Hey all!

I'm having a bit of a day, but I wanted to get this out to you. I promised Thursday!

So who was that gunshot aimed at?

Let's find out...

EPOV

The door slams behind Bella as I lock my aim on Aro. Thanks to Bella, Caius is out of commission, cursing and rubbing his eyes. I don't tell him that touching his face will only make the burn of the pepper spray worse.

"I like her," Aro says as he pulls his weapon and raises it toward me. "Too bad we'll have to take care of her later."

"Like fuck you will!" I sneer.

"And who will stop me, Tony?" He steps toward me, more confident than any sane person would be. "You don't think I will let you leave here alive, do you?"

I shake my head with a scoff. "You still don't fucking trust me, Aro? I've done everything you asked of me!"

"I suppose. However, I don't need loose ends running amok. Apparently, I can't trust anyone. Pitty. I did enjoy this crew while it lasted."

"What does that mean?" My finger itches to reach for the trigger on my gun, but any movement could set Aro off.

"It means that when Caius and I are done with you, we'll finish off Alec and Demitri as well. Start anew."

"That fucking bitch! I think I'm blind!" Caius whines.

"Stop rubbing it, you idiot!" Aro turns his head toward Caius to snap at him and leaves me with a golden opportunity.

Aro made a mistake moving toward me as I'm close enough to lunge forward and knock his gun from his hand. He doesn't anticipate my move and spits a curse as the gun slides across the floor, hitting the brick wall.

Aro darts for it, and I follow close behind, overtaking him in a few strides and reaching for the piece. My hands make contact first as Caius yells for Aro to move. I look up in time to see Caius place his finger on the trigger of his gun as he squints to make out his target in the sights.

I don't think. I take the shot.

Caius goes down hard, his hand clutching the wound in his chest.

"He fucking shot me," he wheezes as I stand, holding Aro at gunpoint.

"You listen to what I say, or you're going to end up like him," I growl.

"Tony, my friend, don't overreact. You must understand that this is all a test," Aro argues with his hands held up as if offering peace. Bullshit. "Never did I think you would take things so far as to take out Caius."

"Shut the fuck up and get on the ground! Put your hands behind your back!" Reluctantly, he listens and lies facedown on the floor with his eyes trained on my weapon.

"I think I'm dying," Caius chokes out before he coughs and splatters blood against the concrete floor.

"Hands behind your back!" I yell at Aro, who slowly maneuvers his arms behind him.

I can't frisk him with my hands zip-tied together, and I can't move to find something to cut them free with. So, I call over my shoulder while I keep my aim steady.

"Felix, get up."

Aro scoffs, his voice muffled by the floor. "What do you mean, 'Felix get up?' You are insane, aren't you?"

I grin and cock a brow. "I mean, Felix! Get your ass up!"

Felix rolls himself to the side, rubbing at the kevlar plate on his chest. "How- how did you know?" I roll my eyes. He's not that skilled of an actor.

"Hurts like a bitch doesn't it?" I laugh.

"You shot me!"

"At center mass when I knew you had a vest on. Jesus, if you want the agency to honor your plea deal, get the fuck over here and help me!"

"Fuck you, Masen!" Aro spits. I move closer to rest a foot on his back, holding him steady.

"Felix, Caius has a knife in his pocket. Get it out. I need these things off," I say, nodding toward my wrists.

"My sentence will still be light, right? If I testify against Aro?"

Aro squirms under me, spitting obscenities. "You're a deadman, Felix!"

"Nice touch, wearing a vest to a kidnapping." I hold my hands steady as Felix cuts the ties. "Were you expecting things to go bad?"

"The feds gave it to me. Told me to wear it when I work. I'm too valuable to get killed." He grins with pride. Weird thing to take pride in, but okay.

"Is Caius dead?" I ask, glancing at his body sprawled across the floor.

"He's still breathing, but things don't look real good."

"Shit." Death would be too easy for the prick. I want to see him rot in prison for his crimes. "You got a phone? We need to call this in."

We pause as the faint sound of sirens grows closer. "I think someone already did."

I tell Felix to get down on his knees and place his hands on his head. I know these cops are local, and they're going to come in hot. I wait until red and blue cruiser lights reflect through the windows before I toss my weapon to the far side of the room and place my hands up. I keep a foot on Aro for good measure.

A side door slams open as a team punches through with a battering ram, calling, "Police! Hands up!"

"Oh, Christ," I laugh at the team that makes entry. They're led by no other than officer Crowley himself.

"Holy shit!" One cop hisses, his eyes widening at the scene.

"Tony Masen!" Crowley shouts, his face lighting in recognition. "Or Agent…."

