Prologue

She wanted to cry as she looked down at the picture in her textbook. He was just an old man who wouldn't bend to the hysteria around him and for that he was tortured and killed. The huge plank of wood lying on his chest, pinning him to the ground must've held its own massive weight, but to then add boulder after boulder, demanding that he confess to witchcraft when it was more than likely that he couldn't pull enough air into his lungs to breathe let alone speak… How could anyone justify those actions? How could someone do that to another human being and call it righteous and lawful?

Edward looked out of the corner of his eye at Angela, watching her as she stared down at the history book lying open on her desk. She had always been such a shy girl, her thoughts the most selfless and kind he had ever come across, and for reasons he didn't fully understand he hated the way the current topic of their history class upset her. His frown deepened when she thought of her father and he had to wonder what their relationship was like.

If I were alive during those times, my father would most likely be one of the preachers to hang a witch. He even calls archaeology and anthropology blasphemous. Why is it so hard for some people to accept other cultures and let them be?

"Miss Weber, Mister Cullen," the teacher looked up from his sheet and took his thin plastic rimmed glasses off the end of his nose and pointed across the room, "Emmett Cullen," he specified. "You two will be partners for the next week. Now, for those teams that I have assigned with even numbers – people, please stop talking and listen!" The teacher looked across the room at his restless students and sighed. "For those teams with even numbers, please raise your hands," he requested and waited as half the class raised their hands. "You all will be working in defense of the actions taken by the town's people of Salem, up to and including the deaths of all the victims of the Salem Witch Trials."

Angela barely listened as he handed out the assignments, instead searching through her purse for her recently prescribed Imitrex. She had to find it before the pain grew any worse, but the more she moved around the things in her purse, the more frustrated she grew at the bottle's absence. The last place she had it was earlier that morning in the school's newspaper office when she had been looking up the side effects of the newly prescribed drug.

"Miss Weber," she looked up at the teacher's voice. "You and Emmett Cullen will be acting as defense council for Giles Corey. I want outlines from everyone by Wednesday and final papers turned in Friday. And people, I don't want just one team member doing all the work. Next Monday you will be giving presentations on your assignments, teamwork people! Enjoy your weekend," he called out as the bell rang.

I wonder what it feels like to be loved.

Edward turned away from the thoughts he had been reading from Alice and Emmett, frowning at Angela's thought that broke through the silent conversation he'd been having with his siblings. She was dating Ben; he knew she was, so why didn't she feel loved? Alice tapped his shoulder, drawing his attention back to the present moment and he stood to follow her, listening to Emmett's thoughts as his brother moved over to Angela's desk instead of following them out of the classroom.

I'm going to hang around for awhile, Edward. I want to try and work out a schedule with Angela; maybe do some work on it tonight. I'll meet you all at home.

Emmett's thoughts reached Edward and he shook his head. His brother had a knack for knowing his range and where he was. Carlisle had often theorized that it had something to do with Emmett's strong protective instincts, believing that in order to be a successful protector one had to know by feel alone where the threat was. It also meant that he knew where his family members were by the feel of them.

Half of the class was out of their seats and through the door before the bell had stopped ringing, but Angela remained seated, grinding her teeth and closing her eyes against the radiating pain of her migraine. The shrill sound of the school bell added to her pain, the sound screaming through her brain in waves of fire and vertigo. It silenced within a few seconds, the ringing in her ears lasting a few moments longer as she tried to act as though nothing was wrong. Stuffing her books haphazardly back into her school bag, Angela ground her teeth together before standing slowly. The dizziness was the worst part. She could deal with the pain, the nausea, the nosebleeds and even the occasional bouts of near unconsciousness, but she hated the vertigo. Closing her eyes and willing her whirling mind to be still, she gasped and jumped at the feel of a cool hand touching her shoulder. Looking up with wide eyes, she saw Emmett frown.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his frown lines creasing deeper between his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah of course," Angela assured in a rush and shook her head. "You just surprised me is all," she said trying to laugh at herself, but wincing inwardly when she heard the tight sound of pain in her voice.

"We should figure out this project before Monday," he told her as she swung her schoolbag onto her shoulder and watched her wince before grabbing her purse off the table.

"It's not due till Friday, what's the rush?" Angela asked walking out of the classroom with Emmett following behind her.

