Ch. 7 Immutable Trust

Beta: Stacyo72 and maxandmo

EPOV

A/N Get ready, we're going from the day Garrett and Edward discover the cloud backup right up to the confrontation. Eek! No skipping to the end of the chapter!

"Edward! I didn't hear you come in." My mother stands abruptly, partially blocking Alice as she tries to inconspicuously slide a magazine under a stack of mail.

"It's my kitchen too, at least for another few weeks," I retort.

We've reached an agreement with the city to donate the Cullen mansion to the city who will in turn relinquish it to the care of the Historical Society. In exchange, the staggering amount of back taxes we owe on the property will be forgiven with the caveat that we're allowed to stay in the guest house on the property as long as my parents live. The city expects to open the mansion to tourists within six months.

"What are you hiding, Alice? Don't deny it, your eyes give you away," my voice conveys the tired wariness that constitutes my main emotion most of the time.

"It's nothing, Edward, just a stupid celebrity gossip rag."

"Then why is it even in this house?" I ask accusingly. "Why are you wasting what little money we have to support tabloids that do nothing but humiliate anyone who they think will sell their papers. Once the prosecution released those emails, my life became a living hell. I'm sick of being the butt of every late night show joke. I deleted my social media accounts to stop the constant harassment from people convinced that I'm lousy in bed. Either they couldn't stop insulting me or they were offering to "fix" me. Do you know what it's like to have a Twitter feed full of propositions by women who want to help me be a better lover and by men who think my problem is that I'm really homosexual and that's why I can't satisfy a woman? I swear if I get tagged on one more dick picture on Instagram …" I trail off as I reach over and grab the magazine from the bottom of the stack.

I barely glance at the picture of me from my vacation in Cannes three years ago. How the hell did they get that? I toss the magazine in the trash and slam the can. Then I immediately open the can, grab the magazine, rip it and throw the remnants back inside, slamming it even harder.

"Edward," my mother walks up behind me and gently places her hands on my upper arms, attempting to sooth me with her touch. "You know that I love you no matter what your sexual preference may be. You're still my son first."

"Mom!" I shrug her off and spin around but the look of genuine concern in her eyes stops me from saying anything further. Instead, I take her hands.

"Thanks, I love you too, and I appreciate your openness, but I'm not gay. I just really want to put this all behind me. I went to the courtroom for the verdict, per your request, and as far as I'm concerned Bella is no longer a factor in my life. Okay?" She pulls me into a hug and moments later I feel Alice's arms around me.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'll cancel the subscription. I never really thought about how painful it can be to be in the public eye. I've always loved those fashion and celebrity gossip sites but now I see how much they can skew the truth and really hurt those they target. I always thought that it was part and parcel of being famous but it's really beyond your control. We didn't choose for this to happen but we're dealing with the fall out, you more than anyone else."

I sigh. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful. At least I know I didn't do anything wrong and once the next big scandal hits, I'll be old news. Bella will sit in that jail cell in Sea-Tac for a very long time."

I pull away from the group hug and rub my face with my hands. I turn toward the Keurig on the counter and wince as the morning sunlight hits my eyes. With March almost over, the days are growing longer, and I'm not used to the brightness at this time of day. I've never been much of a morning person. Bella had been even less of one than me. I almost smile as a memory of her pulling the covers over her head flashes through my mind's eye. Despite everything, those images refuse to leave me alone. It's one more thing to re-hash with Lee at our next appointment. It astounds me that after everything, I still have moments like this. I've accepted that I will probably always love that Bella, the one I thought I knew, even if she didn't really exist. She might as well have been made of sand.
I grab a quick breakfast, listening to the sounds of my mom and Alice packing up the kitchen around me before heading out the door.

"I know it's Saturday but I've got to get some work done in the office. With the corporate returns finally filed, I'm hoping to bang out the first quarter numbers as soon as possible. Plus, Garrett, our IT guy asked me to meet with him about something. I'll be back in time for dinner," I tell my mom as I give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Edward, your appointment is here. Do you need more time?" Alice's voice is soft but clear as she pulls at my arms. I have no idea how long I've sat hunched over in front of my computer, lost in a maze of timestamps, email trails and security tape images.