I smile and lower my hands, reaching out to shake his. "Cullen," I introduce myself. "Agent Edward Cullen."

"Oh, fuck me," Aro grumbles as one of Crowley's teammates replaces me, holding him down.

"You want to do the honors?" Crowley asks, handing me a pair of cuffs as paramedics rush in to handle Caius.

"Hell, yes, I do." I lean down and slap the cuffs around Aro's wrists. "Aro Volturi, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"

"Fuck you, Agent Cullen!"

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" I laugh as I pull him to his feet, handing him over to Crowley's team to frisk. "Oh, hey, take it easy on Felix. He's a cooperating witness."

With my hands on my hips, I revel in the moment. I played through the possible final moments of my undercover career for years, yet I don't feel prepared. The case isn't done, and in a lot of ways, it's just begun, but as of right now, I'm no longer Tony Masen.

Something catches the corner of my eye near the door Bella ran out of. Her canister of pepper spray sits on the floor, but there's another item next to it.

"Edward!" I spin around at the sound of her voice and catch her as she throws herself into my arms. "You're okay!" She cries.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I chuckle.

"I heard a gunshot! And I thought…."

"I shot Caius."

"Is he dead?"

"I don't know." I nod to where he's being loaded onto a gurney.

"Do you want me to check him? I can asses the injuries-"

I stop her, tugging her close. "Bella. Let him rot in hell for all I care. Hey, what's that over there?" I point toward the pepper spray.

"Oh!" She breaks out of my arms and jogs over to the items, collecting them. "This," she says, coming back. "Is my transcription recorder."

"Transcription? Like for medical records?"

"Exactly. I record onto the device while I'm working and send it to be transcribed later. You can pretty much use it to record anything," she says, clicking a button. "Like, for instance…."

She pushes play, and the argument Caius and I had at the diner plays loud and clear.

"You recorded us?"

"I recorded everything. When they showed up at the restaurant, I had a gut feeling that something was wrong, so I slipped it into my pocket and pushed record. They never thought to frisk me, so I had it the whole time. Well, until I dropped it."

"Which was on purpose."

"I figured it might be evidence you could use against Aro if we got out."

"Did you call the cops?"

"Um, sort of." Her lips twist to the side as her eyes flick over my shoulder. "I think we might have a mutual acquaintance."

"Oh?"

"Ed!" I raise my brows and follow Bella's line of sight to find Mike jogging toward us. "And Bella. Huh. You and Cullen. I like it." He slaps me on the back and shakes Bella's hand.

"Wait, you know each other?" I look between Mike and Bella trying to decipher their connection.

"Remember Jessica, my nurse?"

Do I remember her nurse? The one who hit on me while giving me discharge paperwork? How could I forget?

"You mean the flirt-"

"She's Mike's girlfriend!" Bella stops me and glances wide-eyed toward Mike. He's oblivious to my slip.

"Soon to be fiance if I play my card right." He winks.

Bella snorts out a laugh. "I don't think you'll have any trouble there."

I give Mike a play-by-play of everything that happened and hand over Bella's transcription device. We promise her the agency will spring for a new one.

"So, what happens now?" I ask him, running a hand through my hair.

"Now, we get all this evidence in a row and indict these assholes. But more importantly, you bury Tony Masen and re-join the world as Edward Cullen."

"Jesus, that's weird."

"Take a week or two off. Go somewhere. Look for a new apartment. I know you've been saving your paychecks. You must be sitting on a gold mine, plus the bonus you'll get after this will be very comfortable."

I blow out a breath, my head spinning, but one thought rings out above all the rest. "I know what I need to do. Bella, can you get out of work for a week?"

She fakes a cough, sneezes, and feels her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Oh no. I think I have to call in sick."

oOo

"Edward, it's going to be fine," Bella tries to convince me for what must be the twentieth time since we left Chicago this morning.

I run a palm over my face and groan. "They're going to hate me."

"They love you."

"They used to," I scoff.

"Stop it. Your family will understand. The Volturi case will be the biggest indictment in a decade, maybe even a century, and it's all because of you. Your parents will be so proud!"

"Well, not entirely because of me. I had a little help from a quick-thinking doctor."

"Yeah, who brought pepper spray and a transcription device to a gunfight. I got lucky."

"Thank God you did." I lift her hand to kiss it as we wait for our light to turn green. "Has anything in Forks changed since I left?"

She thinks for a moment. "Well, they started a men's softball team."

"So I heard." The light changes, and I sigh, "Two more miles."

"They love you. They're going to understand."

