Happy Monday! This chapter needs a little bit of a warning…so you're warned.

Thanks to toocute24 for all the help. Also thanks to my newest pre-reader krazi4twisaga! She is just as amazing as all my other girls! If you need something to read I'm sure you love her stories. Lastly, the biggest thank you goes out to weekitty for helping with the ending. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have finished this story!

Own nothing but the plot proudly!

Carlisle called us over to his house for dinner, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but we haven't gone over there in a while. We packed up everything we needed for Ava before we headed out.

"My father has a bug up his ass, so I would advise you to be on your best behavior," Edward said to me as he drove.

"I understand. We haven't gone over there in a while," I said as he hummed in agreement.

After that, we were quiet for the rest of the drive. When we pulled up I smiled happily, knowing that I was going to get to see Esme. I hadn't really seen her in weeks. I often wondered if she was being punished when we didn't see each other on a weekly basis. I had a feeling that Carlisle's ideas of punishments were much worse than Edward's.

"Hi! I've missed you all so much," Esme said as she welcomed us with hugs. She took the seat from Edward, and just as we neared the stairs, we were met with a furious looking Carlisle.

"I need to speak with the two of you," he said as he clenched and unclenched his fists. I knew this wasn't going to be good.

I grabbed a hold of Edward tightly as he led me up the stairs. My heart was racing a mile a minute. No one who looked that mad just wanted to talk. I knew after Edward's breakdown about being kept away from us, that time alone with Carlisle wasn't a good thing. As we walked, we passed the office, and I knew he had all their talks there. Edward stopped for a second before he started to walk again as his grip grew tighter on me. This wasn't good. Carlisle opened a door and went in.

"Be extra good, Baby," Edward whispered to me as he pulled me right up against his body.

"Everything I do is for my family," Carlisle started once the door was closed. "I hate when I have to clean up messes, and the two of you have so many to clean that I don't know where to start first."

"Dad, everything has been okay."

"I hate the word okay!" Carlisle yelled, making me jump. "You are a stupid little bitch, and I honestly don't think you're worth the headache. Edward, I want you to get rid of her and we can find you another wife," he said as I rose to my feet. Before Carlisle could turn around and face us, Edward harshly pulled me back to my seat. "You and Ava can live here until you are married again."

"Dad, I love Bella. She has been doing so well lately," Edward said softly.

"You could go to prison because of her! If that happens, your mother and I will take care of your daughter, but we will not take care of her," Carlisle spat. I didn't know he hated me like that.

"Carlisle, how can I prove to you that I'm good enough?" I asked as Edward squeezed my hand.

"I don't think there is really anything you can do. When I look at you, all I can see is the reason I may never see my son again," he said, getting right up in my face.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen," I said as tears filled my eyes. I knew all too well that Carlisle hated when I cried.

"Dad, she didn't do anything," Edward said just before Carlisle's fist connected with Edward chest.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled as I sat myself on Edward's lap to keep his father away from him. "Why did you hit him? He didn't do anything! I'm sorry my father was a nasty man. I don't know what you want me to do!" Carlisle took me by the arms and pushed me to the floor. I heard a gagging noise, and as I got back up to my feet, I saw Carlisle choking Edward.

"Carlisle, I will do anything to make this better," I said as my tears came. He took his hands off Edward's neck and then punched him in the gut, making Edward choke for air even more.

"You'll do anything?" he asked, grabbing ahold of my shirt and pushing me into the wall behind me.

"Anything, I'll do anything, just don't hurt him anymore!" I begged.

"Will you commit perjury? Would lie on the stand to save him?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "I would do it to save him. I don't want him going to prison."

"You could go to jail for lying," he said, staring me down.

"I understand," I replied as he let me go.

