10

Alice and I went into overdrive. We worked day and night going through all the evidence over and over again. I tried to pressure the people in La Push to say anything bad about Jake, but they all insisted he was their savior. Alice was in my office the day the medical files showed up in the mail. I had forgotten about their existence and gave them no attention so Alice picked up the envelope and sat on my office sofa to read the records.

Her hand moved to her mouth and only her eyes rose to look at me. I glanced at her and quickly looked back, locking eyes with her. "Oh my God," she said in a whisper.

"What?" I asked, but she only shook her head back and forth.

"What?" I repeated.

She set the papers down harshly and said, "Edward, we need to start jury selection now. Push for a speedy trial before Bella gets any stronger. Have mom stop meeting with her and have the trial as quickly as possible."

I stared in shock at my sister. Alice always had better gut reactions than I did. Her intuition was usually spot on, but I couldn't imagine why she would suggest what she was suggesting.

"Why?" I asked, noticing how weak my voice sounded.

Alice jumped up and began pacing the floor. "Nobody understands how Bella was raised and how fragile she was. I hear what they say about her on those stupid shows. They need to see her as she is, as she was, to understand why she just didn't walk away from Jake. They need to understand how everyone used her for their own gain, and why she allowed it." She stopped pacing and turned to look at me. "My God, Edward, people were so awful to her."

I looked over at the papers on the sofa so she picked them up and handed them to me. I began to skim over the information and felt my body sink back into my chair. My face paled and Alice leaned over my desk and said, "You can destroy them with this information, but I think you should bring it up for the first time on the stand. Let Bella fall apart and make the jury watch it."

I looked into my sister's eyes and said, "Do you have any idea how cruel that would be?"

"Yes," she said emphatically. "Cruel enough to get her acquitted."

I sat there without moving or saying anything further. Alice pushed her theory further. "Mom will eventually help Bella deal with this and anything else. She will be strong and her reaction will be different. The jury needs to see her now. Have mom back off," she reiterated.

I finally nodded, feeling like I was purposefully tearing Bella apart in order to save her. Alice watched me for a few moments and then said, "Edward, I'll do the opening and you can do the closing. I don't think you can handle the opening."

I couldn't even find the energy to fight with her over something so offensive but also something I knew she was right about. If the trial was a dance, it needed Alice's energy to begin. I didn't have the energy to face the jury and let them judge Bella. I wouldn't stand for them to hear Laurent lie and paint a picture of Bella that was nothing but more abuse. I would go after him in the closing. I would fiercely defend Bella on each and every count he mentioned in the opening.

I nodded and then began to form a plan in my head. I was struggling with how I would present the defense case but it all seemed so obvious now. I looked at Alice and said, "Bella is the only witness on the defense list. We will counter everything in cross and then let Laurent open the doors for us in rebuttal."

Alice thought for a moment and then said, "He'll call mom, so yeah, I see where you're going." A big smile formed on her face and then she giggled loudly. "This is genius. You really will make a great Politician."

I hadn't once thought of my own career or ambition. I was focused on Bella and making sure she walked out of the courtroom a free woman. "You talk to Bella and I'll file with Judge Hale," I said. I knew I would have to convince Aro I wasn't out of my mind. I began working on my explanation as Alice left to talk to Bella.

When she got to the door I called out her name. She turned to look at me with such a joyful expression. "It's time to get her outfits for court," I announced. Alice squealed and jumped up and down before finally leaving.

I put everything on the fast track and in two short weeks we were to begin jury selection. I got a call at my office from my mother. She had willingly stopped working with Bella so her call concerned me. "Is something wrong?" I answered with.

"Yes," she said as if whispering into the phone. "Get over here now."

"Is Bella okay?" I asked in a panic.

"Just get over here," she said, and hung up on me.

I practically ran to my car and drove as fast as possible to the pool house. My mother met me at the door and looked concerned. "Try to stay calm," she said, and I looked past her to see what carnage was waiting for me.