She found it odd that his hulking form could make her feel so small. She was six foot one, normally towering over the other boys and had always felt awkward and out of place because of her height, but Emmett made her feel petit. It was a rather strange sensation, but quite welcome. Having been made fun of since sixth grade for her height, she hated being the giant freak among the girls.

"I don't mean complete it," Emmett said as he followed her down the hall, his hazel eyes catching her grimace as she shifted her bag. "I meant figure out times to meet and work on it."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," she said with a shake of her head and looked up when he fell into step beside her. "Well what's your sched – " her voice broke off as the bright light of a camera flash filled her vision.

That singular moment of the blinding flash had her squeezing her eyes closed and biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain. Emmett's enhanced vampire senses watched everything happen in slow motion. A group of teens in front of them had been snapping photos of each other and had pointed the camera in their direction. When the flash went off, Angela's voice faded into a sharp whimper too low for the milling humans surrounding them to hear. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip hard enough that he was afraid she would draw blood, and she began to fall. Catching her around the waist as her school bag fell to the ground with a dull thump, her purse falling to lie on top of it, Emmett drew her against his chest.

"Get out of here," he fairly growled at the kids who had stopped taking photos of each other to gawk at them. "Shh," he whispered down to Angela, feeling the minute trembling as she clutched the fabric of his shirt next to her face.

He rubbed her back gently, felt her tremble with fear and held her closer. She was one of Bella's human friends and he hadn't really thought too much about her one way or the other until that moment. The way she had acted when he had come up behind her after class, the signs of pain that she was trying to hide, and her sudden reaction and fear of the camera, he couldn't help but wonder if she was being abused at home. He could feel her heaving breaths, heard her racing heart and the tiny whimpers too soft for anyone but one of his kind to hear. Breathing in deeply he caught the tinge of salt in the air, but didn't feel any dampness against his shirt and surmised that she was close to crying, the tears already gathered in her eyes.

"Hey, it's alright, half pint," he soothed and wondered what had inspired him to call her that. "I've got you."

"I'm ok," Angela's shaky voice sounded, muffled against his shirt before she pulled back. "Thanks, that would've been pretty embarrassing," she said in reference to her near collision with the floor that he had stopped.

"You sure you're alright?" he asked, watching her through narrowed eyes as she picked up her bags.

"I'm fine," she insisted, but he took note of how drawn and pale she looked. "The flash just startled me, that's all."

He didn't buy her excuse for one second, but at the same time he knew better than to push further. Following her as she continued down the hall to the school newspaper office, he nodded when she told him that she would only be a moment. He waited for her beside the door when she disappeared inside the room. He didn't like her reactions and especially didn't like the suspicions that came as a result of them. Promising himself that he would look after her, keep closer to her until he knew more, he looked up at the familiar pull of his wife's presence coming toward him. Smiling at Rosalie when she stepped up to him, Emmett cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, uncaring of who was watching.

"How's my beautiful Rose?" he said and kissed her again.

"Ready to go home," she said before lowering her voice and looking at him with a heated stare. "I have an itch that needs scratched."

His laughter rumbled deep in his chest, his eyes sparkling down at her. "Aw, sorry, Rosie," he said with a pout. "I want to get some things sorted out with Angela before I leave. Meet you at home?"

"If you must," she rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder before narrowing her eyes on him. "You're as bad as Edward, playing with these humans."

"Hey, she's a friend of Bella's and my partner for the next week in history class," he defended. "She's a good kid. Just ask Edward, he seems to like listening to her thoughts enough."

Rolling her eyes before turning away, Rosalie looked back at him and with an impatient stare. "Don't keep me waiting too long, or I'll start without you."

Breathing in sharply, his eyes widening at her implication, he grinned. "Why don't you just think real loud about all the things you want me to do to you," he suggested quirking his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"You just want to torture Edward," she pointed out with a laugh as she sauntered away.

"Pfft. Of course!" he laughed and shook his head.

The door behind him opened and Angela stepped out, her eyes hidden behind dark lenses that had replaced her usual glasses. She was definitely hiding something and it bothered him more than it should. He followed her down the hall, frowning at the note sticking out of the top of her locker. He watched her stop and stare at it from behind her sunglasses before a lopsided grin twisted her lips up and she plucked it from its resting space. Taking her laptop from within her locker, she hugged it in her arms as she closed her locker door and spun the combination knob to lock it. Turning around to see Emmett's frown, Angela lowered her dark glasses enough for him to see her eyes and the redness within and beneath them.

