A/N: I seriously love you guys, hardcore. Your reviews make me smile, laugh and think.

As ever, love and thanks to my kickass support system that is Dinx.

It has come to my attention that in the process of posting these chapters, some sentences get truncated or words disappear, etc., courtesy of the site. Hopefully it won't happen with this one, but if you see any of that, please let me know so I can fix it. Thanks!

One more thing... my apologies if the lack of linebreaks hindered the POV shifts for you. Someone pointed out there weren't any breaks, which means that FFn ate them on upload. They should be fixed now.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters you recognize. This story is rated M, and is not suitable for younger readers. Story contains some violence, very foul language and may eventually contain sexual situations. Please do not read if any of these things offend you.

Chapter Ten

Edward collapsed onto his bed and punched the wall, turning his back to the small cell. The pain that traveled from his fist and up his arm was insignificant compared to the pain he was feeling in his heart.

"You okay there, son?" Marcus asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

"No," Edward replied. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing like hell he had never seen her. Why did he think she'd believe him? After everything he did to her when they were kids. Granted, it was just name-calling and the like, but in hindsight, he knew the damage he'd done was irreparable.

"Visit didn't go so well, eh? Wanna talk about it?" Marcus closed his book and looked at Edward, who had seemed to close in on himself as he lay there on the bed. "Might help if you do."

Edward sighed and continued to stare at the wall as he began to speak. "There's this girl-"

"Ah," Marcus cut him off quickly. "Hang on a sec."

"Do you want me to tell you or not?" Edward huffed.

"No, no, I do," Marcus replied, lifting himself off his bed. He moved around the miniscule cell, washed his hands, then sat down on his bed again, this time leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "I just want to be sure I can concentrate while you tell me."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"Now, go on."

"I met her when she was nine," Edward began. His mind immediately flashed back to that evening on First Beach, when he and Bella stared at one another. Even now, it sent a shiver down his spine, thinking of the way her eyes entranced him.

"I was twelve. Our families were at First Beach, watching the sunset. From that night on, she was always there, always around. She and my sister Alice became best friends, and Bella was just … there. Sort of an extension of our family."

Marcus cleared his throat, and started to speak, but Edward cut him off. "Don't … say anything. Just let me talk," Edward said, still staring at the wall.

Marcus hadn't failed to notice the tone of Edward's voice as he spoke. It was full of agitation, but still held an air of wonder, like a soldier who still remembered very clearly the first time he witnessed a bomb exploding. He could remember every detail with prolific clarity.

"I treated her like shit. I don't know why. I just did. I was a stupid, selfish, immature kid. My parents didn't raise me to be like that. I knew the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, yet I still treated Isabella like she was good for nothing."

"You have no idea why?" Marcus interjected quickly.

Edward sighed and rolled on his back, shifting his focus to the ceiling. "I don't know. That evening that we met, at the beach? Man, she just … there was something about her, and I hated it. I hated how she looked at me. She really looked at me, but it was for the briefest of moments, and still, right now, I can see it in my head. How the fuck do you explain that? She was nine goddamn years old. And I was only twelve!" Edward's voice rose an octave. "We were kids!

"I couldn't stand the thought that she was around all the time. I guess I thought if I treated her like shit, she'd finally just go away, and I'd never have to see her again. But she stuck around, which says something about her, I guess."

"She was here today?" Marcus asked.

Edward closed his eyes, seeing her face, and he realized that he hadn't done enough to memorize her smile, because all he could see were her tears.

"Her mother was murdered. That's why I'm here."

Marcus pulled in a breath. "Jesus Christ, Edward. You killed her mother?"

Edward's head snapped over and he glared at Marcus. "No! I didn't! That's the thing." He sat up quickly, draping his legs over the edge of the bed. "I didn't kill Bella's mother, but everyone thinks I did."

Marcus blinked a few times, trying to wrap his brain around Edward's words. Edward ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. "I didn't kill Bella's mother," he said again.

"Then why-"

"Fuck if I know," Edward growled. "Because in some fucked up alternate universe, I walked into the house right after it happened, and Bella caught me there. Everything just exploded from there."