She finally moved aside to let me in and I saw Bella standing in the middle of the room as Alice worked on her hair. She was wearing a pencil skirt with a silk blouse. Her hair fell in sexy curls around her shoulders and my mouth literally fell open.

Alice glanced over at me and said, "Doesn't she look incredible?"

Bella looked at me with makeup on that made her look like a model. I turned my head and looked at Emmett, who was staring longingly at Bella. I turned back to look at Alice and heard my mother caution me, "Edward, stay calm."

"Allie," I started with a strained voice, "What are you doing?"

"I got her clothes for court. She has an amazing figure. And her hair is so thick. I would kill for her hair," she said inappropriately.

I noticed Bella's eyes fell and she began playing with her fingers. I cleared my throat and said, "Bella, may I have a moment with Alice? Would you mind waiting in your room?"

Alice finally gave me her full attention. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Bella, please," I begged, causing her to slowly head toward her room. I waited until she closed the door and then quickly grabbed onto Alice's tiny arm and pulled her to my face. "Are you insane?"

She pulled out of my grasp and began rubbing her arm where I grabbed her. "What is your problem, Edward?"

There was a soft knock on the door and I expected my father but was stunned when Jasper walked in. Alice quickly ran to his side as if she was actually going to complain to her husband about her brother. My mother diffused the situation by announcing she had asked Jasper to come over.

"He is an objective by-stander. I think we should consider his opinion," my mother stated.

"He knows nothing about fashion," Alice said in confusion.

"Fashion?" I screamed at her. "You were supposed to get clothing for court."

"Why can't she look stylish in court?" Alice refuted.

I actually grabbed onto my hair and pulled it in frustration. "Because she is on trial for murdering her fiancée. She needs to look young and innocent, a little behind the times, not like she attended fashion week."

"I can tone it down, but…."

"Tone it down?" I yelled loudly. "You made her look like a vixen, a seductress, a woman totally capable of manipulating men to kill for her."

Bella's door opened and she walked out wearing a pair of blue dress pants and a simple white cotton button-down shirt. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and most of the makeup was gone. We all turned to look at her and Jasper chuckled a bit before saying, "That says seductress to you?"

I could see the tears in Bella's eyes and I knew I had humiliated her with my outburst. I immediately apologized before saying, "Bella, you are a beautiful woman, but we need to make sure you look natural."

She nodded but didn't say anything. Alice looked at me and then said, "Okay, I get it. But can she wear her hair down?"

"No," I said emphatically. "We want the jury to be able to see her reactions." I wasn't certain it was the only reason I wanted her hair pulled back. I loved her thick hair but I didn't want any other man in the courtroom admiring it. It was absurd, but I realized for the first time how much I was hoping for a relationship with her after the trial.

Jasper reached out and smacked my arm so I turned to look at him. "I said, do you think Bella should order her own clothes off the internet?"

I noticed everyone staring at me and Alice was obviously pouting. "Oh," I mumbled, "Sure."

Bella came closer to me and spoke very softly, "I don't know how to do that."

Emmett placed his hand on her shoulder and offered, "I have a friend who could help you."

I knew Emmett was paying for everything but I didn't like the idea of someone I didn't know having knowledge of Bella's whereabouts. I looked at my sister, who I didn't trust to purchase appropriate outfits and then looked at my mother, who I didn't want strengthening Bella's confidence. I finally looked back at Emmett. "Can you help her? She seems to understand what look we are going after."

"Certainly," Emmett said with a smile. Bella instantly relaxed and I found myself envious of the man once again.

He motioned for her to sit on the sofa as he pulled out an iPad. Jasper joined them to offer his advice and Alice walked over to smack me on the back of the head. "You're seriously going to let two men, two less than stylish men, pick out her clothing?"

"No," I said harshly, and moved away from her reach. "She's picking out her own clothing."

My mother smiled with approval and said, "It will be good for her."

