Liberty Enlightening

by Fanficaholics Anon

Both Bella and Edward want a divorce. The papers are signed, the deal is closed. But in their condition of being free, they must first confront the other. They must enlighten the courts. PFFT! What? Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Title: Liberty Enlightening
Penname:
Fandom: Twilight
Pairings: Edward and Bella
Picture #: 92
Rating: M for Mature

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyers and I have no associations with 'The Killers'. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Both Bella and Edward want a divorce. The papers are signed, the deal is closed. But in their condition of being free, they must first confront the other. They must enlighten the courts. PFFT! What? Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Submitted for the 100 Pictures — An Anon Fanfic Competition
Please check out the other entries here: http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/100_Pictures_An_Anon_Fanfic_Competition_Entries/83603/

~XXX~

Liberty Enlightening

"Is this a joke? Because, it isn't FUNNY!"

"No, Miss Swan, I…"

"I'm paying you WAY too much money for a quick divorce! Google said all I needed was five hundred dollars and a court date! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, they've been wrong before… But here I am FOUR months fucking later, five THOUSAND dollars in your fucking favor, and no FUCKING DIVORCE! IS THIS A FUCKING JOKE?"

Isabella Swan-Cullen was hysterical. All five foot seven inches and one hundred and twenty pounds of her had never been famous for standing-up for herself. As a matter of fact, this was as she thought it… a fucking second. The first of course could not and would never be topped; it was when she adamantly told her husband Edward Cullen, because unfortunately they were still legally married, to go fuck himself.

"If I may, Miss Swan…"

"NO—NO! YOU listen to ME! I told you that I CANNOT SEE HIM AGAIN! THAT IS THE ONLY FUCKING REASON I HIRED YOU! CAPISH! WE HAD AN UNDERSTANDING, CAIUS!"

But only two hours had passed since the ruling had been made. The judge had not allowed the dissolution of her marriage to one Edward Cullen.

Edward was beside himself.

"HE WHAT? CAN HE DO THAT? I SIGNED THE FUCKING PAPERS, WHAT ELSE COULD HE POSSIBLY WANT FROM ME? BLOOD?" he shouted and then whispered indistinctly what sounded like, 'Did shh t gn?' Thomas Marcus' brows wrinkled in confusion asking him to repeat himself, "I said, did she not sign…the papers…?"

"No. I mean yes. Bella signed them…"

"ISABELLA!" he corrected his lawyer.

"Uh, sorry. Yes. I meant Isabella."

Edward's lawyer, Thomas Marcus, had just explained that although it would seem that the courts had no lawful reason to not finalize the divorce. In Thomas's opinion, the judge, Benjamin Aro, was 'one sick motherfucker who likes to play games'.

So there it was. They were still married. Both had taken the necessary steps to close the deal. They both hired lawyers who closed all joint accounts and settled their assets. Then they signed the contract to absolve their vows.

All that was left was for them to do was to dust the past away and start a new life. Or so they thought…

Judge Aro, his Magistrate, sat inside his office in the King County District. He didn't like it when rich spoiled ingratesmocked his court room - otherwise he would have finalized what in legal terms would have been a dissolved marriage that was uncontested. The fact remained that he had yet to meet the unhappily married couple and that troubled him a great deal. He liked it best to meet people face to face.

Under normal circumstances, one would have to show up in court to finalize a divorce preceding. But if one had the money, one would hire a lawyer and contradict that theory. So it was with that small loophole that Aro decided that he would question his theories.

It was a known fact by both Isabella and Edward's lawyers that they had not seen one another in over a year. In the recorded documents, Isabella had first filed the claim 11 months ago alleging that Edward had an adulteress relationship with another woman. Edward denied it fervently and would not sign the divorce papers with such an accusation. He felt it would admit wrong doing if he had. In the end, it had taken Isabella ten more months to change it to irreconcilable differences and Edward couldn't argue with that.

Aro suggested that he meet with both Isabella and Edward, but only after they spend time together to acknowledge that they no longer loved or want to be married to the other. He didn't need any surprises in his court room. All he required was to help them get closure. Either absence makes the heart grow fonder or long absence, soon forgotten. He thought.

~XXX~

Per usual, Isabella was the last one out of the clouds. That's not a metaphor for humility or slowness, although she characters both, it was a metaphor nonetheless as the hashish cigarette was passed back and forth between her and her friend Jasper.

Jasper was the spitting image of Captain Jack Sparrow. All but the color of his hair, Jasper's was blond. Oh and the clothes; his girlfriend Alice would never have dressed him as a pirate.

Long after the cannabis herb was consumed they sat very still until simultaneously they both let out an obscenely loud snort. The snort then turned into a full out hysterical joke.

As soon as Jasper was able to catch his breath and really notice the girl next to him he said, "Alice says you're good B. And hell you look fucking great babe! Well, her actual words were, 'Bella is doing fucktastic…'"

Bella, her friends call her, Bella.

Bella was filled with joy and laughter. She thought about it and sadly couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard.

Nodding her head, "I'm over shit if that's your cryptic analogy!" she smirked.

Jasper took her hand in his and gave it a good squeeze, "Yeah. That's what I mean, baby. So why then are you not seeing anyone B?"

