A/N Thank you for all the reviews you wrote for the last chapter. I once again apologize for not answering them.
Narrated by Shelly Cope.
Chapter 13
Edward
Edward lay in the hospital bed, reflecting on what he had done over the years. Why had Chief Swan helped him? He knew his actions made it possible for whoever took Izzy to be able to snatch her from the street. She was on her own because he went under peer pressure and did everything Siobhan and Jessica told him to do. He knew it was because he hadn't had any friends before. His only friend was Izzy. Edward also knew what Emmett said was right. Edward was a spoilt brat.
Which left him thinking about Izzy. Izzy was and had always been his one. There was no doubt in his mind. She was the only person who helped teach him things without making him look and feel stupid. She laughed with him and not at him. He could see the difference now. Little Izzy with the crazy hair and the red doc Martins was his one, and he didn't know how to find her.
He knew that Angie and Ben, for many years, had been looking for her. He'd heard them talking in the library. They had found several sites on the internet set up to help find lost people. They've spoken about how they'd left her picture on the help boards. There are groups dedicated to missing people on Facebook. They had come up blank. Maybe they would let him help them. He knew his way around the computer. There could have been something they hadn't thought about.
Then Edward looked at the mess on his face. This was a worse mess than the port-wine stain. Again, this was all because of Siobhan pushing him to do something about it. She was calling him names and using his insecurities against him. Making him vain thinking girls wouldn't like him. She hadn't just left him with a mess on his face. Siobhan gave him chlamydia. It was embarrassing for Edward when the doctors told him in front of his parents. They weren't impressed that Siobhan persuaded him to give her his virginity at fourteen. He'd endure a lecture from his parents about how he wasn't emotionally ready for that relationship. Then his dad asked for tests on all the STIs out there. He could be heard saying how embarrassing the whole thing was. Then Edward asked his dad to leave. They'd pushed something up his manhood that had that felt as big as a baseball bat. He requested a male nurse to take a comb through all the pubic hair to make sure there were no crabs.
The consultant, Mr. Shaw, said the burns could be much worse than they are. The laser pulse was too high for what they were trying to do. They weren't ever shown how to use the equipment. They didn't even bother to read about it. They just saw it as an easy way to make money. They wouldn't have been aware of the damage they could do, as they were only first-year pre-med students.
The cream they'd used to help numb the skin had expired. He said they might as well just use moisturizer; it did nothing to help with the pain. One of Teddy's eyelids was burnt as the students never shielded his eyes properly. They had only used microsurgical tape that was too thin. Edward's eyes were dried out; he had to use eye drops three times daily. His eye was covered for a month. He now had to wear glasses. One side just being plain glass as only one of his eyes was damaged. All the doctors hoped that his eyesight would be restored.
No treatment or skin graft was going to be used. The plan was to see how it healed with no treatment. Burns like these were known to fade over time. But Mr. Shaw advised not to remove the port-wine stain until his mid-twenties.
Edward was to stay home from school for six weeks, so he didn't get any infection.
~T&I~
"Mom, there is someone at the door. I don't want to go again if it's them," Edward yelled down the stairs.
"I heard Edward. Don't panic. It won't be them. Chief Mark made sure they knew the repercussions of coming over. It will be Ben and Angela. They called last night to see if it was okay if they came over with your schoolwork. Angela said she would go over the algebra with you," Esme replied.
"Okay, thanks, mom. Can we go into the dining room, or do you want me to go into the sunroom?" Edward asked.
"You can sit wherever you are comfortable. Dad and I thought, now you've got better friends; we can do the basement for you and your friends to meet up and play games. Just like Em and Jazz had. But in your décor, of course," Esme said.
"Cool, thanks, mom," Edward beamed.
Esme went to answer the door; it's something they had been doing since Edward came home. Siobhan wouldn't leave Edward alone. She called the house and tried to come over, forcing her way in. Siobhan even went to both the doctor's places of work, demanding to see Edward. Carlisle asked Jenks to get a restraining order against her. She'd not bothered them since.
"Hello, you two, please come in," Esme requested.
"Thank you, Doctor Cullen," Angela said.
"Please call me Esme. I think you two will be spending some time here," Esme answered. "Come this way; Edward sat in the dining room. Could I take your coat? Would you like milk and cookies? Izzy loved strawberry milk. She was the last friend of Edwards I would have here."
"Strawberry milk and cookies would be nice. Thank you, Doctor Cullen, I mean Esme. But don't go to any trouble for us," Ben said.