Marcus looked Edward right in the eye as he spoke. "Do you think you were framed?"

"Who the hell would frame me? Yeah, I pissed off a lot of people back then, but to frame me? What, as revenge?"

Marcus shrugged. "Back to Bella. Why did she visit today?"

"To tell me to stop writing her."

"Ah, so that's who all those letters have been to."

When Edward looked at him curiously, Marcus grinned. "I'm a light sleeper. I always wondered who you were writing to in the middle of the night."

"Well, it was all for naught, apparently. Her dad never gave her the letters, and then when she finally gets them, it doesn't matter. She sent me this…" His voice trailed as he reached for a box at the foot of his bed. When he opened it, he pulled out the letter on top and handed it to Marcus.

Marcus read it before letting out a low whistle. "I'm sorry, kid."

"I don't know why I even bothered. I mean, asking her to come see me?"

"But she did," Marcus offered.

"To more or less tell me to fuck off," Edward replied. "I can't blame her. She thinks I killed her mother, and the only thing she remembers about me is how I treated her when we were kids. I tried to apologize to her for that. I feel so fucking terrible for all of the shit that happened. I don't know if she believes me. I guess … I mean, how does someone get through to someone they've wronged? How could I make her believe how sorry I am? I apologized over and over again in my letters, and to her face today, but I don't think it registered. Fuck. It's not even about me being here when I shouldn't be. It's just everything. You can't imagine the regret I feel."

The two men sat there quietly for a moment before Marcus spoke up. "I'm sorry, Edward. This is a shitty hand you've been dealt. At least I can sleep at night, knowing I deserve to be here."

Edward put the lid back on the box and held it on his lap. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to go about this. I told them I didn't kill her, and no one believed me. The trial was just a wreck, and for some fucked up reason, twelve people sent me here."

"It happens, kid. A lot more than it should."

Edward continued, feeling something break open inside his chest. "My family, whether they believe I'm innocent or not, has practically forgotten I even exist. I guess to them, it's easier to pretend I was never there than to acknowledge that I'm locked away."

"What about your brother? He visits."

Edward sighed. "Emmett's a conundrum. He has a pure heart of gold. He may think I'm guilty, but I'm still his brother, and he won't forget me."

"Does he? Think you're guilty, I mean."

"I'd like to think he doesn't, but he's probably just as confused as the rest of them. There's not much he can do now, anyway, so why bother?"

"Why bother? Your brother needs to step up and figure this out, Edward. You need someone on your side."

"I asked Bella, but she won't help me."

"Of course not," Marcus answered, shaking his head. "Why should she?"

Indeed, Edward thought. "I asked my family once, a long time ago, if they would hire a private investigator, or someone who could do some digging, but it went nowhere. My attorney is an old friend of my dad's, and he put it in my dad's head that there's no way it could happen, that I'm living in a dreamland if I think I can get my name cleared."

"Your family won't fight for you? Edward, that's-"

"Sad? Pathetic? Believe me, I've thought it already. I can't do much else from here."

"But you planted the seed in Bella's head, Edward. Maybe that's enough."

Edward shook his head. "I can't think about that. I'm just going to have it let it go. This is my life now."

After she gained her composure, and the rain had calmed to sprinkles, Bella drove away from the prison and toward Port Angeles. She couldn't stop the thoughts that were rushing through her mind as Edward's words replayed. I feel like no one else can help me, but you can. I don't just want your forgiveness for everything, I want your help.

She wouldn't even know where to start. There certainly wasn't anyone she could ask for help, was there? And if she did start digging, and Charlie found out? She couldn't imagine how he would react.

She thought back to that day during the trial, when she was asked if her mother was seeing anyone. Bella had said no, she didn't think so. But what if she had been? What if Renee was dating someone?

Bella shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts. Surely, if Renee had been dating someone, it would have come out during the trial, or at least around that time. Renee had never been good at keeping things to herself.

She remembered when they were still in Phoenix, and Renee had thought she might be pregnant. She nearly burst at the seams while telling a fourteen-year-old Bella before she knew for sure, only to find out two days later she wasn't pregnant after all.

"How the hell do I even start?" Bella wondered aloud as she pulled up in front of the gym. She sat there for a minute, still clutching the wheel. She'd need the quiet time more than ever now, and was thankful she had let Jessica talk her into taking yoga classes. At first, she'd refused to go, saying it just wasn't her "cup of tea," but she eventually relented. Jessica had been right. Bella's self-confidence increased, as did her coordination. She was no longer the girl who tripped over air. The meditation also helped immensely. Bella often found herself doing her exercises the night before a big test, or when she knew she'd need to be on top of her game. It hadn't failed her yet.

She grabbed her bag and mat and went inside, heading for the locker room. After changing, she did her warm-ups and took a seat in the classroom. There were six other people there, aside from the instructor, and all were chatting about plans for the weekend.

Bella was kidding herself if she thought she'd be able to clear her head. As she moved into Sukhasana, it became clear that her mind just wasn't going to shut off.

"Bella, remember to breathe," the instructor said, walking around her. "Breathe, my dear. Let your breath carry those negative thoughts out of your body…"

Bella closed her eyes, but all she saw was Edward, seated behind glass, begging her to help him, to save his life.

"Remember, the wave and the ocean, they are one," the instructor said, her smooth voice washing over them. "Imagine you are standing by the ocean. Imagine a giant wave is heading for the shore. You're watching it intently. What do you feel? What do you smell? Close your eyes, let it wash over you, the sights and smells. Everything else is forgotten, but for you, and the wave. Now open your eyes. Do you remember, can you see that the wave and the ocean are but one?"

Bella took a deep breath and opened her eyes. And just like that, it was back. He was back. She was wasting her time at the gym that day, but she finished the class and packed up her things.

"Bella," the instructor called as she walked toward the door.

She turned to face the middle-aged woman as she walked toward her. She smiled softly, gently cupping Bella's face in her hands. "My dear, something has you greatly troubled. Whatever it is, know that it can't be greater than what your mind allows. I'm not fond of clichés, but one is coming to mind now. To see the sun, you have to look beyond the clouds."

She nodded. "Thank you, Zafrina."

"Anytime, my dear, anytime."

When she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she inhaled, letting the aroma of the recent rain fill her senses. That was one thing she definitely missed about Washington - the smell of rain.

As she walked a block to the nearest coffee shop, she stopped to look in the window of a boutique. She had never been much for shopping, but she remembered how Alice adored it and would always drag her along, using her as a live mannequin.

"Bella?"

Bella sucked in a breath when she heard the familiar voice behind her. She saw his reflection in the glass and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Emmett..." she said softly as she turned to face him.

He jiggled the keys in his hand as he stared at her. "So, you're back."

She swallowed nervously. Wait, why am I nervous? It's Emmett!

"I, um ... yeah."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Rose said she bumped into you."

"Yeah."

"Shit," Emmett muttered. Just talk to her, dumbass. She's a person. She's Bella, your kid sister...or not.

"Um, how ... how are you? How's Alice?" Bella finally forced out. "And your parents?"

Emmett appraised her more closely, noting the faint darkness under her eyes. She had grown into a beauty, but the sadness etched on her face made her look older than her twenty-two years.

"Oh, you know," he answered, shifting. He glanced down at the sidewalk, then back at her. "I gotta go. Uh, take care, huh?"

She watched as he turned abruptly and jogged across the street. A sob escaped her lips and she clutched at her chest. I didn't know it would hurt this much ... so much.

She ended up going back to her truck and once she was tucked inside, began to cry again. She had shed more tears over the last several hours than she had in years. Her phone beeped in her purse and she ignored it, her forehead pressed against the steering wheel. It was supposed to be getting easier, the pain, but instead, it was increasing. Every minute she thought about everyone she had lost. It was like being punched in the gut over and over again. Seeing Emmett had brought it all home. He was in her life for so many years, and then he was gone.

Emmett was sitting in his truck and had watched Bella hurry back to her own. He was a wreck, and really wanted nothing more than to chase her down and give her a hug. It wasn't her fault, any of it. He knew that, but somehow it seemed disloyal to Edward and the rest of his family to feel that way, though he thought that, deep down, none of his family had placed any blame on her.

