Bella
"I don't give a good God damn where he is, if you can't get him in my office, you get him on the line... Now!" Banner's voice echoes through the department, even though his heavy door is closed, just before he slams the receiver of his desk phone into its cradle.
"This really has his panties in a twist, doesn't it?" Mike asks from his desk beside mine.
"Yeah, I guess it did. Wonder how the intel was so wrong?" My musings fall on deaf ears, though, as Banner comes storming out of his office, leaving Mike to cower as he passes, making me snicker in turn. Shaking my head, I turn back to my computer.
Last night's raid was an embarrassment for Banner on an epic scale. We had not only our department on alert, but the FBI and ATF were on standby as well. When no one showed in what should have been a spectacular takedown, Banner was angrier than I had ever seen him. He almost came to blows with several people before he was sent home.
Had it not been for getting some information of my own, I would have called it a total loss. But seeing my old acquaintance, Jacob Black, as an ATF agent amongst all the chaos was a surprise, to say the least.
"Bella? Bella, wait up!"
His voice carries over the commotion, but my brain doesn't make the connection right away. I whip my head around, searching the crowd for the familiar face that goes with it. When I finally spot him, ducking past people as he weaves through the throng of people, I give him a tight smile. I'm not entirely thrilled to see him here tonight.
"Jacob, how are you?" I ask as he steps closer.
"I'm good. How have you been? Seems like ages since I've seen you." He makes a small step toward me, and I step back. Thankfully, he gets the hint.
"Good. And yeah, it's been a while. What? Since graduation, right?"
"Yeah. Guess that'd be about five years or so."
"Sounds right." I know my stance must appear rude, but we're both working. His approaching me to shoot the breeze isn't exactly professional either.
"So you made it into the OC division. Good for you, Bella."
"Thanks. I worked hard to get where I am." I know I sound defensive, but my work ethic is often called into question, especially by the men I work with.
He raises his hands in a placating way. "Oh, I have no doubt. You always were a hard worker." He looks around before turning his eyes back to me. "So how have things been in your personal life?"
"They've been good," I say as my hand rubs over the spot on my chest where my engagement ring hangs from a chain under the layers I'm wearing.
"Hey, I'm really sorry we lost touch. Seems like as soon as we graduated, we just stopped talking."
"Jake, we stopped talking long before that. After that disastrous date, we only saw each other at school."
"Ouch. Disastrous? You wound me, Swan."
I smile, shaking my head. "I guess it wasn't a disaster. But, Jake, you have to admit, there wasn't any spark between us."
"Speak for yourself." He steps just a little closer. "We might not have hit it off back then, but five years is a long time. I'm sure we've both grown up quite a bit."
I laugh, humorless though it is, and shake my head. "Are you seriously trying to ask me out again? Now?" My arms open, motioning to the men and women milling around us.
"Well, yeah, I guess I am."
"Sorry, Jake," I say shaking my head. "I'm involved with someone, and I'm incredibly happy." I take a breath, deciding to share my news with the only person to know besides Rose and Emmett, if only to get him off my back. "I'm actually engaged."
"Oh," he says, sounding dejected. Clearing his throat, he goes on. "He's a very lucky guy." He seems to brighten at whatever thought he just had. "Maybe we could all meet up for drinks or something?"
"Sorry but that might be a little difficult. He's a very busy man."
"Oh. Well, I wish you the best, Bella."
"Black! We need you back over here," a member of his team yells over the crowd.
"Yeah, yeah, just a minute," Jacob shouts over his shoulder at whoever called for him before turning back to me. "It was good seeing you, Bella."
"You too. And thanks, Jacob."
To say the exchange unnerved me a bit would be an understatement. Wondering how much he knows about my fiancé has plagued my mind since we crossed paths. His job as an Operations Investigator puts him in a position that would give him access to details about Edward and his family, and I have a sinking suspicion I haven't seen the last of Jacob Black.
"I expect everyone to stay here until we figure out how we missed an entire goddamn boat full of guns!" Banner voice bellows through the room.
I shake my head and get back to my work, scanning through old documents for my personal research. With Banner on the warpath, I can fly under his radar while he chews out whoever he feels is responsible for last night's epic failure.
The names and documents crossing my screen are all familiar, having spent a lot of the last few years looking for anything connecting a name to my mother or father; any shred of evidence I can use to find their killers.
The unique document I'm currently looking at is one I haven't seen before. It has all known players in the Voltolini family listed.
Aro Voltolini - Former head of the family; deceased.
Caius Voltolini - Known underboss; son of Marcus Voltolini
Marcus Voltolini - Current head of the family, brother of deceased Aro Voltolini.
Felix Voltolini - Known consigliere; son of Marcus Voltolini.
