A/N: I do not own Twilight. I am not SM, nor will I ever be, phooey, I know, but 'tis life.
IMPORTANT! For those who inquired, I do have an account over at TWCS. I am under the handle of Joce_Cullen, and I have posted MB over there just in case anything happens to MB on , like the purging. So, if this story just vanishes one day, it will be over there as well so hop on over and check it out. I am technologically unsavy so, bear with me if you go over to TWCS, it's a new layout to me and I still need to fart around on it and see what all it can do.
On with the very belated chapter-
"How's your arm?" Bella asked as she moved the scrub sleeve away from the bandage on his shoulder. "You haven't said anything about it since I woke up."
It had been three days since Bella woke in the ICU and had since been moved up to a regular, yet private room. Since then, she had been bombarded by most of the family with gifts, flowers, stuffed animals, balloons and well wishes. Most of the family had visited a few times in the past three days, with Edward an ever present fixture in Bella's room.
Though she had been far more pleasant towards Bella since receiving such thoughtful Christmas gifts, Elizabeth had been absent lately, staying away from the hospital. Aro and Sculpicia were missing in action as well. Aro was too absorbed in the efforts to find out who gave the order to attack the Cullens' restaurant and Sculpicia simply didn't like Bella and made it quite apparent, with snide comments and sneers whenever Bella was brought up in conversation at the house.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. It's on the mend. How are you doing this morning?"
"I'm exhausted," Bella told him as she stretched like a napping cat, careful to mind her wound and stitches, and yawned before curling up into Edward's side again.
Petting her hair, Edward leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Go to sleep. You'll be fine. I've got you."
"Mmhmm," Bella hummed, but she was already asleep.
Edward sat there in the hospital room with Bella in his arms and the television on, though muted. He was content just to have her alive and breathing and in his arms. It didn't matter that he didn't have much to do other than hold her. It was more than enough.
A few hours later, Senior popped his head in with a weary smile on his face. He was hoping Bella would be awake so he could speak with her for a minute or two. He had become very fond of her sense of humor and needed a dose of humor in his life at that moment. His smile fell slightly when he realized she had already fallen asleep again. "Hey Son, I was hoping to catch her while she was awake."
Startled, Edward jumped but caught himself from waking Bella. He looked over at his father and shrugged the shoulder that was opposite Bella and whispered, "She sleeps a lot and often, just passes out. She's been tired, but Carlisle said that's her body's way of recuperating."
Senior nodded, "It'll take a while for her to be back to proper health, but don't rush her. That can cause all sorts of complications in the long run."
"I'll give her all the time she needs," Edward vowed. He looked down at the sleeping beauty in his arms and kissed her forehead before glancing back up at his father. "Did you come here to talk with her or is there something I can help you with?"
The chuckle that escaped Senior's chest was almost maniacal and the smile that followed was rueful. He shook his head and revealed to his son, "Elazear called me this morning. I almost didn't answer it. I didn't want to deal with his crap as well as everything that was happening to this family, but I did. Do you want to take a stab at what he was calling for?"
"I have a feeling I don't want to know. Do I?" Edward asked skeptically.
"Definitely not," Senior said. "He called to demand I reimburse Tanya and him for the money they've paid for the wedding. He argued that since you broke it off, you should be the one paying for everything because you not only left her at the altar, broke her heart and destroyed her outlook on love, but you were the reason the entire thing was called off."
Edward couldn't help the astonished laugh that bubbled from his chest. It was loud and disbelieving. He shook his head before he asked, "And how much does he want me to reimburse him?"
Senior's smile widened immensely. "Ten million."
Choking on air and spit, Edward hacked as he pounded on his chest to get himself to stop. Ten million dollars? How could she have gone through all that money in that short amount of time? What the hell did she spend it on? It couldn't have been the Pepto Bismol Barbie stuff could it? All that was ghastly! "Holy shit! What the hell did she buy? A small country."
"Didn't you know that's where you'd be honeymooning?" Senior snarked.
With that one sentence, Edward realized just how much Bella had been rubbing off on his family. Before she showed up, his father never would have joked with him like that. He had always been the stoic, no-emotions, never-speaking-more-than-necessary kind of guy. Now, after Bella's appearance in their lives, he was joking, laughing and talking away.
"Oh no, she wanted to go to Paris or some other clichéd place like that." Edward rolled his eyes at the thought of spending his honeymoon in the city of love with a woman he couldn't stand being within a hundred yards of. How ironic would that have been? "Speaking of which," Edward continued on a more serious note as he looked down at his wife's peaceful face, "when the time comes to take our honeymoon, do you think Bella and I could borrow the island?"
"Absolutely. Just tell me when and I'll make the arrangements. Take as long as you need. You and Bella have been through so much in the past couple of months, so whenever you're ready to relax and decompress, just say the word."
"Thanks. We appreciate it." Edward rested his cheek on the top of Bella's head and closed his eyes briefly as he continued to brush her hair out of her face. Even though it hadn't been washed lately, her hair was still soft and smooth and he loved playing with it in any capacity. It meant she was close enough to touch and was safe in his arms.
"Any time," Senior replied, watching his son interact with Bella. He was gentle and caring, almost as if she was a fragile piece of glass that he couldn't stop touching, yet at the same time, was so careful while holding it as if it would break at any moment. He was happy to see the love in Edward's eyes, a love he had never seen there before, one that he thought he would never see.
