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STORY TITLE: REGARDLESS…
SUMMARY: Even if you hit me, yell at me, swear at me and slam the door in my face, I will love you. If you lock me out, toss me out, throw me out a moving car, I will love you. Kick me, punch me, rip the flesh from my bones but I shall still stand by your side because I am your mother.
Fifteen years ago, minutes after giving birth of her son, Isabella Swan's world shattered when her son was taken from her. Now when young Alexander begins acting out, the Cullen Family have no choice but to turn to the woman whose life they had destroyed. Secrets will be revealed. Marriages will be destroyed. Hearts will be healed and a mother will hold her son for the first time.
To my beta and little ninja, T. I love you chica and thanks a million. *cyber cupcake*
Chapter One.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.
Son of Dr Carlisle and Esmeralda Cullen.
Brother of Emmett Dale Cullen and Mary Alice Cullen-Whitlock.
Brother-in-law of Rosalie Hale-Cullen and Jasper Whitlock.
Heir to the Cullen fortune and colossal failure as a father.
It had been five hours and nineteen minutes since he had been called by the police about his son's latst bout of law breaking. Unlike all the other times, it was impossible for them to sweep this one under the rug since a man had almost lost his life. As it stood, his father was already locking things down so the family would not face a million dollar lawsuit.
His mother was tending to his son as if he was the innocent one in this situation and he had had it with her.
"Mother, you need to leave." Edward barked as he stormed into the hospital room.
"But Alexander is injured. I have to tend to him." Esme stuttered with wide eyes.
"He has a broken finger. He'll live even though I want to break his neck right now." Edward spat out. "Now leave so I can speak to my son." He demanded, making sure to place emphasis on 'my son'.
Huffing, Esme quickly gathered her belongings and left, all the while grumbling how Carlisle would be hearing how poorly Edward had just treated his mother. Edward retaliated by slamming the door childishly. He took several deep breaths before turning to the teenager who looked like hell but had a condescending little smirk on his face.
"Your grandfather has agreed to pay the medical bills of the man you just crashed into and cover all his household bills of his family for the next year since he was the breadwinner of his family. He has also agreed to replace the family car and fix the shop window that you destroyed during your joyride." Edward listed off in a dull voice before turning to his son.
"I have grounded you. I have taken your phone, computer, iPod and iPad. I have stripped your room bare. I have made you get a job to earn your own money. I have given you a curfew and have personally dropped and picked you up from school so that I know you are keeping your curfew. I have embarrassed you, pulled you from football, yelled at you, cried in front of you, begged you and all but thrown myself in front of a bus to get you to behave. All that is left for me is to hope the judge you have to appear in front of takes mercy on me and throws you in jail. Maybe then you will start to behave." Edward said with tears freely streaming down his face.
"Dad….." Alexander started but Edward held up his hand.
"I could tell you how angry I am with you, how disappointed I am with your actions but we both know that that has no effect on you. At this point Xander, I am angry at myself. I am disappointed with myself because somewhere along the road I failed you. Somewhere along the road, I should have been a better parent but I wasn't and for that I am sorry. I am so very sorry." Edward said before leaving his son in a stunned silence.
Four days later, Alexander Cullen stood in front of the Judge Marcus Volturi dressed in a perfectly tailored Gucci suit with his godfather, Garrett Davidson sitting at his side.
"Mr Davidson," Judge Volturi said in a neutral voice as he looked at the papers in front of him, "I understand that this is the first time your client has been in trouble with the law and as such you have asked for leniency to be shown."
"Yes, Your Honour." Garrett responded as he jumped to his feet having been addressed by the judge.
"Mr Davidson, I do not know if you take me for a fool but I am certainly not blind to the fact that while this may be your client's first appearance in a courtroom, it is certainly not the first time that he has been in trouble with the law." The old judge said sternly. "And had I been the DA who had met him the first time, I would have dragged his behind into court already. Maybe his reign of terror could have been prevented."
Turning to the assistant district attorney, he asked what they suggested be done with him. As expected, the ADA asked for him to be sent to a juvenile facility. Judge Volturi was about to give into the ADA's request when something caught his eye.
"Young Mr Cullen. Please, stand."
With assistance from his godfather, Alexander rose to his feet.
"Now, I want you to answer me this and no one will answer for you. Understood?" Judge Volturi asked and waited until Alexander answered by nodding his head before he continued. "It states here that you have never met your mother. Is that true?"
"Yes, Sir." Alexander answered who was both terrified and perplexed.
"Did your mother sign her rights away?" The judge asked, peering at him over the rim of his spectacles.
"I don't know, Sir. My dad doesn't talk about her." The youngster answered with a bowed head and slumped shoulders.
"Mr Davidson, did the mother sign her right away?" The judge directed at the attorney who was puzzled at this line of questioning.
"No, Your Honour." Garrett responded throwing a quick glance at the Cullen family who sat behind them with loose jaws and trembling hands.
"Then why was she not been allowed in his life?" The judge pushed knowing that there was some hidden truth lying beneath the surface.
"Your Honour, when Alexander's mother conceived him, she was only fifteen years of age and it was decided that it would be best if Alexander lived with his father's family since they were not only financially stable but it was believed that since Edward Cullen was older than Alexander's mother and would be able to better cope with having a child."
"Being older in age does not mean Mr Edward Cullen was more mature." Judge Volturi pointed out. "Now let me also point out that had his mother been a vindictive woman, she could have had you arrested for statutory rape by testifying because I believe the only reason you remained free was that fact that she had some sort of involvement in keeping you safe. You were a twenty-one year old man having a sexual relationship with a fifteen year old child. As it stands, the statute of limitations has passed so you are safe but I digress."
"Coming back to the matter at hand, Alexander, your behaviour over the past several months has been appalling and while I would like to label you as yet another one of the spoilt little rich kid, I think there is more to this story than I am seeing, than we are seeing. So having said that I ask that the ADA contact Ms Isabella Swan, the mother of Alexander Cullen and if it is agreed upon by Ms Swan, I would like for Alexander to spend with his mother. If Ms Swan does not agree to this, which she is free to do, Alexander Cullen will serve fourteen days in a juvenile facility and then an additional one hundred hours of community service. It is so ordered."
Esmeralda Platt Cullen sat motionless as the judge handed down his ruling. She had spent so much time and energy into trying to keep Isabella Swan away from her family but now she had no choice but to welcome Isabella back into her family or else she would lose her favoured grandchild to the legal system.