AN: Thankyou all for reading and reviewing the last chapter. Here's part two of the trial.
Last chapter
"Mr. Carter, do you have any other witnesses?" Judge Gatling asked Jon.
"Yes your honour. I called to the stand Edward Anthony Masen Cullen." I felt Edward rise next to me, as he passed by he reached over and squeezed my shoulder gently. I stared at his back as he made his way to the witness stand. Could it be that Edward did still love me?
Bella's POV
I watched as Edward was sworn in, feeling the butterflies rage up once more in my stomach.
"Mr. Cullen can you please tell the court how it is Ms Swan came to live at your home?" Jon asked Edward.
"I went to her house to see why she hadn't been in school. We were working on a project together for our Biology class. After school the first day, she was absent. I went to her house to see why she hadn't been there, Mrs Swan said Bella was out, even though I could see Bella's car in the driveway. I left anyway, but the next day when she didn't turn up for school again, I got worried and headed back over to her house. Mrs. Swan told me that I had just missed her and that she had gone out again. I was suspicious, so I climbed up drainpipe next to her window and crawled through. She came out of the bathroom wearing a towel. Her face was severely bruised as well as the other parts of her body I could see. We heard her stepmother coming up the stairs so I left, promising her I would be back later. When I returned later I managed to get Bella to confess to me what her stepmother had done to her. When her step mother came up to her room, I hid in the bathroom, inside there I could hear Bella and her stepmother arguing, then I heard the sound of someone being slapped. It was then I decided I was going to take Bella home with me."
"And the only two people in the room at the time were Bella and Mrs Swan, correct?" John asked.
"That's correct." Edward told him.
"Did you hear what was said between the two?" Jon asked.
"Yes, Mrs Swan was mad because Bella hadn't done the laundry. Mrs Swan called Bella a 'stupid girl' and told her to stand up. When Bella did, Mrs Swan hit her, and then she told Bella next time she wouldn't get off that easily."
"Thankyou Mr Cullen, that is all your honour." Jon said addressing the judge, he turned around to sit back down.
"Defence your witness." Douglas got up from beside Victoria and approached the witness stand.
"Mr Cullen, where exactly did you say you were at the time the argument took place between Ms Swan and Mrs Swan?" he asked Edward.
"In the bathroom."
"So you couldn't actually see what was happening?" Edward hesitated.
"No."
"So you can't actually prove Victoria Swan hit her stepdaughter that day, or any other day for that matter?"
"No, I can't but I heard-"
"I didn't ask what you heard Mr Cullen, merely what you saw. Now can you prove to the court that Ms Swan didn't inflict those injuries upon herself?"
Well no, but nobody-" Edward started.
"Mr Cullen, please just answer only the question you were asked." Judge Gatling ordered.
"So not only did you break into someone else's house that day Mr Cullen, you can't actually prove that Victoria Swan ever hurt her stepdaughter? I'm done with this witness you honour." Douglas said.
"Thankyou Mr Cullen, you may now step down." Judge Gatling ordered. Edward stepped down from the witness stand and started toward us, running his hands through his hair, in a manner I knew he only used when frustrated. He sat down next to me and I felt his hand slip into mine and give it a light squeeze.
"I'm sorry." He whispered in my ear.
"Don't be." I said shaking my head. "You did all you could." I said in hopes of reassuring him. He smiled my favourite crooked smile.
"Your amazing, you know that?" he said in my ear. I blushed.
"No I'm not." I said shaking my head.
"You are." He said and kisses my cheek. I blushed even harder and turned back to the trial.
"Defence you witness." Judge Gatling stated.
"Right you honour." Douglas said, getting to his feet. "The defence calls Mrs. Helen Ingrid Mallory to the stand." My head swung to where I could now see Mrs Mallory getting to her feet, beside her sat my ex-best friend Lauren. As Mrs Mallory made her way to the stand, I couldn't help but think back to when I was younger and would stay at her house. She would let Lauren and I bake cookies, we'd spend hour designing what we wanted them to look like. Then when they were baking Lauren and I would sit in front of the oven and play 'I spy' or Mary Mack. I smiled sadly with the memory, the concentrated back on the present, in time t see Mrs Mallory being sworn in.