"Did he by any chance tell you what the ten million was supposed to be for? I know I asked it before, but really, how could she spend that amount of money on a wedding? Not even a full wedding?" Edward asked, still shocked at the excessive amount of money.
"Well, apparently Tanya bought over two million in wine, one million for the dress, another million for the cake and the custom topper, one and a half million for the invites, menus, and thank you cards and the rest is for the miscellaneous items she apparently either already bought or reserved, but it's nonrefundable. Personally, I think Eleazer inflated the supposed costs and was asking for money for pain and suffering for her, too."
Edward rolled his eyes for the second time in ten minutes as he replied, "I hope you told him to shove it."
"Where the sun don't shine," Senior laughed.
"Good."
After staying just a few minutes longer, Senior decided to return to his office. He brushed Bella's hair off her face, leaned in and kissed her forehead and promised that he would be by later to see if Bella was awake. Edward bid him a good day and he was off to make money, legally or not.
A few hours later, Bella had woken up, but was still in Edward's arms. She didn't want to let him go, but when her thirst decided it could wait no longer, Edward jumped up to get some ice for her to chew on.
Edward picked up one of the pitchers on the tray and held it for Bella to see. "I'm going to go get some more ice chips for you. I'll be back in a few minutes, Little Love."
"Sounds good. I'll be here when you get back," Bella replied sarcastically as she playfully rolled her eyes at him.
Kissing Bella's forehead, Edward said, "Snarky today. I like it."
"I like you," she told him as she looked up at him.
Edward smiled brightly as he leaned down and kissed both her cheeks, then her nose, then her eyelids and then finally, gently pressed his lips to Bella's, touching as softly as a butterfly's wings. He stayed there with his lips skimming against hers as he opened his eyes. Bella was looking back at him with wide, shocked and nervous eyes.
Reaching up to softly cup Bella's cheeks, Edward ran his thumb under her eyes and along her freckled cheekbones, memorizing every little freckle on her skin while he tried to soothe her. The heart monitor was beeping like crazy as he felt her lips slowly curve up into a small smile and she reached up and mimicked his position – her hands on his own cheeks, causing Edward to smile against her lips as well.
The heart monitor's frantic beeping alerted one of the older, more experienced nurses at the station down the hall and she hurried into the room thinking something was seriously wrong with one of her patients. However, upon entering the room, she saw the two locked in an intimate kiss, and she smiled at the innocence of it. The position of their hands and bodies to one another, their lips smiling and touching and the fact that they held onto one another's cheeks while their foreheads rested against one another and they held each other's gaze made the nurse uncomfortable watching the exchange. In all her fifty-six years, she had never seen the intimacy the two of them were sharing.
"Mr. Cullen!" The nurse scolded halfheartedly.
Jumping away at the unexpected interruption, both Edward and Bella looked over at the third person in the room quite sheepishly, each of their cheeks heating adorably. Edward hadn't blushed since he was four, but Bella thought it was endearing that he was currently blushing.
Nurse Shelly put her hands on her hips and, not quite able to get the smile off her face, scolded, "You, mister, should know better than to get a girl's heart pumping that much while she's in the hospital. Do I need to throw some cold water on the two of you? Or are you going to go take a short walk, Mr. Cullen?"
"All right. All right. All right. I'm going," Edward relented with a chuckle. He grabbed the pitcher again and looked back at Bella with a giant smile on his lips as he told her, "I'll be right back with your ice. Don't run away."
Raising one eyebrow in challenge, Bella asked, "First, you expect me to run? And second, you expect me to run away? If anything, I'd be running after you, you smart ass."
"Smart ass?" Edward asked putting his hand over his chest dramatically. "You wound me, woman. I would at least expect to be cute ass. Gorgeous ass? What about sexy ass? I'll settle for firm? Toned? Sculpted? What about perfect?"
"Go get me ice!" Bella laughed, pointing to the door.
"Fine. I'm going, but we're going to talk about my ass when I get back. I want to know just what you think about it."
Bella groaned and shook her head as Edward smiled cheekily at her and the nurse and walked out of the room. Before she left, Nurse Shelly scolded Bella about getting too excited with her man and made sure she was all tucked into the bed and had everything that was needed.
Turning over carefully, Bella got comfortable to get some rest and wait for Edward to return with the ice. The television was on, though still muted and the somewhat muffled noises from the hall would occasionally drift in and soothe Bella's nerves.
There was a small creak from the doorway that indicated someone was there and, expecting Edward back with the ice, Bella looked over to the doorway with a bright smile that quickly slid from her face when she realized who it was looking back at her.
Detective Black was the last person she was expecting and the very last person she wanted to see standing there. He was dressed in a cheap looking, ill-fitting black suit with a blood red button down dress shirt. A pen was resting behind his left ear, a small notebook was in his right hand and the disgusting, leering, victorious smirk on his face told Bella that his visit was not going to be a pleasant one.
Stepping into the room, uninvited yet acting like he owned the place, Detective Black swaggered over to the side of the bed. "Well, well, well, Isabella Swan. What a coincidence." The smug smirk on Detective Black's face grew with each step closer. "Your name is on my list of victims to interview after the shooting incident. I've done my homework, read the victim's reports and run a background check on you, but no photos were included, so imagine my surprise when, after searching for your identity for months, I walk into this hospital room and here you are. Perhaps this is just a stroke of good luck. Or is it fate?"