"Edward is a good boy, and I think you are ruining him," Carlisle said as he glared at Edward. "You sit there and don't say a fucking word," he snapped at Edward, who nodded his head in conformation. "You better not fuck this up, and you better remember everything I'm about to tell you."

~~~~AOMM~~~~~

I jumped out of my skin when the doorbell rang, and I took off running for the door before they could ring it again. I had just laid Ava down, and I knew the doorbell always woke her up. Sure enough, as soon as I opened the door, I heard her little cries.

"I don't have time for you or your crap today," I said as soon as I saw Hale on the other side of the door.

"Please, Bella, I just need ten minutes," she stressed as I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever," I said with a resigned sigh. "What do you want?" I questioned as I ran up the stairs, knowing she'd follow me. "Our little visits have been done for months now."

"This isn't an official visit, Bella. No one knows I'm here but you and I need it to stay that way," she explained as I made it to my daughter's room.

"Why? I don't keep things from Edward," I stated as I scooped up my baby girl.

"Because I need your help. This has to stay between the two of us for it to work. Oh Bella, she's beautiful," she said when she saw Ava. "I heard you named her Ava?"

"Yeah," I said as I rocked her back and forth. Within a minute, she fell back to sleep. "What can I do for you, Doctor?" We made it downstairs and sat in the living room.

"Bella, there has been information uncovered, and it's not good," she started, handing me a folder. I opened it, but I didn't want to know what was inside.

"I don't want to know anything," I said with tears on my eyes as I quickly closed it.

"It's a DNA report," she said, pointing to the folder. I couldn't look at it, so I handed the folder back to her.

"I don't know what you want from me," I said, clearing my throat.

"I want you to know that everything is going to be okay," she said as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"You think whatever is in that folder is going to fix everything?"

"No, but I think it's a start."

"And you want to show me something that I can't talk to my husband about? You're a jerk!" I yell at her.

"I didn't come here to upset you. I thought this was a good thing."

"A good thing? Really?"

"The trial starts in a week, and I don't see it lasting very long. If it goes into a second day I would be shocked. I'm here to help you, Bella. Here's my card with my cell phone number on it. Use it whenever you need to. I'm going to go, now. I didn't think this would upset you; I just wanted to give you hope and show you I'm not the bad guy. I'm pulling for the two of you," she said as she got up to leave.

"Why the change of heart?" I asked.

"There's so much you need to know, but I don't know if I can trust you."

My stomach was in knots, but I knew what I needed to do. I needed to know what was going on, and she needed to hear what I knew. It was time.

"Doctor Hale, do you want to have a cup tea with me? I want to talk to you. I think I need your help."

~~~~AOMM~~~~~

The days leading up to the trial were so slow. Edward and I were spending as much together as we could. I loved him so much, and I couldn't stand the thought of him ever going away. I needed my husband more than anything. I didn't want Ava growing up without her father, and honestly, I believed that Carlisle would take Ava away from me the first chance he got. I knew there was nothing I would be able to do about it, either. We were having family time as much as we could. Edward would nap with Ava, and play with her whenever she was awake. She was always smiling at him, and I loved to watch the two of them together. Sometimes my emotions would get the best of me, and I would leave the room because I could feel the tears coming on. I was doing everything I could to keep my family together. I was shocked at whom my friends were through all of this, and sad to admit that Esme and Carlisle didn't top that list. Carlisle was only worried about himself and his idea that Edward was the perfect son.

Whenever Carlisle was around, he would just talk and talk to me, and after a while, I stopped listening. He would say the same thing over and over again. I felt like he was just being mean and that always made Edward mean. I hated to hear him call Edward horrible names. When they weren't around, I felt like we were the perfect couple. There was no fighting or punishments. It was just us, and we did things our way. It was wonderful, and I absolutely loved it.

Two days before the trial, we headed to Portland. Alice and Jasper were sharing a room with us since they were taking care of Ava while we were in court. The two of them have been great, and I couldn't have asked for better people in my life.

The day before the trial, Edward met with his lawyer. After their little meeting, Edward was freaking out. He said the prosecution was being sneaky, and he wasn't sure what they had up their sleeves. I felt bad knowing the truth and not being able to tell him. I wish Hale had never showed up. It was a good thing, though, for the fact that I was able to tell her everything Carlisle had told me to say. She assured me that I had done the right thing, so that made me feel a little better. I just told Edward that everything happened for a reason, and made him think that he told me that long ago. I held him that night and we talked about all of our happy memories. We needed to be happy for a few more minutes.

