Chapter 12 – Stars and Satellites~

It was a warm evening, so we weren't worried about anyone getting cold, but Edward decided he should get the Cullens to bed anyway.

"I'll be right back," he said quietly, and then disappeared into the sliding elevator door.

I walked over and looked at each of the Cullens to make sure they seemed comfortable, and they did, which only made things that much harder. They looked just like they always did, so it was difficult to imagine that they would be different when they woke up the next morning.

Edward came back with a wheelchair, and brought it over to Rose, who was the closest. The wheelchair had straps and a head support, which were all undone so he could get them in easier.

"Here, let me help you," I said and hurried over to try and get Rose's legs in the right position.

"I got it, you shouldn't be lifting anyway," he said.

"I'm fine, and I don't want you dropping her," I insisted.

"Bella, I do this all the time, I know how to do it safely."

"Ok, you're right, I'm sorry," I told him, realizing that I'd probably just end up getting in the way.

One by one Edward picked them up, put them in the wheelchair, and then brought them down the elevator. It took over an hour, and by the time he reached Emmett, who he saved for last, it was obvious that he was tired, but he never complained.

I watched curiously as he tangoed with Emmett in order to move his massive form onto the wheelchair. All the while, he was careful not to hurt him, or even wake him; it was truly amazing. When Edward finished putting Em to bed, he came back to the roof where I was still sitting and currently looking at the stars. I just couldn't get enough of the awe inspiring beauty of the night sky, and I was so grateful Edward showed me the place; I knew I would have completely snapped eventually if I was never able to go outside again.

Edward didn't even ask if I was ready to go inside, because it was obvious that I wasn't, plus being able to be alone together was definitely not something either of us were ready to give up just yet.

"So how often do you take them out here when they can't come by themselves?" I asked as he came and sat next to me.

"I wish I could say every day, because I know that's what I should be doing, but when they're out, it's really the best time for me to dive into my research. But definitely every few days or so."

"You know, you really put too much pressure on yourself," I told him. "You're only one person."

"Well, I got them into this. I showed them what their lives could be, and I just haven't followed through. I need to figure it all out, and Bella, I promise you, I will. I'll find the cure, and make sure our child is healthy," he said with conviction while looking into my eyes intensely.

"I know you will," I said, sure in that moment that he would. If a cure was possible, Edward wouldn't stop until he found it. I believed that without a doubt, but my only fear was that he'd become obsessed and lose himself in the process.

We reclined on the grass, and stared at the blanket of diamonds above us, and confused stars and satellites. It was hilarious that two scientific minds could be so clueless when it came to deciphering space object, and we spent a few hours just laughing and playfully arguing about it.

"That is definitely a star," he'd say.

"No way, it's moving," I'd argue.

"It only looks like it's moving because the world is spinning. If it was a satellite then it would be moving a lot faster than that," he tried convincing me, but I wasn't buying it.

"Satellites aren't airplanes, and they're a lot further away too. There is no way they would move any faster than that," I told him.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," he conceded. "Do you remember when we were kids…. you said that each star was someone's wish, waiting to be fulfilled?"

"You remember that?" I whispered, feeling like I was going to cry again, but I fought it off because I ached to know exactly what he was thinking in that moment.

He smiled. "After I was brought here, I argued with Carlisle for months over it. He was teaching me about the universe, and when he said that stars were just burning balls of gas billions of miles away, I told him that he was wrong and a liar."

"Are you serious?" I asked feeling bad that he had taken my words so literally and believed in them so strongly that he would get into an argument over it… But I guess, in a way, it made me feel really good as well. I had made some kind of impact on him back then, and that was worth more than gold.

"Even now, I still look up at night and worry about all the unanswered wishes up there," he continued softly. "I always think that if I could just fix one of them… maybe there would be a star falling."

"Stars fall every night," I whispered, but he shook his head.

"Not here. I've stared up that sky every night since the day I first came here, and I haven't seen a single shooting star."

I scooted closer to him and gently placed my finger tips on his jaw, and guided his face towards mine so he'd look me in the eye. What I only saw a glimpse of before, was there full force in his eyes as suddenly Teddy was staring back at me. Of course it was him, and if he had let his guard down before and showed me that side of him, there was no way I'd ever not see it.

