9 months later...
"Bella, I am very impressed the work you have done with Sasha," Jasper said to me.
"Thank you, all she needed was some love and time."
"Well, I'm glad that you were the one to be able to help her."
"She helped me too," I smiled.
Sasha was the horse that I had met when I first came to the center. She had been abused and neglected and wouldn't allow anyone near her for months except for me. Now she was an active therapy horse, a favorite among the patients and was doing very well.
I was having a therapy session with Jasper; tomorrow was the start of a very stressful and busy week for me.
"Bella, you know can wait to start moving until after the hearing or at least until you are done testifying. Edward wouldn't be upset."
"Jasper, like I have already told you and Edward, I do not want these awful people controlling my life anymore. Tonight the house will be officially finished and I want to begin getting the house ready and moving our stuff in. Just because the hearing was scheduled this week too is out of my control. I will go on the stand and tell them everything that happened and hopefully this will be the end of it. I am ready to move on; I am ready to begin my life."
Edward and I had built a house together, it was technically still on Carlisle and Esme's property but there were many acres between the houses. After the night he had told me how he truly felt about me, we have been inseparable. I love him, he loves me, and I am very comfortable with that. We love each other the way it is suppose to be. He has been the one to lead me to where I am now and I couldn't be happier.
About six months ago though, I completed my GED and in a month I was going to start college classes. But a few months ago I had mentioned to Edward that I felt a little overwhelmed staying in his parents' house. I needed my own space, or our own space specifically. That had been our first fight as a couple. He didn't think I was ready and that hurt. I didn't understand his concerns; we had been staying in his bedroom together for a few months at that point and I didn't see the big deal in having our own place, separate from everyone else. Emmett and Rosalie still resided here and even though Jasper, Alice, and Marie, their daughter, had moved out a while back, they were here a lot and I felt I was ready to have a little bit more space. I was doing well and hadn't had any catatonic episodes in almost ten months. Emmett got involved and he took Edward's side. My saving grace had been Jasper and Carlisle.
"Are you worried?" Jasper asked me.
"About moving? No, I already told you that. I am ready, I have been ready for a while now."
"I meant about the hearing and your testimony," he corrected.
I shivered slightly, "Oh that. I really haven't thought about it much. I have already talked to you and my lawyer about everything I remember."
"Yes but this will be in front of a lot more people, people that you don't know and you will be in the same room as James."
"Yes, I know," I shivered again. "But this is what needs to be done. I can't do anything about Joseph and Barbara but I can do something about James. I won't allow him to hurt anyone else, he has already hurt too many."
After more investigation, it was found that James was more involved in the situation than they had originally thought. They always knew that Joseph hadn't been the front man of the gun trafficking but they never had suspected James was the ringleader. James had been calling all the shots and he was also involved with human trafficking, buying and selling girls and even young boys all over the world. James had been very involved in the FBI's investigation of Joseph and the gun trafficking ring, but he would always steer them in the wrong direction, giving them false information.
"Are you prepared for James's lawyer?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Yes, I know what happened and I know what type of person James is. There is nothing that anyone, including his lawyer, can say to make me feel like I'm the one at fault. And I know for sure I didn't want what James did to me and no one is going to be able to get me to say other wise."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that, I really am. But now that it was mentioned, are you nervous about living exclusively with Edward?"
"I don't think so. I mean I am a little worried that I wont be able to take care of the house when it comes to cleaning and cooking, although Esme has been helping me with that but I still don't even know how to go grocery shopping or what to get or anything like that. It will be better when I get my drivers license and can drive myself places though, but both Esme and Alice have told me to call them whenever I need a ride and Edward isn't available."
"Have you scheduled your driving test yet?"
I nodded, "Yea, it's scheduled in two weeks."
"There are a lot of changes coming up for you Bella. I know we are only meeting once a week now but if you need to meet more, please don't hesitate to call me. Okay?"
I nodded. I had been weaned off most of my medications but I knew that I still needed Jasper. I thought it would be awkward to continue therapy with him considering we have become such close friends but he never makes it awkward. I trust him with my life and especially with all my secrets.
"Are you going to the center today?"
"Yea, Edward is taking me in about a half hour. I promised Sasha apples today and she will be grumpy if I don't show," I smiled.
"Okay, well I think that is enough today, unless there is anything else you would like to talk about?"
"Actually, there is," my cheeks flamed bright red but Jasper just sat, patiently waiting for me to go on; this wasn't the first time we had discussed things like this.
So I continued, "I want to move forward...physically...with Edward. But every time I even mention it, he brushes it off and redirects me to something else."
"Well, exactly what is the next step? How far have you gone?" he asked professionally.
"Well, we have only kissed and made out a little I guess but every time I try to touch him or make any move to let it get a bit more intense he stops it. He doesn't say anything, he just starts talking or doing something else."
"Have you tried talking to him about it?"
"Yes! He just brushes it off and says "Not yet, maybe in a few more months," I say, mimicking Edward's voice, "and he moves on just like that, like nothing has happened. I feel as though, maybe he doesn't want me like that."
Jasper rubs his chin with his hand, his face distressed. This is the first time I have ever seen Jaspers' professionalism falter, "Okay, well I really don't believe that is how he feels but..."
"You have talked to him about this, haven't you?" I interrupted.
"Bella, I am not going to answer that and you know better than to ask me. I do not discuss our sessions with him and I will not betray his friendship by talking to you about what we discuss unless you or Edward have given me permission to do so. But how about all three of us sit down and discuss this? I can be here to mediate the conversation and we can see how that goes?" he suggested.
