EdwardPOV

Esme ordered me not to leave them alone. So I waited just behind the glass screen that was set into the corridor, letting them have at least limited privacy.

She stared at his face for along time. Someone, during the process of his operation and moving him about, screwed his hair up. Slowly, slowly, she reached her hand out, sweeping the locks back from his forehead. He stirs under her hand.

BPOV

"Hey," I whisper, as two unfocused blue eyes stare up at me.

"Are you an angel?"

"It's Bella."

"Hey, Bella," he smiles sleepily. And then his eyes fly open properly. "Bella! Are you OK? Did he hurt you?"

"Shhh, darling. The nurse will kick me out if I excite you."

"Bella, you didn't answer my question."

"I'll be fine. I will. Honestly. And how are you feeling?"

"Stoned. I think they gave me too many pain meds." I feel my face crumples. "Hey, honey, don't cry. I'll be OK. Don't cry Bella, everything will be OK."

"I thought you were dead! I heard the shots, and they told me you were dead!"

"They lied. They needed you to go quietly - perhaps they thought they had more chance if they told you I was dead."

I put my head on the pillow next to him, and he held my hand. Neither of us moved when Esme came in. I didn't care any more, and neither did he, judging by the way he only held my hand tighter.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot."

"Bella, could give us a minute, please?" I made to get up, but Carlisle shook his head.

"Whatever you have to say Esme, you can say it in front of Bella."

"You two are having a relationship. And you know, or you should, Carlisle, you know that you could lose your job for this."

"For falling in love?"

"For having a relationship with the - woman you are supposed to be protecting."

"You can say it Chief Inspector," I break in, suddenly, watching her closely. "You can say the word whore."

CPOV

Her eyes are glittering oddly as she gazes at my boss. I've never seen her so proud. Her chin is well up, and she does not drop her gaze.

"You seem uncomfortable, suddenly, Chief Inspector." And sure enough, Esme is suddenly unable to meet the clear gaze of the young woman facing her. Bella is on her feet, staring at her with slightly wild eyes. "Is there something wrong, Chief Inspector - or should I call you Janet Monte? Whichever you prefer."

"Bella, what exactly are you talking about? That is Esme Davies - the Chief Inspector -"

"Actually, Carlisle, no, it isn't. Janet here was Robert Viramontes' girlfriend, back when he first picked me off the streets. I didn't recognize her, not at first - you must have gone to a lot of expense, Janet, you have changed a lot."

"Then how did you work it out?"

"The second interview - Janet is the only person I've ever met who stresses her r's to make them sound extended and rolling. She did a very good job of hiding it, yes - but sadly, not quite good enough. I noticed it when you told us about Jasper. You said his name "Jaspar". Then I started picking up on things about you. Janet had a twitch - only very mild - in her left hand. Watch her fingers, Carlisle. Watch what she does." And sure enough Esme - or Janet's, whatever - clenches her fingers suddenly. "Car accident, wasn't it Janet? Tendon injury?"

"They tore. Ended up with a nervous twitch. Nothing I could do after that. And it's always given me away." The woman withdraws a gun from her bag. "I wondered how long it would take you to work it out Bella."

"You never stopped loving him, did you?"

"Oh, no. never. Robert was everything. I would have given him my life - and he knew that. It took me a year to infiltrate the system, waiting for one of his girls to be picked up. I knew if I could give him a traitor, a betrayer, give unto him that which was lost, as he said to me once - he'd take me back." She releases the safety. "And he will, Bella. Just as soon as I set him free."

"Jesus, Janet, I always knew you weren't quite all there, but this, this is completely mental. He won't take you back. The only person Robert loves is himself. He doesn't trust anybody. He'll shoot you, as soon as he's safe, just so you can't betray him. He's paranoid. He'd never trust you, even if he did let you stay. He doesn't trust anybody. Christ, he didn't even trust himself." She meets Esme's eyes with a chilling stare. But her next words are addressed to me. "Carlisle, what is the sentence for what she's done?"

"Ten years, maybe."

"Ten years, Janet, if you put that gun down now. Possibly not even in a prison, if you can convince the jury you are insane. Which, actually, shouldn't really be all that hard. You know you won't kill me. Give me the gun."

For one horrible second, I thought she was going to shoot Bella right there in front of me. She even took one step closer, aiming right in the middle of her forehead. And then she started shaking. The gun clattered to the floor. Bella kicked it away. Bella asked me to push the call button for the nurse, and ended up crouched on the floor, talking gently to a trembling Esme. A nurse came in, accompanied by Emmett, Edward, and a stitched up Jasper. I don't miss that Emmett and Jasper are holding hands.

A/N: Well, the final chapter is up too, so I won't say much. Hope you enjoyed!