A/N: Pardon my absence, a few days before Christmas my uncle became extremely ill and a few days in to the New Year he passed away so I've been helping my grandparents and other family members.

I will be back on schedule starting today though, so here is the new chapter. Let me know what you think :)

Bella stepped through the door that led to Edward's 'control room' and looked around. The entire perimeter was lined with large computer screens.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Bella asked, watching him sit at the desk located in the center of the room.

"I learned while I was away at boarding school." Edward glanced up at her then pointed to a chair next to him. He logged in and started typing away on one of the screens.

"So, I'm just going to pretend this never happened?"

"That's the idea … yeah." He paused and shifted in his seat. "If you don't want to do this, we don't have to. You can just go ahead and call the detective in charge of my case, but chances are he won't tell you anything because Seth's your partner."

"I know, I know." She sighed and rubbed her hands over her thighs.

"You act like you've never done anything illegal before. Were you the good little girl in high school? You know, the virgin that never spoke up in class and did extra reading assignments in her free time?"

Bella glowered at Edward. "You have no idea what I was like in high school, but I can assure you that was not me."

Edward nodded and continued to type furiously on his keyboard. Bella recognized the internal server from her job, where she normally typed up reports. Within a few seconds, the file from his case was in front of her.

"There's nothing in here about Seth…" Bella's brow furrowed as she looked over the document then to Edward.

"Then why would they be naming him as a suspect?"

"I have no idea. Nothing is going to be figured out until I talk to Roberts," She sighed picking up her phone.

"You're going to call him at 2:30 in the morning?" Edward smirked.

"Edward, someone is framing my partner, and I need to know who. This whole case is just one, giant cluster fuck." She groaned. "The minute he took it away from me everything went to hell in a hand basket."

"Well, don't you work tomorrow?" Edward inquired, shutting down his computer.

"Yes."

"Why don't you just ask him tomorrow, or look in the file? I can come in and distract him for you, if you'd like." Edward's face lit up in a bright smile.

"No thanks, I got it." Bella chuckled and stepped from the room.

"Madame." Bella stared at the man who answered the door the first night she came to the house.

"Butler." She responded with a nod of her head and a smile. Bella didn't miss the scowl on his face as he carried linens down the hall.

"Be nice to him, Isabella."

"Me?" She whipped around, her mouth open in shock. "He's the one who should be nice to me. Do you have any idea how rude he was to me the night I showed up?"

"Yes, well, I might've complained about you an awful lot before you showed. What exactly did he do that was rude?"

"He rolled his eyes at me after I told him my name." Bella crossed her arms and watched as Edward's jaw tightened.

"I do apologize about that, and it will be handled, he should conduct himself in the highest professional manner possible."

She suddenly felt guilty. "Don't get on to him."

"He's not a child Isabella, Winston has worked for me for a long time."

"Winston, huh?" She glanced down the hall where he had disappeared.

"Yes…" Edward slipped past her into the hall. "Leave him be." He jerked his head towards the stairs but instead of going down, he took the second set that led towards the third floor.

"Where are you going?"

"I want to talk to you, if that's okay. If you're tired, I understand." Edward stood, shuffling his weight between the fourth and fifth step.

"No, that's fine. I'm not having sex with you though." She jogged up the stairs, leaving Edward behind.

O…O

"So what's on your mind, Skipper?" Bella followed Edward down a dimly lit hallway.

"Skipper?"

Bella shrugged. "It was the first name that came to mind."

"As opposed to my actual name?" He smiled.

"Which one; Edward or Anthony?"

Edward looked over at her, his eyes searching her features.

"My name is Edward, and it always has been. Even though my parents put Anthony on my birth certificate, they called me Edward."

"All part of the master plan, eh?"

He nodded and pushed open the double doors at the end of the hall.

"The study."

Bella glanced around the room; bookcases were built into all four walls, leaving small breaks for doors, windows and paintings.

"Impressive." She replied and sat down on one of the leather couches, the warmth from the fire instantly soaking past her clothing.

