A/N: Friendly reminder that I have no personal experience with the criminal justice system. I'm (very) sure there are inaccuracies in this, but please don't feel the need to crucify me for them. It's a story – there are things I needed to happen that probably aren't what would happen in real life. Enjoy anyway!
Looking at it now, it all seems so simple. We were lying on your couch, I remember. You took a polaroid of us then discovered the rest of the world was in black and white, but we were in screaming color. And I remember thinking, are we out of the woods yet? ~ Taylor Swift, Out of the Woods
BPOV
Life had a funny way of repeating itself. For example, I never thought I would be in an armored car on my way to a courthouse again. But, here I was, on my way to a preliminary hearing where a judge would decide whether the prosecution had enough evidence to indict me on criminal charges.
It was all turning out to be a very quick process, thanks in large part to how we planned the whole thing. It was no secret I was going to be in town for Peter's show, and the Los Angeles police department didn't want to run the risk of me getting away. So, they had it all set up, had their whole plan in place to charge me while I was in town.
I quickly realized that just because I knew it was coming, the whole ordeal wasn't any less stressful than before.
They took me to a precinct for questioning after the show, where they were free to hold me because they had 'reasonable fears' that I would run if I was set free. It was only one night, though. Another perk of our plan; they had time to set up a hearing with a judge because they knew exactly when they would be able to track me down.
I sat in an uncomfortable metal chair for hours and answered question after question. They asked about what accounts I had with California International, the bank where I used to keep my money and a few safety deposit boxes. They asked what I took that day, which led me to believe they had somehow gotten ahold of security footage of me entering the bank at the very least.
That was the biggest unknown in our plan, what evidence they had. It had to be something big, otherwise they wouldn't go through the trouble of this hearing. They thought it was enough to lead to a trial.
Or, Petrov had bribed them with enough to make them not care about the details.
I knew Edward was furious that no one could track down exactly what evidence they had. Every chance he got he told me to back out, to wait it out and see what would happen.
I wanted all of this over, though. I didn't want to have to live for months, years wondering if this was going to come up again. Especially after the bloodbath that happened in Chicago last night. Everyone knew Petrov would have backup plans if that happened. At the end of the day, Petrov had already started the investigation and there was nothing left to do but see it through.
There were no windows in the car, but I could hear the crowd and knew we were at our destination. It was a sound that sometimes haunted my nightmares, the frantic clicking of cameras and shouts of my name.
An officer slid the door open and I relaxed slightly when I saw Ben standing there, mixed in with a few other officers. I was never handcuffed, which was a major relief, but an officer kept a tight hold on my arm as they walked me through the screaming crowd.
"Bella, over here!"
"Can't stay out of trouble, eh, Bella?"
"Taking the fall for your husband again?"
"Leave her alone!"
The last one came from a girl, maybe twenty, who had pushed her way through to be at the front of the crowd as it formed a line to the door. She was wearing an old reputation tour shirt, maybe one her mother had once gotten because I didn't sell them anymore. She looked so angry, but not at me. She frowned at the photographers as they pushed their way closer.
It was a gesture so sweet, from a girl I had never met, that it made me want to cry. Tears now would be taken completely out of context, though, so I kept it together. Mostly.
I sighed heavily once the doors closed behind me. The courthouse was bustling, but most people inside didn't care about me. They had their own problems to worry about.
Jared was beside me as we were led through the halls. "You okay?"
"Not really."
We approached a set of double doors and half of the officers that were following us veered off as we entered. My stomach dropped as I looked around. My eyes blacked out and for a moment I was in Chicago, walking into the courtroom where I spent a year of my life getting ripped to shreds. I must have stopped walking, because both Jared and the officer escorting me nudged me a little bit.
I expected Edward to be here, even though I told him he didn't have to be. Part of me longed for him to be here, the other part of me remembered how much it tortured him to see it the last time.
I knew he would be here, though, no matter what. I didn't expect, however, that the rest of our family would be joining him. Last time, Edward kept most of them away. They were all here now. Including Aiden.
He probably hated me right now, because we kept this part of the plan from him. I didn't want him to worry, especially after the news broke that I was being accused of his drug arrest.
It was the ultimate walk of shame, going up the aisle as they all watched my every move. Thankfully, it was a closed session with the judge so there were no reporters or cameras.
I sat at the table to the right, Jared beside me. My eyes locked on a small vase in front of me that held a single daisy. The familiar sight simultaneously filled my heart with joy and crushed it into a million pieces.