"Baby," he whispered into the dark, "you know I love you, right?" I had a feeling our happy time was over.

"I don't question your love, Edward," I said, trying not to cry.

"Will you do me the biggest favor ever?"

"Of course. I would do anything for you," I told him as we continued to hold each other tightly.

"If I'm found guilty, I want you to leave," he said as I lifted my head.

"Leave?"

"I don't want Ava around my father. There are things you don't know, and I don't ever want you to know them…"

"Where would I go?" I asked as I started to shake.

"Jasper will help you. I can trust him. Just do as he tells you," he said as I clung to my husband and cried.

"You're not going to prison. You're not. You didn't kill anyone."

"Don't ever let Ava forget me…"

"Stop!" I begged as I heard Edward sniffle.

"The last few months have been a mind fuck for me, and I don't know what's real anymore. Just know my love for you has always been real, and I'm so happy to be a father. I don't know why this is happing to us, but please know my love is real."

"Please stop talking to me like we are never going to see each other again," I cried.

"We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring; I need to say this." I couldn't take this. He has never really fallen apart like this. This wasn't him. He was strong. He was a man. I didn't understand why he was saying all of this.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry," I said to him as I wiped his tears away.

"I promise to be a better man if I don't go to prison. I promise to be everything you need…"

"You are all that I need."

"Bella," he said with a pause. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything; all of this. I never wanted this for you or our daughter," he cried.

"I know," I said as he shook his head and sat up. I followed his lead.

"I'm going to tell you something, but this has to stay between us. My father can NEVER know what I'm about to tell you. I want us to be real, and we're not real," he said as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I love you no matter what."

"I hope so," he said with a sad sigh. "I did kidnap you, Bella. You didn't want to come with me. Actually, the first time you saw me was in your kitchen when I made you come with me. I thought I was better than your father…"

"You are better than my father," I said as he laughed sarcastically.

"I forced you to be with me. I made you love me."

"You can't make someone love another person."

"You can and I did. I never wanted anyone like I wanted you. I had to have you. I would have done anything to make you mine, and that's exactly what I did. Your love for me isn't real, but…"

"My love is real!" I said, getting angry.

"Stop interrupting me!" he snapped. "Let me fucking say this. I'm going against everything I was ever taught," he said, taking a deep breath while wiping his face. "If I get to go home with you and our daughter, you will never have to go into the closet again. I don't know how much I can change, but I will do my best. I love you, and I want to do right by you."

"I love you, too, and I will do anything I have to do so we can stay together. I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy about the whole closet thing, but I love you for who you are, and if that means I have to go into the closet again, then so be it," I said as he chuckled.

"I'm not a good person, Baby," he said as I quickly tried to deny it. "I think I will always be fucked up."

"Me, too," I said as we sat there quietly, holding hands.

"We may never see my parents after the trial," he said out of nowhere. "If that happens, I promise to tell you everything."

"Okay," was my simple answer. I had so much I wanted to share with him, but I knew I couldn't. I knew what was coming the next day, and we just had to get through it. Hopefully, we would get through it together.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

My heart was racing so badly I had to concentrate on my breathing. After our morning, I was all over the place emotionally. The way Edward clung to Ava broke my heart. He had to come back us, he just had to. Ava needed to know her daddy, and I wanted to make sure that happened. As we sat and waited for the judge to enter the courtroom, I clung to Edward's hand. I kissed his knuckles every chance I got, too. Right before the judge walked in, I pulled him to me and hugged him tight.

"I love you so much and I'm sorry," I whispered as he pulled back. Before he could question me, the judge walked into the room.

After the opening of the trial was said and done, I started to shake; I knew what was coming. I looked to my right and saw Doctor Hale gave me a small smile.

"Your Honor, there have been many twist and turns with this case. With that said, the first person we would like to call to the stand is Isabella Cullen," the prosecutor stated as Carlisle grabbed my arm.

"Objection!" Edward's lawyer yelled.

"Overruled," the judge said quickly.

Carlisle let go of me, and I refused to look at him. I knew if I did, I would lose all my courage. When I reached the stand, I took a deep breath. I knew I was doing the right thing — for Edward, for Ava…for my family.