"What do you want Detective? I'm in pain right now and in no mood to deal with the likes of you. Please leave," Bella bit out harshly at the smug detective. "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out."
Clicking his tongue, Detective Black moved closer to Bella's side as he asked, "Is that any way to speak to a police officer? You know I could arrest you right now."
Bella raised a challenging brow and asked, "What would the charges be? I haven't done anything wrong. It would just be kicked out of court. Do us both a favor and leave," Bella sighed. She didn't want to have to deal with his nonsense anymore. She just wanted to have Edward back to make this man go away before they snuggled up and fell asleep holding one another. All Bella wanted was to be happy. Was being happy too much to ask of anyone?
Retrieving the pencil from behind his ear, Detective Black pulled up a nearby chair and sat down before flipping the small notebook in his hands open. He looked over at the woman in the bed and asked, "How long have you known the Cullens?"
Eyeing the detective, Bella replied, "A while."
Finally getting an actual response to a direct question, Black smiled and wrote something down in the notebook. "And how long is a while?"
"A while is a while. That's all you're getting from me on the question." Bella glanced over at the television screen so she wouldn't have to look at the detective's expressions. He was pushy and irritating her and it was getting old. She had no patience to deal with him while in the hospital.
Black's brows furrowed as he tried to stare some cooperation into the side of Bella's head. "How do you know the Cullens?"
When Bella huffed in frustration, Black rolled his eyes at the attitude. He knew women like this and he knew he had to press her buttons to get her to say something she didn't mean to, but to get her frazzled beyond all recognition he needed to do it surreptitiously so she wouldn't know what he was doing.
Giving him just a bit of information to hopefully make him go away, Bella told him, "My guardians were making arrangements to have the Cullens help me come out here and marry me off. I've been hearing the Cullens' names for years. Now, please, I'm tired and need to get some sleep."
"What would your father say if he were still alive, Isabella?" Detective Black tried to lay the guilt trip. "He would be so disappointed if he could see you now. Would have been happy, knowing you're with them, doing what you're doing? Protecting the murders? What would he tell you if he was alive today and you weren't cooperating with me?"
All Bella could do was stare at the deceitful man. The minute he opened his mouth and brought up her father, she knew exactly what he was doing and she wouldn't let him get to her. "Mister Black-" Bella started but was interrupted quickly.
"It's Detective Black," he ground out.
Smiling sarcastically at him, Bella replied, "Well, Detective Black, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, it's Miss Swan to you. And I don't have to think about what my father would think or say about my involvement with the Cullens. I know exactly what he would say if my father were still alive. My father always told me to do what was right and that's what I am doing right now. You are a corrupt man, a corrupt cop and I want nothing to do with you. You are not welcome here. Please leave before I call security."
"Listen Isabella, you're going to tell me exactly what I need to know otherwise I'll arrest you for obstruction of justice," Black threatened in a low, menacing voice.
Leaning closer to Black, Bella gritted out, "Kiss my pasty white, pale ass. You're not getting anything else from me about the Cullens. As for the shooting a couple weeks ago, I don't remember much beyond the excruciating pain. You'll get more information from the others. I'm not sorry I couldn't be any more of a help."
Black's stare bore into her, silently demanding she tell him everything he wanted to know, with his eyes. "Tell me what you know about the illegal dealings the Cullens are into. And don't you dare lie to me. I know they've told you something. They're keeping an awfully close leash on you for someone who doesn't know anything. What secrets did you stumble upon to have them keep you so close? I can assure you that if it weren't for those secrets, you would most likely be tossed aside like yesterday's trash. My guess is they're trying to find a way to dispose of you as we speak. They won't keep you around for much longer. Tell me what they've done and I'll make sure you're safe and out of the house. You can testify against them and you'll be placed in witness protection anywhere you want to go. Tell me what you know about them."
Yawning, Bella hit the nurse's alert button on the side of her bed and turned carefully onto her back again. She could only stay in one position for so long before she started aching. She felt like she was constantly having to move, yet when Edward was there with her, it didn't seem like a chore.
"Have a good day, Detective," Bella quipped as Nurse Shelly came walking in. "Shelly, can you please have this man leave? He's determined to annoy me today and I don't think I'm up for it."
"Sir," Shelly tried as she walked over to Black's side, "You're going to have to leave-"
"I'm a detective for the Chicago Police Department. I'm here taking Miss Swan's statement of what happened to her when she was shot," Detective Black responded, pulling out his badge to show the nurse as if it gave him a free pass to do anything, say anything, or go anywhere he pleased.
Huffing in frustration that caused her stomach to throb, Bella repeated to him, "I don't remember anything, Detective Black. I was heading towards the bathroom at the restaurant when the shooting started. I was lucky enough to get to the floor just in time. When I stood up again, I realized I had been shot and then I passed out. I don't remember anything other than that. I woke up in the ICU three days ago. Now that you have your statement, I would like to be left alone. You're giving me a headache."
With her hands on her hips, Nurse Shelly arched an eyebrow and prompted, "I believe you have what you've come for. I think you should go now. Don't make me call security. This is bordering on harassment."
Detective Black stood from the chair, towering over the small nurse. He was breathing down at her and to anyone else it would have been intimidating; but not to Shelly. She had seen so many of his kind try that before. She pointed towards the door to indicate he should leave but it didn't have any effect on Black.