"Mrs Mallory, can you please tell the court about the time Ms Swan came to you and told you about the abuse her stepmother afflicted on her."
"It was about 8 years ago, Isabella had been best friends with my daughter since birth, she was always such a smart, happy, normal child. But then after her father died she changed, she was withdrawn and pushed the other children away. We all noticed, the other parents and I, we all put it down to the fact that she was grieving for her father. One day however, my daughter came to me and told me, that Isabella had been telling her that her stepmother abused her. Of course I took it straight to the local police. However when the police started questioning her and reminded her that it was against the law to lie, she caved and confessed the whole thing had been a lie because she wanted some attention." Mrs Mallory told the court.
"Thankyou Mrs Mallory. I've done with this witness." Douglas said heading back to his chair.
"Prosecution?" Judge Gatling asked. Jon rose from his seat.
"Mrs Mallory, did it ever occur to you that Isabella lied to the police because she was scared?" Jon asked.
"No."
"And why's that Mrs Mallory?"
"Because it was obvious she was a little liar, I always knew she would be trouble."
"And if it had been your own daughter Mrs Mallory would you have fought harder to find out the truth?" Jon asked.
"Of course."
"So why didn't you fight harder for Isabella?" Jon asked
"Objection your honour." Douglas called from his chair.
"On what grounds?" Judge Gatling asked.
"It's irrelevant to the case." Douglas said.
"I think I'll decide what's irrelevant to this case Mr Douglas. I'll allow it, Mrs Mallory please answer the question." Mrs Mallory hesitated.
"Why didn't you fight harder Mrs Mallory?" Jon asked.
"Because I just didn't think she was worth wasting my time over." Mrs Mallory stated.
I fought to keep back the tears that threatened to spill. I had always looked up to Mrs Mallory, felt that she was the mother I never had and now to find out she never cared for me, hurt more than any blow I had ever received from Victoria. Why was it people found me so hard to love?
"Thankyou Mrs Mallory." Jon said, returning to his seat.
"This court will take a short recess and reconvene in 10." Judge Gatling said banging his gavel.
-xXx-
I quickly rose from my seat, pulling my hand from Edwards to flee out the doors. I made my way to the nearest bathroom and flung myself in. locking myself in the nearest cubicle, I sat down on the lid of the toilet seat. Then the tears started to spill. I was so pathetic, in here crying! All I ever did was cry!
Try as I might to stop the flood, the tears still continued to flow with ease.
"Bella? Are you alright in there?" A voice I knew well asked. I stood from the toilet and made to open the door.
"Lauren?" I asked, disbelief colouring my tone, although I could clearly see her standing in front of me.
"What are you doing in here?" I asked attempting to pat down my hair, knowing it would have started to fuzz up with the amount of times I had run my fingers through it.
"I came to see if you were alright." She said.
"Why?" I asked stupidly.
"Because of what my mother said." I continued to stare at her stupidly.
"Bella, I want you to know, I am so sorry for what I said back at school, everything I've said or done to you in the past 8 years. I know now that what you told me was the truth, I think I always knew, I was just too scared to admit that there was something wrong and I could do nothing for you. It was easier just to forget. I'm so sorry…"
"You are?"
"Truly." He said smiling.
"But…" I hesitated. "Why now, why not 8 years ago, or when I came back to school after everyone found out, why now?"
"Today in court, when you were up there telling them your story, I knew it was real. I know you Bella; I know you could never make that up. I'm just sorry I didn't realise that sooner."
"Apology accepted. And in all fairness you were only eight."
"And so were you. For what it's worth, you are worth it." She told me, the honesty of what she told me burned in her eyes.
"Thankyou."
