*-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-*

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E POV.

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Edward's arraignment hearing went by extremely fast. So fast, in fact, that he walked out of there with his head spinning, wondering what just happened.

"This way, son," his father pulled on his arm to get him to follow Peter Whitlock into the waiting elevator.

"Can you just stop pushing me around for a second," Edward hissed at his father, all the nerves and frustration he had been trying to hold back all morning, came pouring forth like lava from some angry volcano.

His father was nudging him with a hand between his shoulders. "Edward, son-..."

"Don't!" Edward snapped as they all piled into the elevator. He did not want anyone touching him unless it was absolutely necessary and right now, it wasn't.

"Well, excuse me for trying to whisk my son out of this court house before some vulturous media posse catches up with us."

"Whatever… Just don't touch me and don't order me around." Edward raised his hands up, as if shielding himself from an attack. "You're stressing me out here. Give me a second to get my head around this. I don't even understand what the hell just happened."

"At the moment, all you need to know is that your highly competent and truly hard working lawyer just came through for you by securing your immediate release from police custody. The rest can wait until we get to the car."

With that his father pressed the button for ground floor and the elevator started moving.

"Gee dad, you forgot to point out, yet again, how you're the one forking up the cash to pay for said hard working lawyer, who's been ace, no complaints there." He paused to give Whitlock a nod in acknowledgment as they guy truly had been kick ass in the courtroom. "Not to mention, it's been more than twenty minutes since you last told me how bloody ungrateful I come across. It must be some sort of record-..."

At this point he was interrupted by his mother. "Honestly, Edward, this is not the place to start mouthing off at your father. Do you not realize how lucky you are to have such competent legal representation? Do you want to go back in there and tell them you've changed your mind? That you'd rather see this go to trial? Because, I'm sure that can be arranged."

"You know what mom, I'm almost tempted to do just that," Edward muttered, before turning to his lawyer. "I know I must sound like a whiny brat, but it's just that my life is spinning so fast right now, too fast! And everything is just so f-ing confusing."

"If you've got questions, don't be afraid to ask them," Whitlock responded with a patient voice. "I don't expect you to sign anything you're not comfortable with. However, I have to agree with your parents. The faster we get you out home, the better it is for everyone involved. As your lawyer, I strongly advice you to go home, lay low and stay out of trouble... at least until that plea deal is reached and accepted by the court."

The plea deal… that was the part that had gone by in a blur… the part where he felt he'd been pressured into making an on-the-spot-decision without really truly understanding what was happening.

Edward had stumbled into court that morning a bundle of nerves, only to find out that all his paranoiac, manic-obsessive worry had been for nothing… Because, the prosecutor's office were not impressed with the quality of the police investigation. And just like that, two out of the three charges against Edward had been dropped due to insufficient evidence.

So far so good… As for the last charge against him; the one about how he had supposedly provided false information to the police…. Well, after a brief recess, during which Edward was given an opportunity to confer with his parents, Edward had been persuaded to go with his lawyer's recommendation. And that's how he'd ended up pleading 'no contest' to that one, even though his uneducated, instinctual gut reaction was to deny all and any wrongdoing.

The way it was explained to him, a 'no contest' plea meant his lawyer could take the first step towards working out a plea deal with the district attorney. Whitlock was confident they could reach an agreement that would satisfy both sides and keep the case from ever reaching court.

For Edward that meant he'd most likely end up with either a few months probation or perhaps a small fine. However, and this was the important part, hopefully, it also meant he'd have no lasting criminal record after successful completion of the court-stipulated conditions. That was the deal they were going for anyway. According to Whitlock it was just a matter of ironing out the terms and conditions. Edward was a little more skeptical…because how often do things ever work out the way you want them to work out?

If the deal fell through, he had a feeling that life as he knew it would be over, if it wasn't already.

But okay, at least he was out of that dingy holding cell. and also, he no longer risked having to stand trial for attempted murder... Sometimes even the smallest victories where victories to be celebrated.