There wasn't even a thought to move, but my lips were on his and moving slowly, as if it was uncharted territory. It was the first time that we had kissed since I found out the truth, and it was the first time that I realized my true feelings. I knew I loved Edward from the beginning; it was as effortless as falling. I just closed my eyes and jumped, hoping my chute would open and I'd find my way safely. But that was the moment that I truly allowed myself to feel what had always been there before… a true love for Teddy.

I always played off the intense connection I had for him. He couldn't express himself, and I doubted he could even understand, but our bond went far beyond the limitations that our bodies kept us locked in, and I realized as his lips caressed mine that I was always meant to be with him.

I was never a religious type of person, in science it was hard to be, but had Teddy really died, I knew that when it came to my time to pass away, I would have found him in the next place and we would have been together in that way. Perhaps that was why I always kept myself locked away from finding a real relationship; maybe I could never give my heart because it always belonged to him.

Edward swore that he had nothing to do with me getting hired at KRO, but if he wasn't there, I knew I would have never gone either. I needed him, and somehow we found our way back to each other without even having to leave this world to do it.

"Oh shit!" he yelled, knocking me out of my reverie.

"What?" I asked anxiously.

"There was… a…" he said in disbelief and pointed at the sky.

"Shooting star," I said with a smile.

"Yeah," he breathed.

"See? I was right about the wishes all along," I said smugly.

"So whose wish was just granted then?" he asked amused.

"Mine," I stated.

He smiled, but then got serious again. "Doesn't this whole thing… freak you out a bit?"

"What?" I asked confused.

"Me… Us. I mean, knowing what I was, doesn't it… make you want to stop? I don't want you to be with me because you feel like you have to, or because you're pregnant with my baby, or…"

I pressed my lips back to his, mainly to shut him up. He was beginning to ramble and although I thought it was adorable, I needed him to know what I had just realized. I kissed him intensely, and he returned my movements but still seemed reserved, so I knew it was time to explain.

"I love you, so much more than I could ever truly understand. And I loved you before too. I always pushed away my feelings because I thought they were illogical and hopeless, but… we were meant to be together. It's taken a series of impossible events to get us here, but this is exactly where we were always supposed to be." And then I said something that I never would have thought would ever come out of my lips. "I want you to make love to me, Teddy."

He stared at me for a moment, probably in as much shock as I was, and then his lips were back on mine. It was wonderfully odd that we were outside and didn't have to worry about anyone coming out to see us, because we weren't about to stop at that point. It was the only place we could really be alone, so that was where we wanted to be.

I unbuttoned his pants, and he did the same with mine. We completely stripped until there was nothing left between us. Everything was exposed that night, our bodies, but also our hearts and souls. I felt like we couldn't possibly get any closer, and I knew I truly found my place in the world. It didn't matter that I was a virtual prisoner; I was with him, so I was right where I needed to be.

We slept wrapped up together, outside on that roof all night, and I didn't think his palm left my breast the entire time. I giggled to myself quietly as he started unconsciously kneading it while he slept. He was almost like a teenager in that way; completely obsessed with my boobs as if they were the greatest thing on earth, which was more than fine by me.

The crisp chill of the morning air didn't even bother me as I fought consciousness, I just snuggled closer to him, almost to the point where I was practically under him, using his body to keep me warm. If he was cold, he never complained.

"Good morning," I whispered against his skin after he began to stir.

"It is after waking up like this," he replied with a lazy smile.

"What, with your hand on my boob?" I joked.

He smiled again, except this time it was like a child caught sneaking a cookie. "Of course… you do have lovely breasts, but that's just aesthetics."

"What else is there?" I asked playfully.

I was expecting a witty comeback, but instead he shocked me by becoming serious, however it was in a soft way that conveyed the sincerity of his emotions.

"Sometimes when I see you, especially in moments like this when we're so close that I could feel your breath, I forget where we are and how far we've come. Suddenly I'm fourteen again, and I want so badly to reach out and touch your face, or feel the softness of your skin… and I just can't move. I'm paralyzed, locked in the memory of the way it was before, and for those torturous moments, I hate the world. I hate myself for not being stronger, and I hate you for making me love you so much…"

He paused and was quiet for a time, and my heart was absolutely breaking for him. "Oh Edward," I murmured, but that wasn't the point he was trying to relay; he didn't want my sympathy, he just wanted me to understand what he was feeling.