"I have every right to be here. I'm taking her statement. I am a Detective. I can come and go as I please. I can arrest you for obstructing a police investigation." Black squared his shoulders as if he was getting ready for a fight and continued his ranting. "You have no right to kick me out of the room of my witness and victim. I need her statement so I can arrest the Cullens!"
Bella laughed just as Edward, Esme and Carlisle walked into the room. Edward looked furious at the sight of Jacob Black in the room with his Bella. Carlisle and Esme were just stunned at the scene.
However, even though Detective Black was trying to intimidate her, Nurse Shelly refused to back down. She could fight her own battles; she had been in the hospital ward for years. "Detective Black, if you don't keep your voice down I will have you barred from the hospital permanently. For now, I do have a problem with you taking Miss Swan's statement when you agitate my patients. I will need you to leave. You are quite clearly upsetting Bella at the moment, so I will ask you again, please leave. You can come back at a different time."
Growling, Black glanced around the room noticing, for the first time, the Cullens in the doorway. He snarled at Edward before turning towards Bella in the bed and pulling out his set of handcuffs. "You leave me no choice, Isabella. You brought this on yourself.
"Isabella Swan, you're under arrest for obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" He handcuffed Bella's left wrist to the railing of the hospital bed as he recited the usual speech.
Nurse Shelly threw her hands up in the air in frustration at the whole situation and growled as she left the room. There was no talking to any of the people in the room. Clearly neither of these men were going to concede; both stubborn enough to believe things would be done -their way. Bella was easy going and a great patient as far as Nurse Shelly was concerned. She easily rolled with the punches, went with the flow of things and let Edward bear the brunt of any agitation. Nurse Shelly was glad Bella didn't let much stress her, because she needed to heal. Edward was taking care of her as any partner should when the other was in need.
Shelly was not about to leave her patients high and dry because they were being hassled by the police or anyone else. She would be back shortly, with reinforcements, to prevent the impending fight, and to get the insufferable, stubborn detective out of the hospital. If her patient was in trouble and someone in the room was causing it, she would make sure they left. Detective Black was that man.
"I understand completely," Bella sighed in resignation as she lifted up her hand to see the handcuff. The cool metal stung against her skin as she tested the durability of it. When she looked back up, she looked to Esme and asked, "Can you call that lawyer? I think I'll need his services."
Still shocked, Esme could only nod and step out of the room, extracting her cell from her bag to call Mr. Banks. Everyone in the family had the number of Mr. Banks. Esme was glad she made sure to enter it into her phone, not expecting to ever need it. How was she to know a sadistic cop would be after her family members at any and all costs?
Dialing a number, Black held his own phone up to his ear to report to the district attorney, informing him of the statement he had gotten by means of a witness and someone to testify against the Cullens.
Edward moved over to the opposite side of the bed from Black, placing the bucket of ice on the nearby tray and scooped a large cupful before he handed it to Bella and sat down in the second visitor's chair. He reached up and threaded his fingers through Bella's as she held the cup and asked, "Is he bothering you?"
Nodding, Bella carefully turned over to face Edward, closed her eyes and relaxed into the uncomfortable bed, with her cup of ice. She would occasionally slip more ice between her somewhat chapped lips. Her eyes never opened as she chomped noisily on the cool chips. Her legs twitched with the restrained energy of trying to kick the flimsy, threadbare off-white hospital blanket to cover her feet up again. Her toes were cold and were staring to bother her.
"Can I get you anything?" Edward asked her quietly.
"Do not talk to my prisoner," Black growled at Edward, disregarding the phone at his ear. He finally spoke quietly and then snapped the phone closed before looking at Edward and slipping it into his back pocket. "You have no right to speak to her. She's under arrest. Now, would all of you please step outside so I may interrogate her?"
Glaring over at Black, Edward didn't bother to move from his spot. "You can try to interrogate her all you want, Black, but I'm not leaving her in here alone with you. I know the dirty games you play and I won't put her health in jeopardy because you aren't getting the answers you want. I wouldn't put it past you to monkey fuck with the machines to get her to tell you what you want to hear. So, if you have questions that you absolutely need to ask her, ask, but I'm staying right here."
"He can't ask me any questions, Edward. I asked for my lawyer. Without my lawyer present, he can't talk to me. So he might as well just leave until my lawyer gets here," Bella reasoned. How could a police officer disregard the laws as much as this one?
Black turned his beady eyes on Bella and practically roared, "I'm not about to just leave you in here with the likes of him! Knowing him, he'll threaten you into saying what he wants you to say or worse. I'm in here for your protection. Besides, I don't want to give you two the chance to get your stories straight. No, I'm staying right here so I'll be able to hear your conversations. Don't think you'll be pulling another one over on me, Cullen. Your ass is mine."
The giggle that bubbled up from Bella's chest couldn't be helped. He smiled as she looked over at Edward and reminded him, "I think it's still smart, but I'm willing to concede it's toned."
Edward snickered at her, remembering the conversation he had just before he left to get the ice. "Oh, speaking of which, sorry it took me so long to get the ice; the machine just down the hall wasn't working. I had to go to the one way across the floor."
Crunching on some of the ice chips, Bella nodded and swirled them around in her small white Styrofoam cup. "That's okay. I knew you had a legitimate reason for leaving me that long. I'm starting to realize you worry lots when I'm alone for too long," Bella replied sleepily as she put the near empty cup down on her bed tray. "Could you maybe cover my feet up? They're getting a little cold."
"No problem," Edward murmured to her as he got up and covered her feet as she had asked. He returned to the head of the bed and grabbed her hand again as he sat down. "Do you want more ice?"