He held her hand up above them so that he could study it. It was much smaller than his, but bigger than Alice's. He turned it and decided that it was about the same size; only Bella's fingers were longer.

Bella giggled like a schoolgirl who had just realized that she forgot to wear her panties under her old checkered Catholic school skirt. "I never said I wasn't… actually, I am seeing someone."

Jasper sat up too quickly, making Bella's eyes blink five times to reassess his place in her peripheral vision. Her body felt like Jell-O, her legs and arms like strings, and in her head, sweet cotton candy floated and clouded her senses. She was happy and mellow at the same time. Jasper was almost immune to smoking pot by now.

He asked, "You are? Alice didn't mention that? What the fuck B?"

She thought it over, didn't he just sound genuinely concerned that I wasn't seeing anyone?

Bella was high, but if she wasn't she would have been offended by his presumption that she would sit around moping and waiting for him or anyone else who might or might not come along. Instead, she twisted up into a fetal position and turned to look at him on her side. She shouted into the dark and noisy night of a New York City skyscraper, "His name is… MR. GIGGLING PIN! He's about this big!" in her measurement she had extended her hand about ten inches, but was off by five. "AND HE'S BATTERY OPERATED!"

"Gross B! You didn't have to go into details…" Jasper said flopping back on the concrete.

"You want details? It's got ten functions and it's WATERPROOF!"

He began to laugh with her. He thought about it some more and would have bet his life that Alice had gotten it for her. The thought alone made his cock swell with pride. Suddenly he imagined both girls using it on each other while he sat and watched them get off. Fucking HOT he thought to himself.

Soon though he pictured his best friend Edward slapping him with it across his face and his dick recoiled in shame.

"Edward's not seeing anyone either B," he started. "And don't believe that shit in the tabloids. They're just trying to make a living. They make shit up all the time. No one better than you knows that to be a fact."

Bella was high as a kite but hearing the name of 'HE WHO WE DO NOT FUCKING BRING UP FUCKING EVER UNLESS YOU WANNA DIE, EVER' brought back the feeling of gravity slapping her in the ass. Cold concrete to the ass to be exact.

Thank God for the little pot still inside me, she thought. For as much as the weight of his name being mentioned cleared the clouds around her, she still felt herself floating somewhere in the atmosphere.

Jasper continued talking; he was not able to see the pain that passed through Bella's eyes at the mention of Edward's name. Jasper was too busy looking out as two specks of dust fought in the air tooth and nail to keep on, keeping on making him cross-eyed.

Bella heard him laugh before he turned to her again, he said, "And I don't think he owns a Mr. Giggling Peen." His laughing at his own joke got to be too much and he began to choke on his own saliva.

Bella watched as he turned red, then blue, and then red again. But instead of patting him in the back as any normal person would have, she kicked him—repeatedly. "PIN not PEEN, you crass ass! Although I think, he's up for a name change. I like PEEN! PIN? PEEN? PIN? PEEN!"

The balcony slider door was pulled open making an awful sound from the dirt caught underneath it. Instinctively both Jasper and Bella rolled their eyes to look above them slowly to see that it was Alice who was standing over them. Hovering.

Alice looked like Tinkerbell; all except that she was a brunette and only wore green on St. Patrick's Day.

"Ally!" Bella screamed trying to grab her friend's ankle, but she couldn't quite reach her. "I love you, Ally!"

Jasper was more effective in hugging her other ankle. "Me too! I love you, Shortcakes!"

Bella slapped the concrete hard with both hands in laughter. "She's so fucking short!"

In retaliation for insulting his beloved, Jasper released Alice's ankle and began to tickle Bella. "Don't talk about the love of my life like that, Bella! I bet she's taller than you with your Mr. Peen over her head!"

"Truce!" Bella screamed as she tried to push his hands away jolting from side to side and then began to laugh even harder as she heard the slider shut closed. Even the click of the lock was loud enough to demonstrate that Alice was in one of her rare moods.

The two friends helped each other sit up first and then get up from the dirty floor.

Alice was watching them with her hands on her hips from the other side of the glass. Jasper yelled through it hoping that she could hear him, "It's okay, Shortcakes! B and I can climb down, we'll be fine. Don't you worry about us."

The two friends then turned away from Alice and walked over to the railing. But before they reached it Alice rushed the slider open again and yelled at them, "You're both on the fucking 55th floor you fuckers! Get both your twats inside, right fucking now!"

"SHIT!" They both laughed and supported one another, but still stumbled inside the hotel room that they were staying in.

Without a trace of humor Alice said, "Jass? Sofa! Sleep! Rest! Emmett is going to be here to pick your ass up in two hours. Now!"

Jasper, defeated but not concord, went over to Bella and kissed the top of her head while combing her hair and face with his two heavy hands.

"I love you, B," he whispered. He then solemnly walked to the sofa immediately laying down, closing his eyes and hugging a decorative pillow to his chest. He said nothing. He knew better than to argue with Alice, under any type of influence.

"Bella?" Alice said much softer. "Come on. We need to get ready for the concert too."

Alice held her hand as she walked inside the hotel bedroom; Bella couldn't help but ask, "Did you get me something nice, Alice?"