"State your name for the record," the bailiff said.

"Isabella Cullen," I said with a shaky voice.

"Do you swear to tell truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do," I said as my eyes filled with tears; that was my first lie. I looked ahead of me and saw Doctor Hale nod at me. I knew she was egging me on. She understood exactly how scared I was. I saw a woman crying in front of Hale, and I had a feeling of who she was without having to ask.

"Isabella, when did you meet your husband?"

"I met him on May twentieth of 2010," I said, looking directly at Edward.

"And how did you meet him?"

"At the Shop and Go in my town."

"When you left with him, was your father alive?"

"I don't know. I barley ever saw him."

"When was the last time you did see him?"

"That morning."

"Can you please take us though that morning?"

"Um…it was raining and I had to get to school. I told him I had to work after school, and he told me he hated my voice. He said I was nothing but a nagging bitch," I said, taking a deep breath. "He told me I could use the exercise and walk my fat ass there. I swore at him, so he cracked me across the face and said he wished I'd fall off the face of the Earth. He said he would knock my teeth out of my head if I spoke to him that way ever again. That was when I knew I wanted to leave with Edward, so that's exactly what I did that night," I said as my nerves started to ease. It was easier than I thought.

"So you went willingly?"

"Objection! Mr. Cullen is not on trial for the charges that have already been dropped," Aro said loudly, making me jump.

"I have a point," the prosecutor said quickly. "We're asking for a different reason."

"Then get there," the judge said. "You may answer the question, Isabella."

"Yes, I did. And, for the record, my neighbor did see him push me into the car. I was scared that Charlie would come home and hurt Edward, and I didn't want that."

"Thank you, Bella," the prosecutor said before asking his next question. "Do you know everyone sitting in the front row here?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," I said.

"Can you name them, please?"

"Sue Clearwater, Billy Black, Officer Willis, and Mrs. Goffery," I said with a smile.

"You remember these people?"

"Yes, Sir." I looked back to Edward and he had tears in his eyes. He knew I remembered some of my past, not just what I was told to say.

"What time did you make it home from work that night?" the prosecutor asked, stepping between Edward and me.

"Around five," I said as Aro stood up.

"Then we request a dismissal, Your Honor," Aro said. "The reports clearly state that Mr. Swan was killed between ten pm and midnight."

"Were you and your husband together for the rest of that night?" the judge asked me.

"We were," I said.

"Isabella, do you know who those two people are sitting with Doctor Hale?"

"No, Sir, but I have an idea?" I said as I started to cry. I looked to Edward, and saw that he was making eye contact with the woman.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. You may step down," the judge said to me. I did as I was told, but the bailiff walked me to Doctor Hale. "This case has been a nightmare, but with the help of the FBI, I think both side have come to an agreement?"

"Yes, your honor," the prosecutor and Aro both said. I really didn't think he knew what was going on.

"Carlisle Cullen, please stand," the judge ordered as I looked at Carlisle for the first time. He looked he was enraged. Even Esme had moved away from him a little. Officer Willis and another officer approached him.

"Carlisle Cullen, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Anthony Higgins Jr.," Officer Willis said as the court erupted with chatter. Carlisle was screaming at Edward, and I was pretty sure he said he would get his hands on me. In the mist of all the craziness, though, I slipped out the door with Doctor Hale. I didn't talk again until we were in her car and headed for the hotel.

"What's going to happen to Esme?" I asked, feeling slightly numb. All the secrets I had been keeping were now out, and I didn't have to hide anymore.

"We don't believe that Esme had anything to do with it. I doubt we will ever know for sure, though. Carlisle had documents made up that were very believable. After I spoke with Alice and Jasper, I did more digging," she said as I nodded.

"Was Edward abused by his real parents?"

"Not that we know of," she said as I nodded. "Were you ever told about when he was little?"

"A little. Esme told me once that he didn't talk, that he refused sleep in a bed, and that he wasn't taken care of before them," I said as she nodded.

"Have you thought about what you and Ava are going to do now?" she asked as she pulled up to the hotel.

