asked him as we climbed into bed, his arms wrapping back around me.

"Yeah… as long as my brother chills the fuck out and just lets nature take its course… he needs to let go of control and just be with Bella." He chuckled and I sighed.

"This is Edward we're talking about…" I stated with a slight giggle of my own.

"I know. Bella'll mellow him out eventually though… she's the only one of us with the patience to do it."