Because I was here. Again. It was easy to feel like a complete and utter failure when twice in my life I had been put in this kind of situation. A situation most of the world was taught to avoid at a very young age. And, somehow, despite growing up the daughter of a cop, I had ended up here twice.
It would be easy to regret a lot of things at this point in my life. I could regret going to that police benefit and meeting the man with the crooked smile and unruly hair, regret staying with him after he told me who he really was and what he did. He had given me so many outs over the years, because he never wanted me to resent him for all of this.
I should resent him, hate him for making me go through this again.
There was probably something very off in my brain, because I didn't. I didn't regret doing any of the things that landed me in this position, because I had both of them. I looked behind me for just a moment, my eyes meeting Edward's. He had a hand on Aiden's shoulder, almost like he was holding him down.
Edward looked at me and his eyes were burning; sad and scared and furious all at once. He was the most passionate man I knew; passionate about his work, his businesses, me. He was the only person in the world that understood me, the only one that really knew me. There was no doubt in my mind he would switch spots with me if I asked him.
Aiden's eyes were nearly identical, and I knew instantly that one day he would take over for Edward. The same same passion, the need to protect his family was growing stronger every day in him.
My fear evaporated as I turned around. My night away from them, my months away from them, made me lose sight of what all of this was for. I would do anything for the people sitting behind me. My role in the family changed often over the years, and I was hopeful this would be the last time I had to be the scapegoat, but I didn't care if it wasn't. I thrived under the pressure of pretending to be something, someone, I wasn't. Had awards for it. I could do this better than any of them could.
The judge walked out and went over a few details about what was going on. She was a lovely woman, her skin dark and her hair tied back beautifully. She looked over at the prosecutor, a man I hadn't even noticed walk in, and asked him to state his case against me.
"Your honor, months ago a woman named Tanya Volturi came to me with records from her father, the late Aro Volturi, and a safety deposit box he had at California International. The box in question had been emptied out decades ago, but according to his records it wasn't done by him.
"We've done the leg work and discovered it was emptied on the same day Mrs. Cullen was at the bank, conducting business of her own. I'm sure you're aware, your honor, of Mrs. Cullen's violent history with the Volturi family."
He went on, showing security footage from a camera across the street of me leaving the bank. There was a record of every person that went in and out of the area where the boxes were held, and my name was written, though the date of my visit was mysteriously missing thanks to Jasper's work, I'm sure.
I was no lawyer, but the case sounded flimsy at best to me.
"Do you know what was taken from the box, Mr. Roberts?"
"A picture, your honor."
There was just a hint of disbelief in her eyes. "A picture. Of what?"
"Ms. Volturi is unsure."
The judge sighed. "Is that it, Mr. Roberts?"
"Yes, your honor."
She nodded and looked over the papers in front of her. When she lifted her head, her eyes didn't look at me or Jared. Instead, I could tell they were looking at the group gathered behind me.
"Mrs. Cullen, approach the bench please."
I frowned. Jared had explained the whole process to me, and this definitely wasn't part of it. He stood beside me and nudged me forward.
I crossed my hands in front of me as I stood before her. The desk wasn't as high as it was usually shown on television. She was a good head or two above me, but not ridiculously high that I had to crane my neck to see her.
"Mrs. Cullen, are you or your son being held against your will with your husband?"
It would have been very easy to get offended at her question, but I held myself back. This was not the time to get defensive.
"No, Ma'am. I have been in a very loving and committed relationship with Edward Cullen since I was twenty."
She nodded. "Return to your seat, please."
It was an odd exchange, but surprisingly touching at the same time. While I wasn't a woman who needed help escaping her husband, I knew there were hundreds, thousands, that did. It was reassuring knowing there were people out there who cared about them.
I sat back down quietly.
"Let me get this straight, Mr. Roberts. You believe, simply because Mrs. Cullen was seen at the bank on the day your client's property may or may not have been taken, that she's guilty of stealing it?"
"Your honor, there is more concrete evidence –"
"It's circumstantial evidence at best."
"All due respect, your honor, with Mrs. Cullen's track record, it's not surprising that she would have done something like this."
"Mrs. Cullen was proven not guilty by a jury of her peers. Are you suggesting our legal system has failed?"
"No, your honor," he sighed, obviously defeated. This prosecutor was nothing like Embry Call. Call was heated and passionate and didn't stop questioning me until I was violently sick over the podium because he kept throwing my husband's death in my face.
