A/N: Okay folks, this is the last time I get to live in Cashier!Bella's head. She's Lawyer!Bella now! I'll miss her. Just the next one and an epilogue to go! I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and honestly the lady who does would use some TACT and MANNERS but whatever.
*
Bella would have thought that in circumstances like these, the gown would be less itchy.
She was graduating law school for Christ's sakes, and she'd had to pay over a hundred bucks for the damn thing, so she just assumed that the material wouldn't make her want to gouge her eyes out. She sat in the sun, lined up with the other "S" names. (Bella had hyphenated, because a) she was Charlie's only kid and Charlie was Grammy Marie's only kid, b) the concept of marriage as a transfer of ownership from father to husband was ridiculous at best and horrific at worst, c) because it turned out Edward Masen Sr. was actually something of a legal savant and she didn't want to rest on nepotism, and d) despite those reasons, she wanted Masen in there somehow.) Kate was several aisles in front of her, her shiny new engagement ring glinting in the sunlight, and Garrett was actually directly in front of her, one seat to the left. They'd already exchanged several glances during the ceremony whose meanings ranged from "get a move on" to "can you believe this guy?"
"I am now proud to present the University of Washington School of Law 2019 graduates with their diplomas," the department chair said from her place at the podium, following several cliché platitudes that Bella was grateful were over. "Joan Aaron," she called, and a girl from her family law classes began the procession. Bella clapped politely for everyone, even the people who had been jerks. This was a day of celebration, after all.
"Kate Denali." Bella nudged Garrett with her elbow and they both stood up, making ridiculous whooping noises. Kate beamed at them after accepting her diploma, then dramatically crossed her eyes, making Bella laugh. It was several rows of polite clapping before Garrett and his row stood, causing Bella to clap excitedly like Alice.
"Chill, Bella, she didn't even call me yet," he said.
Bella nodded exuberantly. "I know, but we're lawyers," she reminded him. In point of fact, they'd been lawyers for three weeks, having taken the bar exam and passing with, in Bella's case anyway, flying colors. They'd had finals as they waited for their results, and then a week off as the school prepared graduations, celebrations, and mixers with potential employers.
Garrett shook his head and kept walking as Bella continued clapping maniacally.
"Garrett Paine."
Bella and Kate both stood, hooting and hollering wildly, pointing and gesturing and for Kate, pretending to flash the stage. Garrett smiled the same way he always did: lazily. He waved once to Kate, who pretended to swoon, and then Bella's line was standing.
She hadn't really thought of any of the particulars surrounding her graduation until that moment, when she could observe the crowd of onlookers. Proud parents were everywhere, significant others holding flowers, people with cameras, and then… There was an entire mob of people she loved.
Esme had been right, they'd had to close the store. Every member of management, Ben, Angela toting Maggie (now one!) on her hip, Jessica, Seth, Leah, and Jake held a banner between them that said "We Love Bella." All of the Cullens, including little Henry, stood clumped together with Jasper and Dottie, who looked as though she needed a tissue, which Esme handed to her after procuring one for herself. The Masens, stoic but proud. Her parents; Phil holding a video camera, Renee openly weeping, and Charlie, looking so happy that Bella's chest and throat constricted, and pressure built behind her eyes. Next to him, holding a gigantic bouquet of daisies and baby's breath, was her husband, her Edward. He grinned and shot her a wink, and the tightness in her throat abated just a bit as she breathed a little easier. He always made things better.
They'd been married six months, and nothing was clearer in her mind than this: it was absolutely the best decision she'd ever made. Being Edward's wife was her natural state of being. She couldn't even remember what it was like to live without him now, to wake up alone. Bella cooked, he cleaned. Edward chose the movie, she picked the snack. Switch as needed. He brought her caffeine when she studied, and she rubbed his shoulders after a shift making the schedule. They fought, of course, over little things and big things and nothing at all, but every couple fought now and then. The point was that they effectively communicated through those fights, letting each one build them up, stronger, better than they'd been before.
