A Dangerous Affair

by katiecav

AUH. Edward lives in a dangerous world of the Agency, one of the worlds best covert ops companies. He's all about the job, but when he meets a woman who get's the best of him, will his life ever be the same or has love bloomed in the desert night?

1. A Dangerous Affair

"Let's Make it Forever, Baby!" A Wedding to Remember O/S Contest

PenName: Katiecav

Title: A Dangerous Affair

Word Count: 17,976

Rating: T (for language and some violence)

Pairing: Edward and Bella.

Summary: Edward is an agent for the covert operations group known only as the Agency. As one of the most highly trained groups in the country they often work closely with the government. Edward and his squad are working closely with the DEA to stop the flow of illegal substances across the border. When he meets a mystery woman at a raid and she gets the best of him it becomes his mission in life to find out who she is and what her connection is to the group. What he finds surprises him at every turn, especially when his mystery girl ends up being an agent herself. Between melding family members and rouge drug dealers, will these two manage to find love? If they do will their love be strong enough to deal with every sing dangerous affair?

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight…sigh…If I did I'm sure I would have far more than the measly $23 in my bank account that there right now. I might not be rich but I do have a beta that is a ninja stealth and opened my eyes to my apparent obsession with ellipses and fear of commas, Mel you rock my world!

A/N: Okay I know that you all saw that it's nearly 18,000 words and are like "Wholly cow is this chick crazy?" To answer…yes I am crazy however that's not really the point…I don't think once you get into the story you'll even realize that it's as long as it is…it's AUH so I did have to set y'all up a little before jumping in. So without further ado, please enjoy…

Voting is open now through October 10! So if you like this story please please go and vote for it. Head over to the Wedding Oneshot page and vote in the poll.

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Present: April 12, 2010

This past year had been a whirlwind for me. Things had changed so much. I was finally getting everything I had ever dreamed about and never thought I could achieve: a life, a family, and a wonderful, beautiful woman to share it all with. I had been alone for so long. I thought I just wasn't meant to have what had been robbed from me when my parents died. After their death, I had little choice of what I was going to do once I finished up high school. I had already just barely missed being picked up by Children's Services, and that was only because the principal and her husband volunteered to take me in until I went to Basic after graduation.

Enlistment, training, missions—my life was my job, and there was very little outside of it. I had no family left to speak of, so my co-workers became my family…my brothers. When you lay your life on the line nearly every day for your job, the people that you trust to have your back become very important to you.

They were here with me today, gathered around, waiting quietly. Not waiting for me to kiss my bride as we shared our first dance as husband and wife, but instead waiting to see if I could ever kiss her again. I was waiting too; I was waiting for someone to wake me up from this nightmare I was having. This was supposed to be the best day of my life. I was supposed to be halfway to Italy by now. I was supposed to be the happiest man alive, unable to wipe the smile from my face, but I wasn't any of those things. I was scared and nervous. I was sitting hunched over in a plastic chair in the hospital wearing a crumpled, blood-stained tux, and I couldn't wipe the memory of the last few hours from my mind. I was a mess in every sense of the word.

Someone came into the quiet waiting area, and I shot up in my seat only to stumble backward again when the doctor said the words that I had dreaded since we arrived. "Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry…"

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~*

18 Months ago: September 15, 2008- Somewhere near the Mexican Border

"Cullen?" the voice crackled thorough the two-way in my ear.

I turned to the others on my team and got a head nod from each. "Clear on the left," I answered quietly, slipping the heat detecting glasses down over my eyes. "Ready when you are, Cap."

"McCarty…." came the hushed response on the speaker.

"All clear," Emmett answered Captain.

"All right boys, on my count. Remember only shoot if shot at."

I almost laughed. Hearing a military trained sniper give the order not to shoot made me smile into the night. This was an interesting takedown, one that we hadn't had before, and that was saying quite a lot because as members of a covert operations agency, we'd been on a number of takedowns. These were strange circumstances though. We were in desperate need of information, and this group was believed to be mostly minors, many of whom didn't know what they were getting into, only there for a party. Even if some of the drug runners were believed to be using parties like this one to recruit help, we didn't want the risk of hurting any innocents by going in with guns blazing. It was risky operation, a lot of things could go wrong, but that's why they called us, plus the possible gain was worth taking this chance.

Our unit had been working with the DEA on cracking down on the drug trafficking along the border with Mexico. This was our first big tip-off in months. The DEA was looking to capture as many guys as possible, but we were looking for someone in particular. He was who they called "the ghost." He was a faceless enigma. No one knew what he looked like. He had still managed to instill fear in even the oldest of the criminal circles. He was taking responsibility for several "accidents" that included many of the high level dealers and, unfortunately for him, two federal agents. That was why we were here: to bring to justice the man that killed agents Black and Uley. The only problem was, no one could catch him. He was like smoke. Just when you think you've caught up to him, he slips from your grasp.

"Move in." The captain's order was soft but authoritative, and I signaled to the guys on my right to go ahead as I brought up the rear.

As soon as the rest of the crew breached the door, chaos erupted. I hung in the shadows to the left of the warehouse as McCarty hung to the right, scanning the trees for signs of movement. I turned toward the building and saw two small bodies slip out a door to my left. I watched as these boys snuck away, hunched down, speaking quietly. Usually the ones that creeped out the back way during a bust had something to hide, so I signaled to Emmett that I had seen something I was going to follow.

The boys moved slowly toward the south side of the building. I approached as quietly as I could, but as soon as they cleared the building they broke out in a run. I cursed quietly and sprinted after them. The one in the back heard me and pushed the other toward where I knew the border to the local Indian Reservation. He said something in a language I didn't understand. I didn't know what was said next but it sounded like the taller one tried to argue with his partner. The other shorter one, cut him off and shoved him once more. With a resigned look the tall boy took off in a dead sprint only looking back once to say something else in the strange language and then disappearing. Then the shorter one, I was closer to, made a sudden turn in the opposite direction, heading toward where the river pours into the lake. All of a sudden, I had a decision to make. I decided to stay close to the one that had split off toward the falls.

He was a flash sucker that was for sure. His feet never seemed to touch the ground. He appeared to be flying over the fallen trees and branches. I was at a disadvantage. He had an obvious familiarity with this area, while was stumbling blind, but I managed to catch up to him in the small clearing on the side of the bluff. I plowed into him, pulling him backward and onto the ground. I had expected a boy as small as him to shy away, or at least be winded by hitting the ground so hard, but he surprised me. He fought back. It was then that I first saw his face. He was just a boy after all. His hat was pulled down over his forehead, but his facial features still had a small look. How did a boy get so involved in all of this? Maybe I had been wrong, maybe they were just trying to get out of a bad situation. Before I had much time to think about it, he struck out at me, landing a solid right hook to my jaw. I staggered back slightly and he made an attempt to stand. I recovered and tried to get a good enough grip on him, but every single time, he twisted away. Finally, I had him pinned down on the ground with his hands above his head, not the best pin, but it would suffice.

It was at that moment that I noticed several things in quick succession. First, his struggling against the ground forced his hat off and out of it tumbled a whole head of dark brown hair. Secondly, he wasn't a he at all-he was a she.

She was pale, too pale to be Hispanic, but I figured I'd try anyway. "Como se llaman?" When she didn't answer I tried again. "Señora…Te llamas?"

"Get off of me," she ground out between her teeth as she continued to struggle.

"You speak English?" I asked in surprise but then I refocused. "Who are you?"

She continued to struggle but didn't answer me. I wasn't naive to think that women weren't involved in this kind of thing. Everyone had their hand in the pot when it came to this business, but most of the women didn't know anything other than entry level information; they weren't trusted as much. I relaxed my hold but didn't release her completely. I still wanted to know why they were sneaking out of a bust.

"Who was that you took away?" She never stopped her struggling and her eyes blazed as they locked with mine. I noticed that she was attractive looking, even with dirt smudged all over her face. There was something timeless about her, and it was slightly unsettling. I don't really think she could pass as a man, surely any red-blooded man would know she was a woman when they got close enough. "Why were you in there? "You could have gotten killed, you know that?"

"I'm aware, and he's none of your concern." She had a slight accent to her voice, almost a Spanish lilt, however there was no way that it could have been natural. I wasn't a trained linguist but her accent didn't match the pale skinned woman beneath me.

"You don't know that," I hedged. "You don't even know who I am."

"I don't need to. A fed by any other name is still as dangerous." I tightened my grip, and she spoke again. "I'd say FBI, but you're not chauvinistic enough, and you're definitely not a SEAL."

I pulled back slightly at that comment. "How would you know that?"

The woman laughed. "It's amazing what you can learn when you're invisible, when you're nothing more than smoke on the screen. Besides if you were, you wouldn't have let me get away with this," she said before she very easily landed several blows well below the belt with her knee. She got out of my grasp and flipped us pinning me to the ground face down. She was stronger than she looked, and I couldn't for the life of me free myself. When I tried to twist away, she squeezed my wrist so that pain shot up my -arm. I had made a rookie mistake-I had underestimated my opponent. I was regretting it now as I ate dirt.

"Underestimating a lady…far too many have made that mistake." She chuckled again. "Now…As much fun as this has been, I have a date with some very important people, and I would hate to be late. It's been a pleasure, Special Agent Cullen. Perhaps we'll meet again." With that she stood and leapt off the side of the bluff into the water seventeen stories below.

How had she known my name? I thought about every word that was spoken, looking for a possible clue. What had she said? It's amazing what you can learn when you're invisible… What in the world did that mean? All of a sudden, things started to come together; her skill at hand-to-hand, her knowledge of my name and title.

"Damn it!" I cursed.

