Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or My Sister's Keeper
BPOV
After tossing and turning all night from a restless sleep, I finally crack my eyes open. I glance briefly at my clock, which reads 6:55 AM. No longer preoccupied with attempting to go back to sleep, I roll out of bed and amble my way into the den. It's breaking dawn and the beauty of infused pink and orange swirl amongst the horizon through the den's large windows. Streams of sunlight begin to permeate the room, casting a buttery striped pattern across the wooden floors. I sigh contentedly, flop on the sofa and turn on the television. After flicking through a few channels, I settle for a news station.
"Wake up, Seattle," A cheery, blonde news anchor quips into the camera. "It's 7 AM at West Coast 8 News and we're here to help get the coffee flowing." The prosthetic smile and excess mascara do a wondrous combination of masking her fatigue. Birds chirp outside, an indication of the early morning and I stretch lazily. Rose is still asleep, she doesn't share my enthusiasm for mornings.
"Good morning folks," The male anchor shuffles his papers around and smiles. "Last night, a…" His reporting begins to drone into a consistent buzz, and I get up from the sofa. Leaving the television on, I venture into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Today was going to be another long and grueling day at court.
As the black liquid drips slowly through the filter, I drum my fingertips against the countertop in anticipation. The dripping is the only noise that breaks the silence and I sigh heavily. Purely out of boredom, I waver my eyes to the LCD screen through the kitchen's open doorway. The pixels flicker for a moment – a change in pictures. To my disbelief, I see a sketch of the man I happen to be in love with on regional television. I nearly trip in the process of sprinting over toward the den, but after I reassemble myself I hastily turn up the volume and sit myself down.
"…Edward Cullen, a renowned Seattle-based attorney, is representing a minor in Jane Doe v. Black…" The female anchor drones on and I peer closely at the courtroom sketch. Due to the fact the press and cameras are not allowed in the courtroom, a sketch artist is obligated to record events.
A colorful sketch is enlarged on my television. Edward, in two-dimensional form, has his arms crossed. His suit has been shaded a deep black and to my secret delight and indulgence, his wild, bronze locks are illustrated perfectly. Swept up and shaded a reddish-brown, his hair sits on top of his pale head. Two specks of green compose of his beautiful emerald eyes, yet his facial composure is twisted into a menacing glower. On the receiving end of this glower is Rebecca Black, who is illustrated to have her face exposing immense uncertainty. Her eyes meet the floor while Judge Weber and the bench are lightly sketched into the background.
"…Day two of trial commences in a few hours…" I pick up a snippet of the report and speculate that the number of journalists waiting outside the courthouse today will double.
"Is he as ruthless as he looks in court?" I hear a voice behind me. I jump in shock and quickly turn to find Rose with her hair in a messy up-do and her arms crossed. Still in her camisole and pajama shorts, her left hip is jutted out and she taps her foot absentmindedly.
"He's worse," I raise my eyebrows. "How are you awake?" My roommate usually arises at around noontime. She closes her eyes, yawns and then slowly maneuvers around the sofa to sit next to me.
"A combination of the volume and the noise you made from almost knocking the lamp over." She yawns again and apathetically nods toward the table lamp – the one I nearly shattered while rushing to see the sketch. I turn red and mute the television.
"Sorry." I say meekly and she leans back into the sofa. Her platinum head sinks into the cushion and she closes her eyes.
"How was it?" She mutters. She's referring to the trial.
"Intimidating," I admit. "Edward is… brutal." I finally find the appropriate word. A smile creeps up onto her lips.
"You knew that before, though." She says in a bored tone.
"True, but he's just so… coldhearted. It's a bit unsettling." I admit. She opens her blue eyes and gazes at me.
"He's an attorney, Bella. They're all coldhearted, it's their job." She blinks and I shrug.
"It was weird. Watching him and his father, I mean." I bite my lip and Rose shrugs.
"He's paid to rip up whoever he wants." I shake my head in response.
"No, he went easy on his dad." I finally say in disbelief. Rose looks at me for a moment and blinks twice.
"He's changing." She says simply.
"No," I shake my head. "He's trying."