"It's no trouble; please go through," Esme responded.
"Hi, Edward, how are you feeling?" Angela asked, smiling, trying not to show the shock of the mess on Edward's face.
"Thank you for coming, Angie, and Ben," Edward replied.
"We haven't come bearing anything good, just schoolwork. But I was hoping you could help me with some of this IT work." Ben grumbled. "We've got a new teacher who spends too much of his time looking over the girls."
"Ben, he wasn't hitting on the girls. He just helped them over the boys. But I raised my hand as well, and he didn't help me," Angela replied.
"Yes, because you don't push your breast into his face," Ben answered.
"Who did that?" Edward snickered.
"Who do you think? Jess and Siobhan," Ben offered.
"Well, I hope he uses something if he goes there with Siobhan, or she will give him chlamydia. I shouldn't think she would've got checked out like she was supposed to," Edward muttered.
"What! Does she have chlamydia? How did you know that?" Angela asked. "Oh, Edward, you didn't go there?"
"I now realize I was too young. But once you give it away, you can never get it back. I always thought I would marry Izzy, and then we would be the first for everything. I've been trying to think how I can find her," Edward replied.
"You still think about Izzy. You were always so outspoken about hating her," Angela quizzed.
"It was mainly an act to fit in with those others. I've said and done some horrible things to her. If I'd known what would happen to her, I wouldn't have gone to that party. I would've made sure she wasn't on her own that day." Edward said.
"She was leaving my house when she was grabbed. Siobhan told me to tell her to go to the treehouse and get all her stuff from here. They'd played a horrible trick on her by inviting her to a party. Izzy had never got invited to a party before and was excited. When she ran away from them while they all laughed at her. Teddy threatened Izzy telling her he wanted all her things gone from his house and tree house. She must have thought no one was there so she could get her things with no one knowing. I left everything that belonged to her in the treehouse. She was clearing out her things from the treehouse-like she was told to do."
"I heard my dad tell my mom when Chief Swan was looking for clues where she could have gone. That he found a pile of birthday cards and presents hidden in a box. Chief Swan was devasted that Izzy had hidden the fact no one had ever invited his little girl to parties. Izzy must have just told him she got invitations to stop him worrying about her," Ben revealed.
"How could this happen to her? There were kids everywhere that day. Those people could have gone to the park and picked anyone. My parents said they wouldn't have put it past her mom to take her. She didn't come to school much. I can't even remember what she looked like?" Angela commented.
"My parents said the same thing. I can only remember her. She always wore clothes that were bright colors. She wore a lot of beads," Edward remembered.
"Here we go, kids' snacks and milk. Your dad said he would come to pick you up in about an hour, Ben. Are you going home with him, Angela, or are your parents collecting you," Esme asked, trying not to show the kids she overheard everything they said about her Izzy?
"I've got a ride with Ben Esme," Angela replied.
"If you're going in an hour, we better do the IT homework. I think I can figure out the math's and English," Edward offered.
They never mentioned Izzy again, but this subject would be broached again.
~T&I~
A month passed since Edward came home from the hospital. Along with Ben and Angela, he worked on the basement at the Cullens home. Emmett came to ask if they needed any help. He was hoping to mend things with Edward. Emmett had felt bad about cutting ties with Edward and his parents. He felt guilty that Edward might not have gotten into so much trouble if he had been around for him. Looking at his little brother, who always looked up to him, he was now disfigured by the stupid choice he made to get his face fixed for a bitch like Siobhan. Emmett prayed the burns would fade in time and not need skin grafts.
Jazz still hadn't come home, although he was worried about Edward and the stupid thing he'd done. But he wasn't ready to come and see Edward or his parents. Jazz felt guilty because if he had gone out to Izzy that day, whoever took her wouldn't have been able to.
Today was the first time a group of people was coming over. It was the first time Edward would play Dungeons and Dragons.
~T&I~
"Hi, Edward. Thank you for letting us come and hang out here. This is perfect for scenes. We can leave the pictures up," Austin offered.
"Hi, Teddy. I'm glad you're feeling better. But your face looks horrible. What happened? I know what Jess said, but I would much rather you tell me," Rachel said as she tried to grab his arm.
"First, my name is Edward. The only person who calls me Teddy is Izzy," Edward began.
"But she's not here and will never come back again. She's been gone for years," Rachel scoffed.
"Rachel, we told you last time if you can't be nice, you are not welcome to play with us anymore," Ben lectured. "This is Edward's home, and he doesn't want to listen to your shit."
