Chapter Forty-Three—Endless


The rest of the day after the shooting and well into the evening was a blur for Edward and Bella. There was an endless supply of questions by various authorities, all of them similar and repetitive, as if they were the ones to blame for the shooting. The agent shot at the scene had worn a vest, as Edward had expected, but a few hits were to his thigh and shoulder. There was nothing on Emmett's condition, and it wore them down. Not to know was making Bella aggressive with the endless stream of questions.

It was soon clear that arguments had broken out between agencies, all demanding jurisdiction. Apparently, all of them had a reason to be there. They were waiting to receive word if Emmett was truly gone; his heartbeat had been thready at best when the ambulance drove away with him. Rosalie had yet to answer Bella's calls when her phone was finally returned to her. Charlie had come in twice during questioning; each time some asshole showed him the door. Bella and Edward were both eighteen, so unless they lawyered up, his hands were tied by politics and red fucking tape.

"You're free to go, Mr. Cullen." Agent White held open the door to the frigid room they had kept him in, and as Edward passed him, the agent added, "Watch your back, son."

Edward nodded, desperate to set his eyes on Bella again. They'd been separated about two hours earlier to answer the same questions in case their stories changed by being apart.

Another door opened down the hallway from the room Edward had been in, and as Bella emerged, her face appeared neutral, only the slight tick of her jaw showed how much she was holding back. As if she sensed him, she looked at Edward, her composure lost, rushing to wrap her arms around him.

Edward knew she hated showing even an ounce of emotion in front of anyone, but she needed him at that moment, and nothing would stop her from having him close. He felt the exact same way, grateful he could be there with her.

"Any word?" Edward asked, his whispered words sending shivers down her spine. She was trembling in his arms; it was subtle but enough for him to hold her tighter.

Bella sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing yet."

Edward and Bella followed another set of agents assigned to protect them. The issue of a safe house had been addressed, but would have to wait until morning for arrangements. It was still undecided if they would remain in Forks.

"The Mayor hasn't come by." Bella kept her words low and soft, to avoid from being overheard.

Edward nodded, having heard some officers talking about it. It was rather unusual, since the esteemed Mayor had been quiet. He had always been hands-on when such ugly events happened in Forks. He hadn't even called to make an inquiry into the situation. It was something outside agencies had noted, too. They didn't trust anyone other than Charlie, and that was a stretch too, considering his daughter was somehow involved in the matter.

"Where are you taking us?" Edward asked, as they drove away from the sheriff's office, stuck in the back of an SUV that screamed "government."

An agent Bella recognized as one of her uncle's men, turned from the passenger seat to look at them. "Your uncle and father would like to see you. They're waiting at Mr. Cullen's home."

Edward swallowed hard, sensing Bella's distress when she stiffened beside him. The agent's face was unreadable, most wore the same mask all damn day. Was Emmett gone? She didn't bother to ask, as if she was too scared to. Edward understood that feeling. He simply wrapped his arm around her shoulders tighter, kissing the top of her head as she silently cried against his chest.

Edward and Bella gave one-word answers when they were asked what they'd like to pick up to eat since it was almost nine at night. They were held for questioning for almost six fucking hours, no wonder they were hanging by a thread.

Another unmarked car pulled up beside them outside the diner, the agents acknowledging each other with a simple nod. One of them left the car to order, while the others stood watch around the car.

They were finally left alone for a short while.

"He's not dead." Bella pulled away slightly. "They want everyone to think that he is, but he's not."

Edward didn't know what to say. The chances were slim; the paramedics at the scene had struggled to keep Emmett breathing as they lifted him into the ambulance.

"Bella." He shook his head. What could he say to convince her? "He—"

"The blood was real, just not his," she said with a heavy sigh, "or not all of it."

"You can't be sure though, right?" Edward wasn't certain if he could handle a delusional Bella. She was too smart for her own good. Would she crack under pressure? Break instead of bend? "There was a lot of blood, Bella."

"There had been threats to him and Rosalie, which was why they had the apartment in Seattle. Maybe they needed to fake his death." She shrugged, closing her eyes and allowing her head to fall back against the seat. "I'm not being crazy or just hopeful. The bullets were real, I felt them, but he was wearing a vest."