"Impressive? That's all I get? I worked for eight months on this place." Edward laughed and walked over to sit next to her.

"I don't really have time to read, so this is … impressive." She shrugged.

"You should always make time for the literary arts." He waved a hand towards the shelves.

"Between my thirty-six hour shifts and three a.m. call outs?"

"I suppose your life is rather unstable."

Bella barked out a laugh.

"You live two lives and mine is unstable? That's funny."

"It's not that hard, I focus mainly on my political career, anything … pressing would be handled by me after hours."

"How do you do it? Aren't you afraid you'll slip?"

Edward looked somberly towards the fire.

"Not really, I've been living this lie for nearly twenty years."

Bella picked at the edge of the couch, sensing the tension rolling from his body.

"It must get lonely."

"I guess that's why I was so excited to talk to you. When you found out, I was so thrilled that there was one other person, one person, that I could be myself with – someone who knew all the lies and was still willing to talk to me. I mean my family knows, obviously, but they'd rather focus on my other side of business, my colleagues all want to talk about my political career. There is no one who knows both sides, and still just talks to me."

"Is that why you threatened to kill me if I walked away?" She joked.

"I'd never kill you Isabella; you were my only friend when we were kids."

"What was it like in boarding school?" She quickly changed the topic.

"It was … lonely at first."

"Lonely? How so?" Bella stretched her legs then tucked them beneath her.

"No one knew who I was. I couldn't say my name was Cullen, that wasn't part of the plan, and I was picked on and teased relentlessly. Sixteen days after arriving, I ran away. I lived on the streets of London for six months until I was finally found, and hauled back to Westminster School. The school was aware of my lineage, and my family paid well for their secrecy."

Bella shook her head. "This is all so surreal – things like this just don't happen. Underbosses sent to prestigious boarding schools, living life under a pseudo name so that they can rise to political power and keep their ties to the underworld." She sighed.

"It's very real, Isabella, at least in my world."

Edward leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. Bella allowed herself a moment to look at him, actually look at him, and take in his features. He seemed tired, lines of exhaustion tracing his mouth and eyes. There were faint circles under his eyes and his body sagged with fatigue.

"You should sleep," Bella stood, patting his knee. "I'll show myself out."

"Isabella," Edward grabbed her wrist. "I drove you here, remember?"

He had yet to open his eyes.

"I can catch a cab."

"Why don'cha just stay here?" He offered with a yawn.

"When you get tired, your accent shows," Bella laughed. "Here I thought your fancy boarding school had rid you of it."

"Nah, it's still there." He smirked and looked up at her.

"I'm going to go, Edward, get some rest." She released her wrist from his grip and unconsciously ran her hand through his hair as she walked past, causing a groan to rumble deep in his chest.

"I'll take you." He stood, stretching out his tired limbs with another groan.

"Edward, really," Bella stood in front of him and placed her hands on his chest to try and get him back towards the couch. "Please go to bed, you're exhausted, and I can find my way back to your place. I've made it this far by myself." She smiled up at him.

Edward wrapped his fingers around her wrists and leaned down, pressing his mouth against hers. They stood like that for a second, his lips sliding along hers and Bella nervously trying to figure out what she should do. She surmised it had to do with his sleep-laden brain. When Bella began to protest, his tongue slid into her mouth, gliding along her own. Edward pulled her bottom lip into his mouth, running his teeth over it.

She found herself moaning, his hands sliding down her arms, continuing across her ribs to her hips where he gripped her tightly. She began to kiss him back, her hands moving into his hair. Bella's tongue danced with his, Edward's body hard against her as he walked her back to the couch. When Bella came in contact with the back of the couch, she pushed him away.

"Edward…" She looked up at him, her lips swollen from his kiss and her cheeks marked with a blush.

"Shit, I'm sorry." He gripped a handful of his hair.

"It's all right, we're both tired and it's," She checked her watch. "Almost five a.m."