Alice jumped up and down at Bella's demeanor; she hadn't spent time with her best friend in over six weeks. Work and touring with the band had kept them apart. She truly missed Bella.

"Shower first," Alice instructed turning on the water inside the ensuite.

Bella tried but failed miserably at being seductive. "Aren't you going to join me…?"

"You are corny as fuck, Bella! I've told you and Jasper both; I'm not a fucking fairy-lady! Now go hose your hole!"

Astonished, Bella asked, "Jebus Alice! That doesn't get you hot?"

Alice lied though, "Nope!"

As the hot pebbles of water massaged her skin inside the shower stall, she saw him. Edward. He stood in front of her and then walked around to the other side. Naked, strong and hard, she trembled in place. Instinctively, she pulled her head under the spray and brought her hands to her face trying to block his image. Sometimes he would disappear after that, but not this time…

"LOOK AT ME!" Heat surged through her entire body at his tone, he was mad, but that wasn't shocking to her, he was always mad. She rubbed her eyes shut almost painfully and yelped in surprise when he took her left wrist in his hand to pull it away from her face.

"I have a lot to say to YOU, Bella!"

As if he was really there, gripping her wrist, her left arm stood still next to her thigh, unmoving, clenched, and without her direction.

"I never left you, Bella! YOU left ME!" The hallucination ended, disappearing again and leaving her with the renowned feeling that he was really there. She was positive that he had been there - she could feel the blood flowing and rushing back to her fingers as if just a second ago he had manipulated it. But she never told anyone that he visited her everyday. She wasn't afraid of it; she was mostly scared that if she did mention it to them, he would disappear forever.

As Bella stood naked in the bathroom mirror with a brush and dryer in her hand unmoving, Alice came to her rescue.

"I'll do your hair, B."

"Thanks..." she mumbled.

Bella sat on the vanity bench while Alice dried her hair.

"Ally?" she began a few minutes later. "Do you think I'm stubborn?"

Alice smirked. She knew that Bella was the most stubborn person in the world. She chose her answer carefully though, for she knew how sensitive Bella was. So instead she said, "I think you're just very determined, Bella. Stubborn and pigheaded are juvenile terms and you're a woman now. You are a very determined woman Bella. Very determined!"

Bella's twenty-three year old face lit up. And for the first time she laughed through Edward's voice in her head, "You're so fucking stubborn, Bella! Why can't you just TRUST ME! So fucking stubborn!"

As soon as Bella's hair was done—wavy and thick on the top and curled on the bottom—Alice walked out to the closet to fish out both their outfits.

"No panties. No bra. You'll see why." Alice stood naked in front of Bella and put her own jeans on. "These are ultra low rise jeans with a boot cut. See, no panties!"

Bella shrugged and stopped looking. She took her own jeans, in black, in her hand and turned to look at the fit in the back. Her crack was showing a bit. And if she hadn't waxed less than a week ago, she was sure that the fur from her kitty-kat would have also made an appearance. She pulled the pants up higher, but that only gave her a camel-toe. She pulled them down again with a loud sigh; she'd rather show her gluteal cleft, than to have a camel toe any day.

"Alice?"

"Oh fuck! That's so HOT! See now I'd do ya!"

Bella laughed and decided that maybe, just maybe, if Edward saw how hot her ass really did look, crack and all, that he'd feel a little bad about his past indiscretion.

Fucking look at what you're missing!

Alice noticed her resolve as quickly as Bella had made up her mind. Bella was now throwing over her head the way-too-fucking small t-shirt with glittering crystals that read, 'The Victim'. It was a corresponding title to the band name that Edward was the lead singer to, 'The Killers'.

As Bella looked at the reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror in the bathroom wall, she couldn't help but really, really, really love her new ankle boots. Silver crystal rhinestones covered the entire surface except for the heel, which was in shiny velvet black cloth.

An hour later, they both had two shots of Vodka each, just enough to let loose.

And an hour after that, both women were walking backstage inside Madison Square Garden with VIP passes that held no limitations of where they could go. The ultimate pass.

As Alice and Bella walked, hand in hand, down the hall as if they owned the place, both girls suddenly watched as a very determined Edward Cullen came out of one room, and without looking up walked into the one across it.

Bella's heart fluttered a mile a minute and her step faltered. Thank God for Alice, she thought. For she was sure that she would have fallen, flat as a pancake, on her face by now.

Alice's intuition had righted her just in time, but for security measures, she wrapped her arm around Bella's waist as they trotted along.

"Thanks, Alice." Bella breathed loud enough that Alice heard the almost silent gesture.

Bella was so used to Edward invading her dreams, thoughts and mind, that the actual sound of his voice sounded foreign but magical. His voice caressed her neck and caused her skin to break out in goose bumps, begging to be touched.

"Does anyone know where the fuck Jasper is?" he shouted.

Edward had been waiting for Bella. He was expecting it and although everyone thought he dreaded it, inside he welcomed it. To see her again, to feel her anger toward him would only justify and gratify his reasoning for staying away from her. He really didn't care about anything else. Nothing else mattered but the pain it would bring, at least then he could feel something again.

He knew that she was going to be at the concert and later they would talk.

