Chapter 9:Choosing Sides
The guards looked at Charlie, confused at what they were seeing. Edward Cullen was drunk and having a meltdown. A video of this would be worth a small fortune to the right network.
"Judge, should we call the cops?" the head security guard asked.
"Oh, please, let's. I have a beautiful story I would love to share with them." Edward laughed, falling over his own two feet, which only made him laugh more."Boys, give us some space, please?" Charlie looked over his shoulder at the guards. The security guards stepped into a nearby room, leaving Charlie and Edward alone. Charlie dragged a drunken Edward into his den so they could have more privacy. "Listen to me, you little shit. I have no idea what you're talking about, but..."
"Alice," Edward sang in a loud voice.
"But, I will not have you telling Bella one of your drunken, convoluted theories. That girl has been through enough, and I won't allow her to be hurt."
"Tell me something, Judge, did you ever really care about your daughters? I mean, we know that you could throw Alice away like trash." That comment got Edward rewarded with a punch in the face from Charlie.
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Keep your mouth shut once we're outside. One of the security guards will drive you home, and you will never have contact with Bella again." Charlie emphasized his point with a punch to Edward's ribs.
"She's over eighteen, Charlie, you can't keep us apart." Charlie punched Edward one more time before calling in the security guards.
"Get him in a car and drive him straight home."
"Sir, what should we tell Mrs. Renee and Miss Bella?" One of the security guards had been informed that Bella had returned home.
"Bella is here?" Charlie's head snapped up in shock. The last he knew, Renee and a few guards were the only ones waiting outside.
"Yes, sir." The security guards knew when the Judge was angry, and over the years, anything involving Edward Cullen seemed to be the one surefire way to piss the Judge off. This, of course, meant nothing good for the security guards.
"Shit." Charlie knew that it was too late to take Edward out the back, but he couldn't have him shooting his mouth off. He also couldn't have Bella see Edward beaten up. She would know what Charlie did. "Alright, get a car, bring it to the front, and get him in. I do not want my daughter to see him. Do you all understand? He is not to have any contact with my daughter!" Charlie raised his voice, indicating to the guards that this was one order that needed to be followed to the letter.
"Yes, sir," the security guards said in unison.
"You can't keep her from me. If Bella wants to see me, she will." Edward was spitting blood, struggling to catch his breath. He was going to be black and blue and sore tomorrow. Of that he was sure.
"Just get him out of here." The Judge was through with talking with Edward. Right now, he needed to get him out of the house without Bella seeing him.
Outside, Renee and Bella were starting to get worried. Charlie and the guards had been in the house for a half hour with no word. "What is going on in there?" Renee asked to no one in particular.
"Mrs., we got the all clear, and we're now just waiting for them to come out. Mr. Swan has asked that you and Miss Bella wait in one of our cars, while they bring the intruder out." The guard began to usher them to one of the waiting cars with a struggling Renee.
"What do you mean 'bring the intruder out'? What the hell is going on in there? Why won't anyone tell me anything?" Renee was one of those women who hated to be kept out of the loop, no matter what the loop was.
"Mom, just let them do their jobs; it's not their fault. They're just following Dad's orders. I'm sure Dad will explain once everything is settled."
The security guards all loved Bella; she was the nicest of the Swans and also the most understanding. She never gave her parents any trouble, which meant that the security guards had to do less work; unlike Alice, who made it her life's mission to find new ways to sneak on and off the property, forcing Charlie and the security guards to come up with new and creative ways to prevent her from accomplishing her goal. "Mrs., I would really listen to your daughter here. They shouldn't be that much longer now."
"Fine, but if they are not out in five minutes, then I am going in," Renee huffed.
"Mom, you should really calm down. I'm sure Dad is fine, and if he wasn't, then we would have heard something." Bella was rubbing circles around her mother's back, trying to soothe her.
"I know, dear. Your father just worries me sometimes, running in there without thinking. He's not young, you know." For all of their faults, Charlie and Renee really did love each other; Bella could always count on that.
The wait for the men took longer than was originally anticipated, and with each passing moment, Renee got more and more agitated. It was becoming harder for Bella to keep her in the car. "Mom, I'll go out and see what's going on. You stay here, alright?" Renee was talking about running into the house, and this was the only way Bella could think of to get Renee to stay in the car.
"Hey, what's going on in there?" Bella asked the guards. She was a little put off that they were just standing around smoking.
The guards were startled to see Bella. They were well aware that the Judge had given strict orders that his daughter was not to see who was being brought out of the house.
"Nothing you need to worry about, Miss. They're just getting the guy under control." The guard smiled at her with reassurance.
"If the guy is being so much trouble, then why haven't you called the cops?" Bella had actually been wondering why the cops hadn't shown up long ago. If Charlie did find an intruder, Bella was certain that her father and the guards could subdue him. It was a numbers game; there were simply more of Charlie and the guards than a simple intruder, but the cops would eventually have to be called in so he could officially be arrested.