…………
After fending off the hoards of aggressive reporters, I finally make my way inside the courthouse. I breathe in relief and close my eyes for a moment. Not even a second later, the pitter-pattering of Sam makes my eyes reopen. He comes around the corner, his ears flattened and his tail between his legs. When he reaches me I'm concerned – where is his owner? A moment later, he latches onto the hem of my pencil skirt and tugs for me to follow him.
As we round the corner, I can begin to hear the strained voice of his owner. Trying not to raise his voice, Edward is obviously irate about something. Sam and I reach the conference room Edward and Elizabeth are both in and I silently enter myself. Obviously intruding in on a heated argument, his hands are raised in the air and anger seeps from his composure. Elizabeth stands opposite from him, her arms crossed as she's glaring at him.
"…I'm wasting time and manpower, Elizabeth. You drag me into this case and you still don't even know what you want. Make up your mind." He seethes.
"You lied. You said I didn't have to testify!" She yells at him and her crossed arms tighten in fury.
"Of course I lied. What did you expect? They want to hear what you have to say." He growls and she tightens her mouth into a straight line.
"I hired you because I thought you could help save me, but you can't even save yourself," She rebukes and shoves past him, her shoulder hitting his stone arm. "Asshole." She mutters. After she huffs past him, she then slinks past me and slams the door. He turns around and sees me, but before he can open his mouth Sam begins to bark maniacally. He jumps onto Edward's torso and begins to paw at him.
"Get down!" Edward orders his dog in a fuming tone. After Sam obeys, Edward straightens his suit out and sighs.
He sighs again and sits heavily into a chair. "She refuses to testify." He shakes his head and I take a step toward him.
"Of course not. She can barely speak to her mother within their own home, how do you expect she'll do in a cross-exam?" I raise an eyebrow at him. He closes his eyes and I take a seat across from him. It's silent for a moment.
"What are you going to tell Weber?" He opens his eyes, and for a moment, I'm dazzled by them. After recomposing myself, I blink a few times and then shake my head angrily; he's asking me to cheat for his case's benefit.
"What is this case about, Edward?" He crosses his arms and I gaze into his green eyes.
"Elizabeth." He responds bluntly and pointedly.
"Or is it about you?" I respond sourly. His face turns to stone and I grow a bit unsettled.
"Why don't you just ruin my case like you were planning on, Bella?" He doesn't blink.
"This isn't your case. It's Elizabeth's." I say simply. He doesn't blink.
"I know that." He says venomously and I decide… I decide that I've kept quiet for too long.
"You know what, Edward? That's your problem. You think you know everything, but outside a courtroom you don't know anything. I don't know what happened to you all those years ago, but what made you you died. You buried your own grave, and up came this new, apathetic prick. Lately, the old you has been trying to resurface, but you have too many demons to let it break through. I don't know what's your deal, Edward, but I need to quit you. Sure, it's okay that Elizabeth is just a client, but the moment she becomes someone you care about you push her away. Me? The minute that you fall in love with me, you break my heart and then commit personality suicide. Everytime the old you resurfaces, everytime we have a moment, you run away. You're a coward. That's okay though, I'll be sure to tell everyone what a jerk you are because I'm the only one qualified to dub you as one. It's disappointing that someone can see right through you, isn't it?"
I'm trembling. He looks as if I've slapped him across the face, but a nanosecond later it washes off. I turn around quickly so he can't see the tears forming in my eyes.
"Bella," He begins but I start to walk away. "The dog. He's –" Before I can turn around and meet his gaze, the public community sheriff walks in.
"You need to testify now, Ms. Swan." He looks from me to Edward.
…………
I take my spot at the witness stand and gaze forlornly at Edward. He's shuffling his note cards at his table and mutters something under his breath – however, it's incoherent. After a moment, he does something surprisingly spontaneous and tosses his notes. I catch Elizabeth shooting him a petulant, sideways glare, and then we commence.
"Can you state your name?" He takes a few steps toward me. His eyes are glazed over.
"Isabella Marie Swan." I respond but bite my lip out of nervous habit.
"Bel-" But he stops short and clears his throat. "Ms. Swan," He corrects himself. "For the record, what is a guardian ad litem?" He blinks once and I can detect his hands are trembling slightly. I blink a few times and look into the crowd.
"A court appointed individual trained to work with children in family court. Ultimately, they decide what is in the child's best interests regarding a trial." I bite my lip again and wait for him to rip me to pieces. He takes a few more steps toward me and stops a foot away from the bench.
