A/N: Friendly reminder that I am not a lawyer and this is a work of fiction. Please do not feel the need to correct any legal mistakes in the comments. Thank you!

I know I am enough, possible to be loved

It was not about me

Now I have to rise above

Let the universe call the bluff

Yeah, the truth will set you free

~ Katy Perry, By the Grace of God

EPOV

Wife.

The word had all but lost its meaning to me over the years. The sanctity of marriage destroyed by my own doing until shaky hands slid a new ring on my finger.

My marriage with Irina was irrelevant long before Bella came along, but nothing made it as glaringly obvious as the first few days with my new wife.

We couldn't wear our wedding rings out, not yet, but Bella kept them secured to a chain around her neck that I had yet to see be taken off. She blushed every time she looked at me, a faint pink flooding her cheeks and making me wish I could know what was going on in that pretty little mind of hers.

Nothing had changed. But everything was different.

I couldn't look at her without my own stomach filling with the butterflies she once told me about. She was my wife. My partner. She would be by my side for the rest of my life.

Leaning against her office door, I watched her for a moment. She was engrossed in whatever was on her computer screen, a cute little crease forming between her brows. Her fingers absentmindedly played with the rings hanging around her neck until her eyes popped up to me.

"Hi," she smiled, pale pink flooding her cheeks.

"Hi. Ready to go?"

Bella had decided to go back to work only a couple days ago. She didn't bring much home with her for now, her body still tired and healing, but even the added stress seemed to be good for her. It got her that much closer to normal.

Even if her normal now meant I had to drive her to and from work.

I didn't mind it. Enjoyed it, even.

Bella had compared it to a child getting dropped off at school. A comparison I had seen more than one news outlet make as well.

"Yeah," she sighed, closing her laptop and standing with only a slight wince.

Her bruises were nearly all gone, and she no longer needed a walker or a cane. She was careful, walked slower than usual and tended to take smaller steps, but she could walk on her own. Something I wouldn't be quick to take for granted ever again.

She didn't hesitate to hand me her bag, taking my hand as we left her office. Her head fell to my shoulder as soon as we were in the privacy of the elevator.

"They're going to know as soon as we walk in," Bella sighed, ringing her hands in her lap as I drove in the direction of my sister's house.

"They're not going to know."

"I feel like it's written all over my face."

"Oh, it is," I smiled, glancing over at her at a red light.

Alice had invited everyone over for dinner. I was fairly certain she was pregnant and had put off her announcement after Bella ended up in the hospital.

It had been seventeen years since my kids were born, but it wasn't hard to spot the signs. She didn't drink wine with dinner anymore, wore looser clothing than usual, and she teared up one night after I asked her if she wanted me to pass her the potatoes.

It would be the first time we saw the family since our wedding, minus Masen and Lucy. The first time Bella saw them she stuttered over every other word she said and dropped her phone twice. Thankfully they were teenagers and were quick to brush off her fumbles.

Our marriage wasn't what was written over her face, but a happiness that had been absent from her eyes for far too long was back.

"We had an affair for nearly two months before anyone found out. I think we can keep our marriage a secret for just as long," I told her, grabbing her hand to stop her fidgeting.

"I guess that's a good point."

We were the last to arrive, parking behind a fleet of cars in Alice's driveway. My mother was the first to greet us as soon as we walked in the door.

"Look at you!" she gasped, pulling Bella into a hug.

It had been five days since they moved out of our house, but both of my parents checked up on her every day. Neither had seen her walking on her own yet, though.

I knew my suspicions about Alice were right the moment I saw her. She had never been a good secret keeper, less so when it was an exciting one. The girl looked like she was about to explode out of her own skin.

By the time we sat down to dinner, she couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm pregnant!"

The room erupted in gasps and congratulations. Dinner revolved around stories of how everyone, minus Bella, had already guessed Alice's news.

I was happy for my sister, I knew this was something she had been wanting for a long time. Still, it was hard to take my attention off of the woman sitting beside me. My wife whose smile had finally returned, who eagerly agreed to go shopping with Alice for baby supplies when I knew she had no idea what a baby needed.

The night was an excellent distraction from what tomorrow would bring.