When Edward had come out of the room screaming and anxious to find Jasper to ask him more questions about Bella, he had been looking down the right side of the hall. When he turned to the left to see if anyone was around to answer him, he gasped loud enough for both Alice and Bella to hear him.

Bella hadn't seen him in thirteen months. She had been scared of finding a better looking and a more mature Edward. But he looked unchanged. His corded muscles and expansive chest was just as she remembered it. She could almost make out his flat stomach and small natural six pack through his tight black button up shirt that he had rolled up the sleeves on. Simply by memory she could see his muscular thighs encased in the tight black low rising jeans that hugged his form like a second skin.

I had been that second skin once… many times…

Instinctively she tried to draw upon the anger she had felt when she last saw him. But it never surfaced. At the time, she thought that it was only because she was still under the influence of his dazzling and enticing ways. That was the main reason she did not want to be here today, or any other day for that matter.

Should I stop and say hi or do I keep walking and do that later? She asked herself. She looked over to Alice who didn't look like she could offer any help.

So she stopped. "Hi…" Bella didn't recognize her own voice but knew without a doubt that the word had come out of her mouth.

He did though. And although she was an awful singer, he loved to hear her talk and sing his songs.

Edward's lips twitched and his eyes opened and closed a few times before he breathed her name, "Bella… It's lovely to see you. I'm glad that you came."

Jasper came walking down the hall. "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!"

But only Alice laughed, for Edward and Bella were inside a soundproof bubble and everyone else was out.

"Me too, Edward. Edward… umm… have a good show."

"You'll be out there watching, right?"

"Yeah… and we'll talk later." As the words were spoken out loud, she wished that she could have taken them back.

She could feel their bubble burst, reminding both him and her that they were here only to get closure. He felt mocked for thinking that she was here to do nothing else but give the final blow that would surely break the dream of spending the rest of his eternity with his soul mate.

She tried to fix it. "Good luck, Edward!" she said sounding optimistic.

"Thanks…" he replied not bothering to look back up at her.

As Bella kept walking she caught up with Alice who was pushing Jasper to go after Edward, who she knew needed his friend.

Jasper gave Bella a shoulder squeeze as they passed each other in the hall.

The urge to cover her ass-crack—that she knew without a doubt Edward was eye-fucking that instant—was only subsided by Alice grabbing both her hands to make her walk forward.

"Thanks, Alice…" she huffed.

"That was not my fault, Bella! I didn't think you'd stop. I almost fell on my fucking face when you did." She began to laugh but then quickly cleared her throat when she noticed Bella's face. "I'm sorry, B. I didn't know what to do. You have to tell me what to do."

"I get it, Alice. We're good."

The band had reached stardom. Edward was on vocals, Jasper was on guitar, while Mike and Eric played bass and drums respectively.

Bella had gone to school with both Mike and Eric her entire life. She had only met Edward her junior year in high school and then Jasper once they graduated.

"FUCKING RIGHT ON!" Emmett's boom sounded off.

Bella turned and ran to him. Emmett was her favorite of all the guys. He wasn't in the band, he worked security for them. In the short time that they had known each other, they fell into a sister-brother relationship that could only be disputed by DNA.

With all the excitement of the new album, Bella had forgotten to ask Alice about the new songs. Both Jasper and Eric had always co-written just about every song in their last two albums. But their latest one had only the name 'M. Soul' as the writer. She had loved it just the same though; the songs had a more religious message to it, almost desperate.

"Who's M. Soul?"

Both Eric and Mike blurted out without thinking first, "Edward."

"Edward?" Bella almost took it as a joke.

"You didn't know?" Eric asked looking at Alice.

"But Edward doesn't write," she stated, or so Bella had always thought. "Edward? Really?"

Next, she realized Alice was shushing them. "Shut up, Alice! Actually, NO! Talk, Alice!"

Everyone else made to look like they had somewhere to go and scattered to different areas.

Both Bella and Alice began to walk around to the front of the stage. Alice began, "In my defense, Bella, you didn't ask."

Bella gave her a 'WTF' look.

"Edward says that they are all about you. M. Soul stands for my soul."

Sam, the new stage manager appeared in front of them. "I'm sorry, ladies, but you'll have to take your places."

Alice pulled Bella down a flight of stairs and jumped the barricade to stand with the rest of the crowd that would soon wrap around the front of the stage.

They were right on time, because as soon as they got there, the crowds began to form.

Thirty minutes later the band members began to pour out onto the stage.

Bella immediately grew anxious as she watched Edward look for her in the sea of fans. He spotted her, smiled, and began to lead the band to their first song.

"Alice?" Bella whispered-screamed at Alice, who was waving her hands in the air—along with everyone else.

"Do you have anything? Anything at all that will soothe me?"

Alice knew without question that Bella was not a drug addict. She had seen first hand what had happened to Bella after leaving Edward. Her doctor had prescribed some Xanax at first, but it made Bella breakout into hives and it had given her fainting spells. Valium was too strong, it had caused her inability to control urination and after waking up in a soaked mattress for the second day in a row, she quit those too.

But she knew her friend. She knew that Bella needed to stay, and without thinking of the consequences she passed her a pink little pill with an 'I love you' on it.

Bella didn't bother to look at it. She placed it at the tip of her tongue and jagged it down with her own spit.