Bella shook her head slightly and mumbled, "Not right now, thank you. That hit the spot. Thank you for getting it for me."
"Any time," Edward leaned in and whispered to her.
Walking up to Edward, Carlisle quietly asked, "Where was the guard at the door? They would have known not to let him in here."
Edward shook his head as he ran his thumb over Bella's knuckles. He watched as Bella slowly fell asleep, trusting him to protect her. He had proven himself to her over time, and she had begun to slowly trust him, both emotionally and physically. He had always been there for her anytime she needed him in any capacity. He was attentive of her needs and always seemed to know what she wanted and he seemed to notice small things that nobody had ever noticed before. Loving her unconditionally, scars and all and always being there to save her from getting hurt in one way or another, helped too.
When Esme came rushing back in, she told Carlisle, Edward and inadvertently Black that the lawyer was on his way. He needed to finish up signing some paperwork, but he would do it in the car on the way there.
The hour that followed was tense for everyone in the room. Edward alternated between glaring across Bella's body at Black and smiling as he watched Bella sleep. She tossed and turned as if she could also feel the tension in the room even though she was unconscious. Edward ran his thumbs over her knuckles and brushed her hair off her face and onto the pillow below to calm her.
As Bella slept, Peter arrived wearing a black suit with a white button up dress shirt and a royal purple polka dot tie, carrying a briefcase in his hand, and he immediately noticed Detective Black standing guard over his prisoner. He spotted Esme and Carlisle standing to the side, whispering heatedly to one another and then Edward next to the bed in quiet vigil. He was holding her hand close to his lips with his head bowed. Peter cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.
"Nice to see you again, Edward, Carlisle, Esme. How is Bella doing?"
Shrugging, Edward stood and shook the lawyer's hand briefly. "She's getting there. She's out of the woods, but they want to keep her a while longer for observations and see if there were any side effects of the bleeding. So far they haven't seen anything that's a red flag."
"That's excellent," Peter exclaimed as he shook Carlisle's hand and hugged Esme quickly while he listened to Edward telling him about his client. "I'm going to need everybody to leave so I can speak with my client alone-"
"I'm not leaving," Black vowed with his arms defiantly crossed over his chest.
Peter glanced over at the detective and stared him down as he explained, "I am legal counsel for this woman. I am her lawyer. I need to speak with my client and we have the right not to speak in front of you. Now, I will ask you to leave the room otherwise I will call security and have you escorted off the premises. Now, please leave the room so I may talk with her-"
"She's not even awake," Black argued. He was going to try everything to prevent the lawyer from speaking with her. He knew he would lose her if that happened and didn't want to take the chance. "I'm not letting her out of my sight because you'll try and corrupt her. I won't tolerate it."
"You will tolerate it," Peter reasoned, "because it's the law. Now, please leave."
Perturbed, Black argued, "She's not awake!"
"Yes she is," Bella groaned from the bed, not bothering to open her eyes. "What is it with guys and being louder than the next? Tone it down, everybody, please."
Edward helped Bella sit up in the bed before he followed Black out of the room, leaving Bella and Peter in the room to speak alone. He watched as Black stormed down the hall and into the doctor's lounge with a scowl on his face. Rolling his eyes, Edward noticed Esme, Carlisle and his father standing off to the side talking in hushed voices.
"Where was the guard for the door?" Senior asked sternly, looking at Carlisle. "I specifically ordered one to be posted outside her door at all times so no one would get to her and now I walk in here and find out Black not only just waltzed in there, but was alone with her for a period of time, able to do God knows what. That's completely unacceptable! What if he had hurt her? You and I both know that he would have tried anything if it meant getting information on this family, legally obtained or not. I do not want him that close to her again."
Shrugging while he nodded, Carlisle replied back, "I know what he's like just the same as you, but I'm not sure who was on duty or where they went, I've been trying to figure that out myself."
Sneering at the incompetency of his men, Senior demanded, "Who was the idiot on duty?"
"I believe that would be Mike," Edward told his father as he joined his family. "James had been on duty all of Monday and some of Tuesday. Tyler was next for twelve hours, and switched out with the current one. I haven't been out of the room in a while so I can't really be sure. I was too worried about Bella." Looking back at Bella sitting up in the bed, Edward continued, "find Mike and figure out why he left his post. I want to know what was so important that he would leave his job in the middle of it.
"What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were at work…" Edward observed. That's where Senior said he would be going when he left the room earlier. What was he doing back so soon?
Senior nodded. "I was, but then I got a call from Esme, telling me Black was here, Bella was under arrest and Peter was on his way. What were the charges he arrested her on?"
"Obstruction and accessory after the fact," Edward explained. "He was trying to force her hand. He wanted information on us and knew he wouldn't get it unless he had leverage so he created some. He can't prove either charge though. He just wanted to scare Bella into telling him everything, which won't happen."
Peter and Bella's talk lasted about an hour, causing Detective Black to become restless and agitated as he waited in the hallway with a stolen cup of coffee from the doctor's lounge. He wanted to get back into the room before the lawyer managed to persuade Bella not to give him the information he needed and wanted. He paced the hallway for a time, before leaning against the wall, restless and desperate to get in there.
The three Cullens - Carlisle, Esme and Edward Senior - stood off to the side, speaking in hushed tones, waiting for the security footage of Bella's doorway and information on where the guard wondered off to, while the patients, doctors and nurses passed them to get where they needed to be. Edward couldn't hear his family's conversation, having moved further down the hall closer to the doorway to Bella's room.
