Chapter 24

"What! What do mean someone has made an allegation?" I stutter out, feeling as if I am being punked.

"Mr. Cullen, please calm down," Sally says and I narrow my eyes at her, I know the games those guys play.

"I am calm, and believe me you would know if I was not. Jennifer go to Bella's," I order, but Jennifer just looks at me.

"She has to remain here."

"No, she doesn't, Jennifer go." Jennifer bob's her head at me and runs out of the room.

"We'll need to talk to her."

I shake my head at them. "No way! She's been through enough without this."

Sally sighs and looks toward Ben. "Mr. Cullen, please be reasonable."

"You are still standing in my living room; I'll say that I am being pretty reasonable," I grit out at her.

"Edward..." I keep my eyes locked with Sally not turning even a little toward Bella.

"Hi, I'm Bella, I live across the back yard," Bella says sweetly as she shakes both Sally and Ben's hands. "Can I ask what the allegation is that was made?"

"Well as most of them are about you, then yes you can."

"What do you mean about her?" I yell feeling even more worked up.

"They claimed she's taking drugs, drinks and that she is a prostitute."

"Mom!" I yell knowing this has been her.

"I am taking it that you didn't take this to Heidi?" Bella asks with a smile and both Sally and Ben just look at her. "Or even run my name?"

"Why would we do that?"

Bella shakes her head and pulls out her cell.

"Heidi, there is a...?"

"Sally and Ben," I tell her quickly.

"Sally and Ben here. I babysit Edward's daughter and someone made the same old allegations against me."

Bella stops talking and Sally and Ben just look at each other.

"She wants to talk to you," Bella says as she hands them her cell. Ben takes it and walks out of ear shot.

He comes back looking rather pale. "She's cleared. Turns out she does regular drug tests, I am talking three times a week. Heidi clears her on prostitution as well."

Sally turns and looks between Bella and me. "Well, if we could look around..."

I go to tell her to fuck off, but Bella cuts me off. "Sure, knock yourself out."

I stand in my living room just staring Bella down. "Well, everything seems to be in order, thank you for your time Mr. Cullen." I bob my head and open the front door sharply so they can walk out. I close it and walk back to Bella, but feel myself drop to my couch.

Bella moves to me and her hand goes right to my hair. I rest my forehead on her tummy, and my arm wraps around her pulling her closer to me.

"I can't believe my mom did this. I could have lost Jennifer," I mumble.

"It may not have been her," Bella tells me softly.

"It was. I don't know what's going on with her, but she's starting to piss me off."

Bella slowly slides down so that she is kneeling on the floor and I am now looking down at her. "You need to pull yourself together for Jenny."

My hand moves out and touches Bella's face. "You've been here all this time and I didn't see it, I didn't see you," I whisper. I feel myself move forward, but stop just before I place my lips on hers. I clear my throat and jump up, knowing I need some space from her.

"Can you get Jenny to come back?" I ask and Bella nods. As she walks passed me, my hand catches hers. "You come back, too," I whisper.

"I will," Bella says as she slowly moves her hand out of mine. I look up having no idea how I am going make it the next six weeks. It hasn't even been a day and all I want to do is kiss her.

"I need some help," I ask looking up. "This has to be done right, she… I don't want to hurt her, and this town will blame her if we do anything!"

~HLAG~

Today was Jennifer's first day back at school. Also strangely enough it's my first day off, but I am at the court house for my meeting with Aro. There is a part of me that feels as if I should tell him, tell him that I am developing feelings toward Bella. But the other part is afraid that this would land her in more trouble and the towns people will put us getting together on her, with them saying she used her witchy powers on me or some shit like that. They have put her through so much already.

I walk in heading right to where his chambers are. I'm only a few feet away when I see Aro standing outside of his chamber with a woman, a woman who looks a lot like my mom.

"She was molesting my boy. I know he wouldn't say anything to you, he has a soft spot for her, but could you please just sign this restraining order?"

"Mrs. Cullen, I have told you that your son must be the one to file it."

My hands seem to roll into fists as my anger starts to boil. "Mom," I say harshly making her jump, since she had no idea I was behind her.

"I'm sorry, Aro, if you can excuse us," I say smoothly as I grip my mom's arm.

"No, just tell him what the whore..." I cut my mom off by glaring at her.

"Shut up," I grit out through my teeth. I look back to Aro giving him a smile and then pull my mom away from him.

"Edward, I am trying to help you."

Not wanting her to start this shit again, I interrupt her. "Stop, right now, just stop."

My mom looks at me with her lips pressed together. "I need time away from you," I say with a sigh as I rub my face.

"Jennifer and I will not be around for the time being."

"Edward, what are you talking about? Christmas is next week!"

I shake my head at her. "You should have thought about that before going crazy. Just give me time, and if you do any more of this..." I say waving my hand trying to find the words. "Calling Social Services," I carry on with a glare. "Then we are done, and I mean really done." My mom covers her mouth and looks at me with so much hurt in her eyes. "I love you, but you're acting a little nutty right now, and I don't want that around me or Jennifer."