"Edward?" The sound of my name calls me back to the present.

"Yeah, Max is here, right? I need to speak with him. Just give me a minute."

"Edward, are you going to tell me what's going on? You've been holed up in this office for days with just that computer guy. You won't talk to Dad or any of us. You haven't been home since Saturday and it smells like the basement of a frat house in here." Alice wrinkles her nose in disgust. I open a drawer of my desk and pull out a bottle of air freshener which she takes and begins to use generously.

I run my hand over my face and scratch at the itchy scruff of beard covering my skin. "You'll know soon enough Alice. I just can't talk about it yet, okay? Stall him for five minutes, please."

Alice puts the can of air freshener away and walks over to me. She grabs my hand and exams my bruised knuckles.

"Edward, what did you do?" Her voice rises in alarm.

I glance over at the hole in the wall next to the door. I had been standing there when Garrett walked in and gave me the proof that I helped send an innocent person, the very person I claimed to love, to prison. Fresh waves of loathing and hatred for Floyd and for me course through my veins. I glower as I imagine what I'll do to Floyd if and when I find him.

"Enough, Alice." I warn. She huffs but doesn't say anything else as she exits my office. I spend a few minutes gathering myself together before I heard a quick rap on the door.

"Mr. Cullen?"

I look up to see Max standing just outside my office door. "Max, come in, please."

I get up and quickly usher him in, shutting the door behind us. The blinds are drawn so we can have complete privacy. I see Max discreetly looking me over, and I know I need to explain my unkempt hair, beard, and dirty clothes.

"Pardon my appearance. My IT department, well one person really, discovered something a few days ago and since that time, I've been working with him non-stop to verify our findings. I know this will sound impossible to believe, but Isabella Swan was framed."

I see that look in Max's eyes, the one that says he's lost it and I hasten to reassure him. "Please, just hear me out before you jump to any conclusions about my sanity."

We sit down in front of my computer. I quickly run through the evidence, the tapes, the time stamps, the emails I know can prove were faked. I explain the connection between Jason Chase and both Victoria and Laurent DuBois. I show Max how everything we've uncovered so far correlates with the Bella's testimony. Max runs a few quick diagnostics on the tapes using his software and looks at me, the astonishment plain on his features. For a long moment he remains speechless.

"You realize what you have here? I've never heard of anyone going to such lengths to frame someone else for a crime. Jesus….."

Max gets up and paces the room. He stops abruptly and asks "We know why Jason Chase hates you, but why does he hate Bella Swan?"

I shrug. "I've asked that same question again and again for the past few days. It's one thing for Jason Chase to come after me and my family but why Bella? Why put her through this hell? It's possible that she may just have been a victim of circumstance. He wanted to destroy every part of my life, including my girlfriend."

I rub my palms on my legs; this is the part I'm most anxious about. I unlock a drawer in my desk and pull the flash drive Detective De Nali gave me so many months ago.

"There's something else. This is a supposed sex tape of them- Bella and him. Until last night, I had only watched it once. At the time, I hadn't had any sleep. I was exhausted and confused. I was so strung out from the stress of Bella being arrested and everyone saying she did it that I believed it was her. I never should have watched that fucking video under those circumstances. I made a huge mistake. I forced myself to sit through it again, and I'm absolutely certain now that it's not Bella on the tape. I need your help to prove it. This tape was made not only to humiliate me but to tear us apart. Jason Chase wanted to make sure she didn't have me on her side."

Max holds out his hand, and I drop the drive into it. He clasps his fingers around it. "Give me twelve hours."

I nod. Garrett and I have about eight hours of security tapes left. I plan on going to Jasper Whitlock tomorrow with everything we've found. It's time Bella got her life back.

"I can't imagine what this has done to her." I whisper as I rub my hand through the scruff on my neck.

I close my eyes but immediately open them. If I close them, I keep picturing her in various prison scenarios conjured up by binge-watching too many Orange Is the New Black episodes. What if there's some disgusting guard forcing her to exchange sex for favors? Or what if she said the wrong thing to the wrong person and she can't get any food? What if some lesbian is trying to convince her to become a prison wife?

