A/N: I'm updating this today instead of Sunday because I'm surprising my wife by taking her to St. Louis for the weekend (she's never been). So happy Valentine's Day y'all. I hope you don't hate me at the end of this.

O…O

6:34 a.m.

Bella shifted, the sheets slipping down her bare body as she slowly started to wake up. She squinted against the sun, holding a hand up to look around the room. The double doors positioned across from the bed showed the sun slowly rising into the sky. Bella glanced around the golden-lit room, trying to figure out where she was.

The previous night came crashing back to her the minute her eyes landed on Edward.

He was standing halfway inside his closet, a phone pressed to his ear as he spoke in a low voice. She looked around the floor trying to find her clothing until she remembered the fire on the balcony, watching the ashes slowly die out as his hands searched her body. Edward dismissed the caller and stepped inside his closet, hiding her body from his view.

"Shit." Bella whispered and slipped from the bed, reaching for the shirt she had worn after her shower. Sliding it on, she tried to find some pants, wanting to leave before Edward came back from the closet.

"Bella?"

Goddamn it, Bella thought and slowly turned towards his voice, plastering on a small smile.

"Hey," She nodded. "Are you going to the office?"

"No, it's Saturday. I have to handle something, and then get ready for the charity event tonight."

Bella nodded standing awkwardly in the middle of his room. Her hands were pulling at the end of his shirt, hoping it would go lower than mid-thigh with no prevail.

"Bella, I had clothes brought over for you."

"Don't tell me Winston brought them!" She could feel her neck starting to blush.

"No," He laughed. "My soon to be sister-in-law Alice did."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Even better."

"They're over there." Edward pointed to a blue canvas bag sitting atop his dresser. She walked to the bag, pulling the zipper open to reveal a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

"So this event," She looked towards the closet where Edward was tucking a black shirt into a pair of charcoal dress pants. As much as she hated to admit it, the man was always dressed so fucking perfect.

"What about it?" He looked over at her then grabbed the matching vest.

"I'm guessing it's a formal event."

"It is." Edward nodded.

"So, when should I be ready? I'll need to go buy a dress."

"Oh," Edward snapped and started to look around the room. "About that…"

"Don't tell me Alice bought a dress for me." Bella replied cautiously.

"No," He laughed. "She told me she would never do that without meeting you first."

"Will they be there? Your family, that is."

Edward picked up his watch and secured it to his left wrist before grabbing his wallet.

"They will not, my parents fund the Governor quietly. Plus, I'd want to speak to them, and it would look bad if the guy running for mayor was seen conversing with the enemy all night." Edward walked across the room to her in four long strides. "I wanted you to take this," He held out a shiny gold card.

"No." Bella's brow furrowed.

"It's just to pay for whatever you need tonight, seeing as I sprung it on you."

"Yeah, no thanks, I can afford it." Bella pushed the card back towards Edward.

Edward sighed. "Bella, please, you don't even have to use it, just take it for my peace of mind."

Bella fought the urge to roll her eyes as she snatched the card from his fingers.

"Thank you." He nodded. "So, about last night," Edward tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Edward," She sighed. "Are we going to talk about us?" She grimaced.

Edward chuckled. "No, Isabella, we are not. I'm speaking of the man in the barn."

"Oh," She picked at the edge of his shirt, her eyes shifting around the room. "What about him?"

"Do you want to know who he was?"

"Yes." Bella nodded.

"Victor Casiau, Aro's partner."

Images of his face flashed through her mind when they came to get Seth. His hard eyes that glanced over her with disgust before he blocked her from getting to her partner as they detained him. Then she saw his face last night, rendered unrecognizable by Edward's fists. Bella rubbed her hand over her arm, trying to rid the images of last night from her mind.

"Tell me again why you went for him as opposed to Aro?"

"Because Aro never would've talked, he's been trained the way I have. You don't speak; you die for your family. Because if you do rat, they usually leave you alive and then your family kills you. So, it's better to die an honorable man than to be bumped off for being a snitch. The way I see it, he's trying to muscle his way in and take over our outfit. He should've been more careful, though, because now, we're going to kill him."

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Just like that?" Bella asked.

"Just like that." Edward nodded and grabbed his suit jacket from just inside his closet. "I need to go, if you need anything, or if you're hungry, talk to Winston."

"Yeah, no thanks. I'm just going to get dressed, and I'll be on my way. I need to find a place to live, so I'll be looking around for that before I get ready for tonight."

"You know you can stay at the penthouse."