His hand moved from my breast up my body to my face, where he caressed my cheek gently. "But I'm not helpless. I'm not a prisoner of my own body anymore, and I can touch you. I just don't know what I'd do if I ever lost that ability again. I've been such an… ass about the pregnancy, and I'm sorry… I'm just afraid of losing you."

"I know," I whispered, and it was true, I did understand his fears, but at the same time, it didn't change my feelings on the subject either. He fought for the ability to live, and it was my turn to do the same for our baby, and that was exactly what I intended to continue to do. But despite our opposition on the topic, I could never love him less.

As much as I wanted to stay that way in his arms forever, we both had places we needed to be. I had my morning testing to be done, and Edward needed to go to work in the labs, so we reluctantly pried ourselves apart, and got dressed.

After my testing, I went to visit the Cullens for a while, though it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. To see them so restrained in their own bodies, was absolutely heartbreaking. None of them could speak, and it didn't seem as though they understood much that went on around them.

They all had various degrees of severity. Most of them were physical disorders which required them to need a nurse's constant attention, so there were two there assigned to their every need. Emmett was probably the best out of all of them. He had an aggressive form of muscular dystrophy, and since the brain is a muscle, he was definitely slower mentally than normal, but he still seemed to have the highest level of awareness. Alice was able to somewhat function, but when looking in her eyes, I could tell she had no idea who I was, and I recalled Edward saying that she never remembered anything from when she was in that state.

But out of all of them, Jasper was definitely the worst. His muscles worked fine, and his brain was fully functional, but none of his senses were able to process anything, leaving him without a way to communicate. He couldn't see, hear, taste, or smell, he couldn't even learn sign language the way Helen Keller did, because he had no way to feel the signs. He basically sat in a black hole of nothingness until he was brought out of it. They had to tube feed him, because there was no way for him to feel his food in his mouth in order to chew and swallow. It was absolutely horrifying, and even if no one else got a cure, I really hoped we'd find a way to make his life a little more bearable.

Over the next couple of weeks, I got used to a new routine. Edward was ridiculously still not allowed in my apartment alone with me, and we weren't about to sleep with someone watching us all night, so we set up a tent and slept on the roof lawn. After making love to him knowing he was Teddy for the first time, I never had any more issues uniting Edward and Teddy into one person again. I saw Edward as Teddy, and when I thought of Teddy, I thought of him as Edward. For the first few days however, I wondered if perhaps I should call him Teddy again, but then I remembered how he told me that Teddy was the name of his medical case, and he didn't want to be known as just a case, so I stuck to calling him Edward.

Every morning we'd crawl out of our tent and sit on the swing they had set up out there, and ate breakfast together. Afterwards, we'd each go to our separate apartments to shower and dress for the day. He went off to his lab work at that point, and I'd have my morning blood test done. I'd then spend the rest of the morning with the Cullens. I mostly just talked to them, or read out loud, just as I had done with Teddy so many years before. Usually, Edward and I would meet back for lunch, sometimes have a quickie, and then we'd go back to lab and work together for awhile.

Carlisle, Edward, and even Aro were all pleasantly shocked that I was doing so well. I was entering my fifteenth week of pregnancy, and actually feeling pretty good. My nausea and tiredness seemed to alleviate, and I was even putting on some weight. They said all the women carrying fetuses with Lytchenstein Kolff Disease were unable to gain any weight - The babies grew, but the mothers were practically starved because of issues with the umbilical cord, but I didn't feel anything that they said I would, which really gave me hope.

When the Cullens were given the enzyme again, the first thing Alice noticed was that I had followed through and dyed Jasper's hair for him, and the second thing she noticed, was that there was definitely a bulge on my abdomen.

"Ooo, time to go shopping," she said excitedly.

"I wish," I said honestly. Though I absolutely hated shopping, getting out of the compound for even a few hours would have been amazing.

"Are your clothes getting tight?" Rose asked excitedly.