"Edward? Edward!"

I glance up to see Max looking at me with concern.

"Sorry. I keep worrying about her. She probably hates me now, and I can't blame her."

I'm wracked with guilt over my own stupidity. Chase played me not once, but twice and because of that Bella is rotting in prison.

"Don't think about that now. You need to focus on getting this done so she can be freed," Max pats me on the shoulder before he walks toward the door. He turns just as he exits. He pulls the flash drive from his pocket. "I'll have your answer as soon as possible."

True to his word, several hours later, I receive an email with the evidence I need to prove Victoria DuBois is the woman on the tape. It's late by the time Garrett and I finish. My family stopped asking me to come home days ago. They don't yet know that my security issue is about proving Bella's innocence. I didn't want to tell them before I had absolute proof. Anything less and they probably would have labeled this a set-back in my mental health and had me involuntarily committed.

"Thanks man." I give Garrett an awkward man-hug as he leaves for the night.

"You got this, Edward?" He asks, as we separate. He gives me a once over, the look of concern on his face is transparent. He wants to make sure I'm alert enough to stay conscious.

I squeeze his shoulder in reassurance. "Absolutely. I'm good, really."

It's two in the morning. I haven't showered in over a day, I haven't shaved in three but the only thing that matters now is freeing Bella. I arrive at the police station twenty minutes later. A sleepy Jasper Whitlock is waiting outside. We shake hands before I give him the flash drive with the security camera recordings.

"You need to see this."

When I walk up to Jasper Whitlock outside the Seattle police headquarters, I envision Bella being freed as soon as the evidence is presented. How can they continue to keep an innocent person imprisoned once they see that she's been framed? My fatigued mind conjures visions of barred prison doors opening like magic as Bella walks through, her head held high, broken manacles hanging down from her wrists. My vision may also include a chorus of angels singing while beams of light shoot out from behind her. I admit, I tend to get a little theatrical when I'm daydreaming, even when I'm not completely shattered and exhausted. Regardless, I'm not really sure what my place is in these daydreams. After the way I abandoned her, even I couldn't bring myself to fantasize that she'll leave prison and run straight into my arms. I'd like to think that's possible but I know better.

I give Jasper Whitlock the flash-drive and explain what it contains. He takes it but rather than walking into the police station, waving it around like a banner proclaiming Bella's freedom, he calmly invites me to get a cup of coffee at the all night diner across the street. We sit in a red upholstered booth, my fingers irritably tapping on the Formica table top as Jasper takes entirely too long to order his coffee, chatting amiably with the waitress in that overly friendly way Southerners have. Finally, once his order's placed, he turns his attention back to me and begins to explain the appeal process.

My hopes of Bella's instant freedom are dashed. It will take at least a few weeks to get her out of Sea-Tac, and that's if the Federal Prosecutors don't object. If they do, the judge will examine the evidence and decide if there should be a new trial.

"Christ, hasn't Bella been through enough? Haven't we all?" I moan as Whitlock takes another enormous bite of his cherry pie.

He slowly chews before deciding that my question isn't rhetorical. His shaggy blond hair partially obscures his eyes. With his faded hoodie and jeans, he looks like a UW undergrad instead of a defense attorney.

"Edward, may I call you Edward?" I nod and he continues. "If the evidence you have is as solid as you say, the prosecution won't fight it. The last thing they will want is to go through a trial that they're bound to lose. If anything, they'll all be tripping over themselves to get her out as soon as possible. The way they characterized her during the trial is just short of slanderous. If Bella wants, we could probably sue them on a number of counts ranging from wrongful arrest to denigration of character. " He trails off but I understand. This will be very bad publicity for the D.A.'s office.

I run both my hands through my hair, suddenly unsure of what to do next. For the past five days I've pushed myself so hard, both physically and mentally to get to this point that now I'm at a loss.

"What do I do now?" I ask more to myself than to Whitlock.

He again answers. His deep drawl colors his words with a homespun wisdom.

