EPOV

She moved slightly, but her eyes remained shut, a soft smile on her lips. For the past four months, this is how I woke up. Though this morning she had one of my shirts on. Usually we slept in nothing, which was my idea, but Rylan woke up in the middle of the night fussing and she needed to throw something on.

"Hmm… you watching me sleep?"

"I like watching you sleep."

"What kind of weirdo watches people sleep?" she teased her eyes still shut.

"The kind of weirdo that loves you."

"I guess that's alright then," she sighed dramatically. I liked when she was like this. She was more open now. Still shy and quiet around others, but when it was the two of us she was Bella.

I guess in a lot of ways I had changed too. She brought out something in me that made me a very happy man. I held a lot of guilt; as well, she didn't know what I was or how badly I was trying to get out of my current predicament.

"Em," I called stepping into my sister's house. Rose came out of nowhere grabbing my arm and dragged me firmly to Emmett's office.

"You are going to sit and you are going to explain," she paused. "Everything Edward. No bull shitting anyone."

"Rosie back off a little babe," Emmett smiled gently at her from his seat.

"He's so stupid," she grumbled.

"Be that as it may he needs to do some talking and you killing him will only cause silence," he explained calmly then turned his attention to me. "Now asswipe, care to explain how your wrap sheet has only two arrests documented, but I remember you having much more misdemeanors than that."

"Aro," I said quietly, knowing this wasn't the brunt of his interrogation.

"I'm laying this all out now and you will listen," his voice was menacing not his usual jovial tone. I nodded slowly making eye contact with him.

"Good, that piece of shit contract you gave me was null and void. I had a friend do some digging into Volturi's establishment. Aro has you on payroll, but you are listed in his trades division so if anyone gets suspicious they're the fool. His client records are much more private than that. So I tried to understand how he could have you staying there when we all know you've been trying to leave."

My head hung in shame because I knew he found out. Rose placed her hand on my shoulder it was something she did when we were kids and I felt like a failure, to my parent, to Carlisle, to her.

"Did you tell Carlisle?" she whispered, kneeling in front of me pushing my chin up.

"No, he sent me back to detox, he knew I used again… I wasn't even sure what happened until Aro showed me the tape."

"He is blackmailing you to stay there," he wasn't questioning it was a statement.

"He got me into school and all the money I have, he is the one who can take everything away."

"The tape violated your court order," Emmett said a he pieced even more together.

"That's why my hands are tied."

"Dude you are fucked, the DA's office is investigating Volturi," he sighed. "I don't know what will be worse Jasper Swan killing you for hanging around that sweet girl that is his sister or for being one of many involved in Aro's underground prostitution drug ring."

"I can't lose Bella," my voice broke.

"Edward you've done nothing, but lie to her," Rose supplied and I knew she was stating a fact not trying to hurt me.

"There is something we can do," Emmett mused.

"I'll do anything," I pleaded.

"You need to go to Swan. We can maybe get you a plea bargain because this will turn into a case once the truth is out."

I had no say in the matter whatsoever. Rose and I went to Chicago where my parents estate still was as she gathered things that I might need for the fallout of my past. If anything were to happen I was suppose to flee here.

The estate was in Esme's name from her inheritance when our grandparents passed. None of us were allowed to touch any assets of our parents up until the past few years when Emmett went in and fought for what we lost.

The Platt house was in the oldest neighborhood in Chicago and was secluded. If I needed to come here, no one would be able to find me. Aro thought I was some poor kid that lost his parents and was brought up by a struggling med student brother. He had no clue that we were the last living children of the Platt dynasty, which was Chicago royalty. Esme was the only child born to my grandparents. Her great-great grandfather was one of the founders of the Chicago Evening Journal that is now known as The Chicago Sun Times. By the time her grandfather decided to take the buy out offered when the paper re-launched as the Chicago Daily Illustrated Times they went into a sort of hibernation still in society but not as pronounced as they once were. Carlisle was the only known living grandchild of the Platt's. Once both of my grandparents had passed, mom and dad moved to a suburb and had me and Rose.

We were normal. Dad worked in the ER and mom stayed at home with us. She took me to little league and Rose to Ballet. We knew nothing of what we were.