Allie and I gave each other a worried glance and looked back at the sofa. Bella was already asking Jasper and Emmett to pick something, so I felt confident she wouldn't make too big of a change before trial. Alice folded her arms in defiance and said, "I'm wearing really tall heels. I don't care what you say."

"Of course you are," I said calmly. "The jury will have to see you somehow."

She reached out to hit me again, but I was too far out of her grasp. Her expression turned serious and she finally said in just a whisper, "I've been working on my opening. It is a slam dunk until we get to Jake's friends. It is her word against theirs if Jake knew or not."

I thought for a moment and then said, "Talk to Seth again. He spent the most time with Jake. Maybe Jake told him something."

"He told you Jake only talked about tribal matters."

I nodded, "Yeah, but I'm not pretty…or his own size. He may remember something for you."

At that moment my mother interrupted. "Laurent told me I'm only on the prosecution's list. Is he lying?"

"I haven't turned in a final list," I said, and Alice looked at me to see if I had changed my strategy.

My mother looked at us both for a moment and then offered her advice. "Laurent will not focus on my original evaluation of Bella as a teen. It will be a mistake to leave that out of the evidence."

"All you have to do is mention it and I can bring it out in cross," I told her.

"Are you going to cross mom, or will I do it?" Alice asked. "And while we're discussing this, I want to cross Quil and Embry."

"No way," I said adamantly.

"It has to be me, Edward," Alice said emphatically. "I just mentioned their names and your jaw is about ready to explode. You can't do this because it is too easy to read your emotions."

"They will be too polite with you. I want them to get riled up," I said.

"You can't have a fight in the courtroom," Alice said. "They will be able to rile you up."

I shook my head and could feel the anger building up in me. "I'm doing it and I'm going to annihilate them."

Alice shook her head right back at me. "No, you're going to get possessive and jealous and give them the credibility they need."

"I know how to do my job," I yelled, but she came right back at me.

"Not when it is Bella we are talking about."

"Especially when it is Bella," I screamed.

At that moment Jasper called out to get our attention. We turned to see everyone staring at our outburst. Bella looked confused and softy asked, "What does that mean, especially Bella?"

I stared back at her expression and then looked around the room to see everyone waiting for a response from me. I simply shook my head and walked out the door. I would let Alice handle this, knowing my mother would make sure she didn't tell her anything too personal.

11

The closer the trial got the more my anxiety rose. I thought about Bella constantly. I wanted so badly to have honest conversations but I had to hold out in order to get her reaction on the stand. I thought about the day she would be free and when I would finally tell her I had been obsessed with her since the day I sat next to her in science. I wanted to show her so many things and watch her reach her potential. She would finally know what a loving relationship is supposed to be like.

Alice and I fought constantly over the details of the trial. I knew pushing for a quick trial was the reason we sparred so much, but it was also a great strategy. Laurent seemed to be thrown by the curve I surprised him with. He kept insisting I was withholding evidence and I assured him I knew everything he did. He did have Bella's medical files, just not the ones from Seattle. I could easily feign ignorance and pretend I assumed he had everything.

I made Alice go over her opening with me at least a hundred times. We debated every word until she finally told me to kiss my own ass and refused to take my calls. I trusted her more than any other lawyer; I just didn't know if I trusted her enough to put Bella's life in her hands.

Aro was harder to deal with. He was convinced I had lost my mind and I even heard a rumor he was now seeing Tanya socially. I ignored the rumors and told Aro over and over again to trust me. He wanted to hire someone to speak to the press but I vaguely threatened him if he did. One evening, he came into my office with a bottle of gin. He poured me a drink and then sadly told me he had put too much faith in me. He didn't believe I had enough ambition to fight my way into the governor's mansion.

I took a drink and let it burn in my throat before looking him right in the eyes and said, "You don't have a clue about my ambition, capabilities, or passions. But none of that matters, because right now, the only thing I have to be is a great lawyer. So get the hell out of my office and let me work."

He stood and walked to the doorway before turning around and smiling as he bowed to me. I assumed my tantrum told him I was crazy enough for whatever he had planned for my life. I didn't give him a moment's thought after that night.