I walk away and head back to Aro who seems to be standing outside his chambers just looking our way.

"I was just heading out to lunch, please join me?" I bob my head and walk with him out of the court room.

"Is everything alright with your mom?" He asks the second we leave the court house grounds.

"I am sorry about her. I think she forgot her meds this morning," I joke lightly feeling so embarrassed by what took place.

"Yes, my sister was like that when she was off her meds too." I frown a little and look at him from the corner of my eye. "I went to see her and she was sitting in her room, with a bunch and I do mean loads of snakebite first aid kits. I asked her why and she just blurted out that the was going to be attacked by a snake. These snakes were going to be everywhere at once biting people and she was getting ready for it." I swallow as I look at Aro. "Manic Depression or that's what they called it then. Now it's more commonly know as Bi-Polar."

"That's what Bella thinks Alice has," I blurt out and Aro looks at me with a grin.

"I know, she told me, and I have to agree."

"When, when did she tell you?"

Aro sighs gesturing me to sit at a table that's outside of a diner. "I met Bella in court about two years ago, when she first arrived in town. I had already known about her father having a stoke, and when she kept getting brought in, I decided to have a one-to-one chat with her. I brought up her father and asked about him, but she just sat there. I could see hurt in her eyes, but I thought she was just lashing out, being angry. Each time she came to court, I would talk to her, ask her what happened and call her out on her bull shit. To say I was shocked when she blurted out in my court room asking, begging me to help her. It was then she told me about Renee and what she was doing and I vowed to help her. Things settled and she seemed to stay away, then she started coming again, but her crimes were strange and very random. I was going around town and stopped to get some pizza when I met Alice, who was bouncing around the place not sitting down, I would have sworn she was on something. Two days later, I found Bella and Alice outside my home, and there was something about the meeting that made me think of my sister. It clicked then that Bella wasn't doing anything, she was covering for Alice, her friend who was spiraling out of control."

I sigh and rub my face already knowing Bella has done more for my sister than what she's done for her.

"Two burgers, two sides of onion rings and fries, and sodas." I look to the side seeing a waitress as she nods and walks away and my eyes land back on Aro.

"Everyone loves burgers." He chuckles and I smile, bobbing my head at him.

"You think my mom is the same?" I ask.

"I am a judge, son, but your dad is the doctor, I think you would be wise to talk to him."

I pull at my hair and I lean back on the chair. "She called Social Services making it seem as if Bella was drinking, doing drugs, and sleeping around." I shake my head still not believing all that my mom has done. "All because she's there in my home, Jennifer likes her, she's good... no she's amazing with Jennifer and her art work, WOW!" I blurt out quickly.

"Just be careful, Edward, try not to make it look as if you're friends, till she is done with her community service." He raises his eyebrows at me and I bob my head, as I swallow. "I am here if you need a chat about your mom, Alice or even Bella."

I smile and let out a sigh. "Now eat up," he says just as the waitress places our lunches down

~HLAG~

I have just put Jennifer to bed when there's a soft knock on my door. I walk to it feeling relieved to see it's not my mom, not that I think she would have knocked. This time, though, it is my father.

"Hey," I say with a smile and he gives me a small one back.

"Your mom got it in her head that you're not joining us for Christmas?"

My hands go in to my pockets and I drop my eyes. "She called Social Services on me. She reported me to Aro," I tell him as the anger I feel for what she did comes back.

"What? Why would she do that?" My father asks shocked.

"Because I have developed a friendship with Bella." My dad shakes his head at me. "Did she tell you she hit Bella?" My father narrows his eyes at me. "She slapped her across the face hard enough to leave a hand print."

"Edward, I am sure she had..."

"A reason?!" I yell out cutting him off. "There was no reason other than the one her head made up." I sigh taking a deep breath. "I think Mom and Alice are Bi-Polar."

"They can't have that, Edward, I am sure you are wrong."

I shake my head this time. "I'm not."

My dad just looks at me for a few minutes. "Is this you saying it, or Bella?" There is a new hardness to his voice.

"Me! Just so you know, Bella is not the devil's spawn. She's a smart, caring, talented young woman." My father snorts at me and I sneer back at him. "Her father had a stroke and she is his prime care giver, did you know that?"

His face changes as he looks at me confused. "Her mother is abusive, and stole their money, leaving her to steal so they could eat!"

"Is this the story she told you?" My dad asks, but there is a shakiness to his voice.

"No, I have seen her father, he's the one that told me about Renee, Bella's mom."

My dad's mouth opens and closes a few times, but nothing seems to come out.

"We were wrong about her, the town is wrong about her, and Mom was wrong about her. If you love Mom and Alice, then we need to find out if they are Bi-Polar. I would rather they be on medication and alive than ignored and have them kill themselves."

My dad swallows and then looks at me. "I'll get them seen first thing, but… come to Christmas dinner, please?"