Demetri Voltolini - no known connections to the family. Possible estrangement.
The document goes on to mention a few other names I don't recognize, but they probably don't hold much significance. An illegitimate daughter, fathered by Aro, and distant cousins and nieces and nephews of the main players are unlikely responsible for the deaths of my parents. Many weren't even alive when my mother was killed.
I decide to transfer the files to my flash drive, just to have access to them at home. As the computer works on moving them, I watch as a man walks toward Banner's office, his shoulders slumped and his demeanor anything but happy to be here. He must be the one that gave them the bad tip.
Quickly disabling the flash and sound, I discreetly snap his picture with my phone just before he walks into the office. I'll ask later if Edward recognizes him.
Thinking about him makes my stomach twist. I haven't heard from him all morning. I know he's dealing with whatever led to last night's mess, so I know he'll be busy most of, if not the entire day. Doesn't make it any easier not knowing what's happening.
The day ticks on, and it's eventually time to go home. I know it'll be just Kaitlin and me, so I try to focus on spending some one on one time with my girl, and not on what Edward may or may not be up to. Besides, it will be quite an adjustment in just a handful of months when our newest addition makes his or her appearance and Kaitlin isn't the sole focus of our universe.
Walking through the door of our apartment, I'm met with the smell of baking cookies, which makes me suddenly ravenous for the sweets. I follow my nose to the kitchen and find Kaitlin and Carmen sliding the golden, chocolate-chip circles of goodness onto a cooling rack.
"Those smell fantastic!" I say as I round the corner.
"Mommy!" Kaitlin rushes over to me, her arms wrapping around my middle, snuggling into mine in the process. "I missed you."
"How could you miss me? I was only at work, K."
"Yeah, but you weren't here when I woke up this morning."
"I guess you're right," I say, smoothing her hair from her face. I lean down and kiss her forehead. "But I'm off tomorrow, so we can just have a lazy day at home. How does that sound?"
Her eyes brighten. "That sounds great! Does Daddy have to work? Can he stay home with us?"
I give her a sad smile. "I don't know, K. Your dad is working on a special project, so I don't know if he'll be able to be here."
"Okay," she says, her smile falling.
"Hey," I say, lifting her chin, so our eyes meet. "He'd be here if he could."
"I know," she says with a huff. "It's just been a boring summer so far."
"Kaitlin," I say with a laugh. "Honey, summer only just started. Give your dad a break. I'm sure we'll do something fun, but we need to make plans."
"Maybe we can go somewhere on the jet," she says excitedly.
"Maybe. We'll see."
"Come, 'ere," she says, dragging me by the hand to the counter where the cookies are cooling. "Try one." She picks up the smallest one on the rack and hands it to me.
"Is there a reason why I don't get a big one?" I ask with a laugh as I take it from her.
"Because, Mommy. I could hear you the other day saying you needed bigger pants," she says with an eye roll. Then she pokes at my tummy as her voice lowers to a whisper. "Your pants aren't going to get any looser if you eat too many cookies."
"So having them for dinner would be a bad idea?" I ask as I tickle her side.
"Okay, okay," she gasps through giggles before relenting. "Yes! Cookies for dinner!"
After Carmen leaves, our evening is quiet. We eat, the first course being the cookies, the second, simple sandwiches, then enjoy a little time spent snuggled together in front of the television. I tuck Kaitlin into bed and read her one of her favorite short stories. She still enjoys being read to and getting goodnight kisses, and I try to indulge her when I can. The older she gets, the less she needs me, and I know these moments are numbered. She's growing up far too fast and won't be my baby for much longer.
Once I know she's settled, I finally make my way up to Edward's apartment to use his secure computer. The stress of the last few days catches up with me, and the headache I feel threatening to take over is creeping up my neck. All I can do is wish Edward were here to rub away the tension.
I start up the computer and retrieve the flash drive from my bag that holds the files I copied today. Once I've logged in, I point and click my way to the destination file and initiate the transfer. Knowing the encryption software Jimmy installed on the computer will make an otherwise simple transfer not so simple, I leave the machine to do its thing and head back to my apartment.
After changing into my pajamas, I crawl into our bed. The coolness of the sheets reminds me that tonight I'll more than likely be sleeping alone. I grab Edward's pillow and greedily inhale the scent left behind, trying to imagine it's his chest I'm snuggling into. After lying here in the dark for what feels like hours, tossing and turning, thinking of what could possibly be happening to him, what battle he's fighting at this very moment, I throw off the covers and go in search of something to help me sleep.
A glass of wine or a shot of something stronger would normally help relax me enough to drift off, but as my hand rubs over the more than slight bump peeking from between my sleep shorts and tank top, I know it's out of the question. So, I tiptoe toward the kitchen, thinking of other things that might help me sleep.