"I'm coming out of my cage

And I've been doing just fine

Gotta, gotta be down

Because I want it all

It started out with a kiss

How did it end up like this?

It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss

Now I'm falling asleep..."

Bella liked Mr. Brightside, it wasn't her favorite, but she really liked the rhythm. Of course, as she heard the message she began to analyze it and as soon as she heard the words, 'It started out with a kiss…' the memories of her first kiss with Edward began to flood her mind.

~Flashback~

"You kissed me! You didn't even ask me if I wanted to be kissed. You just fucking did it… just like that?"

Bella was seventeen, only seventeen and she had never, ever been kissed. Imagine her panic when she felt his wet thick tongue trying to enter between her small, but full-lipped mouth.

"Didn't think I needed to ask for permission first. And I always get what I want!"

~End of Flashback~

Twenty minutes later Bella's blood ran through her animated body like a line of fire packed with bravery and boldness. Bella bounced up and down on the balls of her feet and jumped. She thrashed her head from side to side and moved her entire body to every beat of the music and Edward's voice singing to her as it played on endlessly.

No one else but Alice and Edward knew this. She had given back every diamond he had ever given her. All but the one that was attached to her nipple ring.

Everyone around them could hear Alice. "BELLA…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"SHOWING HIM THAT I'M STILL ALIVE! THAT I DIDN'T DIE!"

She turned to look up and although he was still singing, she screamed his name, "EDWARD! OVER HERE!"

Of course, he didn't hear her. But every few seconds he made it his mission to look over to where she was.

"OH FUCK!" Alice muttered as she watched Bella climb over a black barricade used to keep the concertgoers back.

"I GIVE UP!" Bella screamed as she took off her black top and swung it like a white flag over her head. "I GIVE UP!" she screamed again.

Edward had begun to perform two months after his high school graduation. Without a doubt, he knew that he couldn't just stop singing in the middle of his performance. But to see the love of his life half naked and being carried away by the arena security was not going to happen on his watch.

He hopped off the stage and ran to her before anyone could escort her out. She didn't care what he wanted to do to her. She was in a very, very happy place. When he grabbed her ankles, she jumped in place and then felt herself being pulled. Edward continued to sing as he carried her on his shoulders back on the stage; Emmett was right behind him trying to put Bella's shirt back on.

He was lucky that the light and sound manager had scheduled a three-minute break after the song 'Somebody Told Me'.

Bella had thought that he was going to put her down and dance with her on stage, like they had done once or twice before. But as soon as he finished the song he carried her to the side of the stage and away from where any hired help or audience could see them.

Immediately, he pushed Bella against a string of black curtains until they hit a wall and kissed her so hard that he tasted blood. He knew it was his because he felt the sting and the blood already began to clot on his bottom lip.

She was still topless and although she could feel the sting of pain as he pressed his stoned chest on her soft mounds and ring, she couldn't bear to ask him to ease up.

"You still wear my ring, Bella." It wasn't a question. As soon as he spoke the words his mouth was on her nipple. Sucking and pulling the ring just how she liked it.

She arched her back for him, panting without breath, in offering. It had been too long.

He worked himself over to her other breast and then softly palmed them both simultaneously as he kissed her lips again, this time full of love and hope.

They finally had to stop as they both realized that two police officers and Emmett were standing behind them.

He didn't mean to, but he hissed in anger. "Put your shirt back on! We'll talk later!"

He turned to Emmett after helping her put the too small shirt back on. "Emmett, take care of this and make sure to let me know later." And with that he left to go back on stage as the next song began to play without his vocals.

The police officers came with Emmett as he escorted Bella back stage where she met up with Alice again.

"What the fuck was that, Bella? Crazy!"

"Oh, Alice! I almost got arrested! Oh and Edward and I kissed!"

"What?"

"He kissed me. And I kissed him back." She palmed her breast. She was still so sensitive that she couldn't help the moan that escaped her plump lips. That's when she realized that she had also creamed her pants.

"FUCK! B?"

Alice knew it was the ecstasy that had made her do it. She knew that Bella would later fault her.

Edward's velvet voice on the microphone silenced the arena, suddenly, "Last one!" Everyone got loud and screamed their cheers. "All these things that I've done!" Again very loud screaming and applause rung out and he waited until it got quiet again, "It's a song about forgiveness and second chances. This is for my Bella. HELP ME OUT, BABY!"

As Bella lay on her back and listened to every word of the song, she was touched beyond belief. But above all, she heard his admittance. He had betrayed her after all. And it was like her heart broke all over again.

Tears began to roll down her face as the song ended.

Alice hadn't realized how the grief and loss of her marriage was crushing her best friend. But the second she noticed her she picked her up from the ground and pushed her back in the halls before anyone else saw her.

They both walked inside the door of the boys' dressing room. Right away she went to the cooler and handed Bella some cold water.

"Oh, Bella…"

Bella sniffled. "I'm okay, Ally… Really… I just... I'm okay though."

As soon as Edward gave two waves to each section of the arena, he took off running back stage to find Bella. He walked in and out of every door until he hit the jackpot.

"Bella?"

She smiled up at him from the sofa and beckoned him with her hand held in the air.

"I'll go," Alice said shyly.