Edward looked at her, his green eyes tracing every inch of her face for the hundredth time that night.

"I shouldn't have done that."

"Oh shut up, we're adults, and it was a kiss, stop acting like you had a drunken one night stand with me. Now, I'm going to go back to your apartment and shower then go to work. You should rest up before your big speech about school lunches."

"How do you know about that?" He smirked.

"I read your itinerary." Bella smiled.

Edward chuckled and led her from the study.

"What will I ever do with you?"

O…O

Bella sat across from Seth, watching him read a magazine as she pretended to type up a report. There's no way Bella wouldn't know if Seth was involved. Someone had to be setting him up. The only problem was who would set her partner up for these murders and why. Did they do it because of her? Was Seth getting too close to something as well, but had failed to mention it to her? Her eyes darted to the Masen files that sat next to her. The temptation was much too great.

Bella stood, walking to her captain's office, pushing the door open.

"Captain?"

Jacob looked up from behind his desk.

"Swan?"

"I came in here wanting to know why the hell you took me off the Masen case."

"Because ever since you started the case a lot of shit has happened, in case you've failed to notice. You were abducted, had the shit beat out of you, oh and your apartment was blown to hell."

"Yes but … if I back down it means they've won. You have to assign me back to the case, Captain."

"No, I don't." He looked back down to the countless papers that littered his desk.

"Jacob…" Bella sighed. "You have to do this. Come on." They had known each other for years, and Bella knew Jacob in and out, including the feelings he used to harbor for her.

Jacob's eyes shot to Bella.

"That's highly unprofessional of you, Detective Swan, you will remember that I am the captain of this unit and you are under my command. I suggest you get back to your desk and do work on whatever case I assign or you will find yourself directing traffic at the local school for the rest of your career."

Bella was taken aback, not even when she had pushed the boundaries before, yelling and cursing at her captain, had he ever reacted in such a manner.

"This case is fucking with everyone!" She growled before leaving his office, slamming the door behind her. Bella threw herself back into her chair, the familiar groan of the metal crying out.

"Problem?" Seth asked, looking at her across their desks.

"Our captain is an asshole."

"Well yes, but why now?"

"Do you know why he took me off of Masen's case?"

"He thinks that you're romantically involved with him."

"Well yes, you made sure of that." Bella bit off, glaring at her partner.

"It was an accident, Bells." Seth glanced around the bullpen. "So what's the real problem here?"

She contemplated telling him, exposing the truth about the file and admitting to stealing it for her own, personal knowledge.

"You're a suspect." Bella blurted out.

Seth paled, his hands freezing on top of his desk.

"What?"

"You're a suspect with the murders." She motioned towards Roberts' desk where the box still sat, untouched by anyone but herself.

"How do you know?"

"I saw your picture in the lineup when I dropped a file off for him the other night." She lied easily.

"They use us all the time when we look like the suspect."

"Yes, but your name was on the back, Seth, not someone else's." Bella lowered her voice, chancing a look around. "I think someone's framing you."

"Why me?" He croaked out.

"I do-," Her sentence was cut off by the doors to their precinct slamming against the walls; heavy footfalls neared her desk. Bella turned at the sound, immediately recognizing the captain of Internal Affairs along with his goons.

"Detective Clearwater, please stand." Captain Voluturi spoke out, his voice definite and full of command.

Seth stood, fear and disbelief etched into his features.

"Seth Clearwater, you're under arrest for the murders of Kimberly Rains, Heather Martin, Gemma Anderson, Taylor Jackson, Lindsey White, Whitney Locke and Ashley Carter. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say, can and will be, held against you in the court of law. You have right to an attorney," He removed Seth's gun from his hip, placing it on Seth's desk before securing his arms behind his back. "If you cannot afford one, one-,"

"What the fuck is going on?" Bella shot from her chair.

The two detectives that had accompanied Aro Volturi stood in front of Bella, shielding her from her partner.

"Answer me dammit!" She pushed the detectives out of the way, standing before the captain.