"What?" Angela asked as she replaced her glasses and followed his slow walk to the front doors.

"The note," he said and shrugged. "Just seemed pretty odd," he told her wondering if she'd been crying in the newspaper office, it would certainly explain the redness of her eyes.

Angela gave a breathy laugh and shook her head. "Ben's been leaving me little notes for the past few months or so. He tucks them into my locker, or my books, or even on my car. I think it's his way of trying to be romantic," she reasoned.

"Is it?" he asked and held the door of the school building open so that she could step outside ahead of him.

"Not really," she giggled and shrugged, "but he's trying. Every now and then it'll be a flower instead. The flowers are sweet and semi-romantic. The notes…well he just needs to work on his lines, I suppose. Sometimes they come off a tad bit creepy, but don't tell him I said that."

Emmett laughed at that. Boys these days really had no idea how to woo a woman. Back in his day, the notes would've been lines of poetry, lyrics of a song and the man would've handed the note to her instead of sticking them in a place where she would find them for a false sense of anonymity.

"What time is best for you, in regards to working on our assignment?" he asked her as he followed her to her car, not surprised to see the student parking lot virtually empty.

"Oh, um… most days after five, that's usually when I get done with my work on the paper," she said and opened the driver's side passenger door to drop her bags inside, taking her keys from her purse before shutting the door. "Did you want a ride home? It looks like everyone's gone."

"Sure, Half Pint, that'd be great," he said with a lopsided grin and chuckled when she laughed.

"Half Pint?" she asked with amusement, her brows raised in question as he got into the passenger seat and dropped his book bag between his feet on the floor.

"Of course," he grinned at her as she started the engine. "You're tiny."

"Not hardly," she said with a grimace. "I'm a giant," she mumbled.

"Pfft," he scoffed as she pulled out of the school parking lot and onto the street. "I'm bigger than you are."

"Emmett," she laughed his name. "You're bigger than everyone."

"So? I'm still bigger than you," he told her and she shook her head. "What?" he asked at her bemused grin.

"You," she said simply, slowing to a stop at a red light. "You're always so quiet. I've only seen you playful with your family and Bella. Kinda figured you hated everyone else," she said with a shrug.

"Nah, I don't hate anyone," he assured her and saw her wince again, clenching her jaw against obvious pain. "Just don't like crowds is all. Hey, uh, do you mind?" he said and motioned at a nearby coffee shop. "I could use a pick me up," he lied knowing he wouldn't be able to drink whatever he bought. "I'll buy you one," he said as she pulled into the parking lot.

"Oh you don't have to," she said and he could tell from her expression and tone that she was touched by the offer.

"What'll it be, half pint?" he asked and smiled when she grinned.

Angela couldn't help the grin that curved her lips when he called her that. It seemed like such a big brother thing for him to give her a nickname like that and she loved it. The moniker made her feel oddly cared for and safe which was something she didn't often feel.

"Double shot mocha?" she requested, turning off the car.

"Coming right up," he said and disappeared inside the coffee shop.

He stood in line at the counter, every now and then looking back over his shoulder at her car waiting outside. She was in pain and the more she kept trying to hide it, the more worried it made him. He wanted to know where she was hurt and who had done it, but was uncertain about asking her outright. Grinning at the nickname he had given her, the knowledge that every time he said it seemed to put her at ease and make her smile made him use it more often. Nodding his thanks to the girl at the counter, he took Angela's drink and walked out the door to find her pinching the bridge of her nose with her forehead pressed against the steering wheel. Tapping on the glass, he waited for her to open the window.

"Why don't you let me drive, half pint," he said and nodded for her to scoot over. "You look beat."

"Where's yours?" she asked as she accepted the paper cup and moved over to sit in the passenger seat when he opened her door.

"I just got a dopio, downed it before I came out," he lied. "Just lean back and relax," he said with a smile and turned over the engine. "How do I get to your place from here?"

"What about getting you home?" she asked, her concern evident. "You can't just walk, it's too far!"

"Don't you worry 'bout me," he said with a chuckle and drove through the streets, following the directions she gave. "I thought maybe you and I could figure out a schedule to work on the paper and then I'd have Rose pick me up here," he said as he parked the car in her driveway. "If you don't mind that is."

"No that'd be fine," she said and opened the door to step out. "Are you sure? It is Friday night; I don't want to ruin any plans you might have."