Edward stood in front of her. Close enough that he could feel the electricity that they always shared. "So…" he began, "did you enjoy the show?"

Bella, still feeling the effects of the pink little pill, threw her hands in the air making a 'V'. "GOD, YES! That was SOOOOOO much fun, Edward!"

She sat up a bit, took his hands and forced him to kneel in front of her. Her legs were spread for him as he crawled between them, leaning onto her.

He was already hard. His cock was so engorged that he hissed in pain not wanting to remove his hand from hers to adjust himself. He rested his head on her forehead and just listened and watched as her shallow breathing grew heavier. "Thank you. Thank you for coming out. And thank you for being here. You don't know how happy I am right now." He knew without a doubt that they still needed to talk. But he couldn't help but hope that all was well with that one kiss.

She laughed rather loudly surprising him. "You're welcome, baby!"

He grimaced at her tone and looked up into her eyes. "Are you on something, baby? Who gave you what?"

Bella shook her head from side to side. "I had some weed earlier—with Jasper. And I think Alice gave me an E…" She laughed. "But what I really want is you. E for Edward…" She giggled.

Edward exhaled a disappointing breath as he took her face in his hands and planted a small kiss on her lips.

I won't get another chance, he thought.

"I've missed you, Bella…"

"Me too, Edward… so much."

"Mmm."

Their kissing accelerated into hungry bites of pleasure and dry humping. It was becoming too much for him and if he didn't stop now he wouldn't be able to stop later. But he didn't have to stop. Bella fell asleep.

~XXX~

When Bella finally came around, she was lying on a bed. She recognized it right away. It wasn't her bed, but it had been hers once before.

Fuck!

She remembered everything that happened; she just couldn't understand how she got to where she was.

Feeling the rush of her headache coming alive, she held her head together with both hands. The pain would have otherwise split her skull in two. She sat up slowly feeling her nipples react to the cold room. After looking down she realized that she was wearing a silk white robe, that was opened, a lavender colored thong, and nothing else.

What the fuck…

There was a soft glowing lamp on the side of the bed and she swallowed down the two pills that someone must have left for her.

Edward. She knew it was him.

Again, she felt panic, how did I get here, and what happened to me…

She fixed her hands on the mattress to steady herself as she felt and heard the waves crash against the wood and fiberglass of the walls. She looked outside the one porthole and saw the statue of Liberty flying her torch. Thank God I'm still in New York… she thought while she absentmindedly picked up and folded a throw that she had probably kicked off the bed in her sleep.

She was in the lower deck of Edward's 40-foot sailboat.

And then she grew even sicker.

How dare he bring me here? Without my knowledge or consent! Of course, she couldn't remember if she had given her consent or not.

Determined to confront him she peeled the door from the cabin open and immediately past the kitchen area, she spotted Edward.

She had hopped that he would have been on the top deck, but he wasn't. Right away, her eyes found him sitting in the bench listening to the very low melodic sound of his Debussy CD while reading a book.

He knew that it wouldn't take her long to find him as soon as he heard her naked foot land on the wooden creaky panel that lay on her side of the bed.

She stood before him and with as much bitterness as her headache could take she asked, "What am I doing here?"

He smiled behind the book; he didn't want her to see it. After composing himself he slammed the book shut loud enough that it made her jump.

"I didn't bring you here. I found you here. After I had begun to sail for a good hour. Then I came back to drop you off."

She was confused for a minute. "I don't understand…"

He only had to mention one name for her to complete the puzzle, "Alice."

"Alice?"

He only nodded and walked around her to grab a beer out of the refrigerator.

Waving both his hands in surrender, he said after taking another pull on his beer, "You probably lost your ticket back to Seattle. I'll buy you another one; I just wasn't sure what time you'd wake up."

"I don't need you to buy me anything, Edward!" she said rather coldly.

He gazed back at her. Now he was the angry one. He didn't deserve this either and he had tried to be nice to her.

But checking his temper, he walked back with his beer to sit down and continue to read his book; or rather ignore Bella standing still between the kitchen, dining and living area of the boat.

After seeing Bella at his concert, Edward thought that she was there for him. After kissing her backstage and kissing his diamond on her nipple, he had let himself imagine and fantasize their reconciliation. Only after realizing that she was under the influence, did his heart break again.

She sat down across from him on the bench and the memories of it came like a flash of light; she had picked out the color for the upholstery with her mother-in-law, Esme, in Tacoma, Washington.

"How long did I sleep for?"

Edward didn't bother looking up at her, but he sounded peaceful when he answered, "Sixteen hours."

"Wow..." Bella thought out loud. She had not been able to sleep more than five hours a day. And even with the Xanax and Valium, she had normally slept only seven to eight hours.

"Thank you, Edward," she said softly.

This time he did look up. "For what?"

"For… you know… for keeping me safe."

He shook his head, bowing in defeat. He couldn't do this anymore. He wasn't going to allow her to be nice to him. In his mind, they needed to make the break fast, not painfully slow.

"Since you're here now, maybe we should talk." He put his book down and sat up. "The judge is making it harder than it needs to be, and my lawyer says that he can make an appointment for us to meet with him. Explain to him that this is what we want. And… and that we didn't mean any disrespect. It's up to you if you want to go first. I don't really care."