"Well, if I were you, I'd go home, shower, shave and sleep. You've done everything you can for her. It's out of your hands."

"But what about Bella? I… I have to be able to do something else. How is she? I mean, is she okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"Edward, I haven't seen her since the verdict."

The resulting look of devastation on my face must soften him a bit.

"I do speak with her father regularly. We're still trying to locate the Dubois siblings. He's told me that she's adjusted as well as can be expected and that she has a cellmate, a born again Christian I think, who has become her closest friend."

I exhale; relieved that at least Bella has someone she can rely on in that hellhole. I pull my wallet out of my pocket. I've got about two hundred dollars in cash, the only spending money I have for the rest of the month. I place all of it in front of Bella's attorney.

"Can I give you money for her? Don't they have a store or something in there? Just take this and put it there but don't tell her where it came from. Please? I don't want her to think I'm trying to buy her forgiveness. She has an account right? I just want to make her as comfortable as possible in that place."

The guilt has been eating at me for days. Even knowing this was a set-up, a trap designed to ensnare us, I'm still sickened by not only my behavior but my entire family's. No one, not even my parents gave her the benefit of the doubt. As for me, the man that supposedly loved her beyond measure…

"I'm such an asshole," I mumble.

Whitlock smiles widely. "Well, Edward we all have our crosses to bear. I'll give this to Charlie to apply to her account but I promise I won't tell him it's from you."

Two weeks later, I'm standing outside Jacob Black's father's house, with my hands in my pockets and my stomach somewhere slightly north of my esophagus. I've driven over three hours from Seattle to the Quileute Reservation where Bella is staying. It's mid-April yet the weather here on the Olympic Peninsula is dreary. A light mist swarms all around me, reminding me absurdly of mayflies in the sun even as it chills me to bone. The low howl of the incessant wind whips through the open yard surrounding the small somewhat dilapidated house but it is otherwise silent. It didn't take long for the news media to discover that Bella has been released. Bella had expected as much and immediately sought the refuge and safety of the Reservation. The press encamps around the entrance to the native lands but they're denied entry thanks to the sovereignty of the Quileute Nation, re-enforced by the Clallam County Sheriff and the Forks, Washington police, courtesy of Chief Charlie Swan. I know I don't have much time. I'm lucky Bella agreed to speak to me at all.

"Man up, Cullen." I tell myself as I pull my hand out of my pocket and knock on the ancient wood door.

I don't hear anything, no footsteps or locks turning so I'm surprised when the door suddenly swings open. I look down to see J.J. eyeing me warily.

"Hey man!" I exclaim. I try to sound normal but my voice carries too much of the nervousness I'm feeling. It's forced, and it's obvious even to a nine year old. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you. I bet you're almost up to your mom's shoulder." I choke out. "Uh, is she here? She told me to stop by at this time."

J.J. rolls his eyes, and yells over his shoulder. "Mom! The D.B. is here!"

"D.B.?" I sputter, unsure of what that means.

Bella, wearing a simple long sleeve shirt and jeans, materializes at J.J.'s side and shoos him away. She steps out onto the stoop and closes the door behind her. So that's how it's going to be. I won't be invited inside.

She shrugs unapologetically. "He knows he's not allowed to say douche-bag."

"Ouch. I guess I deserve that."

I look down at the ground before glancing up to gauge Bella's response. She looks me straight in the eye, and it's unnerving. Her gaze penetrates me. My imperfections, my scars, the deficiencies in my characters, everything beneath the façade of the perfect Cullen prince are laid bare. Bella remains silent, standing on the stark cement stoop with her arms crossed in front of her as she waits for me to explain what I'm doing here.

"Um, you look good, you know considering." I begin lamely. "Shit. I mean, I'm glad you look like you still. That is to say, I didn't really think you would look different but sometimes things can happen in those places but I guess that…"

"Edward!" Bella stops my verbal diarrhea. I sigh in relief. "Just say what you have to say. I'd really like to get back to my son."

"Of course. Sorry." I look around us. There's an old red garage just a few yards away, its color faded to the same weather-washed shade as the house. I'm getting sick of having the rain spit down on us so I point to the little building. "Would you mind, maybe we could just get out of this weather?"