This man had no horse in the fight. He didn't care if I was prosecuted. Maybe Petrov had simply paid him off to investigate, or maybe he knew all of Petrov's associates were being picked off. Whatever it was that made him back down so easily, I was grateful for it.
"I see no reason why Mrs. Cullen should be indicted for this crime," she said, her eyes meeting mine. "I would, however, like to look at the drug possession arrest from a few months ago, Mrs. Cullen."
The charge that Aiden got, that Edward has since put in my name. We fought on the phone for hours about it. Edward understood letting the media believe it was me, but didn't want to take the legal step of putting it in my name. I wasn't going to let one stupid mistake ruin Aiden's life, though. Not when he had worked so hard to recover from it.
"Your honor, that charge is outside of your jurisdiction," Jared said, frowning at her.
She ignored him. "It is very easy to spiral out of control with easy access to drugs," she said, her eyes locked on something behind me. Edward, probably. "How long have you been using, Mrs. Cullen?"
The tension in the room was palpable. No one expected these kinds of questions. I took a deep breath, my eyes on the table in front of me. "About a year."
"When was the last time you used?"
"A couple of weeks ago," I said, the lie falling from my lips easily.
"Why did you stop?"
"I had a big show with Peter Clark. I wanted to be… present for it."
She sighed, and I finally looked back up at her. "I think it's a good idea that you get your head on right, clear your mind before you go back home. I'd like you to complete a minimum of thirty days in a rehabilitation center to deal with whatever drug and personal problems you may be facing in order to keep you out of this kind of trouble again."
Fuck.
"Your honor, if my client isn't being indicted –"
"Would you like to keep it that way, Mr. Whitlock?"
"That's bullshit and you know it!" Edward shouted from behind me.
"Edward," I hissed, frowning back at him.
"Do not make me hold you in contempt of court, Mr. Cullen," she said, frowning at him before turning to me. "My brother overdosed when he was twenty-five, I know the signs of addiction. It's hard to go anywhere and not hear about your erratic behavior these days, Mrs. Cullen. After thirty days you'll be eligible for an evaluation to get you released from the rehabilitation center."
"Your honor, it is highly inappropriate to discuss this – "
"I'll go," I said.
She wasn't going to back down, it was obvious in the way she held herself that she didn't make this decision lightly. Maybe she thought she was helping me, maybe she thought I was trapped in an abusive marriage and needed an escape. Maybe I played my part a little too well over the last few months.
It wasn't like I had much of a choice in the matter anyway. Jared could try to fight it, but she had already let me off the hook for the bank job and I didn't want to push our luck.
She went over a few details, telling me where she would send me and deciding that I would go immediately so I wasn't tempted by any outside sources. Again, she eyed Edward as she spoke.
I hadn't had the nerve to look back at him or Aiden. As she spoke, a wave of crushing guilt fell on my chest because I was leaving him again. It had been months since we had more than a few days together and I felt like a horrible mother because of it.
When everything was done an officer grabbed me by the arm again and started to lead me out. I froze beside Edward and Aiden. I gave Aiden a hug first, wrapping my arms around him and whispering that everything was okay.
Edward pulled me to him then, and I relished in his arms around me for as long as I could. He had his head buried in my neck, and it took me a moment to make out the whispered apologies he was mumbling. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. Over and over again he apologized.
It wasn't until I had to walk away from them that I felt the moisture on my shoulder.
…Dark…
There was a window seat in the main gathering area that I spent most of my time in. It overlooked the grounds, so I could see where most of the other inhabitants of the center were. Edward's paranoia had rubbed off on me over the years, and the worst part of this whole thing was living with other people. I didn't trust any of them, but I couldn't let anyone else know that. According to every therapist in this place, I had to be the picture of mental health and emotional stability.
I would spend my time in the window seat thinking about what I could be doing if I weren't in here. It was where I spent the last twenty-nine days dreaming about driving my son to school or reading in Edward's office while he worked.
I was in a center in the middle of California. I didn't care enough to pay attention to the name of the city or institution. It was usually humid, even though it was only the end of February, but today a pleasant storm had rolled through. The rain fell in sheets and helped me imagine that I was looking out a window in Chicago and not this shitty one across the country.
Rehab was supposed to be relaxing to some degree. You were supposed to focus on yourself and getting over your issues. My problem was these people thought I had issues I didn't, and couldn't know a thing about the ones I did.
It wasn't hard to play the role of recovering addict because I spent a good month researching addicts and the side effects and everything related to them after Aiden was arrested. Little by little I would become less easily agitated and more compliant with all of the demands here and no one second guessed me for a minute. Therapists smiled at me and told me how proud they were of me, and I smiled back and thanked them even though they had done nothing for me.
