A/N This is a continuing story. That wasn't the end of it! There will be approximately 50-60 chapters in this first part, though it may turn out to be more or less. I'm not completely done outlining the chapters yet.

Edward's POV

When the shot rang out, I was focused on Bella. It was obviously intended for me, which made it a problem. It was an even bigger problem that they shot Bella instead. I instantly got out my phone, calling Carlisle. "There's a problem. Bella's house. Emmett know- okay. You get here. NOW. Her.. Yeah, she's bleeding, gun shot. I think it hit her in the stomach… Left- yes, yes. Middle of the stomach." I looked up at her face, she whimpered "Hey.. I'll be okay. Just walk me up to my door?"

I smiled a bit at her, trying to ease her pain, all while putting pressure on the wound. She started making small noises, and I held her until she blacked out. "ISABELLA," I screamed, "stay with me!" She was going in and out of consciousness, frequently shivering and then going limp. "DAMNIT, STAY WITH ME!" "don't you DIE ON ME!" I heard screeching wheels, and pulled out my small handgun just in case they were coming back. It was Emmett and Carlisle. "CARLISLE!" The car stopped and they ran toward us. Bella made more small sounds and put her hand on my face, covered in blood.

Carlisle put his gloves on. "She's not doing well, Edward. Look at her lips." Bella's lips, once a vibrant red, were pale and blue in the moonlight. I started crying, "just get her somewhere." We loaded her into the car, and Carlisle and Emmett were debating what to do. "Take her to Lutheran. NOW." Carlisle barked. "Carlisle, if we take her there, they'll ask questions." Emmett was smart, but I was smarter. "Carlisle," I started, "what are her chances if we go to the warehouse versus the trauma center?" Carlisle looked at me, now holding pressure on Bella's wounds, "Edward, I can't compete with a level one trauma center. She will have a much better chance there. We were on the way home, Emmett and I, and you were walking Bella to her house. We stumbled upon you after the random drive by." I nodded, so did Emmett.

Lying was a part of being in the mafia. In order to continue doing our crime, we must lie about things. This was one of those things. Emmett pulled into Lutheran's Emergency ambulance bay and ran in to get a stretcher and a doctor. After that, things happened fast. I ran in beside her, nurses and doctors calling out words I didn't understand, except one. "Not likely!" a doctor cried out, before finally getting to the trauma bay. I looked at Carlisle, then at the doctors, "What? NO. YOU BRING HER BACK!"

They pulled the blinds down and worked on her for what seemed like days. At one point, a nurse even left to go on a break. The doctor in charge came out, and told us she was stable. "Thank God," I muttered, sighing a sigh of relief. He told us she wasn't out of the woods yet, and they needed to take her into surgery. I realized we hadn't called Charlie yet, but the news must have gotten out on the radio, because he ran in as soon as the doctor was telling me this. "Charlie! We're over here!" Charlie looked at me and ran over, looking at the doctor. "She- is she okay?" He looked winded, like he had been running. The doctor assured him that she was going to make it, but they needed to remove the bullet. Something about it moving around.

They took her into surgery and we all went to a waiting room. Hours seemed like millennia, and I was pacing the room. "Jesus, Edward, you're gonna burn holes into the floor at this rate." Charlie was trying to ease tensions, and I smiled. It worked. I sat down in between him and Emmett, "I just need to know she's alright. She's my best friend." Emmett elbowed me in the side, feigning offense at that. He understood though. My feelings toward Bella were deeper than friends. He probably knew it before I did.

She wasn't interested in me, and I knew that. She was an assistant district attorney, and in defiance of me, her first case was prosecuting one of my men. I didn't particularly care, we operate so that the organization can remain anonymous and running if one person goes down. I was more concerned about how she would prosecute it. Being my friend, she knew things others wouldn't, and I was afraid she would make a rookie mistake and implicate herself somehow.

Bella was a good lawyer, and handled the case perfectly. She prosecuted him without giving out any information she knew but wasn't supposed to. He ended up getting off, since she couldn't use a key piece of evidence against him, one that wasn't logged in any evidence locker, but instead in her mind, and she was frustrated. I re-read those texts while praying she would make it out alive.

E: heard your case didn't go well. Did it tank or what?

B: Oh yeah, like you wouldn't know :P. He got off because most of the evidence was circumstantial. I knew about the drop point, and could have mentioned it, but since the cops didn't find it when they were investigating… Well, needless to say, I didn't mention it.

