62
She sat in the closet with her knees pulled up to her chest, her eyes closed, and her hands curled into tight fists. They'd gotten back to Edward's house from court a few hours beforehand, and though she was ashamed, she found herself cowering away in the dark, like the chicken she was. She told herself that there was no way the jury would believe a word he said. He was a liar, and lying was bad. But he was a good liar, and she was scared that just one of the men or women sitting inside the jurors' box would believe him. Just one, that's all it would take Kate said. Just one to believe that she wanted him, that she asked for him to rape her.
She wanted to run, to hide, to keep Edward, her pancake man, Esme, Rosie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice safe. To keep him from getting his hands on Beth or Vanessa, from him taking her daughter away from Ben and Angela. She wanted Vanessa to have the life she never had, a life where she grew up happy, loved, and wanted. Not a life where she was put in a wooden box, raped, beaten until she forgot who she was. Vanessa, Beth — they were good girls.
She felt herself tense as the door to the bedroom opened, though when her pancake man stepped into view, she felt her shoulders relax — a little at least. He smiled and gestured for the floor, causing her to nod.
"You okay, honey?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Yeah, that was a stupid question," he said, sighing. "None of us are really okay, are we?"
"No," she whispered.
"I'll feel better when he's locked away for good," Carlisle said, bending his knees in front of him. "When he can't hurt you again."
"He said he loved me," she whimpered. "How could he say he loved me when he hurt me all the time?"
"I don't know, honey." Carlisle stretched his hand out toward her, causing her to smile as she wrapped her fingers around his. "You're so much stronger than he gave you credit for, though. Look at what you did?"
"What? What did I do?"
Carlisle smiled, though his eyes were full of tears. "You fought him and survived, Bella. That night when I almost hit you with my car —"
"I jumped in front of you!" she insisted.
"Okay, okay, when you jumped in front of my car," he laughed. "Bella, I knew you were different, special. I didn't know why, or how, but I knew I needed to help you, to find you again."
"Why? I was just a girl. Why'd you chase me? Why'd you buy me pancakes?"
Carlisle shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know, Bella. I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to find you, to help you. Now, I know why."
"Because of Rosie," she whispered, nodding.
"Well, yes, but not just Rosalie, Bella."
"What do you mean?"
"The last few years," he said, shaking his head. "I'm sure Edward's told you about our parents. After they died, honey, it got really hard," he whimpered, sniffing back his tears. "Edward's always blamed himself, and it didn't matter how many times me, Emmett, or Jasper told him there wasn't anything he could have done to stop it, that the accident wasn't his fault, he refused to believe us. I think we all feel a little to blame for the accident."
"Why?"
"Because we stopped being there like we should have. I had just graduated from medical school, and my intern year was kicking my ass. Emmett had just finished his freshman year at UW, and Jay had become a detective, Bella. We were busy with our own lives, and maybe we weren't there for Edward the way we should have been, you know?"
"I don't believe that," she said, shaking her head.
"Why not?"
She bit the inside of her lip as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I just see the way you are with each other. You fight for each other, for people that don't deserve it," she added, frowning. "Even if it got hard, you're there for each other. I missed that when he had me," she cried, tightening her arms around her knees. "Being a part of a family, I mean. I forgot them, for a long time, but I never forgot what being a family felt like."
"You will never have to miss it again, honey."
She nodded. "Because you're my family now."
"We are." Carlisle brought her hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Now, there is a very nervous young man downstairs who is waiting for you."
"There is?" she asked, confused.
Carlisle nodded. "I was supposed to bring you straight down, but I think it's good to make Edward sweat a little."
"Why?" she asked, laughing.
"Because we all sweat a little on our first date with the woman we've fallen in love with, Bella."
"Oh," she whispered, feeling her cheeks warm. "I love him, too, you know?"
"We know." Carlisle stood and offered him her hand. "Now, may I escort you downstairs?"
She nodded and placed her hand in his, letting him pull her to her feet. He held her hand as they walked out of the closet, through the bedroom, downstairs, and into the living room. While everyone was seated on the couch, or the floor in Esme and Beth's case, Edward was standing next to the front door with a bouquet of pink roses in his hands. He smiled, the left side of his lips curving just a smidge higher than the other side as he walked up to her, placing his free hand on the side of her face.
"I was hoping you'd like to go out with me tonight."
"Where are we going?" she asked, leaning into his hand.
"It's a surprise," he whispered. "I promise to keep you safe, sweetheart. All you have to do is say yes."
She smiled, laughing softly. "But where are we going?"
Edward narrowed his eyes. "What part of surprise don't you understand?"
"What if I don't like surprises?"
"What if I promise you will love this surprise?"
"Edward," she laughed, biting the inside of her lip.
"I promise you will love it. Just put your trust in me, sweetheart."
"Okay," she whispered, placing her hand on his chest. "I'll trust you."
He smiled and slid his hand down her arm, threading his fingers in with hers. "Go grab a coat. I'll put your roses in some water."
"I'll take care of the roses," Alice said, hurrying over and slipping the flowers from Edward to herself. "Have fun, you two."
"Thanks," she whispered, biting her lip. "I'll, um, I'll be right back."
"Hurry," he murmured.
She smiled before she turned and ran upstairs into the bedroom, throwing open the door to the closet. She grabbed the winter coat Alice had bought her a couple months ago, and turned to go back downstairs, stopping when she found Rosie leaning against the doorway.
"Oh, hey," she whispered.
"You have your phone?"
She nodded, reaching into the back pocket and pulling it out.
"Don't stay out too late, okay?"
"We won't be." She walked over to her sister, leaning up and kissing her cheek. "Thanks, Rosie."
"You're welcome, Bella. Have fun tonight. Just . . . just have fun."
"We will. Love you, Rosie."
"Love you, too, honey."
She walked back downstairs, finding Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle standing next to the front door with Alice, Esme, and Beth on the couches. Edward stretched his hand out toward her. She felt her heart racing as she crossed the room, sliding her hand a long his, laughing when he pulled her against him. He brought his hand back up to her face before he took a step backward, pulling her toward the door.
"Treat her good, Edward," Emmett said, smirking. "Don't keep our girl out too late."
"Here, Bella," Jasper said, holding out a quarter.
"What's that for?" she asked, taking it.
"In case you need to call for a ride. You know, if your date turns out to be a wanker," he said, winking at her, causing Edward to groan. "Have fun, honey."
"Thanks, I think?" she asked, shaking her head and looking up at Edward. "Are they always like this?"
"Sadly, they are," he admitted. "But since neither of our dads are here to embarrass us, and I guarantee my dad would have been just as corny as they are being, they're trying to . . . I don't know . . . be fucking weird."
She laughed. "Oh."
Edward wrapped his arm around her and led her out of the house, pulling the door closed behind them. She pulled the coat on, expecting him to lead her over to the driveway where his car was parked, but he didn't. Instead, Edward led her around the side of the house and into the backyard.
She smiled, bringing her free hand up to her mouth. The backyard had been transformed into a mini movie theater. There was a large white sheet hanging against the back of the house, and two lawn chairs with blankets next to a fire pit. Christmas lights had been strung along the fence and the back of the house. Edward led her over to the chairs, gesturing for her to sit before offering her popcorn, a diet soda, and red Twizzlers.
"Figured you may not be ready for a real movie theater, so I brought it to you," he said, taking the chair next her before spreading one of the blankets over her legs. "Warm enough?"
"Yeah," she whispered. "So what are we watching?"
Edward smiled. "It's a surprise."
She rolled her eyes, but waved her hand. "Okay, I trust you."
Edward grinned wider before he reached down onto the ground next to him and picked up a small remote. The make-shift white screen light up and a moment later the most amazing sound filled the air.
"Bella, Bella, I'm going to get you!"
She brought her hand up to her mouth, stifling the loud sob that bubbled to the tip of her tongue as she watched her father, big and burly with dark brown hair and the same brown eyes she had, run into the picture, chasing the little brown haired girl with pigtails. She was maybe four, five years old, her cheeks plump, her skin tan, and her smile glowing. He swooped her into his arms, spinning her around, the sound of their laughter echoing around them.
"Whatcha gonna do now, doodlebug?"
"Let me go, Daddy," she laughed, trying to wiggle out of her father's arms. "Rosie! Mommy, help me!"
"That's enough, Charlie," Renee laughed, turning the camera around so that she was walking backward toward the two of them. She had dirty blond hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail and bright blue eyes that sparkled with happiness. Charlie wrapped his arm around Renee, shifting her so that she was in his arms. "Rosie, come here!"
Rosie ran over to them, wrapping her arms around the three of them. She brushed her long dark brown hair out of her face, cheeky smile showing her missing two front teeth.
"My girls," Charlie cooed, setting her down before kneeling in front of her and Rosie. He brought a hand up, placing one on each of their cheeks. "My beautiful girls. I'm so lucky to get to be your dad."
The video stopped and she looked from the make-shift screen to Edward, who was watching her with caution. She couldn't keep the tears from falling as she reached for him.
"How?" she choked out. "How'd you do this, Edward?"
"James and Rosalie got them for me," he said, shifting so that he was facing her. He brought his hand up, wiping away her tears. "We . . . we thought you . . . You don't remember them, sweetheart, and we . . . I thought maybe if you could see them like this, see what an amazing Mom and Dad you had, you might . . . you might remember how much they loved you."
She nodded, sending even more tears down her face. "Do you have more?"
Edward smiled through his own tears. "We have a lot more, sweetheart."
"Can you play the next one?" she wept. "Please?"
"I will play each and every one of them as many times as you want to watch them, okay?"
She nodded, her tears still falling as Edward reached down and pressed play again. As each video played of her birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, school plays, and vacations, her tears fell and Edward never stopped holding her hand. He had given her her parents back in the only way he could. She loved him more and more with each passing second.
Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Figured we needed a light, easy-going chapter after all the heavy. I am a making a list of outtakes that I want to write for this story. If you want something we haven't covered, let me know and I will consider it. Do me a favor and leave me a few words.