"As a guardian ad litem, what are your recommendations regarding the case, Be- Ms. Swan." He's slipped twice in under a few minutes – something rare. I finally gaze at him and his green eyes are soft.
I remember when I spent those two weeks in his summer home. Two weeks without Edward, two weeks in his arms. I remember waking up one night, doing just that – being in his arms. I remember his face buried into the warm crevice of my neck, his body rising slowly as he subconsciously inhaled and exhaled. I remember his cool breath on my neck, the way his lips curved onto my neck as he slept. That night, I'd had incredible dream, just as I did for those eight months. And every night after graduation, I'd wake up crying.
"Ms. Swan?" Judge Weber prompts and I'm thrown back into reality. I turn a shade of red and sit up straighter.
"My apologies, Your Honor," I amend with the Judge. I then turn to Edward. His face is expectant.
"Elizabeth is an incredible girl," I glance at her. "However, she is an unhappy girl. When she was conceived, I think that her parents intended to use the opportunity as a double benefit. Bringing a child into the world, who they could love unconditionally, was something Rebecca and Billy Black had the best intentions of. Helping prolong the life of her sister is something elicited from the situation as well. Yes, Elizabeth feels the responsibility of being her sister's crutch, but I feel her parents wanted their eldest daughter to be saved while they could watch their youngest grow. Over the past few months of observation, I realized that it's critical this family sacrifices anything and everything to extended Leah's minutes. I understand that it's crucial, purely because you'd do anything to keep someone you love," I lower my gaze to the paneled, wooden floors.
The summer after Edward left me, I didn't know how to piece my life back together. I didn't get out of bed before two in the afternoon. I didn't leave my house. Eventually, I stopped brushing my hair, going out, eating. I never returned Alice's calls. I was a pile of broken glass, a puzzle that couldn't be re-pieced. Charlie threatened therapy several times, a notion I nearly succumbed to because I was far past the point of self-repair.
I lift my gaze up, land on the audience and then meet Edward's eyes.
"Unfortunately, there is also a point when it's time to let go." My comment applies to more than the case. It's silent.
"What are your recommendations for the court, Ms. Swan?" Judge Weber finally asks, puzzled.
"I don't have an answer," I sigh. "I know that is unacceptable, but as Mrs. Black said, this case cannot be laid out in black and white. I do not believe it is in Elizabeth's best interests for her to continue donating to her sister. The continuation of being a donor holds no benefits for Elizabeth, it only prolongs Leah's life. However, I do not believe Elizabeth has the mental capabilities to make her own medical decisions." There's murmuring amongst the audience and I cautiously meet Elizabeth's gaze. I expect resentment, yet I receive, to my astonishment, a small smile.
Edward takes the final step toward me and places a hand on my stand. Before he can open his mouth, the courtroom doors burst open and a man sprints toward the bench.
"Mr. Cullen," A courthouse official pants as he reaches Edward. He brandishes a cellular phone and attempts to catch his breath. "Urgent phone call." Edward looks at him with an irksome countenance.
"It can't wait?" He asks. The official shakes his head and turns to Judge Weber.
"Your Honor, I am so sorry for the interruption, but there is an emergency." He says apologetically and finally stops heaving. Judge Weber mutters something under his breath just as Edward puts the phone to his ear.
EPOV
I hesitantly place the phone to my ear. What kind of emergency would arise that stumps the importance of a court hearing?
"Hello?" I ask into the unfamiliar phone. All eyes are on me.
"Edward? Edward, it's Jasper," He says in a strained voice, obviously attempting to remain lucid.
"Jasper?" I ask, perplexed. "What's wrong?" A list of possible tragedies reels through my mind as I anticipate his answer. I sense Bella going rigid.
"It's –" But he's cut off. Just then, I hear a blood-curdling shriek in the background, followed by shuffling noises.
"Edward Anthony," Alice screams into the phone. "GET HERE NOW!" She shrieks so loudly that it goes off the decibel charts. I wince and waver my eyes in uncertainty. They finally land on Bella's chocolate browns ones; they're as big as quarters.
"Alice," I assuage in a soothing voice. "What –" But she cuts me off as well.
