Beta: Frannie

Prereaders: Jill, Pearly, and Ariel

My heart: Full if love for my readers and reviewers.


The Chief wasn't surprised to see me still at work when he came in a few hours after Bella debriefed Alice on the shitfest her night had become. It wasn't a new occurrence for me to be at the bureau all hours of the day and night, so all I got from him as he passed my open door was a curt "Everything good, Cullen?"

I responded in the affirmative and leaned my chair back, my head thumping against the gray wall. I had never personalized my space like others had, even though I'd been in the same office most of my career. I had no posters, only one photo of my family that sat on my desk, no plants. The room was only my desk and equipment, filing cabinets, one bookshelf for reference materials, and the lonely little pull-out couch. I had an apartment that I barely went to, but it was even bleaker than this was.

No wonder I was drawn to Bella's light. My life had been so much darkness for so long; I didn't remember how warm the light could be.

But it would all have to end today.

After Bella came clean about her disaster date, I kept my computer on after Alice said she would stay the night. Jasper, I guess her boyfriend, was away on a business trip, so it was a perfect night for a girl's night.

Apparently.

So, I stuck around. Selfishly. To see if I'd be brought up again. I wasn't. Jake was, and I didn't like what I heard. That was the final nail in my "someone else needs to take this case" coffin.

"It's a real shame, too. He's the best sex I've ever had," Bella had said, lamenting the loss of his dick, I guess.

The girls giggled, and I fucking died a little inside.

I hated knowing she had been with him. And it shouldn't matter to me, but I know how Jake treated girls, and I know Bella was too good for that shit. But the fact that I cared was the exact reason I needed to pass her on to someone else. Maybe even a female someone.

So after a few hours of restless sleep, I went to see the Chief.

His door was open, as always. The wall of windows behind his desk lit up everything he had that I didn't. Not that I wanted it. His walls were covered in photos of his family. His wedding, vacations, two blonde happy kids smiling from the pictures at different ages and stages of life. His twins, Alec and Jane. I was happy his life was so full, but it wasn't anything I ever felt the need for.

I knocked my knuckles on his door, smiling when he looked up from his papers. One of those should be a report on how my surveillance went last night, but it wasn't. I had never put off filing a report, but there's a first time for everything, I suppose.

"Come on in, kid. You look like shit," the Chief directed, pulling his round, wire-rimmed glasses from his face. "How'd your date go?"

I rolled my eyes, sitting in the chair in front of his desk in the act of submission. Sometimes, I could be an arrogant asshole, and I needed him to know I wasn't here to bring any kind of bad news.

"Yeah, about that," I rubbed my rough cheek with my hand, as I had been unable to shave since before said 'date.'

The words were on the tip of my tongue. All I'd have to do is spit them out.

'Chief, the case has been compromised. Unfortunately, she saw me at the restaurant, so it would be better if someone else took over.'

Instead, what I said was:

"I need you to get someone looking into this Jacob Black guy. I've done some cursory digging, and I don't like what I've seen. He's bad news. If not for Miss Swan, then for some other girl. He's already toed the line, and I don't doubt for a second that he'll be crossing it soon."

The Chief nodded, and I commenced briefing him on what I had found out about Jacob so far.

The way I see it, we're short-staffed enough as it is. Bella's case had already been botched before me, and it wouldn't be fair to her to pass it along and risk it being botched again. Especially when she was on Jake's radar like she was.

Above all else, my duty was to protect her. It didn't matter that she had seen me, because it wouldn't happen again.

Sound logical, if you ask me.