I hated every single person here, but they all loved me. They told me how pleasant it was to have me around and I thanked them constantly for helping me through my troubles while on the inside I couldn't have given a shit about them.
I wasn't allowed any outside contact. The staff monitored all television usage and rooms were checked periodically for prohibited items. It felt like a fucking prison.
I did get one glimpse of my husband while I was here. The Grammys were held and the communal television was playing the show. I could see it from my spot at the window, though I didn't care enough to pay close attention. In my mind I was in my bedroom with my husband, but in reality he was walking up to a podium to accept an award on my behalf.
Kate had told me weeks ago Without Me was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media, but it was in the middle of the shitstorm in Chicago so I didn't think much of it. Even so, I never thought I could possibly win it with all of the negative press I had been getting. Shows like that were notoriously popularity contests, and I definitely wasn't popular these days.
I had his speech memorized. I replayed it in my mind at least ten times a day.
"If Bella were up here, she would spend the time thanking everyone who worked on the song, even in the smallest way. While I'm sure you all did a fantastic job, I think it's time to give Isabella Cullen the respect and adoration she deserves. My wife has an uncanny ability to make her words resonate with people around the world, an ability to make people feel comforted and not alone even though she's nowhere near them. It's amazing, being able to watch a song go from her writing it on the floor of the living room to it winning something like this. Thank you to everyone who looked past whatever reputation the media has created for her lately and awarded her this."
As usual, when my thoughts turned to Edward I always ended up remembering the moisture on my shoulder the last time I saw him. My husband didn't cry. It wasn't because he thought it was emasculating, but because his natural response to that kind of emotion was anger.
There were only two instances that I could remember seeing him tear up. The first was when he held my hands and vowed to be mine forever, but maybe my own blubbering tears were deceiving me then. The other was one night, right after Aiden was born and I was still in the hospital. He was holding our son and I swore I saw a tear fall down his cheek.
I hated myself for being the reason I saw it again.
Finally, finally, I would be going home soon. I had a meeting with a few of the therapists that worked here tomorrow morning and if all went well, I would be on a plane to Chicago as soon as possible after that.
My sleep was restless because it felt like I had done nothing but sleep for a month. There was nothing to do here. It was infuriating. I got dressed in a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black and white flannel. A box of clothing arrived a day after I got here, all things from home. I pictured Edward carefully folding my clothes in the box and again, the moisture on my shoulder popped in my mind.
I was tying my hair up in a high ponytail when the door opened. Trevor, my main therapist these days, peeked his head in. "Are you ready?"
I nodded and followed him through the complex, ignoring the stares from the other inhabitants. Everyone got stares before their evaluation meetings. They were even worse when people came out disappointed they had been told they weren't ready to leave. That wasn't going to happen to me.
I had everyone here in the palm of my hand.
I sat across from the small group and told them how remorseful I was for the habits I had picked up, and how thankful I was that I got help before things got too far. I told them I was thankful that the judge had sent me here and that I was looking forward to making some serious life changes when I got back home.
The entire time I spoke to them I was imagining my reunion with my family. I pictured everyone in our living room, Edward never leaving my side and Alice and Rosalie trying to make the night perfect. Aiden was the wildcard in my mind. He would either be furious at me for taking the fall for him, or so remorseful he wouldn't know what to do with himself.
I didn't care whether he hated me or not. There was no doubt in my mind that my son had earned my forgiveness for what he had done, and I was eternally glad he never had to end up in a place like this. I knew he was happy and healthy and on the road to becoming a man I was incredibly proud of. That was all that mattered.
My smile wasn't fake as I watched them all sign my release form, indicating that I had completed my thirty days and everyone in the place agreed I was stable enough to go. They told me Edward had arranged for a car to take me to the airstrip in half an hour and I walked out of that room, a wide smile on my face.
They all thought I was proud for completing the program, for being clean. None of them realized it was a smile of deception.
I gave all of my things except the clothes on my back to a woman that lived down the hall from me. I didn't want any reminders of being here, and I knew she was struggling; she had been here three months. Maybe the free clothing would make her smile for a minute or two.
The storm from yesterday was long gone and the bright California sun nearly blinded me as I walked out. A black SUV was waiting for me, Ben standing beside the open door.
I figured Ben would be gone by the time I was back. He only stayed with me so long because of the Petrov mess, and I was sure that was all cleaned up by now.