Eventually, Bella's truck backed out and she drove away, in the direction of the highway that would take her to Forks. He couldn't even remember what he was doing downtown. He had dropped in at the station to see Rose, but she was wrapped up in a meeting with an attorney. He settled for waving at her through the window before he left, and that was when he ran into Bella.

His phone beeped and he looked at the screen. Alice...

"Hey, kiddo," Emmett said, trying to mask the pain he felt.

"Hi, Em!" she said excitedly. "Guess what?"

"Um ... I couldn't even. What?" Why is she always so goddamned happy?

"I'm on a plane!"

Oh. Oh! Christ, how could I forget? "You'll be here soon then, huh?"

She laughed, music to his ears. "My plane arrives in Seattle at eight. Mom said she's going to pick me up, but I was kind of hoping you could."

"I can't, Al, but I'll head over to get you tomorrow, okay?"

Alice sighed, and Emmett knew she was pouting, and he also knew that meant Alice always got her way. "But, Em, I really want to come back to Port Angeles tonight."

"Can't Jasper pick you up? Do you realize how late it'll be before we'd get back here?"

"I wanted to see Edward tomorrow, Em."

And it was true. Alice had made a decision to see her brother, and she was going to follow through with it.

"You can. Visiting hours are over at nine. We can make it there in plenty of time. And I'm sure Mom and Dad would like to spend some time with you before you run off."

"Alright, fine," Alice replied. "I just, I don't want …" Her voice trailed off, catching Emmett by surprise. Alice had never been unable to finish a sentence.

"You don't want what?"

"Mom and Dad are always so damn depressed. I can't take it! When I talk to them on the phone, it's always the same fucking thing. Dad zones out and then he hands the phone to Mom, who goes on and on about how he's never home anymore."

Emmett realized Alice's voice was choking up, and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Al, honey, are you crying?"

"No," she sniffled.

"Al, c'mon. It's okay. It'll be fine."

"I gotta go, Em. We're pulling out of the gate. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll call when I'm on my way."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too, Al."

He kept the phone pressed to his ear after the call disconnected. Seeing Bella had been one thing, but hearing his sister cry on the phone was another entirely. He had thought, long ago, that perhaps the pain would get easier, but he'd been proven wrong too many times.

He saw the pain in Bella's eyes, he heard it in Alice's voice, and he felt it in his gut.

The pain hadn't lessened, and it probably wouldn't anytime soon. They just did a really good job of keeping it at bay, most of the time.

Emmett pinched the bridge of his nose. It finally dawned on him that besides paying Rose a visit, he wanted to stop in the bookstore to see if he could find a book for Edward's birthday. He told Rose he thought a book might be a shitty gift to give his incarcerated brother for his twenty-fifth birthday, but what else was there? He couldn't exactly give him a gift card to Banana Republic.

He suddenly missed Alice more than ever, and tomorrow, she was going to have to help him pick out a gift.

Bella was glad to see that Charlie wasn't home when she arrived. She was a mess, and needed to take a shower before starting dinner. She certainly didn't want him to start asking her questions, because she was a horrible liar and he'd catch her immediately.

To make matters worse, she was wide awake at two a.m. that night, unable to get to sleep. She couldn't shut her mind off.

"This is useless," she mumbled, sitting up. She threw the covers off and walked downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. Her eyes landed on a different photo of her and Renee, this one taken when Renee and Charlie had accompanied Bella to Berkeley for freshman orientation. They stood smiling in front of a bear statue on campus, and Charlie was giving Renee rabbit ears.

"What should I do, Mom?" she whispered, touching the photo. A feeling of further unease settled in her stomach as she contemplated visiting the cemetery. Obviously, she hadn't been back since the funeral, and Bella knew she should go, even if all she did was sit in the truck. At least she would be close.

Bella quietly made her way back upstairs and into her room, closing the door. She woke her laptop and sat down, flipping on the desk lamp.

The internet appeared when she moved the mouse. "Okay," she whispered. "You can do this..."