Just then, Edward realized he must have zoned out from the conversation for a few seconds. By the sound of things his mother was confusing the terms of that plea deal with her own personal Santa's wishlist or something.

"Well yeah, sure, completing a substance abuse treatment program is something that could come up as a suggestion during negotiation," Whitlock agreed with a polite nod. "However, I believe what they really, REALLY, want from us is Edward's full cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of Ms. Swan. In fact, I'll bet you a limb that's what they are after."

Edward couldn't help but snort hearing that. "Don't you get it mom? They want to use me to expose the secret life of Bella Swan."

"Edward…." He felt his mother grip his arm.

"No, it's okay… I have no qualms dishing the dirt on her drug habits and her lying, manipulative ways. I mean, why should I protect her? It's not like she's gone out of her way to clear up all the misunderstandings. I'm not the only one whose name is being dragged in the mud because of her lies."

His father cleared his throat noisily and said, "Edward, you don't have to decide anything right here and right now."

The elevator had reached the ground floor by now and the inner door slid to the side with a whoosh. However, this was the kind of elevator where you have to push open the outer door manually.

Edward watched his mother place herself, so that no one could enter or exit the elevator car.

"Carlisle, you've got to tell him!" his mother urged in a low voice. "One of you, tell him what you told me earlier."

"Tell me what?" Edward asked, not missing the look between his parents and his lawyer.

"May I handle this?" Whitlock asked and Edward saw his father nod out of the corner of his eye.

"Edward, remember how you asked me why no one came back to finish the interrogation with you last night?"

"Yeah. They kept me waiting for an hour and a half, before I was allowed to return to my 'cozy, little room' again," he said, air-quoting that last part.

"Rumor has it, they were called out to Swans residence. According to the same rumor, it was Isabella that requested the meeting."

"Okay….and?"

"Now… I don't know what was said, but… well, you heard them, you heard how they were reasoning. They seemed pretty confident they had enough evidence to get the District Attorney to move forward with the case against you… They honestly seemed to think they could drag you to court for attempted murder."

"You said that would never happen, you said they didn't have anything solid-..."

"Indeed, I did… It's my job to undermine their work," Whitlock interrupted him. "It's not what I think that is important here, it's what they think… What I'm saying is, something changed last night. They went to see Ms. Swan and….." He trailed off, making a flip gesture with his hand, going from palm-up to palm-down.

"Son, we think Isabella has made some sort of… admittance of responsibility," his father cut in. "Whatever she told them, it seems to have made the District Attorney reconsider your involvement-..."

"Swan has come to her senses?" Edward interrupted. "She cleared my name?"

F-ing finally!

"We don't know that." Whitlock was shaking his head. "What we do know, however, is that Ms. Swan has asked to waive her rights to a preliminary hearing and that the prosecutor has sought approval from the attorney general's office to continue straight to trial."

"Okay… so no chance of a plea deal for Swan then, I take it?"

"Edward, we keep stressing this, but I don't think you realize how serious the situation is and how lucky you are to be dodging criminal charges for your involvement in all this. Isabella might not get-..."

"...that lucky," he finished his mother's sentence. "No, I realize that. I just don't give a damn about what happens to Bella Swan!" he said hotly, not caring about his mother's shocked expression.

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Present time

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I just don't give a damn about what happens to Bella Swan!

Edward woke up gasping for air, as if he'd been drowning — which only resulted in him choking on his own spit. By the time the coughing fit was over, he was well and thoroughly awake and the dream was gone, leaving behind only a vague sweaty sense of guilt and unresolved conflict.

He groaned and felt around the space next to him. She was still there. Bella was still fast asleep beside him. She hadn't moved, or snuck out, or left town….

It both frightened him and filled him with a scary sense of hope. The scary part was knowing that if he blew it this time, he'd never get another chance to make amends and set things straight with her.… and he wanted to set things straight with her, because he did give a damn about Bella Swan—an enormous damn, even if he was a bit late to figure it out.

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An: Sorry, this was a short one...