"Get. Here. Now." She screeches and I hear shuffling once again. The courtroom is so silent that I'm almost certain I can hear the dripping of my sweat.
"Edward –" Jasper attempts once again but I can distinguish him pulling the phone from his ear. I hear the honking of a car horn. "Alice. Alice. Alice." I hear in the background, completed with another screech and his soothing shushes.
"Jasper, what's wrong?" My composure slowly unravels and I already have my Volvo keys in my hand. What's wrong with Alice? My twin. I think. Again, my eyes lock on Bella's, pleading. She can hear the entire conversation deeming she's a mere two feet away from me.
"Edward," He finally slips from his calm façade. "Alice is going into premature labor."
I'm out the door, Bella and Sam in tow, before Judge Weber can blink.
…………
"Alice," I burst into the hospital room. She's sporting a hospital gown and gripping the gurney's sides. "Alice are you sure this isn't just a contraction? You're only eight months along." I approach her and she snaps her teeth at me.
"Yes," She struggles through her gritted teeth. "I'm almost… fully dilated." She struggles and begins to pant, her raven head hitting the pillow. My concerns immediately regard the health of her child.
"Is the baby alright?" I ask, alarmed.
"Babies are born premature all the time, Edward." She chokes out a laugh and then gasps in pain. At the noise, I rush to her side and brush her dark locks from her strained face. Jasper is calmly pacing back and forth and running his hands through his honey-blonde hair. Bella goes to him first.
"Jazz," She places a hand on his arm and he stops pacing. "Are you alright?" He smiles warmly at her and then at me.
"Yes, I'm fine. We'll be fine." He attempts to exert his soothing affect on the room, but I suppose us Cullen brethren are immune to it. Alice shrieks and I groan simultaneously.
"Alice." Jasper bolts toward his wife, my sister, and gently smoothes her face. He takes her left hand, softly kisses her ring and commences with shushing her edgy noises of pain. Bella, however, stays locked in place. Yet after a moment she makes her away around the bed to Alice's other side and takes her right hand – ignoring my presence although we're an inch apart. An aching in my bones arises as I long to touch her porcelain skin.
"Just think… in a few hours you'll be able to dress it." Bella attempts to lighten the mood and Alice's eyes pop.
"It better be a girl." She says through her teeth and we all laugh in unison.
Fifteen minutes later, the five of us don't move from our respective positions. Alice, ornery and touchy, is in the hospital gurney. I sit in a visitor's chair with Sam at my feet, while Bella sits three chairs away from me with Jasper on her right. I stare at the right hand of the clock, it doesn't move. It's taunting me - a reminder that time cannot be reversed. I sigh heavily and Bella turns to gaze at me inquisitively.
On cue, Alice screams louder than she has all day, but before Jasper can press the help button, I sprint out the room; we both know she's ready. In high school, I was a track captain. There are moments like this that that make me thankful for my ability, but rather than the faces of my school and a rival school blurring by me, it is the walls of the hospital corridor. I maneuver in and out of doctors, patients and medical carts. Finally, I spot a nurse and hastily approach her down the hall.
"Please, Miss. My sister is going into labor; you need to wheel her out. Mary Whitlock, Room 372," I plead with her and she blinks repeatedly. After a moment of silence on her end, I feel an urge to tell her that she shouldn't be thinking about me romantically; that I'm a bastard and I have no soul. "Miss." I plead with her again and she finally awakens from her trance.
"Oh yes, of course." She breathes.
To my consternation and anger, my sister is not tended to until ten minutes later. After Alice is wheeled out, her shrieks and moans left in a wake, Bella and I are forced to sit next to be alone. Jasper aids his wife in the delivery room while the woman I'm in love with sits next to me in the waiting room. It's silent, other than the ticking of the clock. No longer apt with the oppressive silence, I place my face into my hands and sigh heavily.
After moments of continuous, domineering hush, I lift my face to find Bella gazing at me. Her gorgeous brown eyes have multiple layers of depth to them, and for a moment, I exit my previous worrisome thoughts and get lost in the swirls of chocolate.
"I'm sorry." My voice comes off quieter than intended.
"For what?" She blinks and absentmindedly runs her fingers against the chair's arm.
"For everything." I murmur. She bites her lip and sighs after a moment too long.
