(A/N: Welcome to the alternate version of Saved From Terror By An Angel. This a story of what would happen in Bella's life if Charlie, Renée, and Phil had died. I am picking up from the end of chapter 12 of the original story. The beginning of this chapter is similar to the beginning of chapter 13 of the original, but worded differently. Enjoy!)

Carlisle's POV

After Bella had calmed down, Edward had subjected her to a week of punishment. She was not allowed to watch TV again during that time. Also, she would be sent straight to bed after she had finished her homework and eaten dinner. Bella was not too happy about this, but resigned herself to it without arguing.

I made dinner for her after his speech. When she had finished her meal, we bade her good-night as Esme sent her to her room. Edward and Esme went back to their place to have lone time with each other, so I had watch Bella.

I laid down on the couch with a sigh. I felt mentally exhausted. What an evening it had been, with Bella throwing a rock at Marlene and ending up in trouble! Not to mention finding out that I was her soul mate in the midst of all of that drama. Now that I had time to myself, I was able to sort through all of this properly.

I was relieved that Bella would suffer no lasting damage from being spanked, be it physical or emotional. How I despised it when I heard Edward giving her a taste of his displeasure. I knew that Bella deserved to be punished for what she had done, but I did not care. I did not want him to spank her, and there was not anything I wanted to do more than protect her. However, protecting was unnecessary, not to mention wrong. Bella would not have learned her lesson if I did. But I was so terrified that Edward would cause Bella some form of permanent harm. For a moment, I had been afraid that-if he had done this-I would lose control and sense of myself and attack him. Attack my own son!

None of this came to pass, thankfully. If it had, I did not know how I would have forgiven myself.

Then I turned to the event of Bella realizing that she was my true other half. I was quite glad that she would still accept me as her big brother. I was also grateful that she was very willing to bide her time, to wait until she was old enough to officially be my mate. How was it that I was blessed with such an understanding person for a soul mate? Especially one who knew what her boundaries were and accepted them without question or complaint?

It was good that Bella was patient and knew her limits. If she did not, it was very much likely that things would be different. Not to mention hectic. She would have possibly attempted to have a forbidden relationship, and I would have had to refuse her. With her being my mate, that was the last thing that I would ever want to do. Not just about that, but in any given situation. Nevertheless, this did not matter. I did not want to risk being found out, which would jeopardize my life. I did not want my family to lose me, especially Bella. She had already lost so much already, and I did not even want to imagine what would happen if my existence was put to an end.

I was quite sure that this would not be an issue that I would have to deal with, however. Bella was a very smart, rational person. I would be amazed if she did not know that regardless of her infatuation me, she could not act on feelings without there being a problem.

With that reassuring conclusion, I grinned to myself. No matter what happened, I was certain that everything would be fine.

But a phone call that Esme received the next evening would cause me to doubt if anything ever would again for a very long time.

Bella's POV

My ass was still sore when I woke up in the morning. I groaned to myself. How the hell was I going to be able to sit down in school today?

Edward would probably say that it would serve as a reminder for what I had done the night before. I knew that he would because I heard that Carlisle said the same thing when he spanked his children.

With another groan, I climbed of bed and headed for the shower. My breakfast was already on the table when I entered the kitchen. Carlisle had made it; he was the only one there.

"Good morning, Bella dear," he greeted with a smile.

I returned it with a shy one, abruptly remembering that he was my soul mate. It made me feel odd, but not in a bad way. Just knowing that he was my true other half made me unsure of how to be around him. How to talk to him, or even spend time with him. In other words, the situation had become awkward where he was concerned. To me, at least. But how could I not feel that way?

"Morning, Carlisle," I stated finally, easing myself onto a chair.

His eyes twinkled in amusement. "Does it still hurt?" he inquired with some sympathy.

"Yeah," I whispered, knowing what he meant. I felt my cheeks tingling in embarrassment.