The meeting with Jasper was what I dreaded.

"McCarty, Edward," he smiled nodding for us to take a seat.

"Swan how's it going?" Emmett said shaking his hand.

I took in Jasper Swan for the first time. I saw him the night I took Bella out and when I left his house the other morning after I made love with her, but we never really spoke. He was tall and blonde; he looked nothing like my girl. His personality was also polar opposite from hers as well.

"Can't complain, we found out we're having a girl," he grinned proudly.

They talked a few more minutes catching up; I learned that he and my brother-in-law were gym buddies and had been for a couple years. I knew right then that Emmett had this set up and Jasper knew why we were here.

"Edward, Emmett said you want to help me on a case I've been working on," he offered giving me an opportunity to be good for once in my life. They both exchanged looks.

"I work for the Volturi Agency," I admitted quietly.

He was going to know what I was and he would never let me see Bella again.

"Can you tell me what you do for them?"

I started telling him how I met Aro and how I was clean. I also told him how it only took one time for an ex-drug addict to relapse and join the bad world in a hazed lapse of judgment. I told him about the tape, about the coke lines and multiple women I encountered in the tape. I told him about Aro's options and how he said I only had one. I had to join his new division. His clients had contracts; they where Seattle's elite. Jasper's face never wavered he listened intently and wrote things down.

"Edward you have two arrests," he began waiting for confirmation.

"No, I have six Aro had my record cleared so I could go to the University of Washington."

"This puts me in a very difficult position because what you have done is illegal."

"He couldn't get out of it and trust me Edward doesn't want to work for him."

"I have talked to my team here about what we discussed on the phone McCarty, and I may have something that we might be able to work out."

"Name it," Emmett said. Well Emmett you're very eager in handing me over.

"We use Edward for surveillance work. Aro is running this tight and locked up, we need someone on the inside getting us proof."

"He will cooperate and work with you on this," he said as I glared.

"I need to tell Bella about all of this, I can't keep it from her."

Jasper sighed running his hand over his face. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but you can't tell Bella. She can't be involved with this Edward. My job is on the line if she knew. We need this to remain between my team and us, no one else. "

"I can't see Bella?"

"I'm not keeping you from her, but if you hurt her in any way you will pay," he said seriously. "Am I understood?"

"Yes."

"I should go get Rylan up," she smiled as I kissed her chastely.

"I'll get him, stay in bed," I offered, getting up.

I made my way to the spare bedroom that we made into his room when they stayed here. Bella wasn't living with me, but it felt pretty close to what living with some one would feel like. I never thought I would have toddler toys scatted throughout my living room.

Rylan was still asleep when I entered his room. I gently rubbed his back while watching him. He was my little buddy and I loved him. Bella would go to work or run errands and he would stay with me. He was smart and picked up on things quickly. His new object of wonder was my piano. I would sit him on my lap as I played and he would keep his focus on my fingers as they moved over the keys.

He began to squirm, rubbing at his eyes. "Ward?"

"Hey," I smiled down at him as he scrambled to get up.

"Ward, Mama?" Even though his vocabulary was toddler gibberish, he was easy to understand. It blew my mind how he learned and picked up more daily.

"Mommy's still in bed," I told him.

He put his little finger over his lips making a shushing gesture. "Mama seep."

"Let's go see."

Bella was lying on her side facing me as we walked in. Her face lit up when she saw us. "There are my boys," her smile was heart melting. I wanted to put that smile on her face every day of my life.

Once we were close enough to the bed, Rylan launched himself at Bella causing giggles to erupt from both of them. He settled in close to her as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"What?" I asked while watching her think.

"He needs a hair cut."

"I can take him, I have things I need to do this morning."

"You already do so much."

"Because I like to, so no arguments, please."

"Today's we're short staffed," she sighed.

"I can't believe the baby's here," I said brushing her hair back.

Audrey Renee Swan was born a little over three weeks ago. I stayed with Rylan as Bella rushed to be at the hospital with Alice and Jasper. She was tiny and I wondered if Rylan looked that tiny when he was born. We learned quickly he wasn't a fan of Audrey's, when he saw Bella holding her he kept saying 'No Mama' trying to get his mother back. When he saw that wasn't working he crawled onto my lap and pouted.