"My job wasn't done until you were back home," he told me when I paused beside him.
I smiled up at him as I climbed in the car.
"He wanted to be on the plane to see you, but there was an issue with Aiden last night," Ben said as he drove.
"What happened?"
"Everyone is fine. He just got in a fight at school."
I had been banking on Edward being in the plane waiting for me. Had fantasy after fantasy of him dragging me to the small bedroom in the back and having his way with me a time or two before we got back home. I was more than a little disappointed that he wasn't here, but knowing he stayed back for Aiden softened the blow a little bit.
Ben buckled himself in the plush chair opposite of me when we got to the airstrip.
"I was going to throw you a party, you know. A 'thanks-for-saving-my-life-repeatedly' kind of thing."
As odd as it was, Ben probably knew me just about as well as Edward. He carried me to an ambulance after I was shot. He was there when we got engaged and married. Hell, he knew I was pregnant before Edward knew. It was going to take a lot of getting used to once he was gone.
"No party necessary, Bella."
"You'll visit us, right? You're not just going to disappear forever?"
He nodded. "I'm going to travel a while, I think. But my home is in Chicago."
I wondered why he never married, but didn't have to think long about it. His life was dangerous, it wasn't hard to get caught up in shit you never intended to. I knew he had a bit of a fling with my old assistant, Angela, but that was a long time ago. We were quiet the rest of the flight.
I was too wound up to sleep and watched the clouds drift by. I smiled out the window, my first real, genuine smile in a month as Ben drove us through Chicago, toward home. It seemed like a whole new beginning, driving through our neighborhood and seeing Rosalie and Alice's homes pass us by.
An overwhelming sense of peace washed over me as Ben drove up the driveway, putting the car in park. I stared at the house in front of me. It was larger than any three people needed, an obviously ostentatious display. But it was home. Inside would be warm and welcoming, despite how pretentious the outside may look.
Ben opened my door and I gave him a quick hug, not trusting myself to do much else besides whisper another thank you to him.
His eyes were on me as I approached the winding walkway to the door, I could feel them before I could see him. I didn't know what I expected, but it wasn't how sad he looked. Edward sat there, elbows on his knees and a drink in one hand. I froze a few feet away from him. He was sad and broken but beautiful at the same time.
I had replayed that hearing in my mind over and over, and sometimes I thought maybe I caved too easily. What if a little more fighting and she would have just let me go? Logically, I knew that was probably a lie. The judge had made her decision, and there was nothing I could have done to change her mind. But standing here looking at my husband beating himself up for the whole ordeal made me second guess myself.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"Christ, you don't have anything to apologize for, Bella."
I took a step towards him, but he shook his head. "We were sitting in your movie room at your house in LA. You told me about having been to rehab before and I promised myself I would never let you get sent to a place like that again."
"Edward," I sighed.
"It's my job, Bella. The most important fucking job I have is making sure you and Aiden are safe and I just… I failed you both spectacularly this year."
I grabbed the drink out of his hand and set it on the ground. He didn't put up a fight when I pushed him back slightly, making room for me to straddle his lap. It was freezing out here, the sun having just set, but my body warmed instantly as soon as Edward had his hands wrapped around my waist.
"I'm safe and Aiden is safe," I told him, wrapping my arms around his neck and internally jumping for joy at having him so close again. "You're not in prison. The Petrov threat is gone," I said, though I suddenly realized I didn't know if that was true. I spent the last month assuming everything went according to plan.
Edward nodded at my hesitation, and it was like another weight was lifted off of my shoulders.
"It's time to forget the last few months ever happened and move on."
Edward shook his head for a moment, then finally looked at me. Really looked at me for the first time since I walked up.
"Fuck, I missed you," he said, wrapping his arms tight around my waist and pulling me as close as possible.
I smiled into his hair because I missed him too. "Now just fucking kiss me."
This was the reunion I wanted. Bodies pressed together, tongues intertwined, all thoughts of anything but us vanished from our minds.
"There's a party for you inside," Edward panted against me as I kissed my way down his jaw.
I sighed against him, reveling in the familiarity of the moment. It had been so long since we got to be ourselves, longer than my month in rehab. It was impossible to get my fill of him, but once I was satisfied for the moment I pulled away and reluctantly stood from his embrace.
It was madness the moment we stepped inside. Aiden was the first one to get to us and he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, literally lifting me off of the ground to do it.