Here, now, with her degree mere steps away and her husband by her side, Bella felt that she was exactly the person she had always been meant to become, whether some god somewhere had designed it or the universe itself had led her here. In each version of reality, in each facet of a multiverse, this was the ideal Bella Swan.
She ascended the steps, discreetly throwing a kiss to her family, and then strode across the stage.
"Bella Swan."
An eruption. Kate, in her gown with her diploma, kicking and clapping and yelling. Garrett, fist-pumping as he made it back to his seat. The crowd of her loved ones entirely inconsolable, crying or yelling or whistling or screaming "That's Bella Swan-Masen Esquire to you!" She'd have to pop Jake for that one.
She accepted her diploma, waved to her family, and stuck her tongue out at Kate, who bit the air as though she would somehow catch Bella's extended appendage. She made her way back to her seat on a cloud, not bothering to pay any attention to the rest of the ceremony. She caught Edward's eye as she made it back to her seat.
I love you, he mouthed.
I love you, too, she replied.
Then came the tossing of the caps, which Bella had practiced at home, much to Edward's delight.
"I want to be able to catch mine!" she had explained.
"This is still hilarious," he'd replied.
"I now present to you, and the great state of Washington, the University of Washington School of Law Class of 2019!" Cheers erupted around her as she and her fellow classmates tossed their caps up into the air, where for just a moment, they hung suspended in time, the end of something. Bella watched her cap, feeling a heavy nostalgia for the time she'd spent in school. From age four (almost five, they'd had cupcakes and wishes in the classroom on her birthday) she'd considered herself an academic. There was panic, surely, as she watched the cap rotate in the air, too oddly weighted, at the loss of such an essential part of her. She considered getting a doctorate for a split second just to alleviate the alarm bells ringing in her ears at the thought of never returning to school. As the cap drifted back toward her, however, she knew that was ridiculous. Of course that part of her needed to end. There was a new part of her just beginning. The part that got to help people. She was ready to move forward, ready to take that step, ready to snatch that cap out of the air.
She caught it (clearly thanks to the totally necessary practice), taking another look at the decoration Alice had applied for her. In a sea of blue flowers were the words "The hard is what makes it great." Originally, that line was about baseball, but Bella had liked it for law school and what came next better. There was nothing in this life worth doing that came easy, in her opinion. For example, she'd had to bottle up her feelings for four months and then had a secret wedding in Las Vegas just to sleep with the guy she liked. Sure, the reality had been a bit more nuanced than that, but if she really boiled it down, that was all she'd done.
Not that she hadn't totally enjoyed every minute.
Now the hard would be the fighting. The struggle to make the law work for her and for the helpless people she intended to aid. A smile took over her face as her hand ran over the words, and she could feel the tears from in her eyes once more.
Suddenly, she was surrounded on all sides, people pressing in on her and shouting, yelling, crying, and it was all much too much and the tears flowed freely as she shouted back, reaching, trying to hug some part of everyone around her. There was a break in the people and then her father stood before her, eyes just as glassy as hers, and she flung herself onto him. There was a moment between them when Bella was certain their minds were linked, thinking of exactly the same thing. Long nights at the coffee table, doing homework and studying for tests. The same coffee table, covered in college applications. The exact same coffee table, despite not existing in her home, but her father's, littered with law school applications. She'd needed Charlie every time. He'd been the one to make this happen, the one who told her she could. Renee told her she could do anything, but Charlie knew she could do the right thing, and it had been invaluable.
So, she lay in her father's arms, weeping out her "thank you"s as he kept her close and comforted her, his hands stroking her hair as he whispered to her how proud he was of her. She heard cameras going off, knew there were probably countless images of her red nose and splotchy cheeks as she clung to her father, needing him this last time just as she'd needed him the first.
Charlie pulled away first, having never been one for huge displays of affection. Still positively glowing with pride, he spun her around into the waiting crowd of her family, where she managed to dole out hugs and photos and thanks to every person who'd come to support her.
"We have gifts back at your place," Rosalie told her as Bella gave Henry a celebratory Airplane. He really was getting far too heavy for it, but Bella would just have to lift weights or something. "Edward wants us all to head back there after."