"Hmm. I suppose that that is a good thing; I would think so if one of my kids were in your predicament. Truthfully, I feel sorry for you, but you had to learn your lesson somehow."

I glared at him disdainfully. "Way to rub it in, bro."

Smirking, he remarked, "There's no need to be upset. I was only giving you my opinion on the matter."

I did not comment on that, not knowing how to respond. I just continued to eat my meal.

After ten minutes, I was done. Carlisle washed my dishes as I made sure that all of my school supplies were in my book bag. Everything was in there, so I grabbed my jacket and walked to the living room.

"I'm about to go, Carlisle. See you later," I announced.

He embraced me tightly. "All right, then. Have a nice day at school, and behave yourself. I do not want to hear any more tales about you throwing rocks at people. If I do, Edward will not be the only one who will turn you over their knee," he joked, wagging his finger.

I punched him. "Oh, shut up."

With a gentle laugh, he kissed my forehead. "Go on, you do not want to be late. I love you."

"Love you too," I returned, hugging him and kissing his cheek.

After we said good-bye, I left the apartment.

As I headed down the stairway, I caught a glimpse of the clear blue sky outside of the window. The weather had been nice lately. To be honest, I believed that it was mocking me. I had been depressed, as usual, because there was still no word on Mom, Phil, and Charlie. I did not understand why they hadn't been found after all this time.

Today, however, the beauty of the day actually made me feel rather optimistic. I was not use to this, not having experienced that particular emotion for I didn't know how long. I did not even know why I felt this way. It was a very good feeling, though, so I let it consume my entire being. By the time I had arrived at Oakland High, I was full to the brim with new-found hope. My smile even seemed brighter and more animated.

My classmates and teachers noticed that I was in high spirits. They commented on it all day, or asked me about it.

"What are you so happy for?" Angela Weber had inquired with a grin.

I could only shrug. "The weather is beautiful today. Plus, it Friday, so I guess that that adds to everything," I responded simply.

"Well, I am glad to see that you are feeling better," my history teacher, Mrs. Davies remarked earnestly. She had heard our conversation. "You seemed to be down in the dumps ever since you were transferred to this school, and I was concerned about you."

I gave a tiny smile. "I've just have a lot of stuff on my mind lately. But I am fine. You don't have to worry about me."

The sunny weather did not last long. Smoky, dark-gray clouds formed in the sky around last period. Seeing them lowered my optimism, but not that much. I was still able to maintain a good mood.

Before I knew it, the last bell was ringing. I collected my things and left the school. It looked as if it were going to rain, so I took the bus home since I didn't have my umbrella. Normally, I would have walked the eight blocks to the apartment, but I was better safe than sorry.

The entire family was there when I arrived there. Even Jasper was, much to my astonishment. He did not visit Carlisle often when I was at home.

The latter turned as I stepped in. "Hi there, Bellissima. How was school today?" he queried.

"It was okay," I replied, kissing him on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Not too bad. Emmett is tormenting our lives out."

I laughed. "I know how you feel."

Edward hugged me next. "Hello, sweet pea."

"Hey, Dad. Hey, Mom," I added when Esme kissed my forehead.

"Hi baby," she returned.

After greeting the others, I escaped to my room to do my homework. I had a large pile to do this weekend, and I wanted to finish as much of it as I possibly could tonight.

Little did I know that in the next few hours, homework would no longer be on my mind.

Carlisle's POV

While Bella was doing her school assignments, I basically kept everyone from making a lot of noise. She hated it when she was distracted and I could not blame her at all. I myself found it extremely irritating. They were pretty good at being quiet, save for Emmett, who was loud by nature. However, he could stay calm when it was required of him to be.

The rest of the afternoon went by smoothly. The girls huddled together to read a fashion magazine. My sons talked about their upcoming hunting trip, which would be tonight. I alternated between watching television and making sure that the boys did not talk too loudly. It started to rain about five o'clock, and heavy drops pelted onto the windows.