I frowned at him when he put me down. He had always been a bit on the lanky side, his body had a lot of catching up to do compared to his limbs. That wasn't the case anymore. He had filled out, his arms stronger and his entire being looking more like an adult and less like a kid. Maybe it was just the time we had spent apart, or maybe my worst nightmare had come true and the little baby I used to hold in my arms was finally grown up.
"You have muscles," I said quite obviously.
He shrugged. "Dad and I work out a lot together."
I nodded, assuming it was their way of getting rid of some of the anger toward the situation.
"Ma, I'm really – "
"No apologies, everything worked out."
"But people think – "
"I know what people think. I don't care."
They could call me a drug addict or a murderer or any other foul name they wanted. At the end of the day, I still had all of these people around me, and they knew the truth. That was all that mattered.
Aiden pulled me into another hug, a softer one this time. "I really missed you, Mom."
"I missed you too," I sighed. When he pulled away again I saw the way his left eye was a little swollen. "Now, what's this I hear about a fight."
"It's nothing," Aiden said quickly. "Have you seen Aunt Alice? She has a lot to tell – "
"What'd you get in a fight over, Aiden?"
"Some punk bumped into him in the hall and called you a crack whore," Emmett said, smirking from beside Rosalie.
I flinched at the name, but quickly realized there were much worse things to be called. "Well, you know, it's not the worst name I've ever been called."
Edward squeezed my waist and Emmett threw his head back with a laugh.
"No more fighting over me, okay? If someone says something – "
"If someone says something I'm going to do something about it, Mom."
"No fighting, Aiden," I said in my most serious 'mom' voice. The one that usually got my point across.
Aiden sighed and nodded, but I had a feeling the discussion wasn't over.
Jared came over, giving me a quick hug, looking remorseful. "I'm sorry, Bella."
"It's not your fault, Jared. All things considered, it went about as good as could be expected."
"As good as could be expected would have meant you didn't spend a month in rehab," Edward grunted from beside me.
"Well, I got away with stealing from one of the most secure banks in the country, so I would call it a win," I said and the entire room went silent.
Jared snorted. "Remember when you tried to scare me into being a good kid and told me to straighten up before I ended up a criminal?"
"Yeah, well, that was after I pulled the bank job."
Everyone laughed, and I enjoyed the sound. Family. Laughter. Love. Edward squeezed my waist and for the first time in months, I was completely content.
After catching up for a while I left everyone downstairs to quickly shower the rehab and plane stench off of me. The bed was too enticing to resist though, and I laid down on it, just for a minute because there was nothing quite as satisfying as finally lying down in your own bed after months of being away from it.
"Are you tired?" Edward asked, the close proximity of his voice making me jump. I opened my eyes and saw him kneeling beside the bed.
"No. Just comfortable."
"Good. I have a surprise for you later," he told me. I smiled, hoping it was a surprise that ended with him in this very bed with me. "Not that kind of surprise."
I sighed, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. "Then I don't think I want your surprise."
He smirked down at me. "You do. Trust me."
"Will we get to the more fun surprises after?"
"Your wish is my command, Bella."
"That's good, because I spent a lot of time thinking about all of the ways you can take me. A lot of time."
There wasn't much to do in rehab when you didn't actually need rehab. Hours were spent on my window seat, thinking of every detail of our reunion.
Edward lifted me from the bed, my legs around his waist and his lips on my neck and carried me to the en suite. Just when I thought fantasy twenty-seven of Edward taking me in the shower was going to come true, he set me on the counter.
"I'll wait for you downstairs to avoid temptation," he said, giving me that signature smirk.
He finally seemed like himself again. He wasn't moping on the stoop or hovering protectively as I talked with Alice and Rosalie. Even though I was far past the need for teasing, I was glad he was finally starting to move on.
…Dark…
Everyone was long gone, and Aiden was asleep in his bedroom when we left. Edward drove us and I played with his fingers while he did. The evening had been perfect. We had dinner and talked about everything except for the shit we had to put up with the past few months. It was nice to finally have other things to do besides worry.
Now, Edward was taking me to whatever surprise he had planned. "I don't even get a hint?"
"No, no hints."
That alone had me intrigued, but I was even more curious when we pulled up to a dilapidated warehouse.
"You know, as far as your surprises go, this one is the weirdest."
Edward laughed as he opened my door. "Watch your step."
He walked me through the building, no explanation given. There were some random creaks and groans from the building, but otherwise it was silent.
"Did you bring me here to kill me and stash the body?"
I didn't have to look at him to know he would roll his eyes at me. We paused outside of a door, Edward held the knob but didn't make any move to open it.