"I need to quit you." She shakes her head.
"I know. And stopping you would make me even more of a prick." I say softly and close my eyes.
"You really need to stop being so addicting." She says quietly and I feel her hand on my arm. I open my eyes and blink.
The summer after Bella and I ended, I worked so hard to go somewhere with my life; to forget. She deserved better, she didn't deserve me. I fled Forks, my family and the eighteen years of my upbringing. I buried myself into a dimension of self-pity and angst, and reemerged myself as a stranger. Masked by a wall of lies, I became a coward. I left Forks because I could see her everywhere. At every intersection, every house, every turn. I saw her reflection in my car's rearview mirror, her smile in my dreams, her waving at me from the side of road. I could hear her fits of giggles in the wind. I could even smell her scent in the air. I left Forks because I needed to get her scent off my skin, to get her laughter out of my mind. Not that it helped. She still haunted me for eight years, everywhere I went, no matter how far away I ran.
"I love you." I say for the first time in nearly a decade. Shock flashes across her face and she drops her hand from my arm.
"This is what I'm talking about, Edward," She shakes her head and turns a slight shade of pink. She doesn't love you back. I hear a snickering in my head and I feel the urge to destroy the voice. She drops her gaze and closes her eyes. My heart fissures and I choke back a groan of heartbreak. After a moment, I'm about to get up and leave, but she speaks. "But I can't deny - and I hate myself for this… but… I love you too." She whispers and my heart implodes.
"Come here, Bells." And I wrap her into my arms.
…………
Five hours and a cesarean section later, I am an uncle. I hold my niece in my arms and gaze incredulously at her angelic face. Surrounded by my mother, father, Bella and Sam, it is silent in Alice's hospital room. Jasper is at my sister's side as she contentedly yet sleepily beams at my interaction with her newborn daughter.
I gaze upon my niece's face. She has Alice's bright, blue irises, but locks of Jasper's honey-blond hair sprouts from her milky pale scalp. Her cheeks are rosy and she blinks her large eyes. My mother is crying at my side as she gazes onto her granddaughter, and something stirs in me.
"We named her Annabel Rosalyn Whitlock." Jasper beams and Alice sighs in bliss. My parents and Bella gasp and coo in glee, but I am silent.
"What a beautiful name." My mother sighs into my father's chest.
"Yes." He agrees, smoothing her hair down.
"Annabel." I finally murmur and on cue, she exerts a pealing giggle – Alice's laugh. A smile grows on my face and I softly hug her to my body. A moment later, Alice breaks the serenity.
"Bella," Alice calls and she responds by rushing to her side.
"Yes, Al?" Bella looks at my sister expectantly.
"Her name… it's in tribute to you. We plan to call her Bell." Alice says softly. Bella, in exchange, freezes. And shortly after, she begins to cry.
"Alice, I…" She wipes a tear from her cheek and Esme is immediately at her side.
"Oh dear, don't cry." She shushes her and rubs circles into her back.
"Bella, you're like a sister to me. Please, you've deserved this. You're an amazing person and you've always been there for me – no matter what," She pauses to glance briefly at me. "Jasper and I are in debt to you for everything you've done for us. We love you, Bell." Alice smiles and Bella does as well, through her tears.
"Alice, Jasper, thank you so much." She whispers and my mother hugs her lightly. I gaze down at my niece again and she blinks at me.
"You're her godmother too, Bella. Her namesake and godmother." Jasper says quietly, yet in a warm tone. Bella's eyes lock on mine and then she slowly walks toward me. The room is silent again as she reaches my side and lightly touches my elbow with her fingertips.
"She's beautiful." Bella whispers as she gazes onto Annabel's face.
"She's perfect." I add softly. I'm not looking at my niece.
Day 3
Judge Weber is not a happy man. After Bella and I rushed out of the courthouse yesterday, we each received several voicemails entailing the "cheerier" side of the Judge.
"Are you ready to continue?" He asks Bella and I sourly. I'm sitting next to Elizabeth – who is still livid with me.
"Yes, Your Honor. My sincerest apologies for yesterday's events." As Bella is getting sworn in, I accidentally drop my pen.
"Elizabeth could you get that for me?" I ask politely but she crosses her arms.