Bella traded Henry for Maggie, passing the boy to Emmett and snatching the girl from Ben while Angela laughed. She gave her a tummy raspberry, delighting in Maggie's squeal. "Where is Edward, anyway?" she asked redundantly. A hand found her waist, and she felt a small tug at her temple as he pulled that same lock of hair he always did. He kissed the top of her head, then Maggie's as she gurgled and giggled.
"Buh buh buh buh buh," she said.
"Buh-ella," Bella corrected. They'd been working on that one for the last couple weeks, but Maggie would get there when she got there.
She felt Edward's chuckle rumble through his chest and she glanced up at him where he stood behind her. She gave him the patented "kiss me, husband" pout, and he graciously obliged, causing Maggie to claw at Bella's chin. She smiled into the kiss, at both her adorable goddaughter and her equally adorable husband, whose grip tightened on her waist and stubble scratched at her cheek.
She remembered coming home from Vegas, the wild reactions from their friends and family at the sudden (for them, anyway) news of their marriage. Jessica's shrieked "I knew it!" and Seth uncontrollably laughing at their boldness. Esme and Carlisle's explicit approval, never for a moment judging or berating. Jasper already knew, because of Alice's big drunk Vegas mouth, but he was much more discreet.
Jane had sighed. "All the good ones are always taken or gay," she'd lamented, which actually got Bella to laugh. She'd never been mad at Jane's crush, because, well, look at Edward; she'd been mad that she couldn't express her own ogling. Now they did it together, much to Edward's dismay and Jane's delight.
Rosalie had been shocked, but quickly came around. "Well," she said, "I probably should have seen this coming, since 'he was so hot you wanted to cry'," to which Edward laughed so loudly and so long that Bella had ended up elbowing him in the ribs.
It had been a while before they'd been able to kiss in public without someone having a violent outburst of some kind. People forgot it was allowed, or that they were even together, seeing as in their eyes it had happened over one Christmas weekend. Usually, there were surprised noises, cover-ups, or disgruntled "what the hell?!"s.
Nowadays, no one bothered. Bella was glad. Kissing her own husband shouldn't be such an ordeal, after all.
"Okay, break it up, small child literally watching everything you do," came Jake's voice as they broke apart, and she felt Maggie's weight shifting as he made to take her from Bella.
"No way," she said, firmly keeping the child in her grasp. "My goddaughter should know what kissing is supposed to look like." She nuzzled her nose against Maggie's cheek as the baby let out spit bubbles and babble.
"Please," Jake scoffed. "You guys are sickening. Way too lovey. Kid doesn't need that as an example." He gestured vaguely to Bella and Edward, practically joined at the hip. "She'll think any man she meets is inferior."
"Or woman," Jessica intoned, sidling up to Jake. "Seriously, even I'm over here like, 'shit, need me a love like that' and I'm pushing twenty-five."
"You're twenty-seven," Bella reminded her.
"Shhhhhhh," Jessica said. "Your brain is addled from the excitement of the day."
"There's nothing wrong with a good example," Edward said. "It's not like Bella's some damsel. She just deserves to be worshipped and loved, and I attempt to accomplish that." He reached down to poke at Maggie's soft baby belly. "Just as any person trying to adore little Maggie should." He was beaming at the little girl, and Bella's heart constricted.
Not until I have a job, not until I have a job, not until I have a job, she reminded herself. Edward being so good with the kids in their life was really messing with her biological responses. Did they want a kid? Sure. Did they want one right now, when they lived in a small apartment and Bella was still a retail clerk? Nope. Hence, not until she had a job.
To assuage her uterus's raging longing, she took a deep sniff of Maggie's hair, reveling in the scent of baby shampoo and something uniquely Magpie. Jessica gave her a knowing smirk before leaning over to do the same.
"God, it's like crack," she told Bella, taking another whiff. "Don't you think it's so fucking weird how we all love to smell babies? Human beings are psychotic."