…Closure…

"I'm outside the Los Angeles County courthouse where a hearing is set to take place in a few hours. Tyler Dwyer is expected to plead guilty to multiple charges, including the attempted murder of Tonight Show host Edward Cullen's fiancé, Isabella Swan.

"Swan was attacked three weeks ago, sustaining multiple injuries. One of which resulted in the twenty-three-year old requiring a total hip replacement."

My jaw clenched uncomfortably tight as the news report flashed on the screen in front of me. On the television, a reporter stood across the street from the courthouse. A crowd of photographers was already camped out behind her.

"Court documents revealed that Swan was granted a restraining order against her step-brother earlier this year. Rumors have circulated over the once MLB hopeful and soon-to-be Cullen ever since Dwyer gave an interview three months ago stating Swan had been falsely accusing him of physically abusing her since she was a child.

"We do not yet know the extent of the plea deal Dwyer's and Swan's teams have supposedly struck. This is a developing story and we'll keep you updated as the day continues."

I grabbed the remote from the arm of the couch and turned the television off just in time for Bella to walk around the corner.

It hadn't been an easy morning. I woke up at three this morning to find Bella throwing up just about everything she had in her system. She had to take a sedative Doctor Stanley had prescribed her after her attack, just in case she ever needed it. Even with the sedative, it took her an hour to be able to calm down and breathe.

And there was not a single fucking thing I could do to help her. To take away an ounce of the fear that I knew was rushing through her veins.

I walked around the couch, coming to a stop in front of her. She wore a simple black pencil skirt that went to her knees, and a white blouse. An outfit I watched her spend an hour last night picking out.

Are you okay?

The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I resisted asking.

We both knew she wasn't.

"The car is here," I told her, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her hear. I watched her visibly gulp, the fear in her eyes sending a wave of anger rolling through my stomach.

This woman was nothing but good. Sweet and kind and good. Nobody deserved years of physical and emotional abuse that ended up in a life-threatening attack, least of all Bella.

"Wait!" Lucy shouted from the kitchen.

She rushed over, clad in out-of-season holiday pajamas and a plain black t-shirt.

Neither of the kids were going to school today.

"I made you cookies. I thought you might want one for the, um, drive."

A forced smile tugged at Bella's lips as she took one of the cookies off of the outstretched plate.

"Thanks, Lucy," she said quietly.

Lucy quickly wrapped her arms around Bella in a firm hug. Masen came around the corner, looking unsure of himself for a moment before he did the same once Lucy let her go.

All I wanted to do was tell all of them everything would be okay. But that was a promise I couldn't make.

"We'll be back soon," I told the kids, giving them each a hug of my own before taking Bella's hand.

She didn't ask questions about the large black SUV that was parked in the driveway, or the one parked behind it that carried three newly hired members of a security detail.

The car was just for today, because I wasn't sure how hectic the courthouse was going to be. The security was for as long as Bella let me get away with it.

She hadn't protested at all yet.

The entire drive, I watched her stare intently at the cookie Lucy had given her. She probably couldn't stomach any food, but something about the cookie seemed to be capturing her attention.

"Can we go somewhere this weekend?" she asked eventually, her voice quiet and strained. "Just… just you and me?"

My answer was immediate. "Of course."

A small smile tugged at her lips. It didn't meet her eyes as she turned her attention toward me. "It can be our honeymoon."

I gave her free hand a squeeze, bringing it up to press my lips against her engagement ring.

Our small moment of peace was quickly crushed as soon as the courthouse came into view, a sea of reporters and photographers swarming the steps.

…Closure…

Bella shut down as soon as we got to the courthouse. She had my hand gripped tightly in hers, but the tension and anxiety rolled off of her in waves.

Jenks led us to a courtroom quickly, our family following wordlessly behind.

Bella had told them all repeatedly they didn't have to come, but everyone was adamant about being here.

The District Attorney, Kevin Ryan, stood at the far end of the courtroom when we entered. His team was already there, Rhea and Colleen arranging paperwork.

The courtroom was small. Nothing like what every cop show on television depicted. There were two rows of chairs on either side as we entered, only five seats across. Two tables sat up front a few feet away from where the judge would sit.

"Ms. Swan," Kevin said, approaching Bella and I slowly.

I saw Bella's hand shake, for just a moment, before she shook his hand.