Bella made an attempt to get around the guard, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "Miss, you really need to stay here." The guard gave her arm a tighter squeeze and began to drag her back to the car.
"Take your hands off me." Bella was forceful when she addressed the guard, effectively yanking her arm away from him.
"Afraid I can't do that. Your father gave me orders." The guard reached for her arm again, this time pinning Bella's arm behind her back.
What the guard didn't count on was Bella. Bella's line of work often put her into several dangerous positions. As a precautions, Bella learned martial arts and how to shoot a gun. Bella stomped on his foot, head butted him with the back of her head to his chin, and then flipped him so he was flat on his back. "I said, don't touch me."
Renee had witnessed the events from her seat in the back of the security guards' car. She was torn between being proud that her daughter knew how to defend herself, and being angry at how the security guard, her employee, had treated her daughter. "What the hell is going on here? Take your hands off her!" Renee was furious as she got out of the car. "Wait until my husband hears what you're doing to our daughter."
"It's alright, Mom, I can take care of myself." The security guards, at this point, had gathered around Bella; unsure if they should step in and protect one of their own or protect their jobs by allowing the boss' daughter to do whatever she wanted. They were saved from having to actually make a choice. Charlie and the rest of the security team were walking out of the house in a circle around the intruder.
Bella was about to go back to her mother when she saw the familiar face in the group for a brief moment. "Edward?" Bella questioned. She moved closer and got the confirmation she was seeking; it was Edward. "Dad, what the hell is going on?" She couldn't understand what was happening.
"Bella, just go back to your mother." This was what Charlie had wanted to prevent. Bella had seen Edward, and now the questions would start. Questions Charlie wasn't sure he could or would want to answer.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Bella was trying to fight her way through the guards. "Do I really need to hurt one of you again?"
"Bella, please, if there was ever a time I really needed you to listen to me, it's now." Charlie tried to direct his daughter.
They almost had him to the car, and Bella had not yet noticed that Edward's face was black and blue and bloody. Thankfully, it was still dark. That darkness was hiding most of Edward's face, but once that car door opened, the light would go on and Edward's face would be revealed. Bella would freak the moment she saw his face, and it would be an all out fight. She was sure to blame Charlie, and she would be right.
Charlie's prediction was right. Bella had made her way through the guards and, currently, had Edward's face in her hands. "Edward, oh Edward." Bella was weeping at the sight of him. He had a black eye, what she could assume was a broken nose, and a fat lip. All wounds that were delivered by Charlie's own hands. That is nothing to say of the random blows he delivered to no specific parts of Edwards body. She could only imagine what the rest of his body looked like. "What happened?
"I'm fine, baby." Edward was wheezing as he spoke to Bella. He must have had a few broken ribs; he really needed a hospital. He also didn't want Bella to worry; he especially didn't want to tell her that it was her father that did this to him.
"Fine? You're not fine." Bella bristled. There was no way he was fine. If he thought he was going to say a few pretty words and give her that puppy dog face, which was even harder to resist, given its state, then he was out of his mind. "Tell me what happened." Bella waited for Edward to answer her, but he remained silent. His silence was enough for her to infer what had happened. "Dad, did you do this?" Again, she was met with silence. "Dad, did you or one of your goons do this?" Bella spoke slowly and deliberately. She wanted an answer. She wanted to hear from her father's mouth what he did.
"Bella, we will discuss this in the house. Now, step away from Edward and let these guys take him home." Charlie was trying to force his will on Bella by using his most intimidating voice. It was the voice he had to use on the girls when they had gotten themselves into trouble.
"No, I'm not going to leave him. So, you and your bunch of flying monkeys can beat on him some more, maybe kill him?" Bella prepared herself for the fight with her father.
Renee watched the scene before her; knowing that her husband and daughter were about to get into a full blown screaming match, she decided that it was now time for her to step in. "Charlie, calm down. Bella, listen to your father. We will discuss this in the house as a family."
"No, Mom. I am not going anywhere near that man." Bella had her arms around Edward and was leading him to her car. None of the guards tried to stop them, figuring that this was a family matter and that they should stay out of it. Bella seated Edward and buckled him in the passenger seat of her car. She was making her way to the driver's side when her father blocked her. He grabbed her arm, spun her around to face him, and positioned himself between Bella and the driver's side of her car.
"Bella, I forbid you to go anywhere with that boy. Get in the house and one of the security guards will take Edward home." Charlie was dragging Bella towards the front door.
"No, Dad." Bella pried Charlie's hand from her arm. "I can't believe you would hurt Edward the way you did. I can't trust you, and right now, I don't think that I can be around you."
"Bella, if you go with that boy, you will no longer be welcome in my house." Charlie's threat was serious. His face was red, his nostrils flared, and he had veins sticking out of both his face and neck.
Bella was taken aback by her father. She knew that he was going to be mad, but she never thought that he would kick her out of the house. Sure, he hated Edward, but she and her father had always gotten along. "What?"