"Yeah, we're going to be okay," I said with a smile.

"Good luck, Bella," she said sweetly.

"Thank you," I said to her as she smiled. I got out of the car and just about ran to my room so I could hold my daughter.

"How'd it go?" Jasper asked as soon as I was through the door.

"As good as expected," I said as he smiled.

"They arrested Carlisle?" Alice asked, handing me my perfect little girl.

"They did, and Edward's real parents were there," I said before I told them everything that had happened.

"Do you want us to stay?" Jasper asked.

"No, I'm good. Edward and I have a long talk coming. I'll see you guys when we get home," I said as they nodded.

"Call me if you need me," Alice smiled, hugging my neck.

"I promise," I said as I returned her smile.

They left as planned, and I took the alone time I had to get my thoughts together.

~~~~AOMM~~~~~~

Hours passed and Edward still wasn't back yet. He hadn't called me or anything. I was hoping he would show up. Ava was already down for the night by the time he did show up. When I heard the door click, my heart started to race. I stood as he rounded the corner, and noticed that his face was red and blotchy; I knew he had been crying. His breathing picked up as he stared at me, and that scared me. I didn't know what was coming. I wanted to go to him and hug him, but I needed to know what he was feeling first.

"How much did you know of what was going to happen today?" he asked with a scratchy voice.

"Everything," I said as he hung his head.

"It scares me that you were such a good liar up there," he said with tears in his eyes.

"I didn't lie. I told the truth as I remembered it," I said as he shook his head.

"Everything you said was what you remembered?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Look, I love you, Edward. You have showed me more love than I ever thought possible. I know now that your father was the problem."

"I'm not letting you go, so don't even think that I've had some sort of epiphany," he said as he walked to me.

"Ava needs her dad, and I need my husband," I said as I started to cry. "I love you."

"I love you, too, so much," he said as he pulled me into him and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry. I'll tell you everything about how it happened…everything."

"I don't care about any of it. I just want to move on," I said as he shook his head no. "Yes; this is the way I want it. Let me have the only family I've ever known." It made me feel better when he pulled me into his lap. "I don't care about the past. I just want to worry about our future."

"I don't know how to get better. My head is so…fucked," he said, laying his head on my shoulder. "I always looked up to Carlisle. Everything I did was for him. I needed him to be proud of me; I wanted to be just like him. I always thought he was so strong and I wanted that. Now, everything seemed to be a lie."

"You'll get to where you want to be if you try," I said as he placed his head on the back of the couch. "What happened after I left?"

"Why did you leave? Were you planning on running? I wouldn't have stopped until I found you," he said as I nodded. I had no doubt he would find me, but running was never a thought in my mind.

"I wasn't going to run. I just wanted to be here with our daughter," I said as he hummed.

"I'm so fucked up that when I realized you were gone, the first thought that ran through my head was that I wanted to beat your ass. I'm going to try to change, but you can't just take off like that. I need to know where you are at all times. I need to know that you're okay," he said as I nodded my head in understanding.

"I just wanted to be with our baby, I promise," I said as he hummed again.

"Where are Jasper and Alice?"

"They went back home."

"Why?"

"To give us our space. They knew everything that was going to happen… They were the ones that got Hale to investigate your past more."

"How long have you known?" he asked as I started to fidget. Edward seemed calm, but I knew better than anyone how quickly his mood could change.

"I've known everything since last week. Hale stopped by the house to show me papers, but I refused to look; I didn't want to know anything. She finally showed me the missing child report and the DNA test after I told her everything that Carlisle said I needed say. After I found out, things changed, and I knew I wanted to do something to help if it was true. A part of me knew it was, too. I told her I remembered the dates she wanted to know, and how everything happened that day," I whispered. Edward moved me off his lap, and at first I thought he was mad.

"I need to change out of these clothes. Have you eaten?"

"I ate. We have some pizza left over; do you want me to heat it up for you? I could order you something from room service," I said as he nodded.

"The pizza will be fine," he answered as I took a deep breath. I felt like parts of us were still there, and that felt normal to me. In a way, that was what I needed. By the time I had his food warmed up, he was out and ready to eat.