Jury selection had gone relatively smoothly. Laurent couldn't understand why I didn't have objections to hardly anyone. The truth was Bella's life was so unusual that there wouldn't be anyone who could understand what she had been through. She was going to have to educate each and every one of them regardless of their experiences or background.

The morning of the first day of the trial, I woke up with my stomach in knots. I drank some coffee but couldn't force myself to eat anything. I dressed in my best suit and spent too much time on my hair. When I pulled up to the courthouse the press was everywhere. I drove into the underground parking and looked for the police vehicle that would transport Bella. When I saw Alice's car I got out of mine and rushed to the elevator.

Bella was in a holding room off the courtroom with a policeman standing guard at the door. I nodded to him and walked in to find Alice already there. She looked stunning in a designer suit and huge heels. Bella had on the blue pants and white shirt. Her hair had been curled but it was still pulled back into a ponytail. She looked absolutely terrified. Her eyes were begging for any kind of reassurance. I walked over and sat next to her. "Hi," I said with a wide grin.

"I guess it's really happening," she said, trying to smile back at me.

"There is sunshine at the end of the tunnel," I assured her.

She raised her hand and held it in front of me to show how much she was trembling. I reached out and took her cold hand into mine. I held it tightly and said, "You did not kill Jacob Black and you are going to walk out of this trial a free woman."

She raised her chin just a bit but then said, "This is going to be really ugly, isn't it?"

I couldn't lie to her so I tried to explain. "Laurent doesn't have any evidence so he is going to try to smear you to confuse the issue. It will be my job to show the jury it is all smoke and mirrors. It is your job to sit there calmly and let me do my job."

Alice spoke up at that point. "Laurent might take the entire day. Edward and I will be taking notes and making objections. You'll have a notepad and I want you to write down anything Laurent says that is a lie. Don't gasp or act offended, just write it down."

We left the holding room and took our seats at the defense table. Laurent and his co-counsel walked into the courtroom and stopped in front of me. "Ready for this, son?" he asked.

I set my pen down and looked into his smug face. "You won't beat me down. I'll have case law to cite for every trick you try. You're going to have to actually try this case on the evidence."

He leaned over to speak directly in my face to intimidate me. "This case is so easy I could win it in my sleep. You are in over your head, kid." Then he looked over at Bella. "And your client will die because of your ineptitude."

"Are you threatening defense counsel? Because I do believe that is illegal."

"I didn't threaten you," he said hatefully.

"You stated in front of my client that her lawyer was inadequate to defend her. Not only is it a lie, but it is a threat to the entire validity of this trial. If you feel I am unable to defend Ms. Swan you should insert the Strickland standard up front."

Laurent laughed loudly and turned to his co-counsel. "This is going to be so much fun."

At that point the bailiff entered the courtroom so Laurent went to his table. The main doors were opened and many people filled the seats. Bella never turned to see who came to watch the trial because she knew there wouldn't be family or friends there to support her. Many of the spectators were Quileute.

It was several minutes before we were asked to stand and Judge Hale entered the courtroom. She was as gorgeous as always, but her irritated demeanor was present and accounted for. She looked over some documents and then glanced at the lawyers and asked us to approach. We all walked up to her bench and she looked each one of us in the eyes.

"This will be a clean record and I'm warning you all about playing any games. I won't repeat myself so pay attention. Laurent, I'm watching you."

I quickly spoke up and said, "I want a gag order on all parties."

Laurent laughed and gave me a pitying look. "There hasn't been any testimony and he already wants a gag order. What is he afraid of?"

I opened my mouth but Rosalie interrupted me. "We'll revisit the gag when you bring me reason to issue one. You're excused," she said, and moved away from us.

We walked back to our seats and the jury was brought in. Each one stared at Bella as if seeing a celebrity. When it was time for Laurent's opening, I turned to face the jury and held my pen at the ready.