What if…could it be possible…maybe the ghost wasn't a man at all. What if I had just met her? A woman would be the best way to slip through the ranks unnoticed. It also made sense that no one had ever seen him and lived to tell the tale. I had her in my custody and she got the better of me. Well, not again…not again…I would find that woman if it was the last thing I did. I just didn't know how. It was then that I noticed it—she had left behind her hat. I bent over and picked it up. Turning it over in my hands, I noticed a small bit of embroidery. It was a red rose no larger than the nail on my pinky finger, but it was there. I stared at it for a minute. It seemed like such a contradiction to the woman I just met. I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind and looked in the direction that she disappeared.

"We'll meet again. I can promise you that," I swore into the night and made my way back to the rest of the team.

*~*~*~**ADA*~*~*~*

17 months ago: December 23, 2008 – A facility in Virginia

I sat at my computer looking over files I'd read through at least five times. Each time, I convinced myself that maybe I had just missed something. The fact remained though that I had been digging for months and found nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. We had managed to bust several of the lower level dealers back in September and, just like we knew they would, they cracked during interrogation. Of course, after they realized what happened, they were begging to be put into custody. It was safer for them in jail if they were ever found to be ratting out their colleagues, but even with the finger-pointing going on, there were still no leads in regards to the ghost.

As soon as I got back to the station that night in September, I sat down with Liz, our resident artist, and had her do up a sketch for me to run through our facial recognition software. I remember her looking at me with the strangest expression after we had finished and telling me that I wasn't to use the database to track down dates. I proceeded to tell her to shut the hell up and grabbed the sketch from her. But that search had proved as fruitless as the hat. That damn hat! We, and I use that term to mainly mean the best lab tech in the world Marie, was lucky to find a useable piece of DNA on it, but there hadn't been a hit. Which meant that she had no criminal record, not even a damn parking ticket! I even went so far as to look up possible meanings for the rose embroidered inside of the hat. It was red and the symbolism for a red rose varied from passion to courage, from respect to secret beauty. It was frustrating beyond belief. This girl was an enigma in every sense.

Everyone around the lab was starting to call her "Edward's Mystery Girl" like she had been some random one night hook-up and not a suspect in a murder investigation. I knew I had become rather obsessed with finding her, and it was becoming less about the investigation and more so I knew she was actually real. She had gotten under my skin. No one had gotten the better of me in a fight in quite some time. I was probably the best trained fighter in hand-to-hand that the Agency had. I took pride in going to as many classes as possible, so that I could stay on top of my game. As a result of my training, I found that I was always prepared, and yet this woman had surprised me. It was as if she was reading my moves like they were from a script. She was a trained fighter, a well trained fighter at that. Yet there was no record of her anywhere. How could that be? I ran my hand through my hair absently.

"Edward!" My name being shouted from next to my desk got my attention. I hadn't heard him approach, but when I looked up, I saw Jasper standing there looking at me not the way a boss does an employee, but the way a friend looks at a friend he's worried about. Hell, I don't blame you, Jazz. I'm worried about me, too.

I had known Director Jasper Whitlock since we were both freshman in high school. We had bonded over the fact that we were both kids of federal officers, and his parents were the ones that took me in after my parents had been killed in a kidnapping gone wrong. Now Jasper was the closest thing to a brother I had. He was also my best friend and confidant. We both signed up and went to training together, getting swooped up by his dad to work here at the academy shortly after Basic. Jasper took over for his father after Mr. Whitlock Sr.'s recent retirement and Jasper's even more recent marriage.

"Damn boy. I've only been callin' your name since I stepped out of my office."

"Sorry, Jazz, my mind was elsewhere."

"Obviously…Hey listen, Alice and I…we were wondering if you wanted to come over for Christmas dinner. It's her first time cookin' for the folks and well…You know how Dad can get. He'd be better if you're there."

"Well, I am his favorite," I stated simply, leaning back in my chair.

Jasper snorted and sat on my desk facing me. "Don't I know it. So what do you say? Can we count you in?"

I sat up straight again. "I don't know. This case isn't going to close itself…"

"Edward, come on, I'm not going to let my brother work on Christmas."

"You sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. Besides, I invited McCarty and the Chaneys. It will be like old times; the four of us together again-you, me, Em and Ben." He punched my arm, and I couldn't hold in my laugh.

"Okay…Yeah…sure…thanks Jazz."

He clapped me on the shoulder. "Good…Alice's sister is supposed to come. Maybe you could…"

"Jasper…" I warned, giving him a look, cutting him off. The last time he tried to set me up, I had to change my phone number to get the girl to leave me alone. That was a place I never wanted to visit again.

He laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, forget I mentioned it."

"I didn't know Alice had a sister." I cocked an eyebrow at him. "I didn't see her at the wedding."

"No, she couldn't be there…something to do with her job. Alice was real upset at first, but she sent her a bunch of red roses with a note, and after that, she seemed to get over it. Who knows..." He shrugged, obviously not knowing the mysterious workings of his wife's mind. He turned around and made his way back to his office. "Dinner's at six. Don't be late." He was about to shut the door when his head popped back out. "Oh Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to go home to my wife, so I mean this in the most loving way…go the fuck home." I found myself laughing as I shut down my computer for the night.

I followed Jasper out of the building, making sure everything was locked up for the night. On the drive, I couldn't help but think more about the case. Every time we seemed to get close to answers, they always eluded us. That night I dreamed of deep brown eyes and red roses, and I woke up even more confused than when I fell asleep.

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~*

15 months ago: February 14, 2009 – Washington DC

I hated these parties; rubbing elbows with the D.C. elite had never held any interest for me. As much as I hated it making connections was part of the job and D.C. was really a city of "I'll rub your back if you rub mine." It was why I didn't like coming here often, why I stayed in Virginia and left the politicking up to the bureaucrats. Usually I would come up with a reason to respectively decline the invitation, but I hadn't been able to swing that this year for one reason—Alice. As Jasper's wife, Alice had been in charge of putting this event together. When I tried to talk my way out of it, she put on a great pair of puppy dog eyes and told me that I would be the only one there that she would know except for Jasper. So I swallowed my pride, put on a mask and went to the Valentine's day Masquerade.

I shouldn't have worried about Alice though; she soon made good friends with nearly everyone there, and I was left to my own devices. So far I had been able to escape the advances that had come my way relatively unscathed. The worst was when the new Mrs. Newton all but attacked me. It would never make sense to me how she would think that introducing herself as the assemblyman's new wife would make her more attractive to me. Did no one believe in the sanctity of marriage any longer?

I wondered if I would be able to sneak out of here without Alice knowing. I severely doubted it. I gave my prayers to Alice and Jasper's future children because she seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. Between Jasper's training and Alice's near clairvoyant tendencies, it would be a miracle if they got away with anything.

"I'm sorry, but no." A voice interrupted my internal monologue. I turned toward the voice and was stunned. There was a beautiful woman standing no more than five feet away, being chased after by a medium height blonde man. The beauty was leaning away from him reaching for a glass of punch. He was looking very flustered, mouth gaping at her refusal of him.

"But I'm…" He choked out.

"I'm aware who you are, Assemblyman Newton." So that was who it was. Newton was the clichéd politician that everyone hated. He was a college football star who came from a family of great politicians. He was elected not really on his own merit but on his father's name and his good looks. More so though, he cared for no one but himself. That was plain in the fact that he used women like he used toilet paper. "You've only told me five times since we were introduced," she said into her drink, and I nearly laughed out loud at her disapproving tone.

"Please call me Mike." His tone was supposed to be seductive.

"Mike," the beauty continued, "It's nothing personal. It's just…"She glanced around and briefly looked at me. There was something familiar in her eyes, but I couldn't be sure from this distance. Her speech stopped for a moment as we looked at each other, but then she dropped her gaze to the floor and continued, "It's just…that I've already been claimed for the next few dances. I'm sorry."

"Surely you can just blow them off? After all, we both know what a catch I am. We could go somewhere more private…" He dropped his tone low.

"No, I…"

"There's no need to play hard to get, my dear. you've already caught my attention." He reached out and trailed his fingers across her bare arms.

She jerked away but could only get so far because of the table behind her. It was then that I sat my drink down and made my way over. It was one thing for him to not take a hint. It was another for him to put his hands on a woman who obviously didn't want them there. "Mr…" Her tone was shocked, but I interrupted her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I believe that this is my dance." I spoke only to her, completely ignoring the man.

Our eyes met, and I could see surprise in hers before she covered it up and smiled. Setting down her glass, she placed her hand in my extended one. "Yes. Excuse me, Assemblyman."

He did look a little miffed, but I couldn't bring myself to care. "Of course." He had control of his emotions enough to make sure that his voice was neutral. He knew better than to push the issue with an outsider standing there.

I led her onto the dance floor and placed one hand delicately on her hip. There was the strangest energy flowing between us that was oddly familiar yet I couldn't describe. "You dance wonderfully," she said after a moment. "And thank you."

I looked around the room casually as we danced. "I seem to be the envy of everyone in the room. Besides you looked in need of a rescue."

She looked around us as well and a blush stained her cheeks. "You'd think he'd get a clue after a while." I followed her gaze and landed once again on Newton.

"You should feel flattered—he only goes after the most attractive women at the party—and you are by far the most beautiful I've seen." She smiled shyly again and I couldn't help but think I'd seen her somewhere before. Her eyes were recognizable, even beneath the black lace mask she wore, but surely I would have remembered meeting a woman as stunning as she was. "Have we met before? Is this your first Agency party?"

"Yes, actually it is. Is it that obvious?"

"No. I just think I would have remembered seeing you here before, that's all."

"I would remember seeing you, too. Thank you for the dance," she said, pulling away slightly, but I tightened my grip on her.