"I'll say this once because I'm sure not going to feel uncomfortable in my home. I know it will be gossiped about when I go back to school. The laser is placed on your face to blast the blood vessels. They put the laser beam too high, and it burnt my skin. Satisfied. If not, it might not have been such a good idea to come and play this," Edward gasped. He knew he would have a panic attack if he didn't calm down.
"Hey Edward, don't take notice of her. She doesn't come very often. She's just been nosey," Collin reassured him.
"Okay, everyone, let's take our seats. I'm the dungeon master tonight. I will summarize the game for the sake of Edward. Also, for Rachel, who will claim she doesn't know what is happening," Brady commented.
"Dungeon and Dragons is a roleplaying game about storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery. It's a game of imagination and make-believe. It's about pictures of crumbling castles in a dark forest and the imagination of how a fantasy adventurer might react to the challenges that scene presents. Has everyone got their pens and paper? Let us begin."
Edward was trying to keep up with the play. He partnered with Collin to help him understand what was happening. It was one person per character, but this is how they taught people.
Edward could see himself fitting in with Ben, Angela, Collin, Brady, and Austin. He hoped Rachel didn't keep tagging on because he couldn't deal with another Siobhan. He told Ben and Angela in the hope they would help him with the problem.
Ben, Angela, and Edward were driven to Port Angeles by Esme the next day. They were getting Edward new clothes and having a haircut. Angela and Ben did their shopping and were getting together for lunch.
"I need to see Doctor Sarah at her practice. She just called and asked me for a consultation about a dog that has been left at her practice. If I'm not back when you've finished, come down to her surgery," Esme instructed.
"Okay, mom," Edward answered.
"Welcome to Bella Italia. How many to be seated?" a girl not much older than them asked.
"Three, please," Ben answered.
"Come this way. Your server will be here in a few minutes," she instructed.
"Could I ask you something about Izzy?" Edward asked.
"Yes, sure. But I wouldn't think we know her better than you did," Angela answered.
"Hello, my name is Amber, and I'm your waitress today. Can I get your order?" Amber asked.
"Meatballs and spaghetti with coke for us both," Ben answered.
"Same for me," Edward replied.
"How did you like D&D?" Ben asked.
"What?" Edward replied, confused.
"He means dungeons and dragons. He's just trying to be cool," Angela snickered.
"I think once I get the hang of it, I'll be fine with it. How many players are there?" Edward inquired.
"A dungeon master and then four to six players per game. So don't worry, Rachel won't always turn up. Well, I hope she won't. I'm sorry you were so uncomfortable yesterday. In your own home as well," Angela said.
"I'm not looking at getting into another relationship for a while. I want to concentrate on myself and catch up with the schoolwork I've messed up. I also must work at the hospital when dad works on weekends. I owe my parents money," Edward explained.
"It must have cost a fortune to buy you almost a full wardrobe of clothes. It was just a couple of pairs of jeans and some t-shirts, shirts, and a couple of hoodies."
Realizing what a brat he sounded changed the direction he was saying.
"Yes, you're right. I should feel lucky that my family has come together to help me get myself back on track. It's more than I deserve considering what I put my family through," Edward added.
The waitress came, bringing their meal and drinks.
"Thank you," Angela said.
It was quiet for a while as they ate.
"Ben, I was wondering. I know you still have guitar lessons with Miss. Denali, do you think you could teach me? I've still got my guitar, but I don't want to ask Miss. Denali, I don't want to be in the same class as little kids. Siobhan made it so I couldn't continue my lessons," Edward questioned.
"Yes, we can have a lesson whenever it's convenient for you. We will just fit it in between your work and the commitments I've got," Ben rambled.
"Ben, calm down. I know you don't get asked by anyone for help unless it benefits them. Edward is asking as a friend," Angela chuckled.
"Sorry, I didn't realize that people did that to you. You know I can do the basics. If you, can't help me I'll look it up on YouTube," Edward replied.
"No. I'll teach you. It should be fun. Angie can teach us the piano," Ben snickered.
There was quiet again until Edward got the courage to ask about finding Izzy.
"I was watching the TV a couple of nights ago when I couldn't sleep. I watched a program called 'Escaping Polygamy'. It's about two sisters with different mothers but the same father. They got out of the institute, or whatever you would call it. The program is about them helping others to escape," Edward took a deep breath. "I don't know if you remember Izzy's mom?"
"Not really. I remember that she never came to support Izzy in anything she did," Ben added.
"I remember she never came and collected her a few times. Mom and I took her to the police station twice," Angela remembered.