"We're hoping to get you out of here as quickly as possible today," he told her, his voice softening. "The judge will read the charges, Mr. Dwyer will enter is plea, and we will recommend our ten-year sentence."

"Okay," Bella nodded.

"You can come sit up front with me, when you're ready."

Kevin went back to his table, talking quietly with Rhea and Colleen.

As our family took their seats silently, Bella seemed frozen in her tracks. Her grip somehow tightened even more around my hand and I saw the panic flood her eyes.

"Hey," I said softly, tilting her chin up to force her attention to me. "You can do this."

Bella shook her head, but I didn't let her protest further.

I rested my forehead against hers. "You can do this. And then it's over, Bella."

Her eyes squeezed shut and I pressed my lips against her forehead.

There was next to nothing I could say to reassure her. I sure as hell couldn't tell her it was okay. The entire situation was fucked beyond belief. The one piece of solace I could offer her was that in a matter of minutes, the entire ordeal would be over. The last fifteen years of physical and emotional abuse would end with Tyler being dragged away in handcuffs.

There was no other option. Not for me.

Bella's legal team had very carefully told me that there was another option. The judge could reject the deal. Force Bella to either go through a trial or let the fucker walk.

It wasn't an option I could comprehend.

"The beach," Bella said quietly, eyes fluttering open with a surprisingly peaceful gleam. "This weekend. A little house on the beach, just you and me."

I nodded, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Okay."

…Closure…

Tyler walked in, flanked by lawyers and followed by Phil and Renee. He wore a pressed navy-blue suit and had his hair slicked back. As if appearing the perfect gentleman erased the fact that three weeks ago he shattered my wife's bones.

I had been so focused on Bella's reaction to being in the room with him that I didn't have time to prepare myself for the rush of fury at the sight of him.

He walked past me, a whiff of his cologne breezing by. It made my stomach twist and my fists clench around the fragile arms of my chair.

I remembered meeting him for the first time, finding Bella standing in the hallway as she told them they couldn't come into the theater. I shook his hand. The very one that nearly broke Bella's nose a few hours later. The one that could have killed her.

My second interaction with Tyler was more enjoyable, for me at least. It almost got me arrested in the middle of nowhere Washington, but feeling his nose nearly break underneath my fist was worth it.

Still, the memory did nothing to dull the desire to feel more of his bones break beneath my own fingers.

"Alright."

A firm voice broke me out of my violent fantasy. My attention turned toward the front, where a judge now sat. The judge was probably around my age. She had her dark hair pulled back and read the papers in front of her with a frown.

"We're here to discuss the charges made against Mr. Tyler Dwyer," she said, eyes still on the pages she appeared to be skimming. "Over a dozen instances of violating a restraining order against Ms. Isabella Swan. Aggravated assault against Ms. Swan last year at the Phillip's Theater. And the attempted murder in the second degree of Ms. Swan."

The attempted murder in the second degree of Ms. Swan.

The sentence made me want to vomit.

The change in his charge was infuriating, even though it was the difference of one word. Charging him with first-degree attempted murder carried a harsher sentence. The only way to get him to agree to the plea deal was to drop it to second-degree.

It didn't matter either way. No amount of time in prison would be enough.

My eyes found Bella, whose attention wasn't on the judge. Her eyes were locked on Tyler.

I watched him stand and smooth his hands down his suit jacket.

"Alright, Mr. Dwyer. How do you plead to the fourteen misdemeanor violations of the order of protection against Isabella Swan?"

"Guilty."

"How do you plead to the charge of aggravated assault?"

"Guilty."

"And how do you plead to second-degree attempted murder?"

There was a pause, a moment when the room got completely silent. The air condition stopped, the sound of people walking through the hall disappeared. Everything was quiet. Or maybe that was just for me.

"Guilty."

The judge nodded and Tyler sat down.

"District Attorney Ryan, what is your sentencing recommendation?"

"Judge Penny, we're prepared to recommend a sentence of ten years as long as Mr. Dwyer verbally admits to the physical and emotional abuse Ms. Swan suffered from him during her time living with Phil and Renee Dwyer."

The Judge's attention turned back toward Tyler. "Mr. Dwyer?"

Tyler was an arrogant man. Cocky and privileged and used to getting his way. He wasn't used to being told what to do or admitting that he was in the wrong.