Laurent walked slowly to stand in front of them. His brow was furrowed and he looked a bit confused. He finally turned and pointed at Bella. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here today because this woman, Bella Swan, killed Jacob Black."

Bella picked up her pen and began writing.

"She doesn't look like a killer…"

"Objection," I said quickly.

"It's opening statement, he is allowed leeway," Judge Hale said quickly.

Laurent ignored me and continued on. "She looks like a perfectly nice young woman, someone Jacob Black could trust. In fact, he trusted her to take care of his father. He trusted her to live in his home while he was gone so often on business. He trusted her with his friends and his possessions. But unfortunately, he trusted the wrong person. Now, the defense will tell you Ms. Swan had a bad childhood. She had an unstable mother. She didn't attend school. She lived alone for almost three years. But let's look at those excuses."

"Objection," I said loudly.

"Sustained," Judge Hale ruled.

"Okay, let's call them situations. Let's look at those situations. A small child wouldn't understand the psychology of a parent, but Bella took over responsibility for her mother. She paid the bills, she shopped for the food, and she made sure they both had what they needed. She was free to come and go as she wished. If things were so terrible at home, she would have asked for help. In fact, Bella has a very high I.Q. She is brighter than most of us in this room. She was bright enough to forge documents to attend the local high school. She showed up every day and never once told anyone her mother had been missing for years. She had been taking care of the woman and if truth be told, she was probably happy her mother was gone."

Bella was writing furiously and I decided to give Laurent enough rope to hang himself.

"When the authorities showed up at the school, Bella actually lied to them. She told them her mother was at work, when she knew the woman was missing. She knew her mother wasn't capable of taking care of herself, but she chose to lie. At this point her Uncle, who is a police chief, willingly took her into his own home. He didn't have any children and was excited to develop a relationship with his niece. In fact, he gave her the family name of Swan. He WANTED to love his niece and treat her as his own. But Bella had been on her own and didn't want to abide by any rules. She hated being part of a family because she couldn't come and go as she wished. She met Jacob Black during this time and knew he wasn't home much. His father, Billy, was not in good health. He certainly wouldn't last long. So, she puts all her effort into developing a relationship with Jake. He views her as a troubled young woman who needs help. He knows the Swans are not happy with the chaos she is causing in their home so Jake, being the gracious young man he was, invites her to live with them. Jake wants Bella to feel welcomed in La Push so he tells everyone about the young woman living in his house taking care of his father. Bella is under the delusion Jake is her boyfriend, but you cannot find one person he ever confided that he was in a relationship with Bella. In fact, he rarely spoke of her at all."

"Then his ill father passes away. Jake is devastated and during his time of mourning Bella convinces him to let her remain housesitting for him. Jake throws himself into his work and remains in Washington D. C. for the majority of the time. When he does come home, he spends time with members of the tribe. He mentors young boys and works to solve the issues that affect his people. During this time Bella isn't alone, oh no, she is keeping company with two of Jake's best friends. She is intimate with the men in his own home. Her fantasies begin to grow. She tells people she is engaged to Jake, but she is sleeping with his buddies, and then tells everyone Jake wants her to be intimate with his friends. That it will make the tribe somehow like her if she has sex with his friends."

A few members of the jury began to chuckle and Judge Hale quickly used her gavel to quiet them. I felt sick to my stomach and I tried to show no reaction. I was acutely aware Bella had stopped writing so I began to jot down nonsensical words.

"But there are a few problems in this fantasy she has concocted. Jake doesn't want to marry her; in fact, he could ask her to leave at any time. If Bella wants to keep what she now views as her home, she has to get rid of Jake. He came back into town and stopped by Sam's Grill. He talks to people and tells Sam he'll be in town for two weeks and then he heads home. Bella is the only person who knows what happened next. Nobody ever sees Jake alive again. The evidence shows there was a terrible fight. Jake probably confronts Bella on the imaginary engagement and he asks her to leave. Bella knew she was not going to leave her home. She was not about to be kicked out on her own and denied access to her lovers. She was going to either marry Jake or kill him."