"If, at any point, you're uncomfortable and want to leave, just tell me. Okay?"
"Edward, what are we doing here?" I asked, all jokes forgotten.
He slowly pushed the door open. The smell was the first thing that I processed. It was revolting. It was so disgusting that I didn't want to think about what caused it.
Edward pulled me through the door and the sight in front of me should have made me scream and run. I should have run toward the man tied to the chair, cut him loose and helped him to safety, but I stood, my hand clasped tightly in Edward's.
"His real name is Neil Matthews. He started working with the Petrov's when he was seventeen and has been employed by them since. He dyed his hair and wore colored contacts to make himself look a little more like me."
Neil Matthews. Tony. The man who helped fuel Aiden's addiction.
He was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, obviously having been here for days, weeks maybe. He was hardly recognizable, his face bloodied and beaten, the rest of him covered in blood and dirt as well.
He was asleep at the moment, or maybe just knocked unconscious. He wasn't dead, because I could hear the ragged breathing coming from him.
"Why am I here?"
I was usually able to disassociate my husband with this kind of behavior when I didn't see it first-hand. I knew Edward's feelings toward this man and I knew it was most likely him that left Tony – Neil – in this state. Clinging to life in an abandoned building for God knows how long.
I repeated my question. "Why am I here?"
"To finish the job. If you want."
My ears started ringing, my heart pounding. Again, I knew I shouldn't even be considering it. I shouldn't still be standing here beside my husband as he gave me free reign to end someone's life. The moral compass I should have been taught as a child should steer me away from this.
But it didn't.
Because as I looked at the man in front of me every what if flooded my mind. We could have had to pick Aiden up at a hospital as opposed to a police station. Christ, we could have had to ID a body at a morgue.
He didn't hold all of the blame for Aiden's addiction; at the end of the day it was him who decided to start using. But would that have ever happened had this man not given him the option?
Edward was holding a gun out to me. My eyes darted from the gun to the man in front of me. This was entirely different from the situation with Aro. Yes, I wanted him gone and lured him to my home that night. But there was nothing definitive about that plan. He could have just as easily not come at all.
This was definite. I was making the choice without any other threats.
Edward stood behind me, pulling me tight against his chest. "It's okay to want to do it," he whispered to me.
"No, it's not."
"In our family, it is. You don't have to, though. I just thought you'd like the option."
It had been years since I had made a decision based on what I thought the public would think, but I tended to use them as my moral compass sometimes. Because mine seemed to be fucked.
"I shouldn't – "
"If you don't want to, it's fine. You can leave right now and I'll take care of it," Edward told me, backing up slightly and dropping the arm holding the weapon for me.
He didn't sound disappointed at all, but an overwhelming sense of disappointment washed over me.
Without another coherent thought, I reached my hand up and waited. Edward carefully wrapped my fingers around the gun even though I knew how to do it myself. He started to back up more, but I reached with my other hand and held him close.
One of his hands wrapped around my shoulder, his body looming over me. I stood there, gun aimed at Tony, Neil, whatever the fuck his name was.
My hand started shaking, from fear or adrenaline or excitement. Maybe all three. Edward straightened his stance behind me then, wrapping his arms and fingers around mine.
"Deep breaths." He straightened the weapon, adjusting the aim I guessed.
"Three."
I took a deep breath, as instructed, but it didn't really help.
"Two."
I fought against the urge to close my eyes. My finger twitched over the trigger.
"One."
My eyes snapped shut as soon as Edward and I pressed the trigger and the bang of the shot rang out. A second later I carefully opened my eyes.
The image of Aro Volturi lying dead on the floor was burned into my brain. The sight in front of me would be no different; Neil tied to a chair with a bullet between his eyes. It was a train wreck I couldn't tear my eyes away from.
Edward carefully disentangled my hands from the gun. He let me stand there for a minute before pulling me away. Once we were outside and I could breathe again, I dropped Edward's hand quickly and threw up by a decaying bush.
I wanted to be sick because of what I just did, but that wasn't it.
It just smelled fucking rancid in there.
…Dark…
We were both quiet on the drive home. My mind was moving too fast for me to be thinking about anything. Edward had his hand on my knee, rubbing soothing circles over my jeans.
When we got home I walked in the house, almost on autopilot, and went straight upstairs to shower. In my mind the water fell around me, dark red and bloody. In reality, there wasn't a trace of dirt or blood on me.
I didn't flinch when Edward was suddenly behind me, his hands on my hips and bare chest against my back.