"I would be wasting time and manpower, wouldn't I?" She mimics my previous statement in a dry tone. I suppress a scowl; she's nearly as stubborn as Bella. I bend down to retrieve the pen. Once it's in my hand, I scribble something onto a piece of paper.
I'm sorry. I write and push it toward her. She scans it quickly and takes the pen from me.
I'm still mad at you. She writes back.
I'll make sure you don't have to testify. I write in my neat script. After she reads it, she pulls a face at me, but a smile twitches at the corner of her lips.
"Counselor, are you ready?" Judge Weber prompts and I swiftly rise.
"Yes, Judge." I make my way around the table and approach Bella.
"Ms. Swan, what are your recommendations for Elizabeth Black?" I cross my arms. She sighs and closes her eyes.
"I do not have a recommendation, Mr. Cullen." She says this more confidently than she did yesterday.
"Why is that?" I raise an eyebrow.
"You're asking me to split a family. That is something I will not do, it being my job or not." Bella gazes at me. I'm just as torn about this case as she is – yet she is displaying it publicly. Sam takes this moment to run up to me and sinks his teeth into the cuff of my suit.
"Down!" I order him but he is still latched on. "Get down!" I growl and he finally subdues. I straighten myself out and then return my gaze to Bella. "Ms. Swan, this is unacceptable."
"I know. Yet, I see Rebecca and Billy Black attempting everything in their power to save their daughter, even if it means sacrificing some things. And then I see Elizabeth, thirteen years old, finally standing up for herself – even if it means losing her sister. It's a lose-lose situation, Mr. Cullen." Bella sighs and shakes her head. Another wave, just as yesterday, of murmuring sweeps across the courtroom and there's a tugging at my sleeve. Expecting to see Sam, I look down and surprisingly find Elizabeth.
"Okay. I'll talk," She whispers to me. She raises her head to meet Judge Weber's stare. "Your Honor, I have something to say."
Elizabeth POV
I nervously run a hand along the wood of the witness stand. I peer out into the courtroom and find my mother sitting rigid at her lawyer table, and I scope out my father who smiles at me ever so slightly. I'm not cut out for this. I think about making a run for it when Edward approaches my stand.
"Elizabeth," He gulps. "Do you need water? Anything?" He asks quietly. He looks positively awful. Sweat drips down his face and normally bright, green eyes are clouded and dark – they're as big as quarters.
"Do you?" I ask him, my eyebrow raised. He shakes his head and blinks rapidly. He backs up from the stand and Sam is going wild. He's barking and pawing Edward, whose eyes are still huge. I'm not the only one to notice.
"Mr. Cullen," Judge Weber clears his throat. "Please control your animal." Edward snaps his gaze to his dog and shakes his head.
"Down, Sam. No." But the dog ignores him. In return, Edward ignores his dog.
"Elizabeth, what is your reasoning behind filing this petition?" He asks me.
"My mother asked." I say.
"For what?" Sam yelps.
"A kidney." I stare at Edward's loafers.
"Were your parents aware you didn't want to be a donor?" He continues but at this point, Sam begins howling and latches onto Edward's jacket.
"Mr. Cullen, I will have the bailiff remove your canine if you cannot control it." Judge Weber warns. Sam unlatches himself but leaps onto Edward's torso and begins pawing his chest. Edward ignores both the Judge and his dog.
"Was it your decision to file this lawsuit all by yourself, Elizabeth?" He continues. He's asking to prove I'm mentally capable of making my own decisions – opposing what Bella pointed out. Sam stops pawing his chest but begins to run in tight circles around him.
"I was convinced by someone." I lower my gaze. The courtroom gasps lightly. My parents' eyes drill into me, a small noise emits from Bella and Edward brushes his hair back in defeat. It's silent except for Sam's barking.
"Elizabeth," Edward sighs. "Who convinced you?"
I wring my hands together. "Leah."
I hear a crash, and for a moment, I think it's the earth opening up to swallow me whole, or a lightening bolt intent on frying my conscious to a crisp. But after a chorus of gasps and a single scream, I peer over the stand to see Edward Cullen on the ground, his dog standing next to him with a smug look on his face that says told you so.
Well, that was somewhat difficult to write. Lots of stuff to take in!
Thanks for reading, it means so much to me. I hope you guys liked it :)
kisses, JennyCullen44