"Free as a bird," he told her as he watched her pop a pill into her mouth before taking a drink of her coffee. "Will your parents mind having company?" he asked as he gathered their bags, silencing her with a raised brow when she opened her mouth to protest.

"No, they're not home," she told him as she opened her front door and he followed her inside. "Business trip," she shrugged at his questioning glance.

Emmett nodded, not commenting as he set her laptop on the low coffee table and her bags on the floor next to it in front of the couch. He couldn't help the thought that she seemed lonely and closed his eyes to get a feel for the house as he always did when he was in a new place. It felt empty as though she were the only person who was ever here. Looking back over at Angela, he found that she had sat down on the couch and taken a notebook from her back pack, watching as she turned it to a blank page. When she looked at him he was surprised to see the expression on her face, the way she seemed to be trying to hide the loneliness she felt.

He sat beside her on the couch and talked with her for a few minutes about setting up set times to get together to work on their paper when he noticed her eyes starting to droop. She really was exhausted and as he took a closer look at her face, he saw the circles under her eyes and the pallor of her skin that she had tried to hide with makeup. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. He could tell by the way she absently agreed to everything he said that she wasn't really listening to him and looked down at her half lidded sleep filled eyes. She leaned back against the couch behind them and he followed suit, her exhaustion worrying him.

He didn't say anything when she unknowingly leaned against his shoulder, choosing instead to wrap his arm around her and pull her close to let her rest her head against his chest. She didn't shy away from him as he thought she might, but lifted her arm, the move unconscious as she fisted her hand in the fabric of his shirt next to her chin. Shaking his head slightly and feeling the same protectiveness well up inside of him that he often felt around Bella, he took the half drunk coffee from her right hand before she could drop it. Why did her exhaustion bother him so much? What was it about her that called to him to protect her like Bella did? Not knowing the reason why, he began to recite a Robert Frost poem to her and watched as she blinked slowly before falling completely asleep, her body leaning heavily against him.

Moving slowly, and watching for any sign that she was about to stir, he pulled her closer and wrapped his other arm behind her knees, moving her gently to sit in his lap. Standing up slowly with Angela in his arms, her cheek pillowed against his chest as she slept, he carried her upstairs and followed her scent to the room where it was the strongest. Stepping up to the side of her bed, he gently released her legs and stood her on her feet, holding her body against his with one arm while he tossed back the blankets. Picking her up again, he laid her gently down on the bed and removed her shoes before covering her and tucking the blankets up under chin. Removing her glasses and setting them on her night table he bent down over her.

"Sweet dreams, half pint," he whispered and kissed her forehead before disappearing down stairs.

Gathering up his back pack and turning off the light in the front room, he opened the front door and turned the lock on the doorknob before pulling the door closed behind him. Slipping his arm through the other strap to hold the bag on both shoulders, Emmett disappeared through the falling night and into the thickness of the forests that were prevalent throughout Forks. He wasn't sure whether or not he should talk to Carlisle, but he definitely didn't want Edward to read his thoughts about his suspicions. Focusing his mind on football scores and basketball plays, Emmett used his vast knowledge of sports as a buffer while he thought about Angela. Something didn't feel right, but he had at least a week to figure it out before his time spent with her would be suspect by anyone in his family.

:::::

She hated not knowing. Hated the feeling that she wasn't enough, didn't quite measure up to what was expected of her. Shaking her head as her face twisted in a self depreciating glower, Angela moved through the upstairs of her house, jogging toward the stairs to catch the ringing house phone before the machine answered it for her. Tripping halfway down the stairs, Angela cried out in surprise when her foot gave way beneath her and she fell, rolling down the six remaining steps to land in a heap on the floor below.

Hissing in pain and rubbing her ankle, Angela carefully rose to her feet and hobbled to the cordless phone sitting on the occasional table that stood against the wall between the living room and the kitchen. The machine clicked on and she winced when the toe of her good foot hit against the stubby wooden support of the couch, groaning as she fell again. The machine clicked off a few seconds later, whoever had been calling declining to leave a message and Angela groaned when a knock sounded at the front door.

"Come in!" Angela called out; lifting her head just enough to look at the door before dropping her head back to the floor with a thump.

"Angela?" Emmett's voice sounded as he stepped inside the house and shut the door.

"Over here," she said raising her hand without moving from her position on the floor.

