Raising Bella

I don't own any of the characters. All the original plot belongs to Stephanie Meyer. This is just a fan-fic.

*Chapter 1*

Edward's POV

Focus. Focus. Reach out your sences. I wipped my head around, mountain lion, 3 miles southwest. I took off running.

The trees whisked past me as the ground suddenly come to an uphill slope.

The lion was under a shrub next to a wide oak tree. I jumped on it's back and sank my teeth into it's shoulder. I drained it and was back on my feet in a matter of seconds.

I stood up and heard a stange sound. A strangled cry. I sped back to the house as fast as I could.

As soon as I was inside I didn't even have time to say a word, before Alice ws in front of me with a paniced look on her face. The rest of the family was behind her. They must have already known.

"Alice, what's going on?" I said, trying to get a hold on the situation.

"All I know is that a male vampire has a family trapped in an old abandoned cabin 5 miles from here. And if we don't hurry their going to die!"

"Alice, why is this so urgent?!? Calm down." I said to her.

"Edward!" Carlisle and Esme said at the same time. Alice acted as if they hadn't spoken.

"NO! I will not calm down! there is a little girl and her parents about to be slaugtered and I don't know about you but I'm not going to sit by and watch!" She screamed at me. And with that she bolted around me for the door.

"Alice! wait!" I yelled following after her. The rest just followed in silence. Apparently they were all disapointed in me and I was the only one who felt the need to not rush. Things like this happen all the time...

Alice led the way through the dark forest, to our destination. We came upon the cabin, the widows were broken and the front door was locked.

We heard a small cry.

Alice broke down the door and gasped. I walked in to see what the damage was, and dispite myself, gasped. The scene in front of me was pure horror.

There were two dead bodys a grown woman and a grown man. They were covered in blood and ripped apart. But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was the small child who was about 5 years old who was sitting in the corner of the room with her head beried in her arms rocking back and forth sobbing to herself, and kept whispering the word 'no' to herself. Alice walked over to her.

"Sweety? Are you hurt?"

The small girl looked up and I got lost. She had the most beautiful brown eyes, they were the color of melting chocolate. And the hair that surrounded her face was a dark brown like a deep oak tree.

I had never seen such a beautiful face.

"N-n-no." she stuttered as she shook with fear. "But my mommy and daddy..." She cried.

Alice ran as fast as she could over to the girl and picked her up. The little girl started sobbing loudly. It shattered me.

"Shhhhhh... it's okay. your okay. shhhh."Alice soothed. I looked around quickly. The vampire that did this must have hit and run as soon as he heard us coming.

I walked over to the little beauty in Alices arms and stroked her hair. "What's your name little one?" I asked. She looked up at me and gasped, " Isabella."

I hadn't realised until silence enveloped me that I couldn't read her mind. But I tried not to let that get to me as I staired at this little girl.

"Carlisle? Could we maybe... could we keep her?" She asked and Isabella looked up.

"Why would you want me? That big man who hurt my mommy and daddy said I was undesirable and not worth his time." She said quietly tears forming again.

She wasn't undesirable ! She was beautiful!

"Your not undesirable sweetie." Said Esme before I could. Carlisle looked at me 'We will try to keep her. But the first time something happens we have to give her up.' Carlisle said in his mind I just nodded to him. I looked over at Isabella, "How would you like to come stay with us?" I asked her. I then heard Rosalie. "What!?! You can't just bring her into our home! She's a danger to all of us!"

"Rosalie!" Esme, Carlise, Alice and I all said in unison.

Then Esme spoke walking closer to Isabella. "This little girl just lost her parents! She alone and helpless! I wil not leave her alone to die!" Wow. I've never seen Esme stand up for herself before.

"Then it's all up to you little one." Said Alice, looking at Isabella.

"I would like to." She said crying. "I miss mommy and daddy." She said starting to sob.

I took her out of Alice's arms and into my own. She went to go talk to Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie who just left because of the blood.

"Shhhhh..." I said stroking her hair again. It fell all the way to her waist.

"Your, okay." I looked down at her. I walked away from where the others were talking and left the cabbin. I pulled her close and wispered in her ear, "Isabella, my name is Edward." She looked up at me with the tears in her eyes and sniffled. "I like that name'' She said quietly.

I tilted her small chin up so she looked at me.

"We are family now Isabella. I vow to protect you from everything that goes bump in the night." I laughed touching her nose with my index finger. She giggled.

It was the most amazing sound I had ever heard. It was like the highest notes on a piano or the highest tune in bells.

She looked up at me. "Thank you." She said crying again.

I started back to the others. "Anything, anytime." I said quietly to her.

This little girl whom I just met meant more to me than my own life. She had my heart in her hands with just one look. I was already wrapped around those little fingers.