"You heard me. If you leave with that boy, you will no longer be welcome in this house. You can come and collect your stuff in the morning. I will have your things packed and waiting for you at the door by then. If you come back into the house right now, we will talk and work things out. This is your last chance, Bella. You either choose him or us."
"Fine! I'm sorry you feel that way, Daddy. I'll make sure that you're out of the house when I come." Tears rolled down Bella face as she looked at her father. She was hoping that he would take back what he had said, but he was holding firm in his place. The security guards had all turned away, clearly embarrassed at what they were witnessing, and Renee was crying. All the drama from before no longer seemed important.
Edward was even shocked. He never thought that Charlie would do something like this. "Bella, maybe you should go with your father."
"No, Edward. He can't get away with what he did." The Bella that Edward remembered was stubborn and barely ever folded; he was hoping in vain that she had mellowed out over the years. He was wrong.
"I won't be the reason you're fighting with your family. Work things out with them and then come see me tomorrow." Edward was unbuckling himself, trying to make his way out of the car.
Bella stepped around the car and got into the driver's seat. "Either I leave with you, or I leave on my own. Either way, I am not stepping one foot in that house tonight." With that, Bella drove off with Edward.
They drove in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other; they each stole glances at the other when they thought the other wasn't looking. In spite of this, they both were thinking the same thought. "What the hell just happened?" Of course they were each thinking about a different event. Bella wanted to know what Edward was doing in her house, and what he possibly could have done to provoke her father to such violence.
Edward needed to understand why Bella left the safety of her parents for him, and what the hell he was going to do about it now. His ego wanted to believe she did it because she still loved him, but that nagging voice in the back of him head was shouting at him, telling him she did it only out of pity and obligation. That all needed to be put aside for now, he had a more important task. One thing was for sure, he would find a way to fix things amongst the now broken family.
It would be Bella who broke the silence. "We need to take you to a hospital," she commented.
"No, no hospitals." Edward groaned as he attempted to sit up. If he could trick her into thinking that he was okay, then maybe he could convince her to drop him home, and she could go back to her parents. "I'm fine really."
"Fine? Fine? You're not fine," Bella snapped. She pulled the car over and put it in park so that the two of them could talk better. "Look at you! You're bloody and broken. It's amazing that you're still conscious. We're going to the hospital." Bella went to start the car again, but Edward's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Go there and tell them what exactly?" A hospital would ask questions. The cops would be called. A police report would have to be made and then they would only be left with two options.
"What do you mean?" Bella didn't see Edward's logic.
"Well, what do we tell them? If we tell them the truth, then your father will be arrested. Tomorrow morning your family would be on the front page of the newspaper. It will be embarrassing, and the whole town will be talking. Renee, I'm sure, would love that. That leaves us with option two. We lie to the cops. We tell them that I got mugged or something. They then collect evidence. Evidence, that I am sure is all over me. They run it, find your father's DNA and fingerprints all over my clothes. Think Bella, your father was a judge, his DNA and fingerprints are on file. He will get arrested anyway, and just for fun, we get arrested too for lying to the cops. Your career and reputation would be ruined, and no one in law enforcement would ever work with you again."
Bella, chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about what Edward had said. He was right, the hospital was a bad idea. "What about your dad? He's a doctor. He could fix you up and be discrete about it."
"No, he'll ask questions, and while he won't call the cops, he would want to confront Charlie." Edward didn't want to go to his father, because he didn't want to see the look in his father's eyes when he tells his dad that he broke his trust. Edward did exactly what his father told him not to do, by going to the Swans. He couldn't tell Bella this; he needed to get her mind off of this topic.
"Edward you need medical attention. Your nose is probably broken, a rib or two. You have a fat lip and a black eye. Someone has to look over you."
"You're right. Why don't you take me to a hospital out of town? You can go back to your parents and not have to lie to the police," Edward offered. He hoped that she would take him up on it. The further away she was from this whole mess the better off she was.
"I'm not leaving you, but you're right, an out of town hospital would be better. We could give them fake names."
"No, I don't want you lying for me." Edward thought for a moment longer before the answer came to him. Emmett. Emmett was perfect. He was a doctor, he could fix him up, and most importantly, he wouldn't ask too many questions. If Edward didn't want to tell him what happened, then Emmett wouldn't press. "We'll go to Emmett's."
"Emmett works with children not adults." Although Emmett was a doctor he would be practiced in working on smaller bodies. While the procedures would be similar they would differ slightly.
"He still has the medical training needed to fix me up. Look, it's the best I can come up with."
"Fie, but once you're all fixed up, you're going to tell me what happened tonight," Bella said the last part without any room for interpretation. Edward would be giving her all of the answers she wanted.
"Fine. If I tell you, will you go home?"
"I'm not going to leave you."
"I don't want to be the reason that you are fighting with your parents. Please make up with them and go home." Edward pleaded with his eyes which were hard to resist normally, but were now ten times harder given their condition.
"You're not the reason, Edward, and I will fix things with my parents. I really need to know that you're alright. So please let me take care of you."
Edward gave his consent, and the two pulled off making a U-turn to head towards Emmett's house.