Emmett stepped around the couch and looked down at the girl lying on the floor. Arching an eyebrow as he dropped his bag onto the sofa and crossed his arms over his chest, he studied her. She was sprawled out on her back, looking as though she had decided that the floor would be more comfortable than the couch to take a nap on. He couldn't suppress the lopsided grin borne of amusement that pulled at his lips as he looked her over before meeting her gaze.

"What are you doing down there, half pint?" he asked with a confused grin.

"The stairs tripped me and the couch bit me," she told him and he laughed heartily at her.

"Bit you, huh?" he joked and crouched down beside her, lifting the edge of the couch with one hand to look underneath it for a moment before setting it down again. "I don't see any teeth."

"Shut up," she laughed at him only to hiss when he touched her swelling ankle.

"Stairs?" he asked looking from her ankle up to her face. "Fragile little thing," he commented and chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's just sprained; I've got an ACE wrap upstairs in the bathroom medicine cabinet. I just have to actually get it."

"What happened?" he asked as he moved and scooped her up into his arms, grinning at her blush as he carried her upstairs.

"Came down stairs a little too fast to catch the phone and my foot folded beneath me…how did you know which one was my room?" she asked when he set her down on her neatly made bed before disappearing out of the room.

"I put you to bed the other night," he said with a shrug as he walked back to sit by her side, the ACE bandage in his hand.

"You did that?" she asked, her gratitude and amazement clear in her tone.

"Yeah, you were tired," he said, frowning at the expression on her face. "What?"

"No one's ever done that for me before," she thought aloud and blushed when she realized what she'd said.

"Seriously?" he asked and shushed her when he put her foot in his lap and set about removing her shoe and sock to look at her swollen ankle.

Angela shrugged, "I've fallen asleep a few times with Ben, he just leaves me on the couch," she told him.

"Who taught that boy how to treat women?" Emmett asked his disapproval clear in his voice. "Sorry," he apologized when she hissed as he wrapped her ankle.

"No it's ok; I know it's got to be wrapped tight," she said unable to hide her pained wince. "Chivalry's a dying art," she told him in reference to his question about Ben.

"Pfft, ridiculous," he scoffed and she laughed.

"Thank you," she said softly as he attached the metal clasp and she moved her foot from his lap in order to sit more comfortably.

She touched her bandaged ankle with her fingertips, biting her lip as she looked down at it. He had taken care of her, not once, but twice now and Angela didn't know what to think. No one had ever taken care of her before. If she were to fall asleep downstairs, even as a child, her parents would always shake her awake and tell her to go to bed. If she had been hurt, more often than not, she would be berated for the injury and her perceived carelessness; but Emmett, he had carried her, tucked her into bed, wrapped her injury and treated her with care. She looked up at him with a look of wonder and confusion in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said again, her voice reverent and her eyes telling him that it was the first time she'd been treated in such a caring manner.

"Everyone needs a big brother," he told her and grinned. "So, what are we going to do about Giles Cory?"

:::::

"Emmett," Carlisle spoke his son's name with surprise, standing back and waving his arm as he invited him into his office at Fork's hospital. "What brings you by?"

He didn't answer. Instead Emmett walked over to the shelves of medical texts and journals that lined the left wall. His eyes scanned over the spines of the books, looking over the titles without actually reading them. Carlisle studied his son with a concerned frown. Normally the one to crack jokes or speak forthright about whatever was on his mind, Emmett now looked a bit nervous as though he wasn't certain what he wanted to say.

"Whatever you tell me, Emmett, provided that it does not bring a threat to our family, I will keep it between us." Carlisle watched Emmett turn his head to look back at him, his brow arching his expression telegraphing his thoughts about that particular statement. "I've become quite good over the years at keeping things from Edward when the need arises. What is on your mind?"

"Can I speak to you hypothetically?" he asked, turning to face his adoptive father, his brow furrowed.

Carlisle frowned and nodded slowly. Whatever was on Emmett's mind it was serious. He couldn't remember ever having seen his boisterous son this tense and unsure of himself before. Motioning to the chairs that sat in front of his desk, he waited for Emmett to take a seat before he sat next to him.

"First, I just want to let you know that I'm going to be staying close to a human for awhile. She's sweet, damn smart too and she's one of Bella's friends."

"Ok," Carlisle again nodded, his brows drawing together as he tried to puzzle together Emmett's strange behavior. "Does she have anything to do with the hypothetical conversation you wish to have?"

Emmett nodded his frown deepening as he looked down at his hands. Was he breaking some sort of confidence if he said anything; Emmett wondered. What if he was wrong? Would he be hurting her? He had come to his father, his worries demanding to be spoken to another and he knew Carlisle would be the best one to talk to. Not only was he a doctor, but he had also studied human behavior far more closely than the rest of them over the years.

"How do you know if suspicions are more than just suspicions?" Emmett asked, looking up at Carlisle.

"I'm going to need a little bit more to go on than that," Carlisle told him with a shake of his head. "What are you suspicious about?"

"Hypothetically," Emmett hedged.

"Of course."

"If someone…a teenager…were to look as though they were in pain a lot, but trying to hide it and changed the subject every time the topic of their parents came up…would you suspect abuse?"

"You think one of Bella's friends is being abused?" Carlisle asked as he sat back in his chair, his face alarmed.

"That's just it," Emmett sighed. "I don't know. I have my suspicions, but I don't know for certain and I don't want to say anything if I'm wrong."

"I can understand that," Carlisle released a deep breath through his nose as he studied his son. "Have there been any other signs, anything else that increases your suspicions?"

"This stays just between us, at least until I know more?"

"Of course, Emmett." Carlisle wasn't used to seeing his son, his family's protector, looking so uncertain.

"Every time I see her she looks absolutely exhausted. She tries to hide it with makeup, but you know that's pretty useless against our kind."

"Yes," Carlisle said with a bit of amusement, remembering how Bella had tried to hide a bruise after she had quite literally walked into a door.

Emmett followed Carlisle's line of thought when he saw the hint of amusement and he grinned.

"You think she'll still do that when she's one of us? She'll take out the door."

Carlisle laughed, "I hope not. Now back to your friend. Aside from those three things, is there anything else?"

"You think I'm over reacting?" Emmett asked trying to assess if maybe he was.

"Not at all, it's better to be cautious then to let someone you know suffer in silence," Carlisle said wisely and watched Emmett nod.

"This isn't really a sign of abuse, but it still bothers me." Carlisle nodded for him to continue, waiting in silence as Emmett gathered his thoughts. "She fell a few days ago, sprained her ankle on the stairs. I carried her, I wrapped up her ankle and she was…surprised. She said no one had ever done anything like that for her before. I wanted to ask more, but…it was as though she's been left alone far too often to take care of herself."

Carlisle sighed; he could understand Emmett's concern. The pieces added up to the same two suspicions for him as well: abuse, or neglect. Either one was disheartening. He had met most of Bella's friends when he had been asked to speak for career day at the high school. There were only two people that sprang immediately to mind: Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber. He had met Jessica's parents once when the girl had been brought in for a laceration on her arm; they both doted on her and called her 'their little princess'. That left Angela. She was a shy girl, quiet; her eyes were intelligent and captivating. He couldn't remember having met her parents before though, remembering vaguely that the few times he had seen her enter the hospital she had been alone.

"What do you intend to do?" Carlisle asked Emmett.

"You know who I'm talking about, don't you?" Emmett said with a grimace of displeasure, he'd been trying to keep her identity a secret.

"It's not very hard to put the pieces together. But as you've requested, I will not say anything until you know more." Carlisle stood and walked toward the back wall behind his desk, looking at the picture of Esme that hung there. "You're going to big brother her, aren't you?" he asked as he turned around, his expression equal parts serious and amused.

"What else can I do?" Emmett asked before grinning. "Everyone needs a big brother."

"Just be careful, Emmett and remember that I'm always here if you need me."

"Will do," he said with a nod of thanks as he turned to leave the office.

:::::

"What are you doing?" Rosalie hissed, cornering Emmett in the hallway after school when he made to follow Angela down the hall. "She's a human, Emmett. She's not one of us!"

Her eyes spat fire, angered that he might be endangering their family and not understanding his sudden fascination with the human girl. She was in no way worried that he fancied himself in love with the girl; a vampire's heart was not so fickle. His attention to her though was still unnerving and she wanted to know what he was thinking.

"She's sweet, fun to talk to, that's all," he shrugged, watching the girl in question disappear around the corner oblivious to the fact that she was the topic of their conversation.

"Don't give me that Emmett McCarty Cullen," Rosalie said keeping her voice low. "You're following her around, guarding her. Even Jasper's commented on it and you know he's usually the last one to speak."