Laurent walked over and placed a picture of the side of Jake's head on the overhead screen. It is just the skull with the skin pulled away to capture the five inch fracture of the skull.

"She hits Jake with full force on the side of his head with some unfound instrument. It is the only way she can get the upper hand. Jake goes down, unconscious. But, he is still alive. Bella could have called for help and Jake would still be here today. But instead she takes a razor or knife and cuts him from the base of his throat to the tip of his pelvic bone."

Laurent put up a picture of the long open wound causing some jurors to look away.

"You will hear evidence that Jake was still alive at this point also. Instead of getting help as he bleeds profusely, she drags his body to the cab of his truck. At this point Jake must stir, not enough to be conscious but enough that he tries to use his legs and ends up assisting her in the task of getting his body into the cab of the truck. Finally, she offers the final assault. She cuts off his testicles and places them into his own mouth."

Laurent put up the gruesome crime scene photo of Jake lying dead in the cab of the truck. One of the jurors began to vomit and is rushed from the jury box. Judge Hale quickly ordered the overhead projector turned off and called for a fifteen-minute recess.

12

Bella was taken back to the holding room and I gathered her notebook and followed along with Alice. Bella began to sob loudly as Alice tried her best to comfort her. I opened the notebook and saw where Bella marked lies in the opening statement. It was everything I had expected, nothing new.

I got Bella a glass of water and set it in front of her. She looked up and smiled softly, "I'm fine, I promise."

Alice walked to the far side of the room and began to pace worriedly. I walked over to see what was bothering her. She kept her body turned away from Bella and only whispered, "Something isn't right here. He knows there is no way Bella did all that to Jake. And what was the shit about him waking up and trying to walk. He has the perfect motive to say Bella got someone or a few people to do it. The forensic evidence is going to bury his theory."

"He probably made a deal with Embry and Quil to keep them away from suspicion," I offered her.

"It doesn't have to be those two, he could make the case that if she was sleeping with those two she could have other men at her disposal. He went with a weak theory that can be proven wrong. Laurent is too good for that."

"So, you think he has something else up his sleeve?" I asked her.

"No," she said as she finally looked me in the eyes. "I think he has something exculpatory and he isn't sharing."

"He basically handed us the case, he might not need to share. This case is weak to begin with."

Alice sighed loudly so Bella spoke up, "Is everything okay?"

I walked over to sit next to her and began explaining the emotional punch Laurent was hoping for by showing the pictures. Everything was going well, considering we were only on day one.

When court resumed, it was more of the same. Laurent showed crime photos to upset the jury and then talked about how manipulative Bella was and how she was the only one with a motive to kill Jake. When he finally rested in the late afternoon it was Alice's turn to begin her opening. She wouldn't be able to do it all on day one, but it would leave her version in the jurors ears for the night.

I was very proud of my sister when she walked to the podium; her clothing was perfection and most of the jurors unconsciously smiled. Alice stood quiet for a moment with her brow furrowed. She finally turned to look at Bella and every juror followed her gaze. When she looked back at them she began speaking softly. "Can you imagine never riding a bike as a child?" She paused for effect.

"Or, playing with friends, swimming in a pool, watching cartoons, sitting on Santa's lap, or every other rite of passage children have the pleasure of experiencing? Bella was an abused child because she was neglected and abandoned."

Tiny Alice glanced over at Laurent and let her eyes widen as if accusing him of more abuse. He caught the move and quickly objected. Alice let her mouth open wide in shock and asked, "What?"

"Your honor," Laurent said as he stood. "Please admonish counsel to refrain from body language."

Judge Hale glared at Alice so she turned the podium away from Laurent and asked, "Better?"

The jury was very amused and Judge Hale quickly used her gavel again to bring order back. Alice took a deep breath and then continued.

"Bella never met her father; in fact Isabella Stewart was never a Stewart. Cheryl Stewart was never legally a Stewart either. Bella's father was a married man who Cheryl hooked up with."