"When did you know I wasn't guilty?" he asked when I set a beer down in front of him.

"I didn't. I just had a gut feeling and went with it. If you need to spank me, I understand," I said, knowing how mad he was going to be.

"Just keep talking to me. I want to know everything," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"Last week, when I told Hale everything I knew, she said the timelines weren't matching up. She said she needed to look into things more. Um…I don't know what else to say," I told him as I played with my fingers.

"What made you trust her?"

"I think it happened once I knew she was trying to help you," I said as he ate more of his food. "Where's Esme?"

"In her room. I told her to take a bath and to go to bed. She swears up and down that she didn't know. I think I believe her, but I really don't know who or what to believe," he said, sounding sad.

"Hale said she didn't think Esme had anything to do with it," I offered as he nodded.

"No more lies and no more secrets," he stated as I nodded in understanding. "I have to know the truth about everything. I need to know you won't ever lie to me."

"When you got arrested, and Hale took me to Charlie's house, I took my journal and kept it. I read it a few times. Things started to come back to me in bits and pieces then. I remember almost everything — the cabin, the drive. It all came back after that day with Carlisle. I told Jasper to burn the journal once he got home. I don't want that part of my life in my life anymore," I said as he stared at me.

"I trust Jasper," he said as I agreed. "I talked to the people that they say are my real parents."

"Oh? How'd that go?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do. I need Carlisle to tell me what to do."

"Just do what you want."

"Do you think it's that easy?!" he yelled. I flinched at his harsh tone. "I have been told what to do all my life, and now I have to come up with it on my own, plus worry about you and our daughter. On top of that, I also have my mother to worry about," he said, calming himself down. I knew this was going to be a lot to take in, but I didn't realize what Edward was going through. I knew I needed to tread lightly when it came to Carlisle.

"I'm sorry. I understand," I said as he started to eat more. "Will you tell me about your real parents?"

"They told me I was never abused — that they never hurt me. I remember very little from when I was a kid, but I always had this recurring dream about the zoo. In my dream, the little boy was so happy and so excited to see the monkeys. Elizabeth, my real mother, told me a story about how we used to go to the zoo a lot. She said I loved the monkeys. Tony, my real father, said they have video of me as a child, and if I ever wanted to see them, I could. All the way here, Esme kept telling me that she was my mother, and she didn't care about a piece of paper. Bella, I don't know what to do," he said, giving me pleading eyes.

"This is all too weird. I don't even know what to think," I said.

"I want to see my dad, but then again, I don't want to. When he thinks he's losing control, he will do anything to get it back…I'm scared of what he will do," he told me.

"Well, we know the truth now. You tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it. Last night, why did you say you didn't want Ava around him?" I asked, needing to know.

"A few weeks ago, he told me to start spanking her. He said if I started now, she would learn quicker. He said by the time she was one, to start putting her in the closet for her timeouts," he said as I gasped.

"She's just a baby!" I cried. "Please don't ever do that."

"I won't. I never wanted to. If I was to go to prison, I knew you wouldn't be allowed to live with them. You know my dad blames you for everything that happened. He would have found you unfit, and they would've taken our daughter. Even if he would have let you stay, he would have taken her away from you every time you sneezed wrong," he said, shaking his head. "That's what he told me to do with you…and I told him I did, but I couldn't. Man, I'm so weak," he said covering his face.

"Thank you for not taking her away from me."

"Don't thank me for anything. The day he kept me away from you was one of the worse days of my life. I never wanted to make you feel the pain and hurt I felt that day. I don't even know if I can do this."

"You can. I believe in you."

"Just shut up!" he snapped as I looked down. "I'm so tired and ready for bed; let's go," he said, leaving the other slice of pizza untouched.

We went to bed that night, and we may have been in the same bed, right next to each other, but I felt that we were worlds apart.

Well…what do you think? There is only one more chapter before the epi! This has been a crazy ride and I'm glad you all joined me. Thanks so much for all the reviews!

To anyone in the way of the hurricane please be safe! Here in NY will be hit sometime today but I'm hoping that it's not as bad as they are saying.