Bella felt the pain all over again. It had felt semifinal after she signed the divorce papers, but as soon as she heard back from her lawyer that Edward too had signed, it had finally hit her that her marriage was really over. But now the pain was numbing. She couldn't make up her mind if that was good or not.

She got up. "Sure... yeah… We can even go together if you'd like. I… I want us to be friends again, Edward."

Edward was delusionally hoping that she'd want to still be married to him, not stay as friends. He froze, standing silent and thoughtful. With determination, he looked down at Bella and she knew the second she'd seen his eyes that she was in trouble. His eyes were no longer green; they were the eyes of a hunter.

He knew that he must have looked like a monster, but he didn't care. Edward began to walk toward her as Bella began to walk backwards. He didn't stop until he was an inch from her face and she was flush against the wood paneled wall next to the ladder to the top deck.

By this time Bella's heart was racing and she had nowhere to escape.

"Edward…" His name fell off her lips like a prayer.

She jumped when he took her hand and placed it over his thick and hard cock. He kept her hand there as his words fanned her face with every syllable that he insinuated.

"You feel how hard I am right now? I look at you, Bella… and I fucking get a hard-on! In any given moment I'd think of you, I'd imagine you sucking my cock and worshiping me until I came dry!"

He leaned his body into hers, she could feel her nipples harden at the feel of his chiseled chest under her robe. "I dream of you begging me to bite you! To take you and fuck you!

"I marvel about your tight little pussy hole surrounding my cock. I jack off every fucking night to you, Bella. You are all I think about when I come! But it's not the same and it's never enough.

"Right now all I want to do is fuck you! Fuck you so hard that you'd need another twelve hours to recover!"

Against Bella's wishes, her body was ready for him. Her pussy was pulsing, wet and throbbing and he hadn't even really touched her yet.

He bent down and captured her nipple through her robe. The little bud stabbed his tongue.

Every instinct that Edward possessed was urging him to open her robe and take her now. After all, she was still his wife.

His hand stubbornly pushed away her hand, still on his erection. Bella wrapped her fingers around his length and squeezed him through his pants. And then, as if the pain of having him this close to her wasn't enough to kill her, he pushed her hand away again.

Thrusting his hand between her legs, Edward fingered her pussy through her panties and robe. He took both of her wrists and held them above her head. Expertly, with the other hand he slid his fingers again under the edge and pulled the material of her thong to the side this time. She watched as he closed his eyes and savored the feel of her moist flesh and sunk two of his fingers into her pussy as she readily spread her legs making room for him.

Bella moaned and pushed her hips down on his hand to get him to go deeper. The gesture woke him and he immediately pulled away from her making her whimper.

"We can't be friends…" he whispered and walked away.

Her treacherous eyes did nothing else, but follow him as he walked across the room and into the cabin; where she had just come from.

She knew that he was furious, more so with himself than at her. Only she knew how hard it was for him to disclose his weaknesses.

Bella's eyes were gazing down at nothing in particular as she heard the door shut behind him. The only thing that consumed her mind now was that she was desperate to have him inside her. Nothing else mattered.

Without having a chance to think twice about it, she moved almost silently and stood in front of the door. No longer afraid of the circumstances and fate that would surely destroy all of the hard days behind her; she only looked forward to what was to come today and now.

She threw the door open and then closed it behind her after taking two steps inside.

Edward didn't move a muscle, like a statue he stood facing the mocking bed, his back to Bella.

She called out to him, "Edwar—?"

Before she could sound out the 'd' from his name, Edward turned to face her.

"Bella, you shouldn't be here right now. I…"

He wanted to say that he'd just fuck everything up again. But instead, he said, "You are playing with fire, Bella. The second I get you on this bed and… and I start… I won't be able to stop. So please…"

His eyes were locked with hers. Crimson brown to clover green ones. He was begging her to stop and to leave, while she was begging him to take her.

"Bella…" he warned again when she didn't make to leave.

As she stood frozen, her mind had been made up. With resolution, she loosened the sash of her robe and spread it open revealing her body to him. A tiny purple and very wet, thong was all he could see.

"You'll regret this, Bella. And then…" He couldn't finish again, his only thought then was to finish it in his head, then you'll have finally killed me…

"I want you. You. Edward… take me," she told him as she pushed back the robe from her shoulders and took her panties off. Her nipples were so pebbled that they were crying in pain to be touched.

Edward took three steps. He counted the second on each one. It was his way of given her three last chances; it was also a countdown to his demise.

All he wanted to do was ravish her, but he paced himself. He knew without a doubt that if he didn't slow down, he'd be done before really enjoying himself.

First things first, he thought.

"Take my shirt off…"

She didn't hesitate. Her entire body was trembling for him, but her hands were as steady as a surgeon's.

"Have you…? Has anyone else...?" he whispered next to her ear as his hands caressed the waves of her long hair.

"No…" came her small reply as she stood back after removing his shirt. It had been a year but she assured him, "I have never been with anyone but you."

What a sight, she thought. Never, she had thought that she would never again find pleasure from him. She had sworn it off. But now she couldn't wait any longer. And she knew that he was simply prolonging it, but she really didn't mind.