"Out of the way Swan, you know the rules; we're taking him down to our house." He replied sharply.

"This is a mistake!"

"I'm sure you think so, but we have an eye witness." He sidestepped her, pushing Seth towards the doors.

"An eye witness? To all seven murders? Are you that fucking stupid?" She spat out, watching her partner disappear between the doors with one glance back at her.

"Captain!" She yelled, running towards his office. "Jacob!" She threw the door open, her eyes wide. "They took Seth, they like him for the murders."

"I know Swan."

Bella paused, thinking surely that she had heard her captain wrong.

"What?" She glared at him.

"I know that they took him, they informed me this morning that they would be coming to pick him up. They didn't want to do it at his home."

"And you just let it happen – without any warning to either of us?" She threw her hands in the air, Bella's voice escalating with each word.

"I couldn't warn him, Bella, I was under strict orders not to intervene. I have a lawyer at IA awaiting his arrival."

"A fucking Union Rep? Captain, their job is to do paperwork and make sure we can still get our pension after we're fired! You've got to be kidding me with this shit!"

"I have done all that I am capable of, Swan!" Jacob yelled, slamming his fists against the desk. "We have to wait."

Bella left his office, bypassing her desk and running out the doors.

She was going to figure this out and clear her partner.

O…O

Bella stood at the edge of the crowd in Armour Square, watching Edward deliver a speech on stage. Everyone was in awe, listening to him speak about school reform and healthier lunches as if he was speaking about how he would singlehandedly turn the economy around, and give everyone ten thousand dollars. Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes. She hated election season.

She continuously checked her phone, waiting to hear from Lyla about how Seth was doing. She had called her immediately after leaving the station, letting her know what was going on, but leaving out the part about being suspected of murder. Instead, she had said she was unsure as to why he was arrested, but she would find out as soon as possible.

"Detective Swan?" Bella looked to her left, noticing an unfamiliar redhead.

"Yes?" She stepped back when the woman moved closer to her.

"I was instructed to come get you."

Bella's brow furrowed, her hand twitched towards her hip. "I'm sorry? By who exactly?"

"Mr. Masen, of course." She smiled and held her hand out towards the stage Edward had previously occupied.

"Of course," Of course he had noticed her. "Where is he now?"

"In his car," She nodded her head behind Bella and led her towards the town car. "Will you be needing anything else, Mr. Masen?" The girl asked when she opened the door.

"That's all Julie, thank you."

Bella slipped into the car, letting the door slam closed behind her.

"What are you doing here, Isabella, is everything okay?" He asked anxiously, scanning her body for injuries.

"I'm fine, it's Seth." She muttered, glancing towards the driver. "He was arrested by Internal Affairs this morning, and they're holding him down at the thirty-fourth precinct. They won't tell me anything, and my fucking captain got him a union rep, which won't help him at all, and I need to find a lawyer. I can pay for one, but then I remembered you have a law degree, right?" Her words came out faster than Bella had anticipated.

"I do, but I'm not a practicing attorney, Bella. I can get you someone though." Edward quickly pulled his phone from his pocket, but Bella covered it with her hand.

"I need someone good, Edward, someone that will get him out of there."

"Don't worry, I can help. Who arrested him?"

"Aro fucking Volturi, the captain of IA."

Edward's hand tightened around his phone and his body became tense.

"Volturi?' His eyes flicked to hers.

"Yes…? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'll go take care of Seth." Edward barked at his driver, telling him where to go and dialed another number on his phone. He spoke quickly in what Bella assumed was Italian while she glanced out the window.

In eighth grade, her teacher told her it would be more beneficial to take French as opposed to Italian, and now look at her. Bella laughed at the thought, shaking her head.

"Non me ne importa un cavolo." Edward growled. "I'm tired of this, and I refuse to do this with them, but if it has to be done, it will be, and we'll come out on top. Abbiamo lottato col suo famiglia prima e ha vinto."