Laurent stood angrily and asked, "Your honor, may we approach?"

Judge Hale nodded so we all walked up to the bench. Laurent was seething and said, "This has nothing to do with this case and she is bringing it up to somehow accuse the mother."

"You've got to be joking," I answered angrily. "This has everything to do with the case; it is how Bella ended up in Port Angeles."

"We will bring it up with the Swan's," Alice said, to anger him further.

"You're wasting my time," Judge Hale stated. "I'll allow this in the opening and I'll allow it during examination of the Swan's."

We all walked back to our positions and I realized Laurent was breaking up the momentum of the opening statement; he could care less about the topic. I was now prepared to object if he asked to approach the bench again.

Alice continued working her way through Bella's childhood. She was able to accentuate the unusual nature of how Bella was raised and also the sweet nature Bella possessed in dealing with it all. She finished for the day with the perfect line for the jury to think about overnight. "If Isabella was your child, your niece, would you be okay with how she was raised as a small girl?"

Judge Hale adjourned the court and we planned on starting again at nine o'clock the following morning. Bella was led to the side chamber where an officer drove her to a meeting place to pass her off to Emmett. Alice gathered her things quickly and followed Laurent out of the court room. I knew she was feeling some intuition that she wouldn't share with me until she came to a conclusion. I was headed back to my office when I got a call from Emmett.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

"I think you should drop by," he said softly.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," I assured him, and turned to head to the pool house.

When I arrived the front door was open. I walked in and Emmett nodded toward the back deck. I know Bella heard the door open and close, but she didn't acknowledge my presence. I walked over to where she stood looking out at the dark forest and turned to lean against the railing and looked at her. Tears were no longer falling, but you could tell she had only recently stopped. She wouldn't look at me so I took hold of her chin and turned her face to mine.

"Tough day," I stated, and offered a slight smile.

"No," she replied in only a whisper. "It didn't feel like they were talking about me. It sounded like some poor, poor child had a horrible life. Was it really that bad?"

"Was anything stated incorrectly?" I asked.

She sighed and looked back at the forest before shaking her head back and forth.

I had so much work to do, but at the moment I needed to show Bella she was more than the girl who was dissected today. "Hey," I called out to get her to look at me again, "How about a swim."

Her mouth formed a partial smile and she looked hesitant and excited at the same time. "Really?"

"Sure, why not?" I shrugged.

"I don't know how."

"You can use a noodle," I grinned.

She smirked like I was teasing her but then looked at the house. "I don't have a swimsuit," she offered.

"You can wear shorts and a sports bra," I suggested a bit too quickly.

"What about you?" she asked and looked away.

I laughed at the thought of her legal counsel wearing boxers in front of her. I would absolutely do it, but I had a better alternative. "My dad has a suit I can wear."

She nodded enthusiastically so I headed to the main house while she found something suitable to wear. I told Emmett he could go to the gym and expected him to refuse, since he basically had the entire day free, but he jumped at the chance.

I threw some floating devices in the pool and waited for Bella to come outside. She finally emerged dressed in a grey sports bra and a pair of spandex shorts. I nodded toward the stairs and she slowly walked down them until she stood waist high in the water.

"Here," I said, moving a bright pink noodle toward her. "These float, you can actually make a seat out of them." I demonstrated and she smiled and followed my lead.

"I thought you would throw me in the deep end and tell me to swim," she teased.

"Why would I do that?" I asked with a serious tone.

"Come on," she said cynically. "I'm sure you think there is something I must be able to do."

I stood from the makeshift seat and looked directly at her. "Are you insinuating I believe you can't do anything?"

"No," she answered defiantly. "I'm stating it outright."

I stared and waited for her to laugh or tell me she was joking, but she continued to return my stare. "Why would you say that?" I asked quietly.

"Well, let me see. My family life is pretty much pathetic, my love life was even worse, I have no education or job skills and oh yeah, I'm on trial for murder."