I enjoyed watching his discomfort, even though his admission had obviously been written out by someone else as he read it off of a piece of paper.

"During our childhood, there were a handful of times when I was too rough when playing with Bella – "

"I'm going to have to interrupt you, Mr. Dwyer, because I don't think the physical and emotional abuse the prosecution is talking about could be considered playful."

I watched Tyler's jaw tick, knew his shitty personality was on the edge of getting the best of him.

"She was right," he snapped. Frowning when his lawyer nudged him. "All of the times Bella said I hurt her. She was right."

She was right.

It was stupid to think three words could erase a childhood of abuse, but I knew what those three words meant to her. Knew it was all she ever wanted to hear from Tyler, from her parents.

His admission wasn't enough. There was no ounce of regret or sorrow in his words, but Tyler acknowledging that she was right had my own throat tightening.

"Is that a good enough admission for you, Ms. Swan?"

My eyes fell back to Bella. All I could see was the back of her head as her attention slowly shifted from Tyler to the Judge.

"Yes."

Judge Penny nodded. "Mr. Dwyer, the prosecution might be suggesting a ten-year sentence, but after going over Ms. Swan's medical records I don't personally agree with it. I'm going to offer you fifteen years or the chance to fight it out at trial."

"Your Honor, my client has – "

"Your client shattered a perfectly healthy twenty-three-year-old woman's hip. Do you have any idea the force needed to do that? Ms. Swan will need her hip replaced every twenty years for the rest of her life.

"I would highly recommend taking the fifteen years, Mr. Dwyer. Because if this case goes to trial you could very easily end up in prison for life."

I didn't realize how tightly I was gripping the arm rest until my mother pried my fingers away from it. I didn't acknowledge the burning in my lungs from lack of oxygen until I took my first breath after Tyler was officially sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

…Closure…

As promised, Bella and I ended up at the beach. We drove down to Santa Barbra and had a quaint little beach house waiting for us. It was small, just big enough for the two of us. The inside was all pale blues and sandy floors. It wasn't anything extravagant, but the smile that lit up Bella's face as we walked inside was.

We spent all of Saturday on the beach. Bella went through nearly an entire bottle of sunscreen but her shoulders still ended up with a pink hue to them as the sun started to set.

After carrying our towels and umbrella back to the house, I stopped to watch her. She was sitting near the edge of the water, the tide brushing past her feet as it peaked before it retreated. She rested back on her arms, her eyes never leaving the water. Her hair was wavy, chunks of sand matted in a few spots.

It was almost as if I could see it. The moment she was able to let it all go.

It would never be okay. Her family and Tyler would never be able to suffer enough for the life they gave her, but she couldn't hold onto it forever.

For the first time since she was eight years old, she didn't have to look over her shoulder anymore. She was safe.

I saw a glimpse of that freedom after she got her restraining order. It didn't help her in the long run, Tyler still ended up with his hands on her again, but it was one of the first times someone in a position of power believed her and tried to help her.

Retribution was never what she needed. All she wanted was for someone to fucking listen to her. But I wasn't sure if she could have ever looked this peaceful without the knowledge that Tyler was currently behind bars.

I sat down beside her, the fingers of my right hand resting carefully over her left. The feel of her wedding band nestled perfectly against her engagement ring brought a smile to my face.

Without a moment of hesitation, Bella scooted herself right beside me, her head falling to my shoulder.

"Thank you." Her voice was soft, so quiet I almost missed it.

My brows furrowed as I looked down at her. She didn't make me ask her to elaborate, turning to rest her chin on my shoulder and meet my eyes with hers.

"For everything."

My palm cupped her cheek, my thumb caressing the soft skin of her cheekbone. The moment her lips brushed mine, every memory I had with the tiny little brunette next to me flashed behind my eyelids.

From the first moment I saw her in my dressing room to the moment I slid that ring on her finger less than a week ago. Every kiss, whether it was a quick peck as she left for work or a never-ending exchange of breath while I was buried inside her. All of the seemingly insignificant little moments spent with her as she brushed her teeth at night or typed away at her computer next to me that I wouldn't trade for the world.

All things that I would never take for granted again, because I was once an inch away from losing them forever.

A/N: As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this one. We're on the downhill slope of this story, but there's still some of their happily ever after that we have to get to :) See you next time!