It was not until seven forty-five when Bella joined us. It was clear that she had not finished her homework, though. She was clutching a sheet of paper in her hand.

"Mom, may I have something to eat please? I'm starving!" she declared.

"Of course you can, baby girl. I'll whip up something so fast that you'll crick your neck if you try to keep up with me," Esme joked.

This would have certainly been true, if Bella had attempted to do just that. Esme would have been nothing more than a blur to her at the speed that she had prepared her food.

Bella perched on the sofa next to me. I kissed her on the cheek as she jotted down something on a worksheet. Her face reddened and she giggled quietly.

Unfortunately, Emmett saw this. "Aww, look at the two soon-to-be lovebirds-" he cooed.

"Shut up," I muttered, rolling my eyes in annoyance.

"-King and Queen Cullen," he went on.

"Emmett! I will not tell you again! That's quite enough from you!" I barked, noticing how embarrassed that he was making Bella feel.

Taken aback by my tone, he raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, Pops. I was only kidding."

He subsided into a defeated silence. The rest of my children shook their heads with a grin and resumed their activities.

For a while, it was quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the boiling water, the swoosh of Bella's pen, and the patter of rain on the windows.

Esme was checking the food when the silence was broken by her cell phone. She answered it promptly. "Hello, this is Esme Cullen. To whom am I speaking with?" she inquired in a voice that Bella would have been unable to hear.

She paused for a moment. Then, her tone changed from questioning to one of delighted surprise. It drew my attention enough to make me look at her.

"Really? You have found them? When?...Well, how are they? Are they all right?" she demanded, clutching the phone tightly.

I myself grew tense with excitement. "They" must have been Bella's parents and stepfather. They must have found and taken to a hospital. Bella will be so happy when Esme tells her this! She had been waiting for this particular phone call for almost a month, and from the looks of it, she had nearly given up hope that it would come. But now she will finally know what had happened to her family, which she had been trying to have found for so long.

Watching Esme with bated breath, I waited for the person on the other end to respond.

It did not take long. I heard the person say something, and her jaw dropped in dismay. She covered her mouth with her hand a second later. Then she bowed her head before whispering "thank you" and ending the call.

Edward dashed over to her, having read her thoughts. He took her in his arms and she buried her face in his chest. Then there was a low, muffled sob.

Right then, I knew what had happened. I did not need Edward's telepathic ability to know what the person had told Esme.

Bella's parents and stepfather were dead. There was no other reason to explain why Esme was crying.

As if to confirm this, she looked up at Edward and whispered imploringly, "Can you please tell her? I don't think that I will be able to. I don't think that I can stand and watch her heart break."

With dread building up in the pit of my stomach, I turned to Bella, who was calmly finishing her homework. She had been oblivious to the scene that had taken place behind her. She did not know that in a few minutes time, her peaceful world will shattered.

Suddenly, I felt like crying myself. I did not want to see Bella's heart break any more than Esme did. She had been depressed for almost a month as it was. I did not know how much more grief she would be able to handle. When Edward tells her about her parents and stepfather, there would be no knowing how Bella will react.

I wished that we could prevent her from hearing the news of their death. I wished that Esme had been told that they were alive. But she deserved to know. We could not keep this information from her now that we knew what had happened to them. She has waited for a long time for any news about her family's whereabouts.

"Yes, she has," Edward mumbled in agreement to my ponderings. He looked as dejected as I felt. "Do you want to tell her about them?"

Gulping, I thought it over. To be honest, I really did not want to. However, it was likely the wiser course. Bella listened to me quicker than she did anyone else, save for Edward and Esme. Still, I knew that I would not be able to bear watching her expression change from happiness, to horror, to grief and heart-wrenching despair. I would feel as if I had been responsible for her parents' and stepfather's death. As if I had betrayed her.

Nodding in understanding, Edward shot me a sympathetic gaze. "I'll tell her, then," he remarked, but it was clear that he didn't want to either. He rubbed his face with his hand, preparing himself for what he was about to do.