Edward watched the detective closely, cataloging each movement. He didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him. The man was sneaky and slimy and Edward didn't want him near his Bella. She had been hurt so much in her life and if at all possible, Edward was going to make sure she wasn't hurt anymore. If that meant keeping Detective Jacob Black away from Bella, he would do so, by whatever means necessary.
When they were allowed back into the individual hospital room, Edward was first in the door with Detective Black hot on his heels, hoping to be able to persuade Bella not to listen to her lawyer and the other Cullens. He wasn't successful in getting to her quickly enough because when Edward got to her, he immediately pulled her into his arms, resting her head on his chest while he whispered quietly in her ear.
All the talking and arguing had really taken a toll on Bella and as Edward held her, she felt her eyes slowly closing to take another nap. With the medications in her system, the healing her body was trying to do and the aggressive attitude from Detective Black as he tried to assert his authority. Bella's psyche was worn out. She needed to relax and recover - but the latest development was making it hard to do so. As she snuggled into Edward's chest, she decided she would just let him and his family take care of everything for the time being. They knew what they were doing and she trusted Edward to take care of the situation while she slept.
"Now that I have spoken to my client, I would like you to leave, Detective. You have no basis for these accusations and I will ask you to think about what you're doing when you accuse Miss Swan, who was one of the victims of the drive by. The District Attorney will never prosecute because she hasn't done anything wrong. Anyone, doctor or not, will tell you that most victims don't remember everything that happened during the commission of the crime."
"I don't believe that for a second. She knows what I need to know. She won't answer my questions and I know she knows. She needs to tell me and she's going to tell me or she's going to prison," Black told the room. He wasn't going to give up without a fight.
"I believe she told you, Detective Black, she doesn't remember much and all she does remember, she already told you. Why do you insist on believing otherwise?" Peter asked the angry detective. "I believe this is harassment. You should leave my client alone before I inform your superiors of your actions. Rest assured, I will be informing them."
"Isn't this a conflict of interest, Counsel? You're defending all the Cullens and their playthings?" Black asked looking from Mr. Banks to Bella. "Or is it trying to cover their asses? You wouldn't be so scared if she didn't know something. Isabella knows something that can hurt all of you. That's why you're so protective of her. Isn't it? What are you scared of? Me, flipping her? Don't worry, that's exactly what's going to happen."
"Watch your mouth Black. You have no idea what you're talking about," snarled Edward. Even with the knowledge Bella wouldn't betray the family, let alone him, he didn't like the smug look on Black's face or the arrogant tone he took. Bella wasn't some slut that could be flipped with promises of money, 15 minutes of fame or ill intentioned promises of making the world better if she just turned her back on the Cullens. She wasn't like that.
Not one to lay down and roll over at the first sign of a fight, Black taunted, "Are you worried she just might find out that after you get everything you want and need out of her, you'll throw her away like yesterday's garbage? Or even kill her and throw her to the fishes? That's what you'll always do. Does she know what you did with the other girls you slept with?"
As Edward opened his mouth to argue back, a tall, young looking man in a pressed, fancy looking charcoal grey suit with a briefcase in one hand walked into the room. He looked around the room and spotted Black. He walked over, shook his hand and laid the briefcase on the bed, hitting Bella's leg hard enough for a bruise to begin forming.
Edward growled at the man. Senior laid his hand on his son's shoulder to keep him from leaping over the bed and killing the two men that were so close to his Bella. He didn't trust them so close to her. He knew they would try something if given the chance.
"Is this her, Black?" the man asked as he assessed the sleeping woman. He didn't wait for the detective to answer before he unlocked his briefcase and pulled a thick packet of paperwork out along with a pad of legal paper and a pen.
Glancing over at the four Cullens and the lawyer in the room, Black responded, "Yes. This is her. Before we start with the paperwork though, you might want to get them out of here. She won't say anything otherwise."
The yet unnamed man glanced over at the other people in the room. "I need you all to vacate the room at this time. You will be able to come back in when we're finished."
"Over my dead body," Edward sneered at the men. "I'm not leaving her alone with the likes of you two. You'd both probably kill her."
Surprise colored the face of the man. He was speechless for a brief moment before he recovered his wits and asked, "And who might you be?"
"Edward Cullen. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm District Attorney Simon Alistair." He revealed, still stunned at the tone Edward had taken with him. "Black told me Miss Isabella, here, would be making a statement against your family today, in-lieu of prison time herself. Now that we've gotten the introductions out of the way, would you all mind vacating the room for the time being?"
Scoffing at the audacity of the man, Edward clenched his teeth and gritted out, "Would I mind? Would I mind? Fuck that. I'm not leaving her side while you two are here."
Mr. Alistair turned to Black, ignoring the ranting of Edward and asked, "Would you please wake her up? I have an appointment in an hour and I have a schedule to keep. Let's get this dealt with."
Black shook Bella's shoulder roughly to wake her as he called, "Swan. Isabella. Wake up! You need to give your statement to the D.A." The bed shook with the force he had been using, though there was absolutely no need for that, especially in a hospital setting.
"Over my dead body," Bella grumbled, parroting Edward's earlier words as she forced her eyelids open. "Where's Edward?"
Stepping closer to her side, Edward softly answered, "I'm right here. You're all right. I've got you." He picked her hand up and kissed her knuckles gently.