Bella laughed as Angela approached, presumably to reclaim her child. Maggie squealed and reached out. "Mah mah mah mah mah mah," she babbled. At least she knew how to identify Angie. With the easy experience of motherhood, she managed to extract the child from Bella's grasp, and Maggie began playing with Angela's fingers. Especially the one with her wedding rings.
Bella remembered how Angela had looked in her wedding dress, the small church her father preached in every Sunday, Ben's tears when he saw Angela float down the aisle. Bella distinctly remembered that Maggie had giggled when her parents kissed as they became man and wife, bouncing herself up and down on Bella's hip. Ben's brother had stood up for him, Bella had stood for Angela, and there had been standing room only in the church. There were sunflowers everywhere, and Angela had looked so impossibly beautiful that no one had resisted crying.
She'd danced the night away with her husband, and in the morning, they'd sent Ben and Angie off on their honeymoon, a gift from Carlisle and Esme: two weeks at their timeshare in Hawaii. Everyone got some Maggie time those two weeks; Angie's parents, Ben's parents, Rosie and Em, and Bella and Edward. She remembered Emmett gleefully handing her off to them, thinking they'd have a hard time living with a baby, that it'd be some sort of test for them. Bella and Edward had completely proven him wrong, though, when they'd been the world's greatest babysitters. They'd even managed to have everyone over for movie night while they had the baby, deftly handling all her needs and managing to get her down to sleep quickly and easily, which Emmett grumbled about for no less than fifteen minutes, Rosalie rubbing his arm comfortingly.
Not until she had a job, goddammit.
They made their way toward the parking lot, everyone splitting off to find their own cars. Edward led her toward the Volvo, where his parents were waiting for them, having been unencumbered by passing classmates asking for photos and doing shots out of hidden flasks in their robes, which she'd declined graciously. As a result, Bella's face felt a little numb from smiling and she didn't notice the car next to the Volvo until Edward steered her toward it.
"Happy graduation, Mrs. Masen," he said, taking her hand and dropping a key into it.
Bella stared dumbly down at the key, then looked up at the car, a red Chevy Camaro that looked brand new and made her practically salivate at the thought of driving it.
"You got me a car?" she squeaked out.
"Technically, we did," Elizabeth said, wandering over with Edward Sr. in tow. "Because if Edward bought it then its no better than buying it for yourself." She laughed, and Edward Sr. shook his head, clearly amused.
Bella was still entirely unused to having money like Edward had money. She had never been hurting, really, because she kept to a strict budget. Edward, however, while good with his money, had never exactly had to budget, and therefore thought nothing of bringing home presents and taking Bella out on elaborate dates, which had made her a little uncomfortable at first. That had been one of their fights, but they'd worked it out well, in Bella's opinion.
Since they were married, and their finances were combined, they'd come to the conclusion that it was better if they kept separate accounts for gifts for each other, and everything else was in a joint account. And they agreed to discuss any financial decisions, which seemed like common sense, but had thrown Edward a little because he'd never had to discuss them with anyone before, unlike Bella, who'd been having those kinds of talks since she was eleven with her mom and Charlie. Edward, however, who always wanted whatever made Bella happiest, had taken to it quickly, discussing every little thing with her, which delighted her to no end.
Which is why she laughed and smacked his arm with her key-less hand. "You loophole-finding nerd," she said, getting up on her tiptoes to kiss him soundly before hustling to hug her in-laws. Bella got along with them even better than ever, so much so that Edward constantly joked that they liked her more than him. Bella had laughed out loud when Elizabeth had sent a newspaper with their wedding announcement in it to Victoria's apartment in Chicago.
"I already blocked her number," she'd told Bella, "but her mother was furious with me."
"She deserved it," Bella had responded, and then they'd shopped until both Edwards had called them back for dinner. She and Edward had been diligently working on getting them to move here. She was this close to cracking Edward Sr. and Elizabeth had agreed months ago.