I repeat Bella's words in my head as I take the turn into my parent's long driveway. The familiarity of the long gravel drive chips away at my heart. Even the canopy of Fir trees surrounding us is the same as I left it. Somehow being here gives me a bout of homesickness that takes my breath away. I smile as the house comes into view, and I spot my mother's holly Christmas wreath hanging on the front door. How did I ever convince myself to leave this behind?

Turning my head out the window, I have to blink away the tears that threaten to fall. All the nights I spent longing for my life back, scrolling social media for any small link to my family, come rushing back. The ache in my chest is unbearable, and I have to take a few cleansing breaths before I can join Bella outside the car.

She places her hand in mine. "Come on."

"Thank you for being here," I whisper.

"You couldn't have left me behind if you tried."

"Okay. Here we go." I push the doorbell and wait while the chimes echo through the house.

"I'll get it!" The sweet sound of my mother's voice makes my heart skip. "Hello?" She opens the door and freezes in shock.

"Hi, Ma," I say, squeezing the life out of Bella's hand.

"Oh! Edward! Carlisle, it's Edward!" My mother cries, rushing forward to wrap me in her arms. I release Bella and fold my arms around my mother. "You came back to us!"

"I told you I would." I pull away and turn my head to wipe at a freaking tear.

My father appears from the staircase, his face alight with joy. "Edward?"

"Dad!" I'm engulfed in his embrace as we pat each other on the back, refusing to let go.

"Oh, and Bella's here?" My mother looks between us, raising her brows in confusion.

"It's a long story."

"Well, we've got time," she says, ushering us inside and to the living room. "Why don't you both have a seat? Do you want anything to drink? Are you hungry?"

"We ate on the way here, Mom. We're fine."

"Honey, let's sit down and listen to Edward. I, for one, am very interested to know what he has to say."

I inhale the familiar scent of cinnamon as I step inside. A new painting of nearby mountains hangs in the foyer, and the chairs in the dining room were reupholstered. But otherwise, I may as well be stepping back in time to five years ago when I last visited. After declining my mother's offer to get us something to drink, we settle in the living room. My parents take the couch opposite the chairs Bella and I sit in. I take a deep breath before I begin.

"First things first, I have not been doing military reconnaissance. I left the military five years ago." My mother gasps and my father takes her hand in his. "When I left the military, I went directly to Quantico, Virginia, to train as a Special Agent with the FBI. I planned to tell you at Dad's fiftieth birthday party after I had a badge in hand."

"But that didn't happen," my father states.

"No. But not for the reason you think." I reach into my pocket and take out my creds, flipping them open, so my badge and ID are on display. "For the past four years, I have been undercover in the Volturi crime organization, working to bring down Aro Volturi and his associates. Two days ago, I arrested him."

"Oh, my God!" My mother cries, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

"I saw that on the news." My father's eyes twinkle in delight. "Son, you are the man responsible for the arrest of Aro Volturi?"

I grin, glancing at Bella. "I had a little help."

"Alright. Start from the beginning," my mother demands. "I want to hear it all."

I tell them everything, from Mike approaching me in training to Bella pepper spraying Caius. My mother pays particular attention once I explain how Bella and I came in contact when she had to stitch me up.

"You know you will have to explain this again to your sister and your brother," she warns.

I smile at the idea of seeing my siblings. "I look forward to it."

"I guess we better call them. Looks like it's a family dinner kind of night. I think I might make lamb chops." She winks.

"Really? Those are my favorite."

"Bella's, too."

Bella balks, then slaps me on the shoulder, laughing. "Oh my God. That night, at the restaurant, we were talking about the same lamb chops!"

"Uh, yeah." I rub the back of my neck.

"Wait. You knew, didn't you? Of course, you knew. The whole time!"

"Well, not the whole time. I figured out who you were while you were stitching me up."

She glares at me but lets it drop. All that matters is that we're here now, together.

"I think I might call chief Swan and see if he and Sue are up for a dinner party," my mother says.

"Uh," I clear my throat. "Does he still carry a gun?"

"Edward, you carry a gun," Bella laughs.

"Yeah, but I don't plan on pointing it at my daughter's boyfriend. The one who dragged her into a mob-connected undercover operation."

"Sounds like you have a little explaining to do, son." My father stands and squeezes my shoulder. "Welcome home, Edward."

"Thanks, Dad," I say, then stop him as he turns to walk away. "Hey, do you think you can forgive me for what I put you and mom through?"

He shakes his head with a smile. "There's nothing to forgive. You made us proud. I can't wait to brag to the guys on the softball team about my son, the FBI agent who took down Aro Volturi."

The weight of my deception falls away as I bask in the feeling my father's words bring. After everything, I'm still truly loved.

A/N: I think we all knew Esme and Carlisle would be thrilled to have Edward home!

See you next week!