"Yeah, but I mostly wear scrubs in the lab, so those still fit, and Carmen picked up some maternity outfits the last time she went out."

"Well, 'some' isn't enough, and those scrubs are hideous. Are you performing surgery?" Alice asked with a disgusted tone.

"No," I said confused. Alice knew exactly what I did, so I didn't understand her question.

"Well, then you don't need scrubs."

"Alice, you know we're supposed to wear them in lab to keep it a germ free environment," I told her.

"So, they're still ugly," she mumbled bitterly.

"I can't believe we're actually going to have a real baby here," Rose said with quiet excitement.

I smiled at her anticipation. "You really like babies, don't you?" I said, realizing just how supportive she had been since the beginning of my pregnancy.

"I've never been able to get too close to one before, but a baby girl smiled at me in Paris once. I wanted to hold her so bad, but the mother was freaked by my tears."

"Babe, she was freaked out because you asked her if it was real or a doll while crying hysterically," Emmett explained.

"They make very life like dolls these days," she said defensively.

"Well you can definitely hold my baby when its born. Who knows, maybe someday you'll even be able to have one of your own."

She smiled sadly. "All of us are sterile. The medication to stabilize the compound destroyed our reproductive capability… That's why your baby is such a miracle. I can't wait to hold him or her."

"Well, if a miracle can happen for Edward, one might just happen for you too," I told her, trying to keep her hope alive, because sometimes hope was all you had to keep you going.

She shrugged. "I'm just ecstatic I get to be an auntie and be able to watch that little one grow up strong and healthy. That's the only miracle I'm praying for at the moment."

"Its what we are all praying for above anything else," Jasper added.

I looked at each of them, and they all nodded with agreement. The conviction in their eyes showed me just how serious they were, and it broke my heart and restored my faith at the same time. How could people in their situation hope for an unborn baby's health before their own? They were all selfless, and I was so blessed to call them family.

Rose took my hands in hers. "And Bella, that's one more miracle I know will come true."

I smiled at her with tears clouding my eyes. "Thanks, Rose. That means more to me than you'll ever truly understand."

.

The next day, I got quite a surprise, which I was never expecting...

"Bella, Bella!" Alice ran to me after my morning lab.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked with a smile.

"Aro said we can go shopping," she said excitedly.

"Oh, cool. That'll be fun for you guys," I said happy for her. "I'm sure Emmett's excited," I added sarcastically.

"No, he's not going. It's just us girls…. and Dimitri, of course, but we'll just ignore him."

"So… you and Rose are going with Dimitri? I thought Edward had to go everywhere with you in case something went wrong?"

"Not this time. We have a different doctor covering that."

"Who?" I asked, but then thinking it was probably Carmen.

"You, silly. Aro said that as long as Edward isn't there to try to sneak you into an abortion clinic, and Dimitri stays with us, then you can come. You're a doctor, so I'm sure you can handle it if one of us gets sick. We're going to spend all day shopping in Milan."

"Uh Alice, I'm supposed to be dead. What if someone sees me?" I asked slowly. I had no idea why I was trying to convince her it was a bad idea, but I just couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was going to go wrong. It was like the long weeks I had spent locked up almost made me fearful of the outside world. I had just accepted that I'd never be able to leave and managed to make the best out of it, but then suddenly I was allowed a day pass? Sure I wasn't free, but it was much more than I was ever expecting, and the mere thought of it was a little overwhelming.

"Dimitri is going to sneak us out the back, and everyone else has been denied day passes so there isn't a chance for us to run into them while we're there."

"So… it's really happening then," I asked allowing myself to get a little happier about it.

"Yep," she said with a grin. "Let's go before that big dildo changes his mind."

I stared at her for a moment, unsure if I heard her right. "Did you just call Aro a dildo?" I asked.

"Yeah, and like real dildos, he's a mindless birdbrain that should do the world a favor and become extinct."

I couldn't help but laugh. I tried not to, but it was one of the funniest things I had ever heard. "Oh Alice, you mean a dodo," I said through my laughter.

"Huh?" she asked confused.

"A dodo is the extinct bird you're talking about, not a dildo."

"What's a dildo then?" she asked.