Bella pressed the button on the key fob to unlock the doors, racing into the Camaro, dying to get her hands on the leather. She practically fondled the steering wheel, crooning at the machine like it could hear her. The passenger door opened and Edward slid into the seat, dropping her flowers and gifts and banners and cap into the backseat, leaving his parents with the Volvo.
"Have I mentioned that I love your parents?" Bella said, and Edward laughed.
"On several occasions."
"I freakin' love your parents, hon."
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I know, my love." He hit the ignition button (neat!) and slapped the dashboard. "Let's go home. Esme seemed anxious to give you your gift."
"Okay," Bella said, gazing adoringly at the lit up display behind the wheel.
Edward snorted out a laugh. "Come on, love, you're a lawyer now. Have some dignity, and stop ogling your car."
Bella beamed. "My car," she sighed, finally checking her mirrors and roaring out of the lot, sticking her hand out the window to wave at her classmates as Edward laughed.
"So," he asked as they hit the open road, "how does it feel to be a real lawyer, Mrs. Masen?" He loved calling her that, and Bella loved hearing it.
Bella beamed at the road ahead of her, excitement buzzing through her veins. "It feels like it was all worth it." She laughed suddenly, remembering how she'd viewed it once a while ago, in a more dramatic moment. "Like I'm standing on top of a mountain, staring down on everything I've achieved like a giant."
"You deserve it," he said to her. "No one works harder than you."
"Except you," she said, turning her perma-grin onto him for a moment at a stoplight. "You have made yourself absolutely essential these last few months." She snorted. "I think the store would collapse without you."
It was true, she knew. Edward had taken on the responsibilities of Public Relations for Cullen's Fine Goods Emporium, promoting Jane and Seth to manage the social media accounts and website, while he'd arranged several television spots for them, as well as radio ads and newspaper ads. The store was more packed than ever, with Edward constantly coming up with new displays and advertisements to promote it. He was really happy, being so close to his family while still getting to use his degree. He'd told Bella a few weeks after he started as the PR manager that he'd never felt happier; that he had his work, his family, and her, and it was all he could have ever asked for and more.
She still thought about that sometimes if she was feeling overwhelmed. She was a key factor in the happiness of the best man she'd ever known. Bella only hoped that whatever job she ended up with would bring her as much joy as Edward's brought to him. That was the last piece she needed to fall into place.
She'd had offers from both the public defense office to work on juvenile cases, as well as the law firm she'd interned at as a paralegal these last six months. They were both good jobs, but Bella was disheartened by how little she could actually do for people there. Most of the cases were defending kids who'd committed crimes, and Bella wanted to focus more on getting them the help they needed to stop starting fires than getting them off on their arson charge.
"You okay?" Edward asked, reaching over and placing his hand on her thigh where her dress ended and her skin began. It was an Alice design, of course, a flowing floral number that came off her shoulders and swirled around her legs. She felt like a princess in it. Now all she needed was a kingdom to rule.
Bella smiled softly at Edward. "I'm great," she said. "Let's go party!"
He laughed as her foot hit the accelerator, testing out exactly how fast she could speed in her new fancy car.
*
"Bella!"
Her head whipped around to find Esme, wine glass in one hand and Carlisle's hand in the other. The party was raging on, their apartment covered in decorations and The Graduate playing on the TV. (Emmett's idea, backed up by Jacob.) People were eating all the hors d'oeuvres, drinking heartily, and passing Bella's gifts around to further inspect them. There was an even mix of gag lawyer gifts and actual useful gifts, which suited Bella just fine.
"Hey, Esme," Bella said, smiling warmly. "Mr. C."
Carlisle shook his head. "No way, Bella. You're a lawyer now, you have to call me Carlisle."
Bella laughed. "I don't have a job, yet, Mr. C."
"Come with us, dear," Esme said, leading her toward the door.
Bella nodded, waving over to Edward and indicating where she was going. He nodded back at her, smiling, Henry on his hip as he talked with Ben and Maggie. Esme took her out into the hall, Carlisle closing the door behind them. "What's up?" she asked.
"We want to discuss something with you," Carlisle said, Esme behind him, practically vibrating with excitement.