"Her mom left the Chief and Izzy. Mom and Dad helped look after her. Well, what if her mom joined a cult? It could have been her who snatched Izzy. Everyone has said there were a lot of kids playing in their gardens at the park, but not one of them was approached. Have you come across a website for missing people who have ended up in a cult situation? There had to be a way these two sisters on the show get contacted by people who want to be rescued. They never showed you that bit. So, there must be a site with people looking for people lost to cults," Edward concluded.
"I agree with you there has to be something," Ben agreed.
"We've tried so many things; we'll have to get together to see if we can find anything like that site. I'm not giving up on her. Everyone else might have done, but I will never give up on her," Angela said.
~T&I~
They continued to talk about possibilities for the rest of dinner.
Once they got back to Forks, Edward grabbed his laptop and went to Ben's house.
The following week after school, the three of them went to each other's houses, researching to see if there were any articles about other children being snatched by a parent who had got involved in a cult. There wasn't much they could find. They went in search of a chatroom. They found a few that people had started with stories of people who escaped these places.
Ben's dad pointed out she might have been taken out of the country by now, so they looked further. They began to look at all states and even Canada.
Time passed, and it was time for Edward to return to school. Edward and his parents went to see the principal a week before he was going back. A plan was put together to help Edward catch up. He had a lot to catch up. He had slacked off with the encouragement of Siobhan. Edward decided he wanted to go to college to become a teacher in IT.
He had been in school for a week, seeing none of his other friends. It was unfortunate that it never stayed that way.
~T&I~
"I was hoping they would keep doing what they always did and use the lunch break to get stoned. Why the hell are they coming into the cafeteria for?" Edward moaned.
"Ignore them, Edward. They are going to try to say or do something to get a reaction out of you. You've coped well with people asking you about your face. You can do this," Collin encouraged.
"Just sit against the wall so they can't get behind you. We will sit around you so they can't touch you," Rachel added.
"Hey Siobhan, look who's over here?" Jessica yelled.
"Oh, look, it's Scarface. I would have thought you would have stayed away from the public looking like that. Aren't you all put off your food with that in the same room?" Mike shouted.
"Hey Rachel, if you think of fucking him, he's only got a little cock," Siobhan laughed.
"It was big enough for you to come back for more. Did you inform all the guys you've been fucking that you have chlamydia?" Edward shouted back.
The room went quiet.
"I thought not. If anyone here has had sex with her, you need to get tested. If any girl has had sex with anyone that has had sex with her, you need to get tested. It will be simpler if anyone who has had sex gets checked."
They watched as Siobhan walked out of the canteen, looking down.
"Well done, Edward. That will make them think twice now," Austin said.
Edward sat eating his lunch, hoping no one noticed he was shaking from the confrontation.
Smiling, pretending, he was listening to the conversation when he noticed Angela coming towards the table.
"Edward, have you finished? We've got a reply on one of those sites. You need to come and read it," Angela said as she rubbed her hands together.
"I'll come with you," Rachel said.
"No, Rachel, you stay here," Ben offered.
Edward got up and walked towards the bin. Throwing his rubbish. He quietly walked with them to the library.
"How bad is it?" Edward asked
"Sit here and read this reply to the post we put on that site about that cult," Ben said.
Taking a deep breath, Edward clicked on the link to read the reply.
Our names are Indigo and Phoenix we were once in a cult that is in Texas.
We saw your notice, and we are sure the girl you are looking for was a little girl we knew as Sky. Her mother snatched it from her dad. She would cry in her sleep for her daddy. She also wanted her Teddy. Her mother had nothing to do with her unless it was to beat her. She beat her that badly once she finished up in the infirmary. We were being moved to another site, which meant they were going to kill us. During the move, we managed to run away. Sky tried running so many times they broke her ankles to stop her from running. When we left, she was locked in a small room in the dark. We were on the understanding that she's died. They would have either been buried in the desert, or he would have disposed of her somehow, like putting her in the furnace or feeding her body to the pigs. We are sorry to give you this news. If it's any comfort, she gave one hell of a fight and would never answer the name they gave her.
Edward sat back in his chair as a tear fell down his cheek.
"She still wanted me, even after everything I did to her. But it's too late to ask her to forgive me," Edward cried.
Thanks always to Kellie (Klcivinski) for pre-reading through the chapter and bouncing ideas with me.
Also, thank you as always to Donna (EdwardsFirstKiss) for all her hard work editing the chapter. For talking me through my ideas.
Any mistakes are all mine.