-xXx-
Lauren and I exited the bathroom and found the Cullens all standing outside the doors to the courtroom.
"Oh Bella there you are we were so worried." Esme cried upon seeing me.
"Are you ok?" Edward asked coming up to hug me.
"Fine." I breathed. I glanced over to see the Cullens staring confusedly over at Lauren.
"You all know Lauren, right?" I asked.
"How's the face?" Rosalie smirked.
"What are you doing here?" Alice spat at her.
"It's ok guys, we worked through it." The younger members of the Cullen family stared at me as if I was insane.
"I guess I'd better go find my mum. Good luck Bella." Lauren said before heading off down the hall.
"Ok, what was that about?" Rosalie asked.
"Just some old friends reconnecting." I smiled after Laurens retreating figure. While I still harboured ill feelings towards the Lauren I had known the past 8 years, I knew she was forgiven.
-xXx-
A half an hour later I sat beside Edward watching Officer Kate Marsh step down from the stand.
"Your next witness, Mr Douglas." Judge Gatling ordered.
"Your honour I call to the stand Mrs Victoria Andrea Swan." I inhaled deeply as I watched Victoria seat herself in the witness stand.
"Mrs Swan can you please describe to the court what your stepdaughter was like." Douglas asked.
"She was horrid. I tried so hard to control her, but it was one boy after another every night, I would find drugs and alcohol in her room and she would yell at the top of her lungs abusive things towards me. She was such a handful. It was harder when she started harming herself I begged her to stop, even told her I was going to take her to a shrink and for awhile it did stop, but then the lying stated, she was always a bit of a compulsive liar, but it just kept getting worse and then this happened." She paused her to let out a sob. "You have to understand, I love my stepdaughter, and I would never do any of the things she claims I was."
"So let me get this straight Mrs Swan, if the court decided in your favour today, you would take Isabella home, even after all of this?"
"Of course, I could never have children; she's just like a biological child to me. She's she's-" she lets out a loud sob. "She's all I have left of my Charlie; he loved his little girl so much. The day we got married I vowed to raise Isabella as if she were my own, and I don't plan on giving up on her, no matter what she throws at me."
"Thankyou Mrs Swan. I've done with this witness." Douglas said.
I felt sick, myCharlie, I was sure I was close to throwing up.
Jon rose to question Victoria.
"Mrs Swan, can you tell me then, how Isabella managed to sustain her wounds in this photograph." He asked, holding up the photo that was taken of me the day Carlisle had taken me to the hospital.
"I don't know. perhaps one of her friends."
"So you never hit your stepdaughter?"
"No sir."
"Never let a man force himself upon her?"
"Of course not sir." Victoria stated fiercely.
"Mrs Swan, may I remind you that you are under oath." Jon said.
"I'm not lying to you Mr Carter, I did not hurt my stepdaughter. I love her." Victoria told him, sobbing quietly into a tissue. And for a moment I could have believed her. She was good…
I knew it and Jon knew it, it was over, Victoria wouldn't crack.
"I'm done with this witness your honour." Jon said.
"Mr Douglas?" Judge Gatling.
"The defence rests your honour."
"This court will reconvene tomorrow at 9 am to hear the jury's verdict." Judge Gatling ordered, banging his gavel.
-xXx-
"There's still a chance you'll win Bella, Victoria wasn't that convincing." Emmett said. I smiled half-heartedly.
"Thanks for trying Em, but you can't tell me that there wasn't a moment where you questioned if I was actually telling the truth."
"OK, so she was good." Emmett sighed in defeat.
"There's always hope Bella, there will always be hope." Esme told me.
"I hope so." I sighed. Please God, if you really are out there, don't let Victoria win tomorrow, please.
-xXx-
"This court is now in session." Judge Gatling said, banging his gavel.
"What's the verdict?" He asked the jury. The man on the end stood and held up a piece of paper.
"We find the defendant…"
AN: I know I'm evil, sorry!! Please review!!