Bella hummed contentedly and smiled. "Don't leave me alone with them. Please."
"I won't leave you," Edward promised her. "There is no way I'll be leaving you alone with them."
"Sir, you need to leave the room so I can take her statement." Alistair shook his head at Edward in frustration.
Clearly the District Attorney wasn't getting what was going to happen; as there was absolutely no way Edward was leaving Bella in the room alone with these sharks, for her own sake.
Bella looked from Edward to the man she didn't recognize and then over to the man she recognized as the lawyer that had sprung her last time. "What is he talking about? What statement?"
Attempting to answer, Edward was interrupted by the new man, "Detective Black called and said you would make a statement against the Cullens and testify against them in exchange for having the charges against you dropped."
Shaking her head before looking over at Black, Bella was confused and clearly annoyed at the man's sheer stupidity. "Did Detective Black explain anything else to you, Mr.…?"
"Simon Alistair. I'm Chicago's District Attorney."
"Did he explain the rest of the situation to you or did he leave out anything that worked against him?" Bella moved around in the bed, trying to get comfortable. The handcuffs chaffed Bella's skin as they clanged against the bed rails loudly in the semi-quiet room.
Stepping forward, Peter asked the detective, "Are the cuffs really necessary? Clearly Miss Swan isn't going anywhere while she's injured."
Detective Black stood, staring at the attorney with his arms crossed over his chest. He was trying to intimidate them into doing or saying something incriminating. It would work on them, just like anyone else; he was sure of it. He always got what he wanted.
"I won't ask you people again, you all need to leave the room please. This is official business." Alistair turned back to Bella and held out the pad of paper, but she didn't bother taking it.
After a brief, silent, tension filled moment, Bella shook her head and revealed, "I'm not sure, what Detective Black told you, but I don't know anything. I haven't seen anything that could get them in trouble and I haven't heard anything that could get them in trouble. For all I know they're the perfect family, minus a few disagreements." Bella looked from Alistair to Edward before she looked at Black. "I don't know where the good detective got the notion that I could testify against them." Bella continued to try and get comfortable on the bed with little success. She was getting sick and tired of the damn bed that was never comfortable.
"I don't believe that for a second! You know something and you're going to tell us!" Black argued loudly. "Otherwise you'll be going to jail." He didn't like that this was the first, and only time to date, that he didn't get what he wanted.
Bella's eyes flashed in anger as she squared her shoulders and growled, "Why would I be going to jail? I told you, I don't remember anything more about the restaurant-"
"Wait," the district attorney interrupted, needing more information before they continued. "What restaurant? What are you talking about?" The man looked to Detective Black, arched his eyebrow and waited for the answers from his coworker.
Stepping forward, Peter smiled at Bella encouragingly and decided he would answer the DA's questions. "Mr. Alistair, my name is Peter Banks. I was retained as Miss Swan's attorney. From the sounds of it, I don't believe Detective Black has told you the entire story here. Miss Swan was a victim in a drive by. She was shot and has been in a medically induced coma for a few weeks. She just woke three days ago. Detective Black here has arrested her because she couldn't provide any more information than what she has already provided for that crime-"
Bella interrupted him then as she glared at the detective next to her, "That's the obstruction of justice charge he pulled out of his ass."
Continuing on as if he hadn't just been interrupted, Peter said, "And apparently, he was asking her questions about the Cullen family's legal standing. She explained to him that she has not seen anything that would be considered illegal and he added the charge of accessory after the fact for trying to help the Cullens hide these things Detective Black claims they have done. Might I add, he has no evidence to support his theories because the Cullens are upstanding, law abiding citizens."
"That's fucking bullshit and you know it!" Black screamed, glaring across the bed at Edward.
"Detective Black, if you cannot keep your voice down and your temper in check, I will have you thrown out of this room and file a report," Peter promised calmly.
Raising his hand to point at the lawyer, Black snarled, "I'll have you know-"
But the District Attorney wouldn't let him finish. "Detective Black, please release Miss Swan from the cuffs. She is the victim here. I won't prosecute this case. Any doctor could get up on the stand and testify to her state of mind and the adrenaline coursing through her. It would just be a losing case for me."
"WHAT?" Black shrieked like a little girl, astounded that the DA would give up that quickly without much of a fight. "How can you just let her go like that? She's the one that will bring the Cullens down! I know it! You can't just let her go! I can break her into telling us what we need to finally get the Cullens once and for all!"
Bella's head whipped over to the detective mid rant. "Break me?" She had already been broken. She had been broken for the past four years. Her aunt and uncle made sure to shatter every piece of hope she had in her with the abuse, both physical and emotional. However, coming to be with the Cullens, Bella felt like she was finally starting to regain some hope in her life - some happiness. Now this man, this detective had come in and wanted to break her all over again just for the sake of putting one man in prison. He didn't care what would happen to her in the end if he did break her. If Edward did go to jail, she would be broken and alone with no one to help her through. If Edward did not go to jail in the end, it would have all been for nothing. Edward was what was getting her through each day, the prospect of seeing him in the morning kept her waking up each day. She was finally becoming happy again for the first time since her mom and dad were alive. Edward was her happy place and she wasn't about to give that up for anything in the world.
"Detective, I think it's time to leave," Alistair told him as he grabbed hold of the irate detective's arm. Black looked at the DA and grumbled the entire time he took to pull out the keys and unlock Bella's shiny new bracelet. He slipped both pieces into his inside suit breast pocket as Alistair herded him out of the room.