He bent down taking his shoes and then his socks off. Bella slid the button of his pants off and then pulled down his zipper but stopped there.

Bella decided against her will to reciprocate the interrogation, "Have you…? Has there been anyone else…? Since…?" she had almost said 'me', but she knew that she had not been his last.

"There has never been anyone but you, Bella. No one… but you."

She was determined to play this out. She needed him; she wanted him inside her one last time. If she reproached him now, she knew without a doubt that he'd stop, and she thought that she'd combust if he did.

"Can I touch you, Edward?"

Her eyes were on his and his on hers. "No, baby. If you touch me… I'm afraid that it would be over in two minutes."

His smile lifted her spirits and she felt more confident than before.

"Can I touch you Bella?"

"Please?"

"Please what, baby?"

"Please touch me."

As soon as he pushed his pants down, his hands went to her face. He held between his hands the woman that he still loved, that he would always love. "I've missed you, Bella. Love. Baby, so much. It's been hell. Without you… You are my life." He wanted to cry.

As his lips found hers, Bella couldn't help the helplessness she felt at hearing his words. But as soon as he kicked off his pants, picked up the back of her left knee, hitching it on his hip and felt the tip of his swollen head at her wet entrance, she couldn't think of anything else.

Her lust filled moan lead him forward, or rather backwards until he bumped the back of his legs on the bed frame.

"Look at you, sweetheart," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed and she stood wanting to straddle him. She looked thinner, but he was not going to destroy the moment by scolding her. "My Bella… You are so beautiful.

"Spread your legs, love."

As soon as she did what he had asked of her, his finger was inside her again. She held on to both his shoulders.

"Prop your leg up on my knee, baby."

She was going to die, she could feel it. It only took four, one finger thrusts to make her scream his name.

"Oh, oh, ah, ah, EDWARD!"

"Holy… Bella! That didn't take long at all, baby. Lie down and spread your legs again for me, love. I wanna taste you."

His hands worked their magic on her breasts and nipples, showing more attention to the one that still held his ring, but his mouth only wanted one thing; her pussy.

Not only could Bella see how hard he was, but he made sure to push his cock onto her skin as he moved down, down to his own personal holy-grail.

Bella tried not to embarrass herself by coming again so quickly, but she knew the second his wet, warm tongue swiped against her wet, warm folds that she couldn't do anything about that. She almost jumped off the bed this time.

His head was between her legs, his mouth on her pussy, but he knew that she was not going to stay still and let him enjoy his cocktail. He crawled to her side so that his cock was on her shoulder, one hand was on her collarbone, holding her down, while the other held one thigh open as he latched to her pussy again, this time sucking and nipping at her with his teeth.

He knew that he would never get enough of her; she had already come again once the tip of his tongue concentrated on the little pearl under her swollen clam. But he wanted to do one more thing.

"Stay still, love…"

Her panting wouldn't allow it, her chest rose and fell on every breath she tried to stay calm on, but it was useless. Either way she relaxed her legs and arms.

She knew what he was going to do once both his hands released her. And so she waited in anticipation for him.

Without disappointing her, he forced her pussy lips open and urged his tongue inside her as he lapped the cream that he had caused to pour out.

As soon as he stood up to crawl between her legs and take her, Bella stopped him. She kissed and licked his lips tasting herself. He had not forgotten that she liked to taste herself, but he didn't think that he could wait any longer to be inside her. He had waited long enough.

"Edward. I wanna taste you," she begged.

"No, love. You'll get that later. I've got to be inside you. Now."

And although Edward had many times nailed her to the floor, bed, and other furnishings, even plastered her to the walls more times than he could count, each and every time he was making love to his Bella.

So even though he filled her, deep, in one hard thrust, and continued an ever-increasing speed, he was making love to the woman he loved, his Bella. As he rocked inside her, he couldn't help but feel like he was finally home. That she had come home to him.

Groaning in pleasure, Edward buried his hands in her hair and tilted her face up so that he could see her as he pumped his cock inside her. "It's been too long. I can't be gentle."

"Don't you remember? I never liked it gentle…," she panted.

He sighed and she was graced with a small smile. "I remember, Bella. I remember all of it."

She could feel her cunt clench harder with each thrust. Her pussy was hot and wrapped tightly around him each time he drove into her.

Edward could feel her pussy closing around his cock, choking him until it began to spasm and rock her body.

"I'm sorry, love. It's been too long," he whimpered out of breath and full of sweat. "I'm gonna…"

But before he could finish his words, he sounded out what could only be described as a non-human cry. Bella couldn't hear it because her own climax had been triggered as she milked his.

Edward stayed inside her as he rolled on his back bringing her to lie on top of him. He welcomed her weight. Taking the folded throw next to his head, he opened and wrapped it over Bella so that she wouldn't grow cold.

Bella didn't say anything as she listened only to the sound of his heart; it brought a tear to her eye. She knew that she loved him and that nothing had or truly could change that, ever. But she also knew that she couldn't stay much longer and would have to leave him again.

Edward held her in his arms and knew without a doubt that she'd run again. So he decided to hum her lullaby, the one that would always put her to sleep.

He thought, As soon as she falls asleep, I'll pull the anchor and sail away with her for as long as it takes.

Liberty enlightening.