"We did tell Newton you were claimed for all of the remaining dances," I explained smoothly.

"True." She smiled. "Would you go with me to the terrace? I could use a breath of fresh air."

"Of course, I could use some fresh air as well."

I held out my arm for her and she slipped her hand into the crook of my elbow, "Thank you."

"You keep saying thank you; you don't have to, you know. A man is supposed to treat a lady with respect."

"And here I was thinking chivalry was dead." I didn't know what to say to that, so we walked out the doors in silence. It was a clear and crisp night. We could probably have seen the stars had we not been so close to the city. Once we had left the crowded ballroom, my beauty dropped my arm and went to admire the gardens that had been lit with small strings of lights.

Facing away from me, I could admire her even more. Her black dress was backless and cut dangerously low-any farther and I am convinced the swell of her ass would be showing. She placed her hands on the stone railing, and I saw a shiver run through her. "Are you sure it's not too cold out here for you?"

"No. I'm fine." She turned to me and smiled, but I was already shrugging out of my jacket. I held it out for her, and she shook her head as I slipped it over her bare shoulders. She moved her hands up to grip the lapels. My mind wandered to what she would look like with only my jacket on. I needed to distract myself and quickly.

"So are you new to the Agency or are you a family member?" I asked.

"Family, I guess you could say."

It was a peculiar answer. Was she hiding something from me now? Surely not—she didn't even know who I was. "What do you mean?"

"My sister married in. I'm here mostly because of her." She turned and walked away from me a little distance but stopped again to stare out in the gardens.

"Mostly?" I asked as I followed her.

"It's not usually my scene, but I needed to be here."

"Why? Parties aren't a matter of life or death, are they?" I hoped to lighten the tone, but she didn't smile.

"They could be." It was barely a murmur, but I could have sworn she had said it. Then she spoke loud enough for me to hear. "I'm afraid of someone getting hurt because of things that should have stayed buried."

"What…?" was all I was able to get out before she turned to face me.

"I care too much about them to see you hurt. Stop chasing smoke, Agent Cullen. They already know you too well. I can only hold them at bay for so long."

"How did you…"

"Thank you for the dance." She rushed off, dropping my tux jacked in the process, and left me standing there. When I picked it up, I was surprised to find in the pocket a single red rose. There was no doubt in my mind. I had just met my mystery girl for the second time, and she'd gotten away again. What had she meant by that vague warning? Who was the "them" she referred to and was I really in danger?

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~

One year ago: April 12, 2009 – The Park

The case had gone all but cold for the next month. Then about two weeks ago, we had a tip-off about a gathering that would be taking place in an abandoned, warehouse just on this side of the border. The Feds took McCarty down along with some of their teams. They arrested nearly a dozen high-ranking drug runners and even more underlings. Nearly every one of those self-serving idiots started flowing information like a river. The ghost was preparing to step down and turn over management to his second in command, James Harris. From all accounts, Harris was one sadistic motherfucker. He was reputed to shoot first and ask questions later, and none of them were really looking forward to the hand off, but they were doing as told because to second guess the ghost was a death sentence. What we had busted up was a meeting to discuss the changes that would take place.

The surprising intel came not from the people detained but from our covert operations department. This had been setup, as it turned out, there had been an agent sent to infiltrate the ranks about two years ago—a woman by the name of Isabella Black. She'd been the wife of the same Agent Black that had been killed, supposedly by the ghost. No one really knew how Isabella did it, but not only did she get inside of the organization, she eventually took over leadership. When her government ID picture flashed on the screen in the debriefing, I almost laughed from shock. My mystery girl had been the ghost after all, but she had been on our side the whole time.

Isabella Black…She now had a name to go with my all-too-present thoughts about her. Ever since last week's debriefing, it seemed that every other thought in my head was of Isabella. Granted, I had lots to consider. Not only was she an agent but she was Alice Whitlock's sister. That had come as a shock. Jasper hadn't been the one to send Isabella on her mission, but he would have known about her status when he took over for his father. Even still, he never realized that the woman listed in the records as Isabella Black was the elusive Isabella Swan. As far as any of them knew, she was a missionary doing work in a third world country. She had never told her family that she had married. It wasn't until Christmas that he'd put it together. She had been planning on making an appearance, but when he'd told her that I would be in attendance, she told him that she had to change her plans, that I would probably arrest her on sight. I had to admit that would have made for an interesting Christmas. Jasper had told me that he had wanted to tell me about her, but that he just couldn't risk the life of his sister-in-law. I understood. Jasper had always been protective of his family, and even though he considered me his brother, he wouldn't dare hurt Alice, and me arresting her sister for murder would have hurt her greatly.

Even with James still on the run, she was done with her mission and was released from active duty. She'd come back here to be close to Alice and to take over the training facility. Knowing that she was so close was literally driving me insane. With this case finally closed, Jasper had told me to take some time for myself, but I was finding that sitting in my apartment alone only led to more thinking of Isabella. I had decided that I needed to get out this morning. So when I woke up at five, I walked down to the park to do some exercise. I began with a lap around the five mile park, but even the cool, clean spring air blowing in my face couldn't drown out my thoughts. I made myself focus on my breathing, hoping to distract myself. I closed my eyes and felt my feet pounding on the pavement beneath me with each stride. Suddenly I came to an abrupt stop when I crashed into something soft and warm. There was a hum I felt in my gut that radiated from every point of contact. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to who I had just run into.

"Well, this is familiar…" A soft voice spoke from beneath me just as my eyes had fully adjusted. Beneath me lay Isabella Black. "If it wasn't for the last time we spoke I would think that this is how you say hello."

"I'm sorry…" I managed to stutter out and got back up. "Here, let me help you." I held out my hand toward her, and she smiled up at me as she took it.

"Thank you." She began brushing at her running shorts to rid them of the grass clippings that stuck to them with the morning dew. I couldn't help but follow her movements. My eyes traveled over her form; her beautiful legs fully exposed to me for the first time. Her shoulders were bare except for the thin straps of the tank top that she wore and her hair was swept up into a high ponytail. "So what brings you out here this early in the morning? Couldn't sleep?"

"Not really, no."

"Really? I figured closing the case on a major criminal organization would settle your mind."

"So did I, but it seems like I've been thinking a lot lately. I figured a run would clear my head."

"Me too."

"So bringing down said criminal organization hasn't helped you any either?"

"No, I guess not."

"Well…we could always run the rest of the way together…I mean it's not far to the beginning of the trail…"

"Sure." We ran a few moments in silence before she spoke again. "So they finally told you about me, huh? Jasper said that you've been pulling out your hair trying to find information on me."

"Did he now? I'll have to thank him for sharing that with you."

"Oh, he didn't share it with me…"

"Then how…Alice."

"Yeah. Of course, she didn't know that it was me that you were looking for, or why but…She got it in her head when she saw us dancing at the benefit that we'd do well together. She's been bothering me about it since then."

"Oh well…I'm sorry about that."

"You forget that Alice is my sister…meddling is her forte."

"I suppose you're used to it, then?"

She chuckled once without much humor. "I wouldn't say that I'm used to it, just that I know how she operates."

"I suppose so."

Suddenly she slowed down her speed until she came to a stop. I followed suit not knowing what was going on. She put her hands on her hips. "Well, this is the end of the trail so to speak."

I looked around, surprised that we were back to the parking lot. "Oh, I suppose it is."

She smiled. "It was good to see you again, Agent Cullen," she said before she started to move toward the street.

My mind was still racing. I had so many questions left unanswered, but more than that, I was finding that this woman intrigued me. She was nothing like I expected her to be, and I didn't want our time together to end. I wouldn't let her slip away from me again. "Wait!" I called out after her.

She stopped and turned around with a smile. "Yes?"

I jogged to where she stood, but I realized then that I still had no idea what I was going to say. What was an appropriate reason for her to stick around right now? "It's still early. What do you…well, what I mean to say is…"

"Yes…?" she prodded.

God, what was I seventeen? Then it came to me…"Would you like to go and get some coffee?" I finally managed to spit out.

She chuckled. "Coffee sounds good."

"Really?" I couldn't keep the disbelief from my tone.

"Really."

"Okay. Great," I said, smiling.

We made our way to the small coffee shop across the street, sharing a few furtive glances as we ordered our drinks. I was finding myself noticing every detail about her, like how she looked as she browsed through the pastry selection before her eyes lit up when she spotted something that she liked. She ordered two of the chocolate pastries, and we made our way to a table in the corner of the café.

She took a bite of her pastry and a sip of her coffee. "So…Should we start the question session now or later?"

"What do you…" She cut me off with that look that I always used to get from my mother, the one eyebrow stare that is the universal sign for "you aren't fooling anyone." I tried to think of ways to backtrack, but then she let me off the hook.

"It's okay…I knew you would have your questions. I suppose I owe it to you to give you some answers since you've spent all your time looking for me. I assume that wasn't because of my amazing company…"

"It could be…" I hedged. I had no idea where that had come from; it just came out. God, was I flirting? I think I was.

She looked down at the table and a blush spread across her cheekbones, but she didn't say anything about my last comment. "What do you want to know?" she asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Well, how about how?"

"Oh…you're going to have to narrow that down for me…"

"How did you infiltrate the group in the first place? How did you get to the seat of power?"

"It was my last assignment. I wouldn't have even gone, but the other agent couldn't go. She'd just discovered that she was pregnant, so…Director Whitlock Sr. asked if I would be up for it. He didn't know how long it would take, but we didn't anticipate that it would be this lengthy of a process. We thought I could get in, get out, and get back to my life. Unfortunately, that wasn't how things went. I had to make it to the main camp. These guys…they moved like smoke, you could never catch them…the only way in was to be captured. So that's what happened. I wandered in where I wasn't supposed to and they snatched me right up. I was lucky, all things considered. I was in for a rough time at it. The men had just started asking me questions. Only a couple slaps later, he came in storming mad, untied me and took me away from them."

"Who?"

"Now, that I can't tell you…but for discussion's sake we can call him Vega."

I raised an eyebrow. Could this woman be real? I didn't think it was possible, so I asked, "As in Diego Vega?"

She laughed the most beautiful laugh I had ever heard before admitting, "I'm a Zorro fan…so sue me. Anyway…Vega, he…he was different…older. He told me that he'd never approved of the way that the men had treated women, but he'd always kept his distance."

"What had changed?"

"I don't know if anything really changed…It was more like something I had said…well, not really as much what I said, but how I said it."

"Meaning?" I took a drink from my cup.

"One of the main reasons I was in for such a rough time was that I was speaking a language that the others couldn't really understand."

"English?"

"No. You'd be surprised how many of the players know English now…I meant Mayan."

"Why on Earth…"

"I knew before I went in there who my main contact needed to be."

"Vega?"

"Yes…and he was reported to be from Mayan descent."

"That was a big risk to take on a contact."

"I knew the risk when I signed up." I wondered if she did. Had her plan failed, she could have been beaten or worse. Just the thought of a woman like her in that place made my skin crawl. I knew that she was a trained agent, but no one would miss how beautiful she truly was.

I coughed to clear my throat before asking my next question. "Well, who was he? Vega, I mean."

"He's had many different titles. Sir…Master…boss…leader…whatever you want to call him."

"He was the head of the organization?" I asked in disbelief.

"Go big or go home, right?"

"How did you know he'd even be there?"

"You lack of trust in my abilities wounds me." I was afraid that I had offended her until she smiled, making me realize she was only kidding. "In all honesty I didn't, but I knew that when they took me to the warehouse that someone would be there that was high enough. it was a gamble, but it was one I had to take."

"So what happened after he pulled you away?"

"Well, he took me to his apartment, cleaned me up and we talked. I told him a slightly fabricated story about how I'd come looking for him by the request of his mother and father."

"What do you mean slightly fabricated?"

"Well, I really did go and speak to his mother…and she really did beg me to bring her son back, but that wasn't the real reason I was there, was it?"

"So that's it. Then you were in?"

"Of course not. I was kept with him after that though. I intrigued him more than anything; I was an enigma to him. I had been the only woman in his entire life besides his mother to tell him no, and it drove him to respect me more, I think."

"Did he try to force himself on…"

"Only once," she answered quickly, smiling around the edge of her coffee cup. "That was a particularly interesting episode to be shared at another time. Let me say though, that not only did he never again touch me in a way that was unwanted, but he made sure others stayed away as well. After a while, he started trusting me. He would come home, and we would just talk and he would tell me things. Not always things about what he did, but things about what he wanted in the future. He did tell me some of the things that went with what he did. Sometimes they were awful things, even for me, but I tried not to judge him for what he did. Soon enough, word had spread that I was the boss's girl and no one was to even look at me inappropriately or they would face the consequences. I was able to leave the house whenever I pleased as long as I stayed near the compound. I could go to the local market as long as I had an escort, and on more than one occasion that escort was Vega. He grew to care for me, called me Chac-Lol."

"What does that mean?"

"Red flower…"

"The rose?" I asked and she smiled down at the table.

"Yes and no. It was a coincidence at first. He said that I reminded him of a flower back at his home. It could grow in even the harshest temperatures and though it appeared delicate, it could withstand the strongest storm. Later, I told him that the rose was my favorite flower, and he said that was perfect for it was far more romantic than his explanation." She had her eyes fixed on the contents of her coffee cup.

"You cared for him?" I asked and she looked up at me in surprise.

"Yes, I did. It was inevitable, I guess. When you spend nearly a year in someone's home…in his bed…you do grow to feel for them."

"In his bed, but I thought…"

"Not that way…it was for my safety. That way he knew that nothing could happen to me. Though we let everyone think that it was more-he was like the brother I never had. Vega was…there was this part of him that no one else really saw. The vulnerable side…he was actually very sweet…he'd started this whole thing to pay for the new house and farm buildings at his mother's place; there wasn't any other form of regular income so he started dealing, and things progressed from there. Honestly, he was looking for a way out. I told him that I could help him, that I would help him get back home."

"And did you?" She just smiled into her coffee cup. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Take that however you may please. I'll never tell you where he is." She set her cup down as she continued her story. "I helped him come up with an elaborate plan. We would have to fake his death in order to get him out without anyone suspecting anything. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we finally figured out a way to do it. At first he wanted me to go with him, build a house in the mountains where no one would find us, but I told him that it just wasn't possible. It took some convincing, but I got him to agree to leave me in charge without anyone knowing or thinking it was me."

"Wouldn't they recognize you?"

"Why do you think the ghost was never seen? I could disguise my voice easily enough with today's technology. So we got everything together, and we took off setting the place ablaze behind us. They would think I had disappeared with him, killed by a new advisory known only as the ghost."

"But the ghost was you?"

"To an extent yes, not everything that the ghost was given credit for was done by me." She took a deep breath before she continued, "I wasn't sure if I could handle it at first. It had only been my mission to destroy the cell. With Vega gone, I could essentially do that in a few months at most, but once things got going, and more and more influence was given to my persona, what choice did I have. It had been all but handed to the Agency on a silver platter, a way to bring not only one cell down but the entire kit and caboodle."

I still couldn't believe that she just let him go, but she had done exactly what she set out to do. "And you did, didn't you?"

She sighed. "For the most part…"

"Okay…one thing I'm not sure on is how did a nice, straight A's, police chief's daughter end up in the Agency in the first place?"

She grimaced and chuckled. "I see you read my file. I hope it didn't bore you to death. However you shouldn't always believe just what is in front of you."

"Aren't you all of those things?" She didn't answer and only smirked so I asked the question more directly, "Why did you join?"

"Why did you? Why does anyone? I've come to realize that the Agency is like the island of misfit toys. All of us joined for different reasons…Jasper joined because of his family…others joined because of duty…"

"How about me?"

"I get the feeling you're like me."

"And how is that?"

"You joined because…you never felt like you belonged in your old life, you had felt alienated and alone, despite how many people surrounded you. Yet you had always felt like you were meant for something bigger, something that could make a difference in the world." I looked at her flabbergasted. "I made my difference and so have you. Now, I just want to be an ordinary woman, but I don't think I'll ever get the chance."

"I don't think anyone could mistake you for ordinary." I hadn't really meant to say the words like that. I hoped that they were taken the right way. When she looked away from me, her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink, I began to backtrack again. It seemed like I was doing quite a lot of that lately. "Agent Black I…"

"Swan," she interrupted suddenly, throwing off my apology.

"What?" The word had seemed a random one to throw out into conversation.

"Swan…it's my name, Isabella Swan."

I remembered then that it would be her maiden name. "Oh…I'm sorry, I thought…"

"No. It's okay. You couldn't. I just…it's easier this way." She paused before she elaborated, "My relationship with Jacob was… complicated… and short. We'd only been married for a few weeks when I got sent out."

"I didn't know."

She scoffed once and stared at the table. "Barely anyone did. Jacob's father and mine had been friends all of our lives, and we couldn't tell anyone we'd gotten married because it would blow both of our cover stories. I suppose it comes with the job. We should have expected it, but it was harder than we thought."

"I'm sorry for your loss…" I said quietly.

She looked up at me then. "Did you know him?"

"Agent Black? A little, not really well, but I'd met him. We'd played in the same touch football league. He seemed like a nice guy."

"Yeah...he was."I don't know if it was the way that she said them or not, but I could sense something off in the words.

"Did you love him?" I asked before I could stop myself. Once I realized what I had said, I tried to dig myself out of my hole. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked that…It's none of my business."

"It could be your business, you know?"

I looked up at her in surprise. "What?" She said it so quietly I wasn't sure if I'd heard her right.

"Well I…I like that you go after what you want, Cullen. I'm the same way."

If I wasn't mistaken, she was flirting back with me. I couldn't help the crooked smile that spread across my face. "I'll remember that."

She smiled but then sobered. "To answer your question…I did love Jacob. He'd been there with me my whole life, and he'd always supported me. He was my best friend…"

"Why do I sense a but coming on?"

"But…I don't know now if I was in love with him. Does that make me a bad person…to say that now after all that happened to him? After all that he sacrificed."

I shook my head. "It doesn't make you a bad person. Honest…but not bad." It was quiet for another moment. "Can I ask you what happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I know you barely know me but…"

"It's fine, Agent Cullen."

"Please, call me Edward."

"As long as you call me Bella."

"Okay then…Bella."

She took a deep breath before she launched into an explanation. "I had no idea what Jacob and Sam were doing. I was out, talking to my go-between actually, when word came through the village that two men had been taken captive. I got back as fast as I could…had one of the men get everyone out of the warehouse because I still couldn't be seen. I told them I wanted my own time with the prisoners…I was told that I would have to hurry because they were badly abused. They weren't lying. By the time I was alone in the warehouse…Sam was already gone…and Jake…was close…and fading fast. He told me…" Her voice broke off, and I nearly smacked myself for being so curious that I didn't care how difficult it would be for her to talk about it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked…"

She gave me a shaky smile. "I'll be fine. It's still hard to think about sometimes, but I'm dealing with it." It was silent for another moment before she spoke again, her voice still wavering slightly. "I know that's not the end of your questions."

"No, but I can wait." It was strange that I meant it. After all of the searching, I found that I could wait if it would make her uncomfortable. I could wait to get answers because it would guarantee me the opportunity to see her again.

"Can you?"

"Yes."

"I'm fine, Edward. It will be better if you ask them now anyway…get my mind off of everything else."

If it would help her, I'd sit here and ask her questions all day. "Why were you at the raid that night?"

She smiled a true smile and gave a small chuckle before answering. "I was wondering when you would get to that. The man that was my go-between contact had a home on the Indian reservation. He and his family lived there. It was where I went to get away after Vega left. He had a son…and even though the organization doesn't trespass on Indian land doesn't mean they don't try to recruit them whenever they can. Joseph, that was my contact, his son got mixed up with the wrong crowd at school. We tried to get him out of it, but by that time he was already in too deep. He didn't know where his friends were taking him, but when he got there he called the house telling his mother where he was. I recognized the description because I had set up for the sting. I couldn't let him go down, so I went there to get him out. All was going well and then you had to spoil our great escape." Suddenly she smiled widely. "By the way, I think you have something that belongs to me."

"I do?" I racked my brain.

"My hat?"

"Oh I do."

"When can I get it back?" she asked with curiosity.

"How about tomorrow night at about eight?" She had been flirting with me all morning as I had been with her, and I just hoped that she didn't take offense to my forwardness. Then again she said that she liked that I went after what I wanted…and right now I wanted her.

The expression on her face was nearly a smirk when she asked, "Are you asking me out, Edward?"

"Just going after what I want, Bella." I said her own words back to her and she laughed out loud.

"Tomorrow at eight sounds great," she said, biting her bottom lip. I reached my hand up and nearly reached her cheek when a voice broke the relative silence of the coffee house.

"There you are!" A blonde woman was coming straight toward our table. I tried to think if I had any idea who this woman was and why she would be wanting to speak with me, let alone looking for me…

Bella sat straight up in her chair and looked at the blonde with shock. "Rose, what are you doing here?" Oh, so she knew Bella…I had to admit to nearly sighing in relief…

"Looking for you," the woman explained in an exasperated tone. She still didn't even seem to notice I was there. "You were supposed to meet me like thirty minutes ago." I looked between the women and saw Bella's eyes flash between me and her friend, then she seemed to realize that Bella wasn't alone at the table. "Who's this?" Her voice curious.

"Rose…this is Edward Cullen…Edward, this is my old partner, Rosalie Hale."

That name sounded familiar. "You teach at the academy, don't you?"

She seemed impressed. "Yeah, weapons training."

"It's nice to meet you, Rosalie," I said, shaking her outstretched hand.

"You too, Edward," she said before smiling at Bella. "Bells, I'll be out in the car."

"Yeah," she said quickly as her friend exited the building. We got up from the table and walked outside of the café. "Sorry about that. I totally lost track of time."

"So did I." I chuckled.

There was a honk from a car horn somewhere down the street. "I better go," she said, looking in the direction of the honk.

"Wait, how will I know how to get a hold of you?" She smiled as she jogged away. "Damn." I cursed under my breath as I moved in the other direction, toward my car at the park. I didn't know her number…I supposed I could contact Jasper…he should know how to get in touch with her, right? I would just ask Alice, but then she would wonder how we met and I still didn't know what to tell her.

"Edward!" A voice yelled from behind me and I turned around.

"Bella…" was all I was able to get out before her lips were on mine. I was surprised to say the least, but right as I was about to respond, she pulled back and I felt something press into my hand.

"Call me," she whispered. I looked down in my hand and there was a phone number written on a small piece of paper. She walked backward away from me and toward a waiting BMW.

"Wait…" I caught her up again, cupped her face in my hands and kissed her roughly. I tentatively licked her bottom lip with my tongue. Her lips parted and I felt her moan as our tongues met. Her hands dug into my hair pulling me closer to her. The need to breathe made us pull away. "What was that?"

"Me going after what I want," she said as she bit her bottom lip and looked up at me through her lashes shyly. My fingers twitched wanting to touch her face again. Before I could, she leaned in toward me one more time, touching her lips to mine briefly before she pulled away and whispered, "Bye." She hopped into the red car which promptly spun away, leaving me staring after it.

"Nothing ordinary about you at all…" I said as I smiled after the disappearing taillights. "Not at all."

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~*

Five months ago: September 13, 2009 - Bella's house

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to Bella,

Happy Birthday to you.

"Alice, I told you not to go overboard!" she screamed at her sister as the pixie set the sheet cake in front of her at the table.

"Blow the candles out, Bells, before they set the house on fire."

"Har Har Dad," she said as she held her hair back and bent over to blow the candles out on her cake. "You'd better watch it…you're next," she said, pointing an accusing finger at me. I had been laughing so I probably deserved it, but still I feigned innocence. She turned away from me, and I grabbed her hips and pulled her back against my chest. As soon as I did, she relaxed and put her head to rest on my shoulder, indicating that she wasn't really upset with me. I don't think I could ever grow tired of the feeling of her in my arms. She felt so right there, like we were puzzle pieces being fit together.

Charlie and Jasper walked away, talking about finding a game on the TV, and Alice disappeared back to the kitchen in search of plates for the cake, leaving Bella and I on our own in the room, which was probably on purpose.

"So what did you wish for?" I asked, bending my head down to rest my chin on her shoulder.

"I can't tell you that." She turned toward my face, bringing us close enough to nearly touch before she turned her face forward once again.

I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "And why not?"

I felt a tremor go through her body before she answered me. "Because then it will never come true."

"It must have been a good one then?" I asked before I kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. She let out a little sigh, and I felt her go slack in my arms. I kissed her neck once more before pulling away and resting my chin on her shoulder. We'd been seeing each other for the last five months and while we were a passionate couple by nature and had no real problem with public displays of affection, her father was still in the other room, and not only was he allowed to carry a gun, it was his job, so I always tried to make sure that I was respectful when Charlie was around. So for another moment, we just stood there with her in my arms, rubbing my thumb on the exposed flesh between her jeans and her top as my hands rested on her hips.

After another moment, she turned toward me and smiled lazily. I leaned in and kissed her lips softly, once, twice and then a third time before… "Aren't you two cute?" Alice chirped as she came back in and sat the plates down.

"I'm so glad that you guys met at the park. You know I wanted you to meet at Christmas, but Bella was away at her mission in China…"

"I'm glad we met too." I smiled down at the woman in my arms. Alice had no idea how happy I was that I'd met Bella. We'd decided to keep as much from Alice and the chief as possible so they still didn't know about Bella's involvement in the Agency. At this point, she was no longer on active duty and was teaching linguistics at the Academy where I would be starting as a fight trainer next year. Everything was on the right path—there was only one thing left and I would take care of that soon enough.

Alice dished up the cake and we all dug in. Bella drove me crazy to a point where I had to sit her on my lap so I couldn't stare at her lips any longer. We watched as Rosalie shot Emmett down time and time again. Ever since we'd introduced Emmett to Rose, we knew he would immediately be attracted to her. She was everything that Emmett could want-blonde, leggy and tough as nails. Plus, she was what he needed as well-smart and licensed to use deadly force when necessary. Emmett was putty in her hands. Rose, however, wasn't above making him sweat and sweat he did. Emmett never gave up, and according to Bella, Rose had said he was either really stupid or really into her. I told her it was a little of both.

"Okay, time for presents!" Alice jumped up.

"Allie, I told you no presents…"Bella complained from my lap.

"Oh, shut up and open them, Swan," Rose snarked as she threw her package in her lap. She sighed and ripped off the paper and opened up the nondescript white box. I got a glimpse of satin and lace before the lid slammed back down on top. "Rose!"

"Happy birthday to me," I murmured in her ear low enough so that her father couldn't hear, but I'm sure he knew what I'd said when I grunted for getting an elbow to the ribs. Thankfully all he did was laugh. Alice's present was an outfit and a night out. So Charlie left and the girls went to change while we sat around in Bella's living room waiting for them. They'd left us to our own devices for nearly an hour before we heard the door to the bedroom open.

Alice and Rose came down first and a few minutes later, Bella followed, and my heart was in my throat when I saw her. We'd gone out plenty of times in the last five months but every single time I saw her, she took my breath away. Tonight was no exception. She was wearing the outfit that Alice had bought her: a pair of strappy black heels that led to miles of creamy white legs that were hidden by a tight sleeveless midnight blue dress that hugged her hips and ended right above her knees. I didn't know if I was going to thank Alice or strangle her. Bella was far too attractive for her own good sometimes. I was definitely going to have to keep my eyes on her tonight.

As she came closer, I could see a sly smile grace her features. "I think he likes it, Alice," she told her sister as she put her arms around my neck.

"I'm not going to be able to let you out my sight tonight, Ms. Swan."

"I'm perfectly fine with that, Mr. Cullen," she said back before she walked away from me and toward the door to her apartment. I chuckled and followed her out the door like the lovestruck fool that I was.

A few hours and several drinks later, we were lying in my bed. Her head rested on my chest as I drew designs on her bare back with my fingers. It was perfectly quiet in the house, only the sound of our breathing breaking the silence. I always loved these times after we'd made love. As with everything else between us, our physical relationship was explosive. I'd never felt closer to anyone as I did to Bella when I could hold her chest to chest and feel her heart beating in a fast rhythm with mine. "I love you," I whispered into the quiet night.

I felt her smile against my skin before she turned her head to look at me. "I love you too."

I ran my hand through her hair. "I still haven't given you my present, you know."

"You weren't supposed to get me anything. You weren't supposed to spend your money on me, Edward." I knew her rules. She'd told me over and over that I wasn't to spend a penny on her. It was aggravating, but I suppose that I should be thankful that I didn't have a girlfriend who liked to do nothing but spend my money.

"What if I told you that I didn't buy it?" I hedged.

"Oh…" she said, surprised. I guess she hadn't thought about that as a possibility. "That's okay, I guess…"

"I have to ask you something first…"

"Okay…?"

I didn't know what the outcome of this question would be. I wasn't really a betting man by nature, so I wasn't one to play the odds unless it was a sure thing. With her there laying in between my legs looking up at me, I felt the need to tell her again before I asked her. "I love you."

"I love you, too"— she chuckled as she kissed my chest—"but that isn't a question…"

I reached down to move the hair out of her face and bring her eyes back to mine. I took a deep breath and asked the question that had been nagging at me all day. "Will you marry me?"

I watched as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in surprise. "What?" she whispered.

"Will you, Isabella Swan, make me the happiest man on the world and marry me?"

She sat up then, straddling my hips. "Edward, are you serious?"

"Yes," I said truthfully. When she didn't say anything else, I began to panic. "I'm sorry. I knew that I should have done this differently. I was going to ask you at your house, but then everyone else showed up…" I was cut off with a searing kiss. I pulled back after a moment. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes…Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." I pulled her back to me and kissed her hard again, rolling over so that I could locate the ring in my pants pocket. "Oh my god, Edward…" she said when I held it out to her.

It was a beautiful ring, but I hadn't lied. I hadn't spent a dime on it personally. "It was my mother's," I explained softly, sitting back down on the bed next to her. I reached over and slid it onto her finger. I had the ring resized nearly a week ago with Alice's help, so it fit perfectly there.

"Thank you," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at the ring on her finger.

I reached up with my free hand and cupped her face gently. "No, thank you Bella. Thank you so much." She reached for me then, and I stroked her wet face as we kissed. I showed her then that night how thankful I was for her as we came together twice before falling asleep in each other's arms.

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~*

Three hours ago: April 12, 2010

I sat, pulling my tux pants on, in the hotel room that had been reserved for me last night, since I hadn't been able to see my bride-to-be since yesterday morning when we were separated by her little sister literally dragging her out of the apartment. We'd been able to talk to each other last night, for a while at least, before her evil sister found us out. As much as I loved Alice, she was becoming a pain in the neck. I was having issues sleeping without my warm loving fiancée next to me. Eventually, I gave up, took some Tylenol PM and fell into a drug-induced sleep. Alice would probably happily kick my ass if I showed up with bags under my eyes. This day had to be perfect and I understood that. This was forever.

Neither Bella or I had ever expected this day to come. When you work the way we do, a family life isn't exactly on the horizons, but we were putting it behind us to be together. A sacrifice that I had at one time thought was too great now seemed insignificant if I could spend the rest of my life tied to the most amazing woman I had ever known. Bella…

God, I didn't deserve that woman. I was amazed each day by the fact that I had found her, and even more amazed that she loved me as much as I loved her. In less than an hour, she would be Bella Cullen and in less than seven we would be on a plane to our honeymoon. I had done my research. Bella had always wanted to go to Italy but had never been able to go other than for work. I was determined to give her the vacation of her dreams. I sat back and smiled.

She still didn't know. I was going to tell her when we were on our way to the airport. Hopefully she would be happy enough not to be angry with me when she realized how much I spent on this trip. She was always so concerned with how much money I spent on her, frankly I don't think she realized how much money I had to spend. Between the money my parents left me and my own investments, I could easily afford to splurge, but I never had until Bella came along. I just wish that she wouldn't fight me so much when I got her something.

There was a knock at the door, and I knew it would be Jasper and Emmett here to get ready themselves. "Hey guys. Come on in."

"Thanks, man."

"We brought the drinks," Emmett said as he sat the brown paper bag down on the table and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "I was told to make sure you were fortified, not drunk…"

"And I was told, by my lovely wife, that I was to make sure that we were not only on time but early."

"Does your wife know what we used to do for a living?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Of course, she does…She knows we follow orders," he added with a chuckle of his own.

"Do you have ice in here?" Emmett asked. I pointed to the container next to the glasses which he took as well. "And what do you mean used to do?"

"Yeah…Used to, Em, I'm transferring to the Academy to be with Bella. She teaches there and their old hand-to-hand trainer was leaving and well…I don't want to be active anymore, not now that I have Bella."

"Who would have thought that would happen? I thought you were going to die active," Emmett asked as he walked over to me and handed me my glass.

"Thanks," I said, taking a sip and then wincing. "Damn, Em…" He laughed as I walked over to the faucet to put some water in my drink. "And yeah…that was the plan, but well, plans change."

"They do for the right woman, don't they, Edward?" Jasper asked with a smile. Emmett made some gagging noises as he flopped down in a chair. "Oh knock it off. Tell me one thing you wouldn't do for Rose?"

"That's not the point." He scowled.

"The hell it's not. How long 'til you're going off active duty to settle down, huh?" I asked, trying to goad him. Emmett had always been a ladies' man; it was something we all knew about him and something he took pride in. However, about four months ago, Rose finally broke down and let him take her out on a date. They'd been pretty much inseparable since, and Emmett had turned into a one-woman man, something I never thought I'd see. Still, I never would have expected what came out of his mouth next.

"Yeah, well… Rosie and I have decided we want to wait."

"Really?" Jasper asked, unbelieving. I was having a hard time believing him myself. This was Emmett after all. He had always said that he wouldn't ever be tied down; he said he would always be out there to play the field.

"Yeah. At least 'till my next term is over," he said before taking another drink from his glass. "She said she's not in any hurry, and as long as I'm careful then it should be fine."

I turned to Jasper in surprise. "He's actually thought about this. I was joking, but it sounds like he's actually thought about this."

"Don't sound so damn surprised." Emmett sounded slightly annoyed. "I love her. Of course, I have thought about it. I mean you said it yourself, Ed. When you find her you'll know. Rosie's it for me. I knew the minute I saw her; it was her that's taken the convincing."

"It was love at first dropkick." Jasper snickered into his glass. Emmett flipped him off, and I couldn't help but laugh at them. These were my best friends, my brothers. After I had gotten my chuckles in check, I smiled over at Emmett.

"I'm happy for you, dude. Really. Rose is a nice girl."

He smiled back. "Yeah," he said seriously before he coughed and then laughed. "Besides, I can't leave you girls to your own devices too long. Your women have gotten inside your head…made you all soft."

I rolled my eyes because really I knew I didn't have an argument against his point; Bella had me whipped and I knew it. However, I really didn't care. Jasper apparently did have something to say. "Whatever… Em-bear."

I nearly had my drink come out of my nose as Emmett glared at Jasper. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

"Nope," he answered quickly, smiling.

I was still coughing, but I managed to speak. "Wait…what am I missing?"

"Nothing!" Emmett jumped in at the same time that Jasper said, "Only Emmett's new nickname."

"Screw you guys!" Emmett yelled over our laughter. "Don't we have a wedding we're supposed to be getting ready for?"

"Okay… okay… Em's right. You guys should get dressed. I really don't want to be late for my own wedding," I said as I finished off my drink and slipped my vest on.

Twenty minutes later, we were down in the patio room waiting for the cue that it was time to head out to the garden. I kept looking through the windows to the tent where I knew Bella was hiding away, hoping to catch a glimpse. I hadn't seen her in over twenty-four hours and the anticipation was killing me. I wondered briefly if that the purpose behind that particular ridiculous superstition. I was far used to seeing Bella more often since she'd moved into my house about two months ago. This was the longest separation we'd had since then. I felt like I was going to come out of my skin if I didn't see her soon. I don't know what had come over me. I wasn't nervous… I wasn't having second thoughts or cold feet. I couldn't wait to call my Bella Mrs. Cullen, I got chills just thinking about it.

"Just got the all clear. Are you ready, dude?" Emmett said as he came back in from outside. It had been relatively quiet in the room since we'd come down. Both Emmett and Jasper had left me to my own mind once we'd passed Alice's inspection.

"He's ready," Jasper said. "We'll be out in a minute."

"Okay…" Emmett said as he left me with Jasper alone in the room again.

"Edward…?" Jasper asked, grabbing my arm to stop me from following Em out.

"What?"

"Calm down. You'll see her soon. I know you're just excited right now, but you're as jumpy as a jack rabbit. Take a few breaths and then we'll go out." He was right. I was about ready to bolt out there. I needed to calm down so I did as he instructed. My shoulders relaxed and I felt the tension go out of my neck.

"Thanks Jazz."

"Anytime." He clapped me on the shoulder. "For what it's worth, I'm glad it's you. You're good for her, you know that."

"No, she's too good for me. I'm just lucky I'm what she wants," I said, smiling.

"You're just as deserving of this as she is, Edward. Now…let's go marry you to my sister-in-law." I chuckled as I followed him to the altar.

I hadn't seen the garden since set up began. Alice had truly outdone herself. It wasn't as much as her wedding, but it was beautifully simple, just like Bella. Feathery material joined white and red colored flowers all around us. I looked into the people gathered there, and I saw Jasper's mother and father sitting next to the chair with the picture of my mother and father in the front row. Mrs. Whitlock was already crying and clinging to her husband as he tried to soothe her. Mr. Whitlock just smiled at me and then at his wife. She broke from his grasp and clung to me as I approached them. "First, our little Jasper and now Edward, our little boys have all grown up." Mrs. Whitlock had always treated me like her own son, so it had never surprised me to hear her call me one of her "little" boys.

"Now, Shirley, let the boy go, you'll wrinkle his coat," Mr. Whitlock said quietly.

"Oh…" she said, breaking away suddenly and then reaching out to smooth away the invisible wrinkles.

"Hello, sir," I said, extending my hand toward my old boss.