"I get to be an aunt," she said in awe.

"You're going to be the best aunt," I smiled kissing her quickly.

"You think?"

"I know."

"You're a really good uncle," she said timidly still fiddling with Rylan's hair.

"Am I?"

Bella nodded taking my hand in hers. "Maybe you can help me be an aunt?"

It was my turn to nod. We got dressed beginning our day. I wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and this seemed to please Bella. She told me she didn't like the suits that they weren't me, so I tried not to wear them unless I really needed too.

Before she left, she gave me a good-bye kiss and as always I pushed her glasses up her little nose.

"Love you," she whispered.

"Love you," I repeated.

As real as our words were, I was deceiving my angel. I hated Jasper and Emmett for making me lie to her. She needed to know, she deserved to know.

"Bella?"

"I need to leave or I'm going to be late," she said with one final kiss leaving me in the doorway alone.

I walked into the living room where Rylan was playing with his toys. I sat watching him noticing he didn't have any worries. He was happy and carefree; I knew I would try my hardest for him to remain that way.

"Pay?"

"No you play buddy, then we need to get a hair cut and go see Uncle Jazz."

"Jazzzzzz!" he squealed.

And we did as I said. There was a car I hadn't seen before in the driveway. I got Rylan out walking up to the house where a tried and very frazzled looking Alice pulled me in.

"Please help me?"

I raised an eyebrow confused to why she was hanging on to me for dear life.

"Is it Audrey?"

"No, she's perfect, it's Renee."

"As in Bella's mom?" I choked out.

"Yes!" she shrieked clinging to my arm.

I didn't know much about Renee, only that Bella talked to her at least once a week and that she was very different.

"Down, ease?" Rylan asked tugging at the front of my shirt.

It was like Alice just noticed he was with me and began to go on about how cute his hair looked. Her moods were still all over the place.

I looked at Rylan and grinned. I took him to the place where I got my haircut, which was for upscale snobs. I was surprised when most of the hairdressers surrounded us gushing about how adorable he was. The girl cutting his hair began cooing to him as I held him, saying she was cutting his hair to look like daddy's. I froze not because it scared me, but I liked the idea that people looked at us and thought he was mine.

His hair was cropped short and sticking up. When she put the product in his hair, he watched her curiously and when all was done he had a baby version of my haircut.

"I'm so getting my phone," she hurried out of view.

I set Rylan down like he wanted following him into the living room, where a woman with Bella's face and Jasper's hair sat.

"Baby, look at you," she softly said making her way to the little boy. "You are Nene's big boy."

"She hasn't seen him since last January," Alice explained quietly while standing next to me.

She made her way over to the two. "I need to send Bella a picture of his new hair cut."

"Hair cut?"

"Yes, Edward took him to get one," she said nodding towards me.

"So this is Edward," Renee smirked and I knew that smirk, it was a cougar smirk.

"The one and only," Alice said rolling her eyes at the woman.

Cries filled the room from the baby monitor alerting us to Audrey. "That's a hungry cry I'll be back." She mouthed 'sorry' to me as she passed.

"Bella loves you," Renee stated.

"I love her as well."

"I don't know if she told you this, but Bella and Rylan lived with me for a couple months after he was born."

"No she didn't, Florida right?" I asked taking a seat next to her.

"Yeah, those friends of Jacob's were not very nice, Bella of course blamed herself. She lost herself and then she met you," she mused wistfully. "I've never seen her this happy."

"I've never been this happy," I admitted.

We were quiet and heard Alice chatting away to Audrey. She kept throwing out a lot of Mommy and Daddy's.

My phone buzzed in my pocket telling me I had a text.

I love it! ~B

I knew I did something right, I loved Bella's faith in me.

A/N: Comments anyone? I'm going to be honest I don't know how feel about this chapter… A lot has happened, more to come.

Dolphin62598 is my beta and I'm grateful for her help!

I have started a new story and will be posting it soon its called Amongst the Living. It's nothing like this at all. It's a comedy of sorts you will just have to read it to judge, I guess.

Looking forward to seeing what you guys think!