"It's a…. Just never mind," I said uncomfortably. Even though Alice had a very adult relationship with Jasper, I still wasn't comfortably telling her that.

Alice shrugged and then we went to meet Rose and Dimitri. The guys were waiting to see us off, and Edward handed me a kit and briefly explained what to do if one of them were to get sick. We kissed them goodbye, and then the three of us… well four counting Dimitri who was also driving, were off for a much needed day out….

We went to endless shops, and my feet were actually throbbing by the time we stopped for lunch, but I refused to complain. It was absolutely amazing being amongst normal people and actually out in the world again, and I'd take pained feet for the rest of my life if it meant staying out longer.

After lunch, it was on to more shops. Alice and Rose insisted that I buy a ton of maternity clothes, and at first I was a little uncomfortable with spending the company money, but then Rose pointed out that I was there against my will and I was no longer getting paid for the work I was doing in the lab.

"Rightfully, it's your money," Rose said convincingly, so I shrugged and bought the damn clothes.

"Oh, let's go in here," Alice said excitedly as we walked past another maternity store.

"No Alice, I have way more than enough. Besides, I'm not even going to be able to wear all that I have as it is."

"Yes, but you don't have a cocktail dress," she argued.

"And what do I need a cocktail dress for?" I asked amused.

"Trust me, there's always a reason."

I shook my head, but decided not to argue with her illogical logic. We rummaged the racks and they found four dresses for me to try on, so I went into the dressing room and laughed to myself as I slipped on the first one. It was absolutely ridiculous. I was never going to wear the impractical outfit, but I supposed if it made them happy, then I would even be willing to wear it around the common room.

But then our fun ended with an event that would change the course of all our lives….

The door handle of stall I was in started jiggling, so thinking it was Alice with more for me to try on, I automatically went and unlocked it… but it wasn't Alice.

"Oh shit! What the hell are you doing?" I yelled as I tried to cover myself so Dimitri wouldn't see me in my underwear.

"I was just checking to make sure you weren't up to any funny business. You've been in here for awhile," he said, but his eyes never looked higher than my chest.

"Well I'm not, SO GET …" I yelled but then he slapped his hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming any further.

There was no way in hell I was going to put up with his scummy hand on my lips, and when his other hand brazenly rubbed up my leg towards my inner thigh, I kneed him in the groin as hard as I was capable of.

"You fucking bitch!" he yelled, and then backhanded me in the jaw before pushing me against the wall.

And then it happened. It was so quick that I didn't even realize what had transpired until it was already done. Dimitri lied lifeless at me feet, and Rosalie was behind him holding the large broken mural that had been previously hanging on the wall there.

I stared at her in shock, but she just looked angry.

"Rose, I think you hit him too hard," Alice said casually from behind her, as if it was nothing more than a superficial wound.

"Well, serves him right for attacking Bella," Rose said carelessly as she struggled to re-hang the heavy wall art back where she got it from, but then she realized it was broken and settled for leaning it against the wall next to the stall I had been in.

"How did you manage to lift that thing anyway?" Alice asked her.

Rose shrugged. "It wasn't that heavy when taking it down and using the momentum to swing at his head."

I bent down to look over Dimitri, and noticed the blood beginning to pool underneath him. His neck was severed. She must have gotten him with the corner edge of the frame, and it hit him just right… there was nothing to be done, he was dead.

There was no time to think; I was sure someone must have heard the commotion, so we needed to act fast.

"Rose, take this and go to the car," I told her in a rush and handed her the keys out of Dimitri's pocket.

"Wait, is he…?" Rose asked confused, but in no way upset.

"Yes. Now you and Alice need to go to the car," I said quickly, hoping she'd understand the severity of the situation.

"Are we going to get into trouble?" Alice asked becoming slightly concerned, but nowhere near as much as she should have been. Regardless of Dimitri's vulgarity, he was a human being and he being killed was an absolute horrifying accident, however, in that moment, I didn't have time to stop and be sorry about it. I needed to get Rosalie and Alice away before someone saw the body and detained them for questioning.