Carlisle was about to say more, when Esme cut him off, clearly too excited to function properly. "We want you to work for us!"
Bella's eyes widened. "What?" In all fairness to Esme, Bella wanted to keep working for them, too, but she wanted to get out into the field more.
"Esme, darling," Carlisle said, placing his hands on her shoulders, "We agreed I was going to explain."
Esme waved him off. "I know, I know, but I couldn't help it; we have outdone ourselves!"
Bella smirked. "Did you acquire a law firm?" she asked.
"Better," Esme said, beaming.
Carlisle sighed deeply, shaking his head at his wife, but he smiled when she smacked his chest. "We've partnered with Mabley House."
Bella's mouth dropped. Mabley House was a nonprofit children's home in Portland that served foster kids ages three and up, helping them with legal matters like emancipation, abuse claims, and adoptions. But it was more than that, it was a legal group home, allowing the kids who ran from less-than-ideal foster homes a place to stay while they awaited reassignment. The social care workers were so overwhelmed with the sheer volume of cases they had that Mabley House not only lightened the load, but provided higher quality legal assistance from reputable family lawyers in the area, meaning that the kids who ended up there usually ended up in better foster homes faster, or even got adopted by someone in their expansive network.
"But it's in Portland," Bella said.
Esme grinned. "They're branching out. They want to expand the entire coastline and eventually across the country. You'd be working for their upcoming Seattle branch."
Bella was flabbergasted. She didn't even know that Mabley hired their own lawyers. "But why me?" she asked. "Shouldn't a big firm be running this?"
"Well," Carlisle said, "the Seattle branch is funded primarily through the Emporium. We had been looking for our next big community outreach, and when you raved about Mabley in March, we knew we'd found it." He shrugged. "We told them we knew a great young lawyer with more passion for the work they did than anyone, and they jumped at the chance to scoop you up."
"So, I'd be paid…"
"By the Emporium, yes," Esme said, "but so would all the other employees, the counselors and home workers and such. We even hired another lawyer from your class, Joan Aaron."
"I thought all of the lawyers worked there, pro-bono, out of their firms?" Bella asked.
Carlisle smiled. "As they expand, they want to have in-house counsel that makes sure the legal teams are coordinated and working towards Mabley's standards, toward the best interests of the children."
"And you got me into that job?" Bella asked, more than a little taken aback. It wasn't something she suspected that a first year law grad got to do very often. Surely, they wanted someone with more experience.
Esme was still bouncing slightly, bringing out her resemblance to Alice. "Well, of course, you'll have to take a meeting with us and the Mabley people to discuss terms and benefits and responsibilities and such," she said, waving her hand as though that were all blasé. "Unfortunately, it won't pay as well as if you were a partner at a firm, but we thought, since it was something you loved so much…"
"You think I'm worried about the money right now?" Bella asked, her heart galloping wildly in her chest as she finally considered that this was real, a real offer, a real job, helping people, helping kids, levying justice, just like she'd always dreamed, like Charlie had always dreamed. "Esme, Carlisle, I… I can't… Will you excuse me a moment?" She dashed back to the door of her apartment, flinging it wide open, her dress flapping around her legs as everyone turned to gape at her as she beamed in the doorway. "I'm going to work at Mabley House!" she shouted into the room.
There was silence for a beat as everyone registered what she'd said in her most shrill scream, and then, a cacophony of sound as people started congratulating her and asking for details and turning to each other wondering what the hell Mabley House was. Those who had endured Bella's fixation with the organization were excited for her, while those who hadn't were excited for her employment nonetheless. She dashed through the well-wishers into the apartment, right into Edward's arms, and he lifted her off her feet and spun her around as she laughed.
"I'm going to work at Mabley House," she told him, as he set her back on the ground.
He grinned. "I know."
He kissed her then, and no one batted an eye, because they all knew exactly what Bella did: this was the life she was meant to be living. With Edward.
Forever.
*
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get here, yall, but I hope you'll come to miss my little bby Bellsy as much as I will! Love you all!