She went to Google and typed in 'Renee Swan.'

A crack of thunder caused her to jump and she rolled her eyes.

Search results for Renee Swan

The first thing that popped up was a phone listing. Bella didn't recognize the number. Puzzled, she quickly wrote it down and made a mental note to call tomorrow.

Her eyes went to the window when the rain started pelting the glass. She turned back to the screen.

She followed the news link and waited as the computer thought about her request. "Oh, come on," she muttered.

The page finally appeared and her mom stared back at her. Bella gasped, running the mouse pointer over the photo.

Woman found slain in Forks police chief's home

Bella closed her eyes, her mind going back to that day. Every detail was still crystal clear in her mind. But now, she wanted to see something new, something she might have missed before, something that meant Edward wasn't responsible.

Bella scanned the list of headlines on the screen.

Suspect sought in Swan murder

Son of prominent Forks doctor arrested in Swan murder case

Bella clicked the second headline just as the lights flickered.

Edward Cullen, the 22-year-old son of prominent Forks General doctor Carlisle Cullen, has been arrested and charged for the murder of Renee Elizabeth Cooper.

Cooper, 39, was found dead in her home on May 17th. She had been stabbed four times.

Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan, 40, the ex-husband of Cooper, said he is relieved that the arrest came quickly.

"I'd like to thank the sheriff and his team for expediting their investigation. The people of Forks can rest easy now," Swan said.

Formal charges by the state attorney's office are expected.

The lights flickered again, but Bella moved forward. This time, she googled "wrongly accused."

Bella was exasperated as she looked at all the results. There had to be an easier way to find out if her research would be worth it. She perused the links until she found one titled "DNA as Evidence in the Courtroom."

She clicked the link and scanned the first page. The phrase "dozens of wrongly-convicted men have been pardoned and released" leaped out at her before she could process anything else.

...dozens of wrongly-convicted men have been pardoned and released.

But then she read about how the chances of DNA testing being wrong the first time were slim to none, and how DNA matches were almost always the reason anyone would be or could be convicted.

She remembered the DNA expert that took the stand at the trial, and how he had explained that even though Edward's DNA had been found on Renee, under her fingernails, the DNA could also match any male. In her limited knowledge of science, Bella knew that everyone shared a little of the same DNA, just as the expert had explained.

"Layman's terms, Mr. Henry," the prosecutor stated.

"Let me explain it this way," Mr. Henry started. "Mr. Cullen shares a DNA trait with the rest of the male species. Once that trait has been excluded, it leaves his unique DNA marker, which is what we use to identify him specifically."

"Am I right to assume that shared DNA trait was excluded?"

"Yes."

"And it left Mr. Cullen's unique marker?"

"Yes, but..."

"Was any other DNA found on the victim?"

"Not that can be matched with any other specific male or female, no."

The prosecutor turned to face the gallery, a smile on his face. "Nothing further, Your Honor."

Bella pulled her reporter's notebook out of her purse and began jotting down notes as she read the page. In the end, she was left with more questions than answers, and the desire to pour over the DNA expert's testimony again was eating away at her.

She wondered if those two files she had found on her desk, and subsequently lost, contained anything she could use. Had someone at the paper requested the discovery? Those two files weren't that large, and definitely not large enough to be the case discovery.

"Request case discovery," Bella wrote in her notebook, followed by "FIND THOSE FILES!"

Chapter End Notes: Okay, the next chapter is going to be really long. I thought about splitting it in two, but I think it'll work better as one. Emmett and Alice go to visit Edward, and it doesn't go so well. We also get some insight into the Cullens overall.

"A Thousand Leaves" has been nominated for an Avante-Garde award AND for a Sparkleteer award! That's soooo cool! I'm in awe that someone nominated this little story! I'll post links on my profile, blog and Twitter when voting begins. You know, in case anyone wants to vote for ATL.

If anyone is wondering what "Sukhasana" is, you can google it. It's the most basic yoga pose, and one you've probably seen a dozen times.

Links to my Twitter, my blog, and the Twilighted thread for this story are on my profile page.

See you next Monday!