"Are you okay?"
It was a loaded question. Because part of my mind was telling me I shouldn't be okay, and the other part was flooded with relief.
I turned and faced Edward, watching as the water dripped down his chest. My eyes followed it up his neck, across his lips, until I met his eyes. I decided to look at things from a different perspective.
I was out of rehab. My entire family was safe, healthy, and happy. Every single person that tried to destroy us the last few months was gone.
Was I okay with that?
"Yes."
I stood on my toes and pulled Edward down to me. His lips met mine and all thoughts about how I should or shouldn't feel melted away. Hands gripped my hips tightly and teeth nipped at my bottom lip.
One second I was on my feet and the next Edward had me in his arms, fumbling with the knob to turn the shower off and open the door. He dropped me on the bed hastily and stared at me, his eyes burning. It wasn't like earlier, there was no sadness or guilt behind his eyes. This time they were hungry as he stared at me spread across the bed.
"I thought about it too, you know," he said his voice deep and husky.
"What?"
"This," he whispered, lifting one of my feet off of the bed. He pressed soft kisses to my ankle before drifting up my calf, stopping behind my knee and making his way up my thigh. "Every spot on you that I've missed kissing, touching… playing with."
I thought, hoped, he would get right to the playing, but that didn't happen. Once he was satisfied that he spent enough time tracing every inch of my legs, Edward started on my torso. He kissed from hip to hip, paying special attention to the place where his name was forever inked in my skin as usual. He kissed my navel, smiling up at me as he continued upward.
He bit the skin in the center of my chest and I moaned at the sting. When each of his hands cupped my breasts I sighed, my head falling back and eyes squeezing shut. He kissed every inch of me, pausing for a moment or two before he ran his tongue roughly over one nipple, then the other. He knew exactly what to do to make me lose my fucking mind.
"Edward," I sighed, getting a fist full of his hair and trying to get him to move along.
"I'm not done," he grunted against my skin, intertwining his fingers with mine and pressing my hand to the bed. I writhed underneath him as he took his time working me into a frenzy. He knew just where to touch, just how hard to suck, to get me to moan his name.
When he finally moved to my neck, I was panting like I had just run a marathon. Then he kissed me and his tongue massaged mine and I wanted to scream.
"I haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet," he murmured against my lips.
"Please," I begged, though I wasn't even sure what I was pleading for. All I knew was I couldn't take any more teasing.
It took every ounce of strength I had, but I was able to get him on his back, smirking up at me. "I don't have the patience for any more teasing."
He pulled a pillow and stuffed it behind his head. "Have your way with me, then."
I nearly collapsed against his chest as I sank down on him, a shot of complete bliss zinging through my veins. I rocked my hips against him slowly, smiling to myself at the look of ecstasy on his face every time I moved. It was probably the fastest orgasm I'd ever had. My nails dug into his shoulder and my hips moved quickly against his. When my clit rubbed against his pelvic bone at just the right angle I collapsed against him, biting his shoulder to muffle the scream than wanted out.
I wasn't sure whether it was the separation or the adrenaline from what we did tonight that made everything so intense, but apparently I wasn't the only one feeling desperate.
Edward took advantage of my collapse and had me flipped on my back again. "Fuck, I missed that."
"Huh?" I was a little loopy, my limbs feeling like noodles. Edward roughly pulled me down to the edge of the bed. He stood and arranged me how he wanted; legs spread and waiting for him.
With my thighs in both of his hands he grunted when he thrust back in me roughly. "That face you make when you come. Pure fucking pleasure radiating off of you."
"All because of you. Only you," I panted. My toes curled as he got himself closer to his release. I gripped the sheets and squeezed my eyes shut, barely able to tell the sound of his rough breathing from mine.
I could feel him getting close, hear it in the way he groaned with every movement. His every touch and movement got harder and I couldn't have stopped my own release if I wanted to.
"Damnit, Bella," he groaned, his eyes rolled back in his head as he came.
I might have passed out, or maybe I only fell asleep for a few minutes, because the next thing I was aware of was Edward lying beside me, gently running his fingers through my hair.
"That was…" I mumbled, too tired to finish.
"A great way to come down from the adrenaline?"
"I was going to say fucking amazing, but that works too, I guess."
Maybe that was why it was so intense. The adrenaline from the entire night. Hell, the entire day had been a big build up to tonight. The reason why wasn't important. The only thing that mattered was that I was home. Finally.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this one. I'm fairly confident we have about 4 chapters left. Thanks for sticking with me!