"Listen to me!" I told them sternly. Take the keys, go to the car, and find the cell phone in the glove compartment. Call Edward, and tell him what happened. Do not get out of the car until he comes to get you, do you understand?" Neither of them knew how to drive a car, so calling Edward to pick them up was the best option. As long as they stayed there, hopefully no one would bother them.

"What are you going to do?" Rose asked, finally showing some concern on her face.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just go," I told them, but they didn't move. "GO!" I yelled, so reluctant and confused, they walked out of the dressing room. Less than thirty seconds later, a clerk came in and saw me hovering over Dimitri's lifeless body. She immediately started screaming, and then she ran out, assumedly to call for help.

The obvious thing to do would have been to run with Alice and Rose and then drive the car myself, but I was sure that once someone saw the body, they would have started chasing us, and there was no way we'd be able to outrun the police. At least if I was found with the body, they wouldn't go after them and they'd be able to call Edward for help. They couldn't be detained, their bodies would deteriorate without the enzyme, and then we'd be in an even bigger mess than before. I needed to take the fall for what happened, it was the only way.

Sure enough, the cops came shortly after, and I was brought down to the police station for questioning. I lied and told them that the man whom I didn't know, was trying to assault me and I was only defending myself, which was evident from the fact that he was in the women's dressing room and I had a bruise on my face from where he hit me. But they said I still wouldn't be allowed to leave that day, and it was mainly to do with the fact that I had no ID and couldn't prove my identity. I was obviously not Italian, and had no passport or visa, so either way, I was not going anywhere.

I sat in my cell, and stressed about what was going to happen next. If they figured out my identity, then I would be charged with fraud because technically I had been declared dead. Nobody would believe that I had been kept at the KRO compound against my will. On the surface, KRO was a seemingly stand up company that donated hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to the government. No one would believe that they were covering up murders, and were illegally and unethically experimenting on people.

I wondered if I would be extradited back to the US, and if so, what would happen to my medical care. Even though I had been feeling pretty good physically, Carlisle warned me that I could take a turn for the worse at any time. If I was in jail for whatever they ended up prosecuting me for, how was I going to take care of my baby and ensure it gets the help it needs? How was I going to even live long enough for the baby to be born?

The more I thought about it, the more I started panicking, but then….

"Miss," the guard said, reffering to me. I stood, and he opened the door for me, but I had no idea why. He gestured for me to follow him, and we walked out to the lobby area of the station, and then I saw Edward. He was standing on the opposite side of the room, and it took everything I had within me to not run and wrap myself around him. He glanced over at me, but his face stayed hard as he spoke to one of the officers.

Without a word, Edward walked over to me and grabbed me forcefully by the arm, and led me outside to the car. He opened the passenger door for me, and slammed it shut once I was inside, then he walked around the backside of the car and sat in the driver's seat. His jaw was clinched tightly, and his anger was radiating off his body. He drove out of the parking lot and then continued down three blocks, before pulling the car over to a stop, so I braced myself for his fury. I knew he wasn't going to hurt me physically, but the last time I did something wrong of that magnitude, he became pretty loud.

He got out of the car again, and practically ran back to my side. He opened my door quickly, before pulling me out and holding me tightly against him.

"Are you ok," he asked breathless as he held me securely in his arms. The anger in him completely melted away, and what was left was just worry and love.

"I'm fine," I assured him, and rested my head against his shoulder. It had been a long day, and I was absolutely exhausted.

"Did they hurt you or scare you at all?" he asked anxiously.

"I was scared of what was going to happen, but no one hurt me," I mumbled into the crook of his neck.

"God, Bella, I'm so sorry," he said emotionally. "I had no idea that Dimitri would try something like that. I would have never allowed him anywhere near you if…"

"I'm fine," I told him again. "What about Alice and Rosalie? Did they make it back ok?" I asked concerned.

"Carlisle came with me in a separate car and took them back. They were shaken up a bit, but they'll be fine. Rosalie said she hit Dimitri with a picture frame?" Edward asked, clearly not really believing that something like that could do so much damage.