She agrees and we walk over in silence.

"You're on the clock. You said there was something I needed to know. If there is, tell me. If this is some lame excuse because you're feeling guilty, then I don't want it." She says as I continue to stall.

I attempt a reassuring smile but it's really more of a grimace. We reach the shelter of the garage and duck inside. I wait a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. I watch Bella as she leans against an old VW Rabbit. She crosses her arms again, her defensive posture leaving no question of her expectations for our meeting.

I run my hand through my hair, pushing my damp locks out of my eyes as I sigh. I have no pride left at this point and groveling is the least I can do.

"Fine. I'll explain it all but first, I do need to apologize. Look, I realize that I could ask your forgiveness every second of every day for the rest of my life and it probably wouldn't do anything to placate your feelings about me, my family, and what happened but I have say it out loud at least once. I'm so deeply sorry for not believing in you and not sticking by you. I can't forgive myself so I don't expect you to either. Jason Chase-the man we knew as James Floyd, was hell bent on destroying us all, and he nearly succeeded."

I lay it all out there. I tell her everything I know from the suspected involvement of Volturi Pharmaceuticals right down to the sordid contents of the fake sex tape to my sessions with my psychiatrist. I don't hold any details back. Bella absorbs it all; her only reaction thus far is the furrowing of her brow when I mention that she and Jason Chase were at UW at the same time.

"Do your recall that name at all? Jason Chase? Are you certain you never knew him before he worked at Cullen?" I ask one more time.

Bella pushes off the car and begins to pace slowly back and forth as she rubs her temples. It's a familiar habit of hers, one I recall her doing often as we were working on the reparation agreement. Back then I would let her traverse the room a few times before I'd take her in my arms and tease her about wearing a path in the rug. It makes my heart ache, and I again curse my stupidity.

"Bella?" I repeat softly.

She stops and shakes her head. "No, I don't remember anyone named Jason Chase. It's been ten years. The Foster School of Business has a lot of students, Edward. I was a married grad student. I went to classes, went to the library, and went home. It wasn't like I was hanging out in the student union or going to mixers on fraternity row."

I dig my phone out of my pocket and open to the picture of Jason Chase from the UW yearbook.

"This is what he looked like back then, virtually the same except for the long hair in the ponytail."

Bella studies it for a moment before she shakes her head. "No, I never saw him before he began working for Cullen. If he had looked at all familiar I'm sure I would have recognized him then even though his resume was a complete fake."

An awkward silence ensues. The only sound is the rain which has changed from the light sprinkle to a steady downpour. I watch Bella as she resumes her pacing, back and forth, rubbing her temples. Abruptly she stops and looks at me.

"So that's it? A guy with a family vendetta against the Cullens steals all your money, forces your company to the verge of bankruptcy, and for some unknown reason, frames me for it all. What I don't get is how could you believe him over me? How could you shut me out that way? After all those months, after spending our days and nights together, how could you just presume me guilty without even listening to me? I begged you to see me, over and over again, letter after letter and when you finally came, you refused to hear me. You threatened me with a restraining order!"

I hang my head in shame. "I fell for a trap Bella. We all did. Everyone told me I was brainwashed. They … they tried to convince me that my love for you was a mental disorder, a disease. They sent me to a shrink. I tried… I tried to accept their version of the truth because it's what all the evidence showed. It was the logical, sane conclusion yet I didn't believe it until I saw that tape-"

"A fake sex tape that you saw once and believed was me even though you admitted you couldn't see the woman's face, she didn't sound like me, and she was letting him do things we never did!" Bella's face flushes a deep red, and I involuntarily take a step back. "How did you not realize that wasn't me?"

"She was wearing a wig, and he was calling her Bella. He wanted me to believe it was you. He was taunting me in the tape, he played mind games. I hadn't slept in thirty-six hours, and I was really tired. My whole world was turned upside down when you were arrested. We got off that plane and walked into a parallel universe." I try to explain.

"You were tired? Well, I was fucking incarcerated, Edward! I was stripped naked and cavity searched; bent over holding my ