1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

83.

Bambi sits in front of a tree, knocking her forehead against the bark, over and over and over and over. It's the only thing that seems to be calming her down right now. Pain. Physical pain is the only thing helping. Because it takes her mind off of the emotional pain. Her whole childhood. All those years. Believing that Charlie and Renee were her parents. It makes her feel stupid. How did she not see it? How different she is. How unlike them she is. She should have noticed. She should have known. Caleb leans against a tree behind her, watching her, waiting for her to calm herself. He doesn't know what happened with Charlie, but he can guess. She is not reacting like this because it went well. He leans up and walks towards her, taking a seat at her side. She stops banging her head and lets out a breath before pulling back to look at him. He rubs at her head, removing the blood from her forehead, though the broken skin has healed beneath. She lets out a breath.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" he asks her, she shrugs a little.

"That woman in the photo" She whispers. "I think she's my mother" Caleb nods a little, they all kind of figured that out, plus Sam informed them all about Harry and Marianne. "'Cause Charlie....he said that I was adopted" Caleb sighs and sits in front of her. "Why didn't they want me?" She asks him.

"Listen, I can't answer that...but" He starts and lifts her chin. "Charlie did" He argues. "Renee did...So what if you are not their biological daughter, but do you know what that means?" She shakes her head. "It means they chose you" She looks at him. "They chose to love you. They chose to raise you. They chose to call you their daughter. They chose you..." he brushes away the tears from her cheeks. "That means something" He adds softly. "And Bella" He starts, she growls and shakes her head. "Bambi, she had no idea that you weren't sisters, don't take that away from her, she needs you, she's always going to need you, and you need her too...you're best friends, that doesn't change, it shouldn't change because of this" She looks away from him and lets out a breath. Because that all actually makes too much sense for her to deal with right now. Caleb touches her arm and gives her a small smile. "Go see Edward," he tells her, she looks at him. "You need a hug from your imprint..." She nods and runs her hands over her face before standing.

.............

The Cullen house appears more...energetic now. They're back. All of them. Bambi can tell. Can feel them. She hates that. Bambi knows they know she is here, so she waits outside. Not really wanting to get any closer to the door. Carlisle opens the door and gives her a smile. She does not smile back.

"Edward here?" Bambi asks as she takes a step back from the door. Carlisle looks at her sadly and nods.

"Bambi" He starts, she growls and snaps her eyes to him, Carlisle makes the wise decision to stop talking. Edward slips out of the house and moves to Bambi. His hand on her arm as he kisses her softly.

"You okay?" he asks her, she nods sharply. "How was the funeral?"

"It was a funeral...how do you think it went?" She counters but sighs. "I can't be here" She admits and steps back. Edward understands. A lot is going to change now.

"Actually, whilst you are here" Carlisle starts as he steps out of the house. "I have something I wish to discuss with you, Bambi" She looks at him and scoffs.

"I have nothing to say to you, to any of you" She argues

"It's about...your birth parents" Carlisle offers, Bambi snorts and turns to him.

"You mean how my mother was some Clearwater..." She points out. "Yeah, I already know"

"When did you find that out?" Edward asks her.

"At the funeral" She answers. "Harry left me a letter with a photo in...." She shrugs.

"What about your father?" Carlisle asks, she sighs and shrugs.

"No idea and I don't care...for whatever reason, they left me....they didn't want me, so why should I give a damn about them....?" She asks him.

"I don't think they left you through choice" Carlisle counters, they share a look.

"Well...they're not here, so what does it matter?" She folds her arms over her chest.

"I would still like to talk to you about this, because I think I know who your father is" Carlisle admits, Bambi sighs. She could walk away. She could ignore everything and go back to pretending Charlie is her dad, or she could find out the truth and still go back to pretending Charlie is her dad. She nods a little and Carlisle motions to the house.

..........

Emmett smirks from where he is leaning at the bottom of the stairs. Bambi glances at him as Carlisle closes the door behind her and Edward. Edward shoots Emmett a look, begging him not to start.

"So you're like a tiny badass now, right?" Emmett teases, Bambi glares him, seeing no humour in this whole thing.

"Yeah, that's right" She answers. "Strong enough to take on you"

"Those are fighting words" Emmett counters, holding up his fists.

"Emmett" Edward warns and shakes his head, knowing that Bambi isn't ready to joke with them. Carlisle brushes past them and heads into his office. Bambi follows Carlisle. Emmett pulls a face and shares a look with Edward who shrugs a little. He knows how hard these last few months have been on Bambi. She's not the same girl they all knew before they left.