I decide to make a cup of tea, and once the kettle is whistling, I pour the steaming water over the teabag, inhaling the calming aroma as my hands wrap around the warmth of the mug. I make my way to the sofa and grab the throw haphazardly tossed over the arm to take off the slight chill of the air-conditioned room. I settle into the corner, pulling my knees up with my feet flat on the cushion. It's comfortable enough, and I'm fairly confident this is where I'll be spending the rest of the night. Besides, tonight, I don't think I can sleep without Edward.
When the tea is gone, and my eyelids begin to droop, I place the empty mug on the coffee table and turn over on my side, bringing the blanket with me. The only sounds I hear as I drift off are the ticking of a clock somewhere in the room.
The faint glow of dawn meets my eyes as they part, but I know it isn't what woke me. Being a mother, I've been told by many that we sleep 'with one eye open,' and some distant sound has roused me from my slumber.
Checking in on Kaitlin, I see she's still sleeping. It's barely six a.m., so I knew it was unlikely she was awake. It's when I hear the faint footsteps overhead I know that someone is upstairs. I rush toward my closet, insistent on seeing him with my own eyes.
What I find when I step through the door of his office is a man focused on his task. He's rifling through files, papers strewn all over his desk.
"Edward," I say softly into the quiet of the room.
"Yeah," he replies without even looking at me.
"Is everything okay?" I step closer, cautiously approaching him.
"No, everything is not okay, Bella." He's on his feet now, opening the filing cabinet, looking, searching for something.
"Is there anything I can help with?" I decide to sit in the chair facing his desk, waiting to either be told what to do or to be dismissed.
"You can..." He sighs, running his hand through his hair before turning to face me. "I don't fucking know," he says lowly. The pain and despair I find in his eyes have me back on my feet and at his side, my arms wrapped around him in an instant.
"What happened?" I ask in a whisper.
His arms squeeze me tighter, holding me impossibly closer between his outstretched legs as he sits on the edge of his desk, his forehead dropping to my shoulder.
"I don't know what the fuck happened, Bella. Everything I thought I knew was a big, fat, fucking lie," he whispers.
I reach up and run my fingers through his hair, my nails scratching gently against his scalp. It always seems to calm him, but I don't think it will work this time. The silence stretches out for what feels like an eternity. The only thing that could've upset him like this is if the leak were someone close to the family.
"Who was it?" I ask in a whisper, my lips at his ear.
His head lifts from my shoulder, and his eyes meet mine, searching, pleading, I'm not sure which.
"It was Jasper."
His words hang there, heavy in the air, like a cloud of dust making it difficult to breathe.
"Is he..." I don't know how to even ask the so very obvious question. And the pointed look in Edward's eyes tells me I shouldn't, but at the same time leaves no doubt.
Jasper is dead.
The realization causes my heart rate to pick up and my breaths to turn into gasps, and I have no idea why. I've spent the last ten years trying to ignore, forget what happened to me, but to know that the man responsible for the existence of the little girl downstairs is dead... Well, I don't know how to feel about it. Confused, panicked worry for Edward's freedom, fear of Carlisle's reaction, all of those things flow through me, but what I don't expect to feel is an overwhelming sense of ... relief.
"Bella, are you okay?" Edward's alarmed voice is close, but I pull away, once again dropping into the chair. His hand rubs soothing circles on my back, trying to calm me. When I lift my head and my eyes finally meet his, his concern, combined with everything else I'm feeling, brings me to tears.
"He's really ... gone?" I whisper.
Edward drops to his knees before me and takes both my hands in his. "Jasper will never cross your path again; I can swear it to you, Bella." His voice is low, but his words are said with conviction. "He's paid for every horrible thing he's ever done ... and then some."
"Does your father know?"
He's shaking his head before I finish my question. "No, not yet. And he won't for a while."
Another thought occurs to me, and my heart starts to race.
"What if they find—" I start to say in a rush before he cuts me off.
"They won't," he says with confidence. "They'll never find anything."
We stare at each other, the gravity of what's happened settling between us.
"What now?"
"Now," he says as he gets to his feet and walks back to the filing cabinet. "Now we act like nothing has changed. I have some information I need to look through, which is what you found me doing when you came up here, as fruitless as it was."
"What are you looking for? Maybe I can help." I peer over his shoulder and see what appears to be financial statements.
"I have a name and some details that go with it, and I need to figure out how it fits into the big picture."
"What's the name?"
He turns to face me, indecision in his eyes. "Bella, I don't know if I want to involve you in—"
"Stop. I know what I'm getting into. Besides, I thought I told you I decided to resign soon. Don't worry about me."