"Rosie," he cupped her silken cheeks and kissed her gently, slowly, the embrace a promise of more to come. "I don't want to say anything yet. I don't want to be wrong, can you understand that?"

Rosalie pulled back, her brows furrowing in confusion as she looked at her husband. He didn't want to be wrong? Thinking over the past two weeks about his behavior and what she herself had seen, the pieces began to fall into place. The way he watched Angela, his eyes studying her face, her movements; the way he guarded her and walked close to her as though to warn others away…

"You think she's being hurt," Rosalie's voice was soft and surprised, her tone holding the slightest note of concern. "Don't deny it," she said when he opened his mouth to argue. "You're acting around her the same way you acted around Bella after we took care of James. I didn't think there was another of our kind in Forks."

"There isn't," Emmett told her, taking her hand and tucking it into the crook of his elbow as he led her toward the doors.

"Then why would you think…abuse?" she asked as another piece fell into place. "By who? Ben?"

"Pfft. Not hardly." They stopped beside his Jeep and he held the passenger door open for her, waiting as she climbed inside before closing the door.

"Then who?" she asked as he slid behind the wheel and started the engine. "Her parents? Emmett," Rosalie shook her head and looked at him.

"Like I said, Rose, I don't know for sure. I have suspicions; that's all they are right now. Just be nice to her, ok? For me?" he asked when she shook her head in disbelief.

"I'm not going to be buddy-buddy with her," Rosalie told him, acquiescing to his request with noted protest.

"I'm not asking you to, you don't have to be sisterly or anything, just be nice. Give her a chance; I think you'll like her."

"Must you be everyone's big brother?" she asked with a heavy sigh.

"Hey, don't knock it," he grinned. "Big brothers are awesome and I'm the best," he told her smiling when she laughed.

"You owe me," she told him and stared at him lustfully. "And I owe Edward a headache. Nosy little bastard."

"What are you planning, Rosalie?" he asked with a laugh.

"Sex, on the roof, above his room."

"You are an evil little thing when you want to be."

"And you love it," she said with a knowing smile.

:::::

Angela was exhausted to the point of tears. She hadn't slept in three days, the constant agony of her migraines denying her even the shortest time without pain in which she could take a nap. The Relpax the new doctor at the hospital had prescribed her was doing nothing except making her zone out. Looking up the drug's information online she had found that in only point-one percent of cases, not even enough to even be listed in the drug's warning information, it caused insomnia.

"Lucky me to be that point-one percent," Angela said sarcastically as she put her laptop into her locker before taking it out again. She couldn't remember if she was going to class or going home.

"Are you alright?" Rosalie asked as she approached Angela, the girl looking decidedly unsteady on her feet.

She wasn't certain what kind of answer she would get, uncertain if she actually cared, but she had given Emmett her word that she would be nicer toward Angela and when she gave her word she kept it. Angela just nodded, not knowing what to say. She wasn't one to dump her problems on anyone else and Emmett's super model looking girlfriend was certainly not someone she wanted to bother with her weaknesses. Her head hurt and she was truly beginning to feel confused and out of place.

"I can't remember what I'm supposed to be doing," Angela said without realizing she'd spoken her thoughts aloud.

"Can't remember?" Rosalie repeated slowly, her eyes narrowed as she studied the girl in front of her. "Angela, how long has it been since you've slept?" she asked seeing the grey shadows the girl's concealer was unable to hide from her vampire eyes.

"Slept?" Angela repeated with a confused shake of her head. "Do I have class?" she whispered looking for her phone to check the time.

"No, school is over," Rosalie answered slowly. "Angela, look at me," Rosalie said and waited for the girl to meet her gaze. "When was the last time you slept?"

"What day is it?" Angela asked, remembering only that the last time she had slept was Sunday.

"It's Friday. Give me your keys," Rosalie commanded not surprised in the least when Angela did so seemingly unaware of her own actions. "Come on, I'm going to drive you home."

"Home?" she asked with a confused shake of her head and Rosalie looked up to see Alice running down the empty school hallway toward them with Jasper a few steps behind her.

"She's going to pass out!" Alice told her, her voice too soft for Angela to hear.