E: Hey, no hard feelings here. Excellent work, Miss Swan. Drinks are on me.

B: Ha ha. No way, Jose. You're coming over and we're watching a rom com while I sulk about my case. A masterpiece, really! All gone to shit, Mr. Masen- I mean… Cullen ;)

E: naughty, naughty. Don't let the DA see your texts. Then he'd know you're in cahoots.

B: oh fuck off, lol.

I laughed thinking about that night. She ordered Indian take out and we watched The Notebook twice. Once to watch it, and a second time to analyze how dumb it was. She wasn't girly. She was just Bella.

The news cast playing overhead turned to a story about Bella, and other people in the waiting room looked at us, wondering what the hell we were waiting for. Given my appearance, blood stained shirt and dried blood in my stubble, I didn't blame them. I turned my attention to the television, which was playing her story.

Investigators now know that the victim was Isabella Swan, daughter of Charlie Swan. If you don't know who that is, it's probably a good thing. Chief Swan is the head of the NYPD's organized crime and trafficking task force. If you have good memories, you may remember another story. Famous Edward Cullen, the faceless head of the Italian Mafia operating here in Brooklyn was almost struck by a car six years ago, at this very intersection. Police back then told our news team that Chief Swan T-boned the car in the intersection, avoiding a collision with the mafia boss, then twenty. Investigators tonight tell me it's too early to implicate anyone in the crime, but that it wouldn't be beyond any of the crime families in New York City to target the young girl, and Assistant District Attorney for Manhattan.

Witnesses at the scene say there was a man with Miss Swan, walking her home, when a car pulled up right here, opened their window, and opened fire. One shot was all it took. One witness went so far as to say the young victim yelled something he didn't catch, before jumping in front of the bullet. Was this a case of mistaken identity, or mafia revenge? We'll bring you updates as they come our way. For ABC 7 New York, I'm Tanya Denali.

I actually knew Tanya. I knew her as Edward Masen, and didn't interact with her often, but occasionally I took her out for drinks. She didn't know my true identity, so how good of a reporter could she be? She was your typical reporter. A bird of prey type that left drinks frequently to go catch a scoop. She was basic personality wise. Bland conversation topics, and had a God complex. Bleached blonde hair and a nose job finished off her basic bitch look. I went to the vending machine down the hall to grab a soda, and the doctors wheeled someone out of an operating suite. I craned my neck to see if it was her, but I couldn't catch a glimpse. Whoever it was looked toasty and warm wrapped in their surgical blankets.

Bella's POV

I got my hearing back first. I could hear my dad talking to my mother, who lived in Los Angeles. I assumed as much, at least, since he was reassuring her that I was okay. Next, I heard Edward talking to Carlisle on the phone. Maybe it was at the same time, or maybe I went out again, but they both said bye to their phones, and put them away. I got my smell back next, and the overwhelming smell of hospital linens and a plastic tube giving me oxygen overwhelmed that sense. "Charlie, I said it before and I'll say it again… This wasn't my doing. Your daughter is- well, she's special." Charlie sighed, probably slumping over like he does when he's watching a sad movie. "I know, Edward. The fact remains that my daughter was caught in the crossfire of some mafia business… I thank you for saving her life, though."

Next, I got my sight. I tried to open my eyes, but the light was blinding. I closed them immediately. I decided I had to open them, to get back into the light after so much darkness. I opened them and squinted, making a physical movement to shield my poor eyes from the light. Edward and dad both moved closer, and I was grateful. I tried moving my hand, which felt weak, but it caught and I felt a searing pain in my hand. "Oh, don't move that hand. You'll move your IV." Edward said. Dad brushed the hair out of my face and sat down in a chair next to my bed. "Hey, Bells," he started. I smiled at him, "you were shot, okay? You're alright now! The doctors said the surgery went great. You'll be out of here in about a week." A week? Fuck.

I was clumsy but never had I stayed in the hospital never than a day. A week might kill me. I cleared my throat, which was exceptionally dry, and swallowed the little spit I had. "What's for dinner?" My voice sounded more like a frog's croak than a human's voice. Edward looked at dad, who said "well, hospital food… You can't have solids yet, so you can have some soup…" I submitted and placed an order for chicken broth. Charlie left and I was left with Edward, who decided to apologize. "Bella, I'm so sorr-" I cut him off, "oh, give me a break. Didn't I tell you yesterday you'd kill me one day? You almost did." I was angry at him. I didn't remember who shot me, or why, but I needed someone to blame. "Bella, I didn't shoot you. They were going for me." I stopped him again, "you may have not been the one to pull the trigger, Edward, but you still caused the situation. Find out who did this, please. I want to know." I was done talking. I turned on the TV and watched a news report about myself. Ugh, I switched it to cartoons. At least they wouldn't judge me.

Edward's POV

I waited until Bella got her chicken broth before I left. She was protesting, asking Charlie to get her some McDonald's instead. I took Bella's words to heart. I was responsible for her getting shot, and I needed to find out who called a hit on me. I ordered everyone to meet me at my house, which was nestled away on a Brooklyn street. Everyone I trusted was there, Emmett, Carlisle, Jane, and Aro. Aro's two leading men weren't there, which was suspicious. "Where are Caius and Marcus, Aro?" Aro uncrossed his arms and sat up in his seat, looking stern, "they're looking for evidence. The police let them into the crime scene, they were acting as forensics people, you know how they do it." I nodded at him, then turned to Emmett, "Em, any word? Chatter? Anything?" Emmett shook his head, looking concerned.

"Usually we would have answers by now. We don't though. None of our men on the inside of any other crime organization know about this. It looks like whoever is responsible is either new in town or they made their choice in haste." I nodded at him, and looked at Carlisle, "Any of our men hit?" Carlisle shook his head. This was literally a hit against me, not a ploy to take us down. "It was personal, then," I started, "look into my enemies. Mexican, Russian, Canadian, everyone in the city really." I looked out of my window to my view of Manhattan, walking over the table by the window where I kept a bottle of rum. "I'm twenty-six, and I'll be damned if I'm taken down this early." I poured myself a small glass and downed it shortly after. Then I turned back to my men, "postpone all shipments coming in. Tell our buyers that their guns and drugs will have to wait a day. I think this is personal, but I can't know for sure. In case this is a ploy trying to get us out of town, they might go after our shipments. Remember, if we have men on the inside, so do they." Everyone nodded, and then they left.

I had a clue as to who this was, who it had to be. Jacob Black, Bella's old best friend. When she was in high school, before she worked at Maria's, Jacob was her number one man. Now a days, he annoys her more than anything with his advances. I cornered him the other week, telling him to leave her alone. He was pretty scared by it, a bunch of men in suits pointing guns at him... It wasn't my best moment. His lack of reaching out after Bella's shooting was highly publicized could have been either fear or knowledge on his part. It was likely to be either, really.

A guy like Jacob wouldn't know how to do a proper hit, but he hadn't been bothering her for the weeks following my heart to heart with her. In all honesty, I had no idea who did this, and it didn't seem like anyone was coming close to finding out, even the NYPD, who has a special connection to her, given her father's service. I was at a loss, and I was frustrated.

Jasper's POV

After the shooting, we went back to the warehouse. Charlotte and Peter were there, as was Alice. "Alice, what are you-" she jumped up and hugged me, crying, "is it true? Did you kill someone?" I swallowed a lump in my throat, and looked at Peter, who shrugged and pointed to Charlotte. "Ali, look, you're going to be hearing some stuff over the next few days… I didn't mean for it to happen this way." She pushed away from me, "what do you mean? Who was it?" I sighed, looking down. Nobody knew yet. The most Peter knew was that I had a hit out on Edward, and when he took the gun from Rodriguez, he could tell it had been fired. Nobody knew who was hit, though. "Alice, I shot Bella." Everyone gasped.

Bella was well liked around here, her cheerful spirit and honest- albeit blunt- words were welcomed with open arms. Charlotte stepped forward. "Do you mean… I mean, was it successful?" I looked down. I honestly had no idea. When Edward wasn't hit, I knew it was a failed mission. I saw Bella, but told the driver to speed away.

"I don't know if she's dead or not," I said firmly. Alice sped over the TV, though nothing was on the news yet. "It just happened, Al, give it an hour or so." Alice wouldn't hear it, she switched channels back and forth from the news stations until one started reporting on a suspected shooting.

And now some breaking news. Our newsdesk has learned of a suspected shooting in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Now, reports are spotty right now, but we have a reporter en route to the scene. Police are containing the area and one victim has been taken to the hospital. No word on a shooter or motive yet, though some neighbors have called in to say that it may have been gang related.

I walked over to Alice and placed my hand on her shoulder, "babe, I'm so… so sorry. I was aiming for Edward. He had been taking too much of our territory." She brushed me off, and walked out. At the door she called out, "Jasper Whitlock, I hate you. If she dies, you die." I put that thought in my mind. I wouldn't blame her. I'm an asshole.

Alice's POV

I waited five days to speak to Jasper. The news reports that came in got more detailed as the days passed, but there was no type of clues as to who did it. I found out Bella was at Lutheran, and decided I needed to go see her.

I texted Jasper, telling him I forgave him for his mistake. I decided that if his intentions were to truly kill Edward, it was okay. Edward wasn't a friend to me. He had been snarky, and made it clear that I wasn't safe around him. Edward disliked me for my relationship with Jasper. A few times, he had 'warned' Bella about being friends with Jasper and me. That, coupled by his blatant disregard of territory, made even me want to hurt him.

Edward had recently been taking spots that Jasper used to conduct business. Edward wasn't even using them for business, though, just showing his presence there. I was angered when Jasper came home and told me about it one night, and I encouraged him to put a stop to it. I just never expected it to go this far.

I took the day off from Maria's, and walked from my house to Lutheran. It was a longer walk, but I was willing to do it. The early fall weather cooled me down. I thought of things I could say to make her feel better. She knew who shot her, Jasper had told me what she said to him just before he drove off.

I entered the hospital, and saw Charlie getting a coffee. I ran up to him, offering to pay for his cup. He refused. I hugged him instead, "Oh Charlie, I'm so sorry." He took the apology with pride, thanking me, and I was a little confused. Surely he knew? I brushed it off, he must be being nice. I asked her room number and he gave it to me in true Charlie form. Instead of giving me the room number, he gave me directions. I followed them and found Bella.

As soon as I saw her, I ran over for a hug. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I can't imagine why the shooting went wrong." She laughed a bit in my embrace, "Alice, it's fine. I'm here, I'm alive." I felt relieved, she had forgiven Jasper. "Oh I'm so happy you have that frame of mind… Wanna hang out? I hear the news is rather life-like tonight. She laughed, holding her stomach, obviously in pain. I felt bad for making a joke. I pursed my lips.

Bella noticed my lips pursed and shook her head, still smiling, "it's alright. You just made me laugh too hard. Sit down, girl, we'll find some documentary or something." I was excited, I had my best friend back, and she was all here. We love documentaries. Bella loved watching shows about airplane crashes. We found something almost as good, Toddlers and Tiaras. I ate her Tapioca pudding, since she couldn't, and we snuggled for a while.

After the sun went down, I yawned, and Bella looked at me, "you better go, Al. It's getting dark. Get Jasper to pick you up or something." I hugged her again. "You're getting discharged tomorrow, right?" I asked. She nodded, and yawned, probably set off by mine a few moments earlier, "I'll text you when I get out, yeah? We'll hang out or something." I stood up and put my jacket on. Even in early October, the wind could whip around and cause shivers.

I put my phone in my pocket and headed toward the door. "I'm sorry, again. Didn't mean for any of it to happen the way it did." Bella motioned me to quit with her hand, "it's fine, you've apologized already." I wasn't going to take that, my best friend could have been killed, and I had to let her know how Jasper didn't mean it. "No, really… I'm so sorry, Bella." I looked at her and was confused, because so was she. "Wh-what do you mean? You've apologized already, you're fine, Al." I gulped and shut the door. "Well, Jasper shot you… He didn't mean to, he was aiming to Edward, honest!" She sat up in her bed, and I realized something very important. She didn't know. "Alice I had no memory-" and then her face went from confusion to realization. She must have forgotten, and now remembered. She had no clue. Of course, that's why there weren't ramifications before. They didn't know who did it. Bella's eyes welled up into tears, and she began ripping the sheets off of her body. She was getting up. I went to hold her up while she stood, feeling awful. She didn't know before, and now she did. I gave her a match, and that girl was going to cause a wildfire.

A/N okay, I thought I could wait to post this until tomorrow but I couldn't! So have this 2:30 am final copy of chapter two. Let me know how you like it!