"None of those things are your fault," I said emphatically, but she shook her head and stood from her own makeshift chair.

"You won't even let your own mother help me anymore. I get it, Edward. I really do."

I had no idea how to explain things to her. I couldn't talk about my strategy but I couldn't let her believe I found her incapable of doing anything right. I shook my head for a moment and then said, "Bella, this trial is happening in a vacuum. It has nothing to do with your ability, your intelligence, or your personal qualifications to be very successful in life. This is a moment in time that I need to control. If this works, you'll have to rest of your life to be the best person you choose to be. I already know how amazing you are, but I can't let the jury see it just yet."

She stared at me for a moment as if trying to figure everything out. She finally nodded and said, "So I should trust you?"

I gave her a crooked grin and winked before saying, "You should completely trust me."

She moved back onto the floating device and smiled up at me. "Can I tell you something that has nothing to do with the trial?"

"Please do," I said, with a begging tone.

Her smile widened and she said, "I studied the evolution of fish and humans because I was convinced mermaids were the missing link."

Her pronouncement caused me to laugh so I quickly pulled it back and asked, "So, what was the conclusion?"

"The human eye alone would take something like 24,000 mutations, and that is just the eye."

"Are you saying you believe in mermaids but couldn't prove it…genetically?"

It was her turn to laugh and then added, "I also read about the unscrupulous nature of lawyers, so maybe everything I learned was incorrect."

I pointed my finger at her and said, "No, that was correct. We are bastards at heart."

She thought for a moment and then said, "If I'm found innocent…."

"When," I interrupted her. She looked at me so I added, "When you are found innocent."

She only nodded and then finished by saying, "I think I would like to be a nurse."

I felt a lump grow in my throat and loved the idea of Bella setting some goals for her future. A future I hoped to provide to her. I didn't respond right away so she looked at me with hesitation. I finally nodded and tried to speak as normally as possible. My voice was soft as I said, "You would make an incredible nurse."

"It's just something I think about sometimes," she admitted. "I mean, it isn't like I could go to college or anything."

I had to be very careful with the conversation and keep Bella's perspectives on the past, not looking forward to a successful future. I needed her to feel like the lost girl Jake manipulated. I also wanted to lighten the mood so I said, "Well, you can always be a mermaid."

She shook her head back and forth and stood to walk to the stairs. "No, I can't even swim."

I felt awful for putting her through all of this and there was no way I could tell her what was coming for her. I needed her to fall completely apart and let the jury see how incapable she was to change her situation. I knew she needed to lean on me and for right now I couldn't allow it. I finally walked over to the stairs to speak softly to her.

"Bella, I need you to be the person you were three years ago. I need you to go there and exist in that space for the trial. I need it to be painful and shocking because we have to make the jury understand something they are currently incapable of understanding."

"Can't you just show them there is no evidence?"

I nodded and said, "I'll be doing that, too."She sat silently until I admitted something painful for me, too. "I'm afraid you are going to hate me when this is over."

She shook her head a couple of times and then looked off into the darkness before saying, "If I'm acquitted, I'll be very grateful to you and Alice, but I probably won't want to see you guys ever again."

It felt like she punched me in the chest. I was counting the moments for this mess to be behind us, but she had no intentions of having so much as friendship with me. I tried to hide my disappointment and lowered my head as we sat in silence. She finally looked over at me and leaned in to kiss my cheek softly. She stood and left the pool to go inside.

I moved to the hot tub and sat there until Emmett got home. He walked toward the door and then stopped when he saw me. He came to sit in a chair after looking around for Bella. He spoke softly and said, "You're doing well, counselor."

I nodded and tried to swallow my sadness.

"When she's on the stand…," I said, and then couldn't finish.

"You'll do what you need to do," he said for me.

I felt tears form in my eyes and I looked over to see Emmett looking at me with concern. I needed a friend, someone I could share my secrets with, but it couldn't be him. He is too close to Bella and needed to focus on protecting her, not my heart.

I stood and said goodnight as he watched me walk away.