"Son, I haven't been sir to you in nearly a year now," he said as he grasped my hand and pulled me into a hug of his own. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you." His words were quiet and spoken only for me to hear, but my eyes teared up nonetheless.

"Oh now, Darrell…" Mrs. Whitlock said, "Don't break the boy." He released me with a smile on his face, and Mrs. Whitlock went about fixing my suit jacket. "There, you're perfect. I saw that you have John here to do the ceremony. That's very nice of you to remember your old pastor…"

"How could I forget? He'd gotten me out of a scrape or two in high school," I remembered with a chuckle.

Mrs. Whitlock clucked in disapproval. "Oh, I remember. You boys were always raising trouble. If I hadn't dragged you to church every Sunday, you'd have a one-way ticket right to you know where. Now…you'd better get up there now. We'll be here afterward, go…" She shooed me away with her hand as she turned toward her husband once more.

It was time for me to head to the front. I approached the priest and shook his hand. He smiled at me and spoke as he patted the hand he still had a hold of. "Edward, It's about time."

I chuckled at my longtime pastor. "Thanks." He laughed as I took my place on his left.

"Are you ready?" he asked me with a smile.

I was facing the lines of filled white chairs as I answered him. "I've been ready my whole life, Pastor John, I've just been waiting for her."

"You're ready then," he said as the music started and the girls walked out in their blue dresses carrying white flowers. They looked lovely and I couldn't help but smile as I watched my best friends share loving glances with both Alice and Rose as they came down. I couldn't help but watch Emmett in particular. I could see that he was already picturing her in a white dress much like the one that I would see Bella in only a few seconds from now. As the traditional wedding march began, everyone stood knowing that any moment my beautiful bride would appear. I watched the end the aisle, feeling ready to sprint down it to meet her myself.

I thought that I would be ready, that after all of this time waiting I would have been able to build up the idea in my head so that there would be no way the reality would be nearly as wonderful, I couldn't have been more wrong. Nothing could have prepared me to see her. As soon as she appeared, my mouth went dry, but it appeared that all the moisture went to my eyes.

I knew the details of the dress merely because I had done the stupid thing and asked Alice about it. She had said that I couldn't see her in it, but she didn't think that it would hurt to tell me about it. It was a fitted bodice with lace overlay and a sweetheart neckline. All of it was Greek to me and Alice knew it. All I got from the conversation was lace and white…so even though I knew that it was called an A-line dress I didn't know that it meant I would be able to take in every curve of her until it flared out slightly at the hips. And even though I knew the neckline was called a sweetheart, I didn't know that there would be miles of glorious pale skin showing. From her shoulders to the rise of her cleavage was bare, only covered by her hair which was curled and flowing down her back and a thin layer of lace that covered her face. My mouth was hanging open but I didn't care one bit.

Bella clung to her father's arm as he led her toward me. I couldn't help the goofy smile that spread over my face. As I was watching, I saw her steps faltered slightly, and even though I couldn't see her face, I knew she was blushing. She hated when the attention was on her, so I knew any slip-up would have her flaming. Suddenly, thinking of how the red would gracefully spread on her cheeks, the music was too slow. I needed to touch her. I needed to run my fingers across her blushing cheeks to make sure that this was real, that she just wasn't a figment of my imagination.

As they came closer, I could see the outline of her features beneath the lace of her veil. I could see that she was smiling. I could her eyes dark and beautiful staring straight at me. She was too good to be true, but I don't think I could have even dreamed her up. Finally, she reached me and stood on my right with her father in between us, cutting off my view of her.

I focused on the minister as he began to speak. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of God – and in the face of this company – to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace." I knew that no one would, but I admit to holding my breath and praying that no one would speak. Finally after what seemed like forever, Pastor John looked at Charlie. "Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?"

Charlie cleared his throat before he spoke. "Her mother and I do," he said, his voice wavering still. He lifted her veil then kissed both her cheeks and placed her hand in mine. He gave them both a slight squeeze before he went to sit beside the chair where Renee's picture sat, a representation of Bella's mother that went along with the one for my parents on the other side of the aisle.

I felt the familiar electricity flow through me that always occurred when I was touching Bella. I looked down at our clasped hands and then, because I couldn't wait any longer, I looked up at Bella's face. There were already tears streaming down her face. I knew though that they were tears of happiness maybe mixed with a few sad tears that her mother couldn't be there to share in this day with her. I mouthed "I love you" and she replied "I love you too" as Pastor John continued the ceremony.

"Marriage is the union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind. It is intended for their mutual joy – and for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity. We are here today – before God – because marriage is one of His most sacred wishes – to witness the joining in marriage of Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan. This occasion marks the celebration of love and commitment with which this man and this woman begin their life together. And now – through me – He joins you together in one of the holiest bonds. The couples have written their own vows to each other. Edward."

I turned and looked nervously over at Bella, reaching out to hold both of her hands. It had been my idea to write our own vows, but now I was slightly nervous about saying them out loud. "Isabella Marie Swan… I never thought that this day would come. I never thought I would ever find a woman like you, but I have. I wanted to take this time to list all of the things that I love about you, but that would take too long so I've chosen just a few. I love the way you absent-mindedly bite your lip when you're concentrating on something or when you are emotional," I said, swiping my thumb over her mouth making her release her bottom lip from between her teeth and then reached back down to re-clasp her hand. "I love how when you cook, you dance along to music only you can hear; that you sing in the shower and in the car. I love that you can't walk across a flat surface without tripping; that you can remember the smallest detail of a story, but you can't remember what you've done with your car keys." She laughed and the crowd laughed with her. "I love that you are beautiful and fiery and passionate and that you keep me on my toes and drive me absolutely insane sometimes, but most importantly I love the man that I've become because of you. I thought I was happy in my life, but now I realize that there was never really a life before you, only a hollow existence. You gave me life. So I swear to you that I love you and will always love you, as long as we both shall live."

Alice tapped Bella on the shoulder and held out a handkerchief. She dropped my hands as she turned to retrieve it, nodded her thanks, and wiped under her eyes lightly with it.

"Isabella," Pastor John said.

"Edward," she choked out before she tried again. I reached out for her hands again and when she took them, I felt her shaking slightly. "Before you, I lived outside of my emotions. It was easier that way. Easier to deal with the loss and the pain, but I was only lying to myself. I didn't know that there was something more out there, but then you came crashing into my life and it may sound cheesy and completely insane, but knew the moment that I laid eyes on you that you were different from anyone I had met before. When I looked into your eyes, I saw everything I'd ever wanted, shining back at me." The tears that she'd just wiped from her eyes were streaming down her cheeks again. "You asked me something on our third date—you asked me if I believed it was possible to love someone so much that it hurts. And I told you I didn't know yet. I know now, Edward…I think I knew then but was afraid of it. Yes. I do. I love you so much that it hurts, Edward. You are my everything—the only thing I need in this world, more than water, more than air. I love you and will always love you as long as we both shall live." I felt the tears threatening to spill out of my own eyes, but I held them at bay.

Pastor John spoke then. "May we have the rings?" Jasper must have given them to him, but I didn't look to see. I couldn't look anywhere but at Bella. I had to turn away though when he addressed me directly. "Edward, repeat after me…" Pastor John instructed as he handed me the ring. As soon as I had the ring in my hand, my gaze was back on Bella. "Isabella, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love."

"Isabella, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love."

"As a symbol of my affection and devotion…"

"As a symbol of my affection and devotion," I repeated, slipping the ring on. Then I finished with, "…and with this ring, I thee wed."

"Isabella, please repeat after me." I heard the smile in the pastor's voice as he handed her the ring. "Edward, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love…"

"Edward, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love…"

"As a symbol of my affection and devotion."

"As a symbol of my affection and devotion," she repeated, sliding the cool band on my left ring finger, and she finished in barely a whisper and I heard the words I'd been dreaming of hearing, "…and with this ring, I thee wed."

"What – therefore – God has joined let no man put asunder." I heard rather than saw Pastor John close his bible as he addressed the audience. All I could do was stare at Bella's lips as she caught her bottom one between her teeth. I knew what was coming next…"And so by the power vested in my by the state of Virginia and Almighty God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

"Finally…" I sighed as I reached for her. She was laughed as was everyone else as I kissed her with all of the pent-up emotion of the last twenty-four hours.

"Ladies and Gentleman, it is my pleasure to finally introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen." Pastor John laughed as we pulled away and faced the audience. There was clapping from the audience and the snapping of pictures as we stood up at the altar for a moment. I looked over the audience, noticing the faces that occupied the seats. All of our family and friends were there. I saw every face from my old squad in attendance. In fact, there were only a few I didn't recognize; I assumed they were members of Bella's family that I hadn't met yet. One specifically caught my attention because he was standing at the back on Bella's side. It was strange though because she hadn't described any of them as having long blonde hair. He met my eyes and even from a distance I was distracted by the coldness I saw there in his blue eyes. I saw the flash of something in the sunlight followed by a bang, a scream and then Bella's weight on my arm.

I turned to see Bella gasping and clutching at her abdomen, a brutal red stain spreading over the clean white of her dress. "Bella? Bella?" My brain had finally caught up, and I realized what had just happened. "Oh my God, she's been shot! Someone call an ambulance!" I shouted to no one in particular.

"The ambulance is on its way." I heard Jasper's voice in my ear along with Charlie's frantic, "What's going on?"

"Quick give me your shirt. I need to try and stop the bleeding." Jasper quickly tore off his shirt, and I applied pressure to the wound with one hand and stroked her face with the other. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she gasped for breath. "The ambulance is coming. Baby, hold on. Hold on please…" I begged her as I felt the tears pour from my eyes as well.