"I need my home again, Edward. I've lived on my own since I was seventeen, I don't like taking things from others."

"I know." He sighed, buttoning one of his suit buttons. "I'll be on my way then, and I'll pick you up from the penthouse at seven."

Bella nodded and watched as he exited the room, leaving her alone.

O…O

9:03 a.m.

Bella glanced around the sidewalk before punching the code into her old door, waiting for the light to blink green. She made sure her badge was secured to her hip so no one would question why she was cutting the crime scene tape off of her building. She pushed to door open and pulled her flashlight out, scanning the makeshift lobby that was now deserted and covered in dust. Making her way to the stairs, she jogged up the two flights and looked at her charred door. A feeling of sadness settled into her as she surveyed the scene before her.

Bella took a breath and unlocked the door, shoving it open with her shoulder and stumbled over the pieces of her couch that now littered the floor. She sighed and glanced around at the large hole in the front wall of her apartment, now covered by large pieces of clear plastic to protect what's left from the elements. Bella rubbed her face, the tears threatening to spill, as she looked at the shambles that she used to call home. She shook her head and focused on why she was there.

Turning, Bella walked up the stairs towards the loft, moving a piece of wood off the rug that hid her safe. She pulled the hatch open and punched in her code, turning the handle to lift the door open. She let out a sigh of relief when the papers came into view. Quickly shoving them into the bag that she brought with her, she closed the safe, leaving her personal papers, and information concerning her parents behind. She would come back to get everything that didn't burn once she had a new place secured.

Bella stumbled down the stairs, trying to keep from touching the walls and getting soot and ash on her clothing. She had just hit the bottom step when her phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"This is a collect call from the Cook County Jail, do you accept the charges from … Seth?"

"Yes."

A few beeps and the sound of a recording picking up before the tell-tell click of the phone connecting sounded.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Bells?"

"How are you doing?" She asked quickly, dropping her bag to the kitchen floor and sitting on what was left of her bar stool.

"I'm … here." He sighed.

"Seth, we're working as hard as we can to get you out." She offered, feeling helpless.

"I know."

"I have to be careful, but uh … what you told me, yeah. We checked, and it works."

"What do you mean by we?"

"Oh, you know, my boyfriend." She hoped he would read between the lines and that he would realize what she meant by that because of all the rumors that flew around the bullpen.

"Boyfriend?" There was a long silence. "Oh!"

"How did you keep the love note secure?" She asked, needing to make sure there was no way he would get caught with them.

"I have my ways. Hey, Bells, I gotta go, they're yellin' at us."

"Be safe Seth!" She called out quickly.

"I wi-," The tone sounded on her phone, signaling that the call was disconnected. She sighed and tossed her phone onto the bar, watching the dust billow up around it.

She shoved her phone in her pocket and lifted her bag, throwing the strap over her shoulder.

O…O

11:23 a.m.

"Ya gonna tell me what's in those files?" Levi asked as Bella continued to shove her body against the boxes he had stored in the small closet.

"No." She grunted, shoving one large bag to the left. "What the hell is all this shit, Levi?"

"Important stuff." He grabbed his beer off the counter and took a long drink.

"Then it's the perfect spot. You're sure no one knows where you are?" Bella asked, looking back over her shoulder as she grabbed the bag she had brought.

"Positive, only you know where I live anymore. My pension checks get sent to a PO Box, which someone picks up for me and drops into the mail where they go to a second PO Box, then I pay someone to meet me at the highway with them every three months."

"Why are you hiding, again?" She squeezed her body between the two stacks of boxes and shoved her bag behind one, dropping it into the small hole. Bella stumbled out of the small closet and started to shove all of his things back into place. "So. Much. Shit." She grumbled.

"What makes ya' think I'm hiding?"

"Because I know you, and you're trying to say with all the 007 crap involving your checks that you're not hiding?"

Levi leaned against the makeshift table, crossing his arms and evaluating the woman in front of him.

"I want to know what's in those files, Bella."

"Why?" She asked, shoving her hair from her face and pulling the accordion style door closed.

"'Cause if you're hidin' contraband, I deserve to know; or at least get a lil'." He joked.

"It's nothing you can smoke, or take." Bella rolled her eyes. "It's just some things I found while doing a little research into the Cullens."

"The Cullens?" He all but shouted. "What the hell are you doing messin' with that family, girl?"

"It's not doing anything against them, Levi, calm down. It's about who killed Vincent Cullen nine years ago."

"W-what'd you find?"

"I found who did it."

"Bella." Levi stood, his shoulders squaring off.

Bella felt herself react to his body language, her back straightening. Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach for the gun secured at her hip.

"Levi, what are you doing?"

"Who did it?"

"Why?"

"Bella just answer the damn question!" He started to cough, his body reacting violently to his raised voice.

"You need to calm down, Levi," Bella reached for a glass and filled it from the sink. "Here, drink this."

"Get that away from me." Levi swatted at the glass, opting for his beer.

"Tell me what the hell just happened, Levi. I was about to pull my gun on you."

He let out a small laugh.

"That woulda been somethin', ay kid?" He collapsed into one of the folding chairs. "Just like the old days." He shook his head.

"I can't tell you what I found, and knowingly put you in danger." She knelt to his level. "I'm sorry, but you're the only one I have left, and I can't do that to you. In the off chance someone comes around looking for those files, just let them have them. Tell them where they are and stay out of the way."

"I'd never do that to you, they can tear this place apart, but unless you know about the crawl space under the closet, you'd never find it. They can do what they want; I already have a death sentence. Why fool God any longer?" He turned his tired eyes towards her. "Listen kid, when they come for you, and they will, tell them what you know. Don't try to tough it out."

"When who comes for me?"

"Ah, you'll know soon enough, just don't make the same mistake your old man did, okay?"

"Levi, what are you talking about?" Bella gripped his arms, trying to get him to focus on her.

It was useless; she could tell by his clouded stare that the drugs and alcohol in his system were making him lethargic. He would pass out soon, only to wake twelve hours later to grab another dangerous cocktail.

"Be careful," He slurred. "Get your partna' outta there, he don't deserve it."

O…O

1:20 p.m.

Bella pressed her palm against the scanner, and then hit the PH button on the panel. She leaned back against the wall, listening to the quiet ding of each passing floor. After helping Levi into bed, she left his house, making sure the piece of shit he called a front door was locked. Bella had no idea what he was talking about when he told her to be careful. Was it true, or just the drunken ramblings of a man on Oxycontin and beer.

She stepped from the elevator, entering Edward's penthouse and dropping her gun onto the table by the door. She walked through the apartment, making her way towards the kitchen. A shadow in the corner made her jump, a scream bursting from her mouth before she could adjust to the darkness.

"Edward?" She yelled.

"Sorry, I was just waiting for you." Edward held his hands up, stepping completely from the hallway.

"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't just drop in here."

"We never actually agreed on that," His brow furrowed. "But I was just here to grab a few things from my office."

She nodded, looking anywhere but at Edward.

"Is this how this is going to work now? We slept together, so now you're going to be all awkward?"

"No, I'm not being awkward."

"You won't even look at me," He chuckled.

Bella turned, staring right at him.

"What do you want?"

"I told you, I was picking something up."

"Then what do you need now?"

Edward sighed.

"Nothing, Isabella. I wanted to check and make sure you were alright."

"Yeah, I'm great." She tossed her hands in the air.

"Did you go to your apartment?"

"No." Bella ran her tongue over her teeth, trying to keep her anger in check.

"You're lying." Edward stepped towards her, his body within an inch of hers. "You have dirt on your neck," His fingers slid over the flesh of her throat, "and, covering your hands."

"Maybe I was planting."

"In my penthouse?" Edward glanced around.

"I…" Bella shook her head and started laughing. "I got nothing." She shrugged.

Edward smiled. "Yeah, I wondered how long your quick wit would work."

Bella shrugged in response and stepped away from Edward, walking to the sink to wash her hands.

"So, were you with Levi Cameron?"

Bella froze.

"What?" She turned towards him.

"Were you?"

"Who's Levi Cameron?" Bella asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"This is the game we're going to play?"

"How do you know who Levi is?"

"I had some people look into you long before now."

"But, I hardly ever see Levi."

"Yeah, I know; about once a month."

Bella shut the water off, and turned to face him.

"What are you getting at?"

"Why were you with him, Bella?"

"It's none of your concern."

Edward's jaw set. "You're my concern." He replied quickly.

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"Until I get the information about my grandfather," He added.

Bella stepped closer to him, hoping to cut off this line of questioning. She smiled and lifted up, pressing her lips to his. She could feel him reacting, his lips sliding across hers and his hands reaching for her, pulling her body closer to him. Edward slid his tongue into her mouth, gliding it against hers. She moaned trying to keep herself in check, reminding herself that this was just to distract him.

Edward pulled away, his hands sliding up to cup her jaw.

"No," He shook his head. "I didn't come here for that."

"So?" Bella shrugged. "Don't be such a pansy. You have a relatively attractive woman offering to have sex with you, why pass it up?"

"If I just wanted to fuck, I could get it elsewhere. Trust me." She watched as Edward's eyes hardened.

She averted her gaze, staring instead at the green silk tie he wore. Her fingers slid over it, reveling in the feel of the fabric against her skin.

"I should go." Edward cleared his throat, and stepped back, releasing Bella from his grasp. "I'll be back for you later."

Bella stood at the counter, watching Edward disappear from the penthouse.

O…O

2:59 p.m.

She sat at a metal table once again, ignoring the feeling of dread that sank into her stomach as the dark crept in around her. Bella checked her watch again; she had been waiting forty-seven minutes for them to bring Seth. She had checked in an hour ago, called before to make sure they were aware she was coming. He should've already been here.

A buzzer sounded from down the hall, signaling someone was walking through the door. Bella straightened, leaning forward to try and see. A guard walked by her, his heavy boots making the only noise. She sighed and collapsed back against the uncomfortable chair.

Where the hell was he? She thought, wishing she could've kept her phone on her. Bella's leg started to bounce as she became anxious, a hundred scenarios running through her head about why Seth was late. Why was it taking so long for a guard to bring him to holding? She couldn't think like that, he wasn't in prison, just lock up, just being held on trumped up charges and awaiting the evidence.

The buzzer sounded again, two pairs of footsteps heading her way. Bella noted that the footfalls carried the same amount of weight. One of them was not an inmate. Two men appeared before the cell where she awaited. One was a guard, the other she didn't recognize.

"Detective Swan?" The unfamiliar man asked.

Bella stood from the desk, walking towards the door. He motioned to the guard who produced a ring of keys from his waist and slid the heavy door open.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to speak with Clearwater, there's been an accident."

Bella's heart started to race, the blood rushing through her ears.

"W-what happened? Where is he?"

"A fight broke out between him and another inmate, during the brawl someone produced a shank and Clearwater was injured." The man replied easily. Bella couldn't get a read on his face or body language.

"Where was he taken? The infirmary?" She started to walk in the direction of the medical facility.

"No, he's been taken to Mount Sinai for surgery."

Bella's eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing multiple times as words failed her.

"Sinai?" She almost yelled. "What the fuck did you take him all the way there for? That's twelve blocks away! Why didn't you take him to Saint Anthony? It's two blocks from here."

"They couldn't take him, said it was full."

"Are you serious right now? Did you notify his wife?" She screamed, her mind already racing. Bella turned and ran from the hallway, slamming her hand on the button to notify the desk sergeant she wanted out. The minute the buzzer sounded Bella ripped the thick metal door open, and ran towards the front.

O…O

6:00 p.m.

Edward faintly registered the loud banging coming from somewhere in his house, but weighted under the haze of his sleep, he couldn't find it in himself to care. He shifted onto his stomach, sliding his arms beneath his pillow and settling back into the bed. The noise sounded again, but he couldn't fully wake up. The next thing he heard was an ear-shattering scream.

His eyes snapped open, throwing the blankets off his body and reaching for the gun secured in his nightstand. Edward quickly made his way towards the door, listening for any other sounds.

"Edward!"

He recognized Bella's voice, and it was getting closer.

"Edward!" She screamed again.

He yanked the door open, stumbling his way through the darkness of the hallway, trying to locate her.

"Bella?" He yelled. "Bella where are you?"

"Edward, help!" She screamed even louder.

Edward found the stairs and flipped the light on, illuminating the staircase. Bella was halfway up the steps, covered in blood. Her hand was dragging along the wall, leaving a trail of crimson on his eggshell paint.

"Bella?" Edward's eyes widened, momentarily frozen in place.

Her shirt was torn; the jeans she wore were caked in mud along with her shoes. She had blood covering her arms, chest, face and hair. He ran down the stairs towards her, gathering her in his arms just as she collapsed.

"Bella, Bella," He shook her. "Can you hear me?"

Bella nodded.

"Tell me what happened."

Bella looked up at him, her eyes meeting his.

"I … I did it."

She looked down at her trembling hands.

"I killed Aro."

A/N: There was a miscommunication and my beta's name Fran was removed from earlier chapters leaving just 'my beta' in place. It was not done as a sign of disrespect.