Edward's brow furrowed as he remembered that Emmett did look especially bulky around the chest area. "Maybe, but not all the bullets hit him in the chest."

"Yeah, I know." She tucked herself closer to his side. "But there were no exit wounds either."

Edward didn't want to tell her that wasn't a good thing either. He prayed she was right.

Unfortunately, one look at her father's red-eyed face when they got to his house, and they knew their worst fears had come true. One moment, Bella was holding a bag of food in her hand, then the next, it slipped and fell to the floor as she dropped to her knees.

Tears filled Edward's eyes as he went down with her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Whispering words he knew she couldn't hear or that didn't matter.

She spent the rest of the night in Edward's arms screaming.

.

.

.

It had been two days since Emmett had been killed, four since Eric committed suicide, and Forks was still swarming with agents and media crews. The Mayor had left town suspiciously, right before all hell broke loose, to visit an ailing uncle in Germany. Yet, he didn't find it necessary for his entire family to accompany him; his daughter had remained behind. He was wanted for questioning, along with various members of the organization who had also conveniently disappeared.

The car that was part of the drive-by shooting had been found stripped, burned, and abandoned eight miles outside of town. The body of one of the shooters lying within several feet of it, but couldn't be identified by his remains since his teeth were missing.

The mood in Edward's house was somber as they all dressed to attend Emmett's funeral later that morning. Rosalie and Charlie were also staying there, and Carlisle was on his way to pay his respects, too. Edward's mother was still in too much pain to be moved, but would remain under constant security at the hospital.

It was strange for Edward to share a bed with Bella, considering Charlie was also living under the same roof, but after a long talk with Bella's uncle Marcus, they determined it provided the best protection. There was no other way onto the property other than the driveway, since they were surrounded by acres of forest. Security cameras and motion sensors placed strategically all around the property; if someone so much as took a walk out there, they'd know it.

It was some comfort, but not much.

Not that Edward had anything to worry about; desire had seeped out, too consumed with grief and uncertainty. While Edward lay awake, Rosalie and Bella spent almost every night crying in their sleep.

Edward was exhausted.

"Ready?" Bella leaned against the side of the door to his bedroom, dressed in a navy-blue dress that made her already pale skin more noticeable. The dark circles under her eyes were covered with makeup, but he knew it wouldn't last long. "You clean up well, Cullen." She walked closer as he stood in front of his mirror to adjust his tie.

The dark gray suit was as uncomfortable as he remembered.

"I wore it at James's funeral and now another one." He closed his eyes, having to clear his throat. "I can't believe this is happening."

Bella wrapped her arms around his chest from behind and rested her head on his shoulder blade. "I know. If we stick with the plan they made for us to get out, all of this will be over by the end of next week."

"It's not soon enough." He lifted one of her hands and kissed the tips of her fingers. "Did you remind your uncle that wherever you go, I go, right?"

Bella nodded. "He said it would be much easier if we separated; placing six people in witness protection is a lot harder than a few here or there."

He finished with his tie and turned to face her. "I'm not going anywhere without you." He shook her a bit, hoping it would sink in, that she was it for him. It didn't matter if they were still so young and that things could change. Loving Bella would not be one of them. He cradled her face in his hands, wiping a single tear from her cheek. "I love you."

It was the first time Edward had said it out loud; in his head, it was over a thousand.

A tiny glimmer of a smile was on her lips, her eyes closing. "Say it again."

"I love you."

Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze. "I love you, Edward."

He held her close until Charlie called them to head out. It was time to bury another friend.

.

.

.

Two funerals, under constant supervision, and relentless reporters had certainly changed things around Edward and Bella. For one, they didn't have a moment's privacy. The rare times they did, they were cut short.

The Mayor had returned from his trip shortly after Emmett's funeral, still confident that the authorities had nothing on him. He was right, everything pointed to The Seniors and their involvement with the alleged trafficker Victor Sousa.

Bella was still sitting on the information about Jessica, but it was only a matter of time. Edward knew she was a ticking time bomb. They finally received clearance to see his mother in Seattle. Bella was desperate to see Rosalie who had returned to the city the day after Emmett's funeral.

It was time to leave Forks again, even if it was only for a little while.


AN: Trust me...Thanks to my beta Midnight Cougar. The next chapter is halfway done, so hopefully, it won't be too long. See you soon.