This wouldn't be the first therapy session with Jasper that included Edward, even though it had never been about us being intimate before, but I guess it was worth a try, "Sounds like a plan."
"Okay, well tonight Esme is making a big dinner and I think everyone will be here but would you like to do it afterwards?"
I nodded.
"Do you want me to ask Edward or would you like to?" he asked me.
"You do it please. If I ask him to meet with us, he will ask what it is about and if I bring up the subject I'm afraid he won't come."
"I'll do that. Is there anything else for now?"
"No, thank you."
"You are very welcome, now go get Sasha her apples before she gets too moody," he joked.
The drive over to the center was silent. Edward's hand cupped mine, resting on the center console but my focus was on the passing trees, trying not to think about the conversation I was hoping to have with Edward tonight. Would he be mad that I had gone to Jasper? Would he admit that he didn't want me like that, that the scars were too much for him?
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"What?" my focus snapping back to Edward. "Yes, sorry. I was day dreaming."
"About what?" he asked.
I paused for a moment, "Our house," I lied.
His eyes narrowed, boring them into mine for a brief moment before he turned back to the road, "Okay, you can tell me when you are ready."
He knew I was lying but he didn't push the issue, he just started to rub my hand in gentle, comforting circles with his thumb; trying to relax me.
About a minute later we were in front of the center. Edward put the car in park before getting out and coming around to my door, opening it for me. It wasn't that I couldn't do it or that I didn't want to do it, it was Edward saying that it was the gentleman thing to do and he would always be a gentleman towards me.
"Thank you," I said, taking his outstretched hand and stepping out.
"Text me when you are ready to come home?" he asked.
I reached towards my back pocket, searching for my phone, "Damn it, I forgot my phone!"
"It's aright love, how long are you scheduled for today?"
"I think for three hours, we don't have any patients today. We are just cleaning the barn and grooming the animals."
"Okay, so..." he looked at his watch, "I'll be here around four, does that work?"
I nodded, "Thank you."
"No problem, have a good day. I'll be back soon, I love you."
"I love you too," I moved up onto my tippy toes to kiss him on the lips, it was brief but pleasant. He hugged me goodbye and I watched as he drove off.
I was in the barn about 2 hours later, feeding the promised apples to Sasha when one of the front desk clerks, Cynthia, came to find me. She was young but she loved her job and was always pleasant to be around.
"Hey Bella!" she said, as she stepped into Sasha's stall, being very careful where she stepped.
"Hi Cynthia, what can I do for you?"
"I just came to tell you that Edward called, he said he would be about a half an hour early."
That was weird, "Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, no. He said everything was fine but just that he would be here early to pick you up, he didn't really give a reason why."
"Okay, thanks for letting me know."
"Your welcome," she said before carefully leaving. She loved her job at the front desk but large animals and manure weren't really her thing.
I looked down at my watch, it was already ten past three, "Okay Sasha, I better go get cleaned up before Edward gets here. I wont be back until Wednesday, I have some grown up stuff I have to do. But don't worry, Lauren will be here to take care of you, you better be good," I scolded jokingly. I patted her on the head and gave her a kiss goodbye.
After I was changed into my normal clothes and was washed up a bit, I headed out to wait for Edward. At exactly 3:30, a large dark blue SVU with dark tinted windows, pulled up and a tall, red headed female stepped out of the passenger side door.
She smiled at me, "Hi, are you Bella?"
I nodded slowly, chills running up my spine.
"Oh good, I was told I needed pick you up, please come with me."
"Who sent you?"
"Edward of course," she smirked and started to walk towards me. Behind her, I could see the driver and I recognized him immediately, his beady eyes staring at me with an evil smirk stretched across his greasy face.
"James..." I whispered in shock. At that moment my whole world came crashing down around me as my body stood there frozen, unable to move.
EPOV
I stood in the parking lot waiting for Bella; my lower back resting against the passenger door. I looked down at my watch, it was a quarter past four and Bella was still not there. It was unusual for her to be so late but she didn't have her phone to text me, so I just waited a few more minutes until my phone started buzzing in my pocket.
"Hey Emmett, what's up?"
"Please tell me you're with Bella?" Emmett screamed into the phone.
"No, she hasn't come out yet. Why, what's wrong?" I could tell by his tone that something was very, very wrong.
"Edward, you need to go in and get her now! James escaped, he's out there!"
I bolted towards the entrance doors, the phone still in my hand but Emmett forgotten.
"Bella! Bella! Where is she? She has to be here, is she here?" I screamed to no one in particular.
I recognized Cynthia's face, sitting at the front counter, "Cynthia! Where is Bella? Please tell me she is here!"
"Um..nnn...nnoo Edward. You called about an hour ago and said you were going to be early. She walked out to meet you around three thirty." The color draining from her face, realizing that it may have not been Edward that had called.
"What? No, I didn't call! I didn't call! I have been waiting out in the parking lot for her for twenty minutes now!" I knew I was screaming at her but I couldn't help it.
"Edward, what is wrong?" I recognized Eleazar's voice.
"It's Bella, she's gone! Someone called and pretended to be me and...and...and she is gone!" It hit me like a ton of bricks and all of a sudden I couldn't breathe. I knew then that someone had Bella and she was no longer safe. The love of my life was out there with some sicko and I wasn't there to protect her.
My Bella was gone, once again.