He studies me for a moment before nodding. "Okay. But this doesn't leave this room," he says pointedly.
"I understand."
"And K was still asleep?" he asks me.
"She was. Though," I say, glancing at the clock, "it's almost seven, so I doubt it'll stay that way much longer."
"Then if you're going to help, get to it," he says with a forced smile and a pat on my ass, pointing toward the scattered files on his desk.
I take my seat in his chair and open the one on top. "So, what name am I looking for?"
"Jane Mancini."
It takes a moment for my brain to process his words, but when it does, my head pops up, my eyes finding him still rummaging through the cabinet.
"Wait. Where have I heard that name before?" I switch gears and power up the computer again, searching through the files I downloaded. When I finally find what I'm looking for, I'm confused. "Edward, Jane Mancini is a Voltolini," I say in a puzzled tone. "Why are we looking for information on Aro Voltolini's illegitimate daughter? Why is she important, Edward?"
"Because Jane Mancini is Jasper's mother, Bella. Jasper is a Voltolini."
My brows furrow and my jaw slackens as the words sink in. If Jasper is, no was, a Voltolini then that means my daughter is...
"Kaitlin," I say in a whisper.
"No," Edward says with a fierce shake of his head. "No, Bella. She's a Cullen. I don't care what biology says. That little girl is mine." His sharp gaze centers on me, but before I can respond, Emmett comes through the door, waving a stack of files in his hand, a triumphant grin on his face.
"Seems Jimmy had all kinds of shit he dug up on one Jane Mancini." My gasp must get his attention because his eyes cut to mine. "Damnit, I didn't see you there, B." He looks to Edward, nervousness written all over his face.
But he waves off Emmett's fears. "She knows, Em. Don't worry about it." He places what he has in his hand on his desk and reaches for what Emmett's holding. "What did you find?"
"Well, he did some digging and found the Mancini family in a little town in Sicily, actually. It took a while, but he was able to find quite a bit." He lays out the file on the desk and holds up a flash drive. "There are documents on here that I haven't looked at yet. Thought you'd want to have first go at them."
Still seated, I shuffle through the papers before me as they open the drive on the laptop. Statements and records show Jane Mancini has been living in what I would call a nursing facility for the last thirty-five years; all the years since Jasper was born.
The facility has been paid for with funds from an account that receives regular deposits. A few pages down, I see the name on the depositing account is Carlisle Cullen. Why he would be paying for the care of Jasper's mother makes no sense.
"Fuck." Edward's voice draws my attention. He's on his feet, his hands tugging on his hair in frustration. Emmett only looks angry, if not a little pale. Looking at the screen, at what is causing so much distress, a feeling of anger mixed with confusion washes over me.
A copy of Jasper's original birth certificate is staring me in the face, the name of his biological father proudly listed, and suddenly the reasons for Carlisle's need to forgive, forget, cover, and protect all become crystal clear.
A/N: Thanks to Fyrebyrd, Gabby1017, 2brown-eyes, and TheMetroDad for pre-reading, and to my beta, SunflowerFran. I fiddled a bit, so please remember, all mistakes are mine.
Last chapter was very well received, though I think some of you may be scared to be alone with me. ;) I had a few readers wish they had heeded my warning, but it's safe to say all you were happy to see Jasper go.
I must apologize once again for not being able to reply to all the reviews last chapter. I've been busy with a few side projects, and will continue to be. I'm trying to focus on my FAGE story, so I doubt this week will be much different. Though, if you have any direct questions, I'll do my very best to answer. I truly do appreciate all the support you've all shown this story. And thanks for the sympathy on my headaches. They weren't as bad this past week, so maybe things are looking up. Big hugs for you all.
The TwiFandomNews site and group is hosting a Pick-a-Prompt contest, open for submissions through tonight at midnight, EST. At the time of this posting, there are 13 entries. Voting will be open tomorrow, January 24 through January 31, so head over and read so you can vote for your favorites! Here's the partial link... (We all know FFN doesn't allow complete links. Hopefully you can find it.) u/10069751/The-Pick-A-Prompt-Contest
And don't forget to checkout Twilight Fanfiction Pays It Forward's new blog featuring stories from a newbie when available, encore fics from loved writers, a classic recommendation, and an overlooked fic that needs some love. Stop by and check out the blog if you can; Pifficsofthemonth. blogspot. com. And don't forget, if you're an author with a new story coming up, or if you're a Rookie and need help, contact Frannie Walsh on FB, or on the PIF FB page. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for the Classic section.
For exclusive weekly pics and teasers, come check out my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics. Thank you all so much for all the love you've shown this story. I adore each and every reader and review!