He was Detective Jacob William Black of Chicago Police Department and he always got what he wanted one way or another. It just took a little while sometimes. He needed her broken and spilling her guts to him before the end of the day. She wasn't going to survive intact if he kept pushing and that's exactly what he was going to do. He wasn't going to let her out of that room without giving him the answers he wanted. He wanted the Cullens' asses by the end of the day and he would do everything and anything to get them.
Alistair turned back to the group of people in the room and said, "I am sorry for the inconvenience that may have been had today. It seems that people neglect to tell the entire story. I am sorry for the troubles. Miss Swan, please feel better soon."
As soon as the two sets of footsteps faded into the distance, Bella looked over at Edward and asked, "When can I get out of here? I don't like that just anyone can waltz on in here like he did."
Glancing over at his father, Edward replied, "Don't worry, we're working on getting you out of here. The guard at the door was away from his post. He should never have been able to get that close. I'm so sorry, Little Love. It won't happen again." He climbed into the bed next to Bella and had her curl into his body so he could hold her. She didn't resist his gentle leading. She laid her head on his chest over his heart and curled into him with her hand resting on his stomach.
Peter motioned for Senior to step aside with him for a brief moment. He explained that when he left the hospital, he would be in contact with Detective Black's superiors to lodge a complaint for harassment and falsely accusing Bella with absolutely no proof. It was very taboo of a detective to accuse a victim of a crime - any crime - of something as serious as Detective Black did with Bella. There would definitely be some tails getting fried today. Peter wanted to make sure it was Detective Black's butt. It was uncalled for, for a man like him to attack a small, fragile little woman like Bella who had never done anything against the law and had a past of heartache and hardships. It was insulting to him and he wanted to right the wrong that was happening to Bella.
Before Senior returned to Bella's bedside, his phone beeped, alerting him to an incoming text. He quickly checked the message and growled as he watched the short video clip attached to it. Sensing his rising anger, Carlisle stepped over to him as Esme and Edward helped Bella get comfortable on the bed, covering her up and getting her ice chips to munch on.
"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked his father quietly.
Senior glanced over his shoulder to see if the others were listening. When he determined they weren't, he showed the short, grainy video to Carlisle. "It seems like the guard, Mike, left his post to first flirt, then have a quickie with one of the nurses on duty. I'll have them disinfect that closet before the night's over." The tone of Senior's voice was deadly. He didn't like the fact that someone would put Bella's life at risk for a booty call. He would deal with it once and for all.
"What are you going to do about it?" Carlisle asked. He could tell that Bella brought out a protective side in most everyone around her - in Emmett, Jasper and him she had older brothers, while she brought out the father figure in Senior and the mother figure in Esme. Alice and Rose were the older, protective sisters. Nobody would ever mess with Bella and get away with it, he mused silently.
"I'm going to invite them to dine with me at the warehouse when they get off shift tonight. It'll be an offer they simply can't refuse," he snarled quietly as he snapped his phone shut harshly. He looked over at his second oldest and asked, "Were we always this protective before?" Carlisle simply smiled ruefully and shook his head as they turned back around to the others in the room.
"Thank you for saving me from him. I didn't think he would ever stop asking me questions and go away," Bella mumbled into Edward's shirt sleepily. She was tired again. The heavy medication and adrenaline that was waning in her bloodstream were causing her to shut down quickly. It was her body's way of telling her she needed to rest and recover. She barely got her cup of ice safely back onto the table before she whispered "I love you," to Edward as she finally closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
Edward smiled to himself before kissing Bella's hair and whispering back, "I love you too, Little Love. More than you know."
"From now on, James will be posted at the door or in the room with her at all times. I doubt that's the last time we'll be seeing Black while she's in here," Senior told Edward quietly.
Nodding, Edward replied, "Thank you. I just want to keep her safe."
"We all do, Son."
Senior walked over and gently kissed Bella's forehead before smoothing some hair out of her face. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Get better soon, kid. We need you back at the house. I miss my talks with you."
A/N: First and foremost, please give a round of applause to TwiSNFan for her wonderful beta work. She's absolutely wonderful. And no, you cannot have her. She's mine.
Second, sorry for the late update, but as you may have read, my real life has been a mess lately. On top of everything else going on, I just learned that my mother will need a kidney transplant. I've been driving her to all her doctor's appointments (since she can't drive herself due to a broken right foot and having surgery on her left). I tend to get a lot of writing done while waiting for those to end, but I don't have much time to type the story up then once I get home. Please bear with me while my life crumbles and I attempt to pick it back up and fix it back together. I will try and keep to the ten days (or so) updates from now on, but it may get a little hard to keep that, so please bear with me. I will not be giving up on this story ever. It will be finished if it's the last thing I do!
Third, please leave a review. I love to hear what all of you think about it. Point out areas where I need to fine tune, point out areas you thought were good, point out areas where you thought were cute, but please, if you do, make it constructive criticism. If you're mean just for the sake of being mean, it helps nobody and isn't this whole thing one gigantic learning experience for reader, writer and beta? (Yes, I've learned she reads the reviews to see what y'all are saying about things.)
And last but not least, I am looking for an image for this story for the new layout. If anyone if savy with that kind of thing just let me know and show me what you got! I want to see what you guys can put together.
Thank you!
Jm_bc