Rosalie caught Angela's laptop and purse when they fell out of her slack hold. Jasper was at their side in an instant, catching Angela as she fell. He swung her up into his arms, frowning at the feel of her featherweight in his arms. He couldn't help thinking that with her height she should weigh more than she did. He followed Rosalie and Alice out to Angela's car, his sister holding open the passenger side door so that he could tuck her into the seat and buckle her in. Closing the door he stood up and looked at Rosalie.

"Do you want us to follow you there?" he asked Rosalie as she put Angela's bags into the back seat, Alice having taken her own.

"No, I can get her home," Rosalie said with a frown as she looked at the human girl sleeping in the car. "You've been watching her future?" she asked Alice.

"Emmett's been a bit more attentive toward her lately so I thought it best. He seems worried about something, but he won't say what it is," Alice answered, shouldering Rosalie's bag.

"He's been guarding her," Jasper stated his observations. "Emmett, Edward and Esme already left to go hunting this weekend. Alice and I are heading out as soon as we get home to change. Will you be joining us?"

Rosalie looked down at Angela, frowning as she remembered her promise to Emmett. Being nicer to Angela didn't mean being her babysitter, but seeing her condition and watching her pass out had actually worried her. She hadn't expected to feel any emotion toward the girl, let alone worry. Shaking her head, she told her siblings that she was going to stay with Angela instead, just until she was certain that she wouldn't need to take her to Carlisle. Alice smiled knowingly and nodded before turning around and leading Jasper away.

Less than twenty minutes later, Rosalie had Angela tucked into her bed and stood within the girl's room looking around for some kind of hint as to the reason for her exhaustion. A collection of post cards sat in a business card holder on her desk and she frowned as she looked through the collection of international cards. There were only seven cards, four from Christmases over the past years and three sent for Angela's birthdays. Each card said pretty much the same thing, after the greetings of Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday were the words: 'Keep the house clean and remember that you are a reflection on us. Do not dishonor us.'

The cards weren't signed 'Mom and Dad', but rather 'Rev. and Mrs. Weber' instead. Shaking her head as she replaced the cards in their holder, Rosalie looked around the room. Angela was only sixteen, which meant that her parents had been abandoning her since she was at least twelve. The knowledge of that alone bothered her greatly; she knew what it felt like to be little more than a stage piece to one's parents. Her own parents had been attentive of her, but had always demanded a level of perfection that seemed impossible to achieve. A book sat on the girl's desk and as Rosalie took a closer look at it, she realized that it was her journal.

She had never been the type of person to invade another's privacy in such a way, but a part of her demanded that she open the leather bound book. Looking back over her shoulder to make certain that Angela was still asleep, she lifted the cover and read the first entry before dropping the stiff leather cover and refusing to read anymore.

::

June 15, 2006

It's my birthday today. I was hoping that I might at least get a call from them, hear their voices telling me happy birthday. They did call, but it wasn't to wish me a happy birthday. My grades dropped last semester and I closed the year with a three point nine. My mother made certain that I knew of my failure and my father lectured me for nearly an hour about what a disappointment I am.

My pain is nearly constant and it's growing worse every day, but if I even hint of it in their presence I am made to feel as though I am the worst person they have ever met. All I want is their approval, their love. Will I ever be deserving of it? I can't help wondering sometimes why they had me as the only emotion I ever seem to inspire in them is shame. Am I truly so bad?

::

Rosalie felt the desire to hit something, to vent her anger. Angela was fourteen when she wrote that. Her brow furrowed as she stopped pacing, Angela had mentioned being in near constant pain, but from what? The girl in the bed stirred, a whimper drawing from her as she curled in on herself and Rosalie was at her side in the next instant. She brushed her fingers down Angela's cheek, surprised at the near burning heat of her skin. Far beyond the usual warmth human skin held, she knew Angela to have a fever.

"Angela," she said and waited to see if the girl was awake.

"It hurts," Angela whimpered, not truly aware that she wasn't alone.

"What hurts? Do you need medicine?"

"Nothing works," she whimpered and Rosalie could smell the salt of her tears. "So tired."

"You just go to sleep, ok?" Rosalie said and rubbed her hand up and down the girl's arm. "Just go to sleep."

She sat by Angela's side until the girl had fallen back into her exhausted slumber. There wasn't anything she could do. Shaking her head, Rosalie thought about taking her to Carlisle, but what if there wasn't anything he could do? Every now and then Angela stirred and Rosalie did the only thing that she could think of, surprising even herself: she sang to Angela a collection of lullabies.