After a minute, he nodded to himself and sighed deeply. Then he turned to Bella, looking as if he were walking to his execution.

"Sweet pea?" he called to her in a soft voice.

Bella's POV

"Sweet pea?" I heard Edward say.

I looked up from the worksheet that I was concentrating on. "Yes, Dad?" I queried.

"Can you come here, please? I need to talk to you about something," he stated.

I inclined my head and walked over to him. As I drew closer, I noticed that his face was drawn. It also seemed paler than usual. I had the feeling that something wasn't right.

By the time that I reached him, my forehead was already creased in bewilderment. "What's up?" I questioned.

He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Esme had just received a phone call from Mount Sinai Hospital," he remarked.

When he did not continue, I rose an eyebrow. "So...? What did they want?" I prodded him.

Taking a deep breath, he continued on. "They called to tell her that your parents and your stepfather were brought there. They had been found not an hour ago."

"They found them?!" I exclaimed, a wide smile threatening to split my face open. It was about time that they did! Oh, this was the best news that I had ever received in my life! I couldn't wait to be able see them again! "Oh, my God, why didn't you tell me sooner? We should go there now-it's still pretty early." I turned and started for the coat closet.

"No, Bella!" Edward yelled, spinning me around to face him. "You cannot go. Seeing them would not be a good idea."

I frowned in confusion. "Why? Is something wrong? Do they have to undergo a major surgery or something?"

He shook his head. "No. That is not the reason."

"Then why can't I see them?"

Anguish darkened his eyes as he gazed at Esme, who stared at him pleadingly. He sighed heavily before turning to me once more. "Sweet pea... I wish that I could lie to you about what I have to tell you. In fact, I wish that I didn't have to tell you this at all."

"Tell me what?" I demanded, feeling really worried all of a sudden.

He swallowed thickly. "Your parents and stepfather are...They are gone, sweet pea."

My mouth fell, and I backed away from him slowly, shaking my head in denial. "No. There must be some mistake. They can't be dead. They can't be. They have to be alive!" I gasped. Oh God, please tell me that this isn't true. Please let this be a joke. They couldn't be dead. It would be too unfair for them to be!

Edward pursed his lips, his expression morose. "I'm so sorry, sweet pea," he whispered, and I knew then that he was telling the truth. That dreaded, horrible truth.

Grief rained down on me at the speed of an underground train's, and I crumpled under its weight.

Carlisle's POV

As soon as Edward told Bella that he was sorry, she collapsed. Everyone ghosted to her and reached her before she hit the floor. I moved her into a sitting position, but she slumped forward, burying her face in her hands.

"No," she wept. "Why didn't they try to save them? Why? They could have!"

Edward knelt down in front of her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It was already to late for them. They were already dead when they had been found. Nothing could be done."

"No, no, no, no, NO, NO!" Bella hollered, punching the floor with her hands. She jerked away from him as if his touch burned her.

My children and I attempted to comfort her except Esme. She was crying too hard to do much of anything. Seeing her daughter so heartbroken was tearing her apart. I, too, was finding it very difficult not break down myself. I hated that my little sister had to go through all of this pain. She had hoped and prayed that her loved ones would be alive when they were found, and now her dreams were destroyed.

Bella shrugged away from us and fled to her room. I trailed after her. Once there, she threw herself onto the bed and wept with abandon. I lifted her up before taking my poor baby in my arms. I rocked back and forth.

She must have known that it was me because she did not move away. She just clung to me as she cried her heart out.

"It's not fair. It's not fair," she sobbed bitterly.

A tear slipped out of my eye and rolled down my cheek. "No, sweetheart. It isn't fair," I murmured, hugging her even more tightly. "It isn't at all."

Outside, the rain poured down with more intensity. It was as if it was sharing Bella's grief, just as I and my family were.

(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! How was my first chapter for the story? Leave any questions or comments you have. Thank you!)