The way Edward ran between Italian and English made it even harder for Bella to try and translate what he was saying, add the mob speak, and it was downright impossible.

Edward hung up the phone muttering under his breath.

"Egli è un cazzone, I can tell you that." He looked at her.

"What?" Bella looked confused causing Edward to laugh.

"I apologize; I forget that you don't understand what I'm saying." He went back to his phone, sending a text message to someone before the car stopped in front of IA Headquarters.

O…O

Two hours later Bella found herself on the same bench that she had sat down on when they arrived. Because Seth was her partner, they refused to let her go anywhere near the interrogation rooms, so she was sanctioned to the waiting area just outside. No matter how much she had begged Edward, he refused to tell her anything about what was going on, and had disappeared inside the station, stating he was Seth's lawyer.

The doors swung open causing Bella's head to snap up, but it was just another uniform running out to answer a call. She sighed leaning her head back against the wall.

"This is such a clusterfuck." She muttered, crossing her legs and glancing down the hallway.

"Isabella?" She looked towards the doors.

"What happened in there?" She asked Edward, darting up from the bench.

"They claim that there was an eye-witness but kept refusing to put him in a lineup. I asked multiple times for a lineup, or for them to release him and they kept refusing. Finally, when I asked for what evidence they had to hold him, they showed me several emails between Seth and one of the victims, asking specific questions about others on my staff."

"That wasn't Seth! It couldn't have been."

"Calm down Isabella." Edward held his hand up. "I have a copy of the information, and I'll see what I can find from his computer."

"I can get our CSU team on it." Bella offered, reaching for her cell. Edward covered her hand and leaned forward, dropping his voice.

"They've taken it into evidence, they have it hooked up, and they're running through the evidence now. I'm not going through the normal channels. I need to make a few calls though, and I'll get back with you tonight, but for now," Edward straightened, buttoning his suit jacket as he raised his voice to a normal level. "I have a lunch to attend with the Governor." He smiled the walked from the building.

Bella sighed looking around.

"Well now what?" She kicked the doors to the precinct open and strolled down the steps towards the sidewalk.

O…O

"Do you have an update?" Bella asked.

"No, they're still not telling me anything Bella. What am I supposed to do?" Lyla asked.

"Just keep calling, they have to tell you eventually. I would advise getting a lawyer for yourself, though, Lyla. I've called someone, and it's already been paid for. She should be contacting you in the morning."

"Thank you, Bella." She sighed into the phone. "I'll call them first thing in the morning and see what I can find out."

"I'll call you if I hear anything." Bella disconnected the phone just as the elevator dinged. She walked towards the front of the apartment, pulling open the door that separated the living area and foyer.

"Did you even check the peephole?" Edward asked.

"You said it yourself; this is the safest place in the city." Bella walked from the door, leaving Edward behind.

"Yes Isabella, but people could still get up here."

She glanced back at him. "Well I hope not, my gun's upstairs." She sat back at the bar to finish eating her dinner. "So what'd you find?"

"There was a virus placed on Seth's computer but nothing concrete. I have a bad feeling that they're going to plant something if it stays up there any longer."

"Yeah, but you can find out if they do that, right?"

Edward removed his jacket, hanging it over the back of a chair.

"Theoretically, yes. Luckily it's a lot easier to prove something was planted on a computer than say, a gun at a crime scene."

Bella nodded, leaning back.

"This is good news, right? They've found the virus on his computer, and they'll be able to trace it."

"If they want to trace it, yes, but if it reveals something they'd rather keep quiet then odds are they won't report it."

"What do you mean if it reveals something they'd want to keep quiet?" Her brow furrowed.

Edward rubbed his face.

"I'm saying, if this leads higher than you two are in the precinct, they'll pin it on Seth, and there's nothing I'd be able to do about it; legally anyway."

Translations:

Non me ne importa un cavolo – I don't give a damn

Abbiamo lottato col suo famiglia prima e ha vinto – We fought with his family before and won

Egli è un cazzone – He's a dick