"There was a big picture hanging on the wall in the dressing room, and she must have hit him in just the right spot. Is he really dead?" I asked in disbelief. The entire thing was so surreal.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh, but didn't seem too upset about it. "It's unfortunate, but I'm not about to lose any sleep over it. Aro is pissed though. He has been scrambling to make sure all this is covered up before anyone else finds out about it, but he's paying a lot of money to the police station in order to do so. I just can't believe I put you in that position," he said with the anger returning in his voice. I realized then that he had never been angry at me or Rose; he was mad at himself, and pissed at Dimitri, Aro, and even the police.

"You had no way of knowing he'd do that," I said, trying to calm him.

"I just should have been more careful with you," he said quietly. He kissed me on the forehead, and then we got back in the car and decided to take the long way back to the compound; just taking our time and soaking in all the beautiful sights of the Italian country side. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Aro wouldn't allow us back out again after the chaos of that trip.

"I wish we could just keep going," I said wistfully, knowing it wasn't really possible since Edward and the rest of our family's lives depended on KRO.

Edward took my hand and brought it to his lips as he continued to drive us towards the compound. "I'm going to figure out a way to fix all this. I promise," he said determined.

The next few days were odd. No one was around to 'babysit' us, so Edward slept in my apartment with me, though I had to admit, I did miss the roof tent a little. I had no idea where Felix was, but it was wonderful not being watched the way we were. We tried to get back to our normal routine, but there was an eerie vibe to the place. Autumn had fallen, and there had been a constant blanket of clouds covering the sky, so the nights were much darker than usual. No stars were visible, and not even the moon could break through the night's nothingness.

The Cullens were put back into their natural state, but when I went to go read to them, as I did normally when they couldn't read for themselves, they weren't there.

"Hey Carlisle, where are the Cullens?" I asked him after going back to lab.

"They're not there?" he asked confused.

"No," I said beginning to get worried.

"Maybe Edward took them to the roof," he guessed.

I shook my head no. "Edward is in lab five, working on Bree," I said solemnly. Edward had been so busy working on case 8339 and a half that he neglected Bree and felt horrible about it, so he decided to dedicate one day per week on her case.

"Let me go ask Aro what's going on," Carlisle said while taking off his gloves. I was going to wait in the lab for him to get back, but something was just nagging me to follow.

I stayed quiet in the hall as Calisle approached Aro so my presence wouldn't interrupt them.

"I've disbanded the Cullen division," Aro said casually.

"What? You can't do that!" Carlisle yelled.

"I can, and I did. With the police breathing down my neck over this Dimitri thing, I can't afford to waste any more money on keeping four people alert. If I thought it was going to actually go somewhere, that would at least be something, but nothing ever changes with them. At least with Edward I'm getting something out of the deal. If he wasn't so damn gifted with all this shit, I'd stop funding his medication as well."

"I thought you paid off the police?" Carlisle questioned.

"I did, but there is a new agent that won't be bought. It's like having a fucking satellite out, this guy is always around watching us," Aro said bitterly.

"Wait, he's here?" Carlisle asked.

"He's been here and questioning everyone. Now people are starting to get suspicious, and if anyone talks about the reclusive 'Cullens', I really don't want to have any evidence lying around… if you know what I mean."

"So, where are they?" Carlise asked.

"You don't need to concern yourself about them. If this cop doesn't back down, then we'll need to pack everything up and get out while we can. Maybe move to Switzerland and start over. Either way, I'm not pouring one more dime into the Cullens."

"These are real people, Aro, you can't just throw them away like they're nothing!" Carlisle said heatedly.

"Fine, then I'll take Edward off his medication," Aro said sadistically, making my heart leap out of my chest. "Between the cost of a week's worth of his medication, and the money I'm spending on a cure for his spawn, we could fund the Cullens for a whole year. Four people mean more than one and a half, right?" he said with a smirk.

"You know we need Edward, and his child could help in our research," Carlisle said getting more and more angry.

"And what have the Cullens done? Absolutely nothing, except kill my head of security and create a firestorm of shit for me. So shut the hell up, and go back to work," Aro said heartlessly.

Carlisle was pissed, but I was devastated. Without Aro's money there was no way to bring the Cullens back, and I was terrified as to what he did with them. I ran to where Edward was, knowing that as soon as he found out what happened, he'd lash out and probably attack Aro. I needed to try to keep him calm, and we needed to figure out a way to find our family...