"I…I…" she gasped out.

"Baby, don't try to talk. It's okay. They'll be here soon." Oh please, let them be here soon. Every gasping breath she took another tear poured from my eyes.

"I'm…I'm…sorry." Her voice was wheezy with the effort it took her to say just those little words.

"No. Don't you apologize! This isn't your fault."

"Can't…"

"Yes. Yes, you can. Don't leave me here, Bella. I need you, baby. I need you here. Stay here with me. Right here." I heard the sounds of sirens as the EMTs were coming closer. "Baby, fight it. Just a little longer, just a little longer."

Emmett pulled me away when the paramedics got there, but I didn't go far. I listened and watched as they worked to get her stabilized as, they waited for the helicopter to come in to air-lift her to the hospital. They were throwing out words like critical and nearly fatal. I stood there in shock as they worked. I didn't even realize that they were loading her onto the gurney to take her to the helicopter until they began to lead her away.

"Wait!" I tore away from Emmett's grasp and ran after them.

"I'm sorry, sir, but-"

"I'm her husband…I…"

"We'll take you in the ambulance; there won't be room for you in the air-care copter."

"I can't leave her. I can't…" But I had to. I wasn't allowed in the helicopter, and the more I protested, the more time I wasted so I climbed in the ambulance.

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~*

Thirty minutes ago: the hospital

It had been nearly an hour since I came crashing through the door only to find that she was already in surgery. No one was telling me a damn thing and it was driving me insane. The love of my life was somewhere beyond those doors and I couldn't get to her. She was somewhere struggling for her life and I couldn't do anything to help her.

Almost everyone else arrived about fifteen minutes after I did. Jasper, Alice and Charlie were among the first to arrive. Emmett and Rose followed everyone else's arrival, because they'd been involved in the chase that occurred. Emmett at least brought with him information on the bastard that had shot Bella. James Harris. The good thing was that he was in custody and spewing like a geyser. He was angry at me because I was the one in charge of all the takedowns that had occurred when his men had been detained. I had been responsible for the major takedown which brought down the organization. He was going to get even however he could. If he couldn't have what he loved, power, then I couldn't have what I loved, Bella. He didn't give any indication of knowing about Bella's involvement with anything including the fact that she had been his boss; he seemed to believe the lie that the ghost had been killed.

We were all pacing the waiting room like caged animals because there wasn't anything for us to do but think and assume the worst…oh God the worst, no, I wouldn't allow myself to think the worst. I had to be positive. I had to have hope. Bella needed that from me right now. I couldn't dread the future, so I tried to think about the past…

This past year had been a whirlwind for me. Things had changed so much. I was finally getting everything I had ever dreamed about and never thought I could achieve…a life, a family, and a wonderfully beautiful woman to share it all with. I had been alone for so long. I thought I just wasn't meant to have that lifestyle. That it had been robbed from me when my parents died. After their death, I had little choice of what I was going to do after I finished up high school. I had already just barely missed being picked up by Children's Services, and that was only because the principal and her husband volunteered to take me in until I went to Basic after graduation.

Enlistment, training, missions, my life was my job and there was very little outside of it. I had no family left to speak of so my co-workers became my family-my brothers-when you lay your life on the line nearly every day for your job the people that you trust to have your back become very important to you.

They were here with me today, gathered around quietly waiting. Not waiting for me to kiss my bride as we danced our first dance as husband and wife, but waiting to see if I could ever kiss her again. I was waiting too; I was waiting for someone to wake me up from this nightmare I was having. This was supposed to be the best day of my life. I was supposed to be halfway to Italy by now; I was supposed to be the happiest man alive, unable to wipe the smile from my face, but I wasn't any of those things. I was scared and nervous; I was sitting hunched over in a plastic chair in the hospital wearing a crumpled, blood-stained tux, and I couldn't wipe the memory of the last few hours from my mind. I was a mess in every sense of the word.

Someone came into the quiet waiting area and I shot up in my seat only to stumble backward again when the doctor said the words that I had dreaded since we arrived. "Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry…" I thought my world was ending when he finished, "but did you know your wife was pregnant?"

"What?"

"We did everything we could, but the wound was too close to the uterus. There was no way we could save both the mother and the baby…"

"Bella was pregnant?"

"I'm sorry, son, but the baby didn't make it…"

*~*~*~**ADA**~*~*~*

Three days later: April 15, 2010 – Hospital

I was sitting next to Bella when her eyes opened for the first time since our wedding day. I somehow managed to put to rest her fears that she'd ruined our wedding day, but I couldn't put to rest my fears that she was still in danger. I knew that he was behind bars, but there were too many questions that weren't answered. Was he working alone? Had he told anyone of his plans? Had he told anyone that I was responsible for the bust? Would there be more trouble in the future? Harris could deny it all he wanted to, but could we ever be certain? Would we always have to live in fear of what was waiting around the corner? I knew what the answer was, but I was hoping that I was wrong.

Our job by definition required us to keep a low profile; when we were compromised, it was usually the end. I understood that it was a possibility when I was put in charge of the team that something to this effect could happen, but I had never anticipated that it would hurt anyone else. Now just because my name was on the bust, the most important person in my world had nearly died. I looked down at Bella as she slept peacefully and traced her cheek with my fingers, and it really hit me…I really had almost lost her.

We both had lost something that day…something precious. The doctor had said that the baby was over five weeks old…five weeks seemed like an insignificant amount of time in the grand scheme of things, but I had been a father for five weeks and knew nothing about it. It made me think. Think back to everything that had happened in the past five weeks. There had been so many hints, the fact that she was eating more often, the stomach bug that she couldn't seem to shake, the fatigue, it all pointed to her pregnancy. More importantly, it made me think more about the questionable future.

We'd agreed that one day we'd like to have kids, but what would we do now. The doctors didn't know if it would possible for her to conceive again, and if she did, there would be a big chance that the baby could never be carried to full term. I didn't know how to tell her so we hadn't. One thing was certain though. I'd never be able to forgive myself if something else were to happen to her. Never.

"Never what?" a tired soft voice asked. I looked down at the bed. I hadn't realized I had spoken aloud. "Edward…never what?"

"How long have you been awake, love?"

"Just a few minutes."

I didn't know how to answer her question, so I tried to change the subject. "I need to call the nurse."

But, of course, Bella wouldn't let it drop. "You won't tell me what you were thinking?"

"Later, my love, later." I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead as I pressed the call button, knowing that she wouldn't let the subject go completely until I promised her something. A few moments later, a nurse bustled in and began recording Bella's vital signs. I slipped out into the hall and after a brief talk with Bella's doctor, I resumed my spot by her bedside. "The doctor said that if you're still doing this well by tonight, they can move you to a regular recovery room."

"That's good," she said as I tried to get comfortable in the chair. "You don't have to stay here, you know. That chair can't be comfortable."

I held her hand in mine. "Bella…there is nowhere else I'd rather be than right here by your side. For better or worse, remember?"

"For better or worse…"she whispered back to me before I touched my lips to hers softly.

They did end up moving Bella to a regular recovery room later that day. It was in that room where we were sitting when a bouquet of red roses was delivered unexpectedly. I watched as Bella smiled as she opened the card that accompanied it. I saw the emotions flit across her face one by one. Confusion, amusement and recognition all flashed through her eyes before she finally said, "Well, he always did have a flare for the dramatic."

"What?" I asked curiously. Bella handed me the small white card, and I read what was written there, in clear cursive writing:

I hope with all of my heart that he makes you as happy as possible. You deserve the moon and the stars, and I hope he helps you reach them. Live peacefully and happily and do not fear any longer, Chac-Lol, for you are safe now. I have seen to it. You will always have a protector that will love you always.

There was no signature only a prominent red Z. I looked to Bella expectedly.

"He always found it amusing…my nickname for him…" She tried to explain.

"Vega?" I asked and she nodded. "You think he sent these? You think he knows who you are?"

"It wouldn't surprise me, but you don't have to worry about him. He wouldn't do anything to harm me," she said firmly. Oddly enough, I believed her. He obviously knew that she wasn't who she said she was and he would know me. If he hadn't done anything to harm her yet, I didn't see it as a possibility that he would do so in the future. "Do you know what he meant when he said that he'd seen to it?"

"No clue, my love, but I suppose that he wouldn't be Zorro without an air of mystery." We both chuckled as I placed the flowers in her window.

The mystery didn't last much longer in fact. A few hours after the flower delivery, Jasper told us that Harris had been found dead in his jail cell. There had been a message with the body, a small folded white piece of paper that stated "you have been warned." The authorities didn't know what it meant, but I had a feeling I knew who was responsible. One look from Bella told me she knew as well, but also that it was to be kept between us. Harris's death was what Vega had been talking about when he'd said he'd taken care of it. He'd gotten rid of James and made sure that if he'd told anyone else to help him that they would get the message to stay away.

As soon as Jasper and the others left, Bella heaved a great sigh. "Are you okay, love, you didn't overdo it, did you?" I asked with concern. There had been quite a parade of people through the room since she'd been released from the ICU.

She chuckled once. "Overdo myself? I should be asking you that question-gunshots, arrests, murders- you didn't sign up for this when you asked me to marry you."

I cupped her face gently, running my fingers over the apples of her cheeks as I spoke. "Bella, my love…I knew the moment that I saw you, loving you just might kill me…but you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm going to enjoy every single beautiful second of this dangerous affair because you, my love, are worth it."

---

End notes: Okay here's were i beg for votes right? Well please, please, please visit the comunity that this story is in and vote for it. Oh and please leave me a review. I really want to know what you think of this story. I know it isn't conventional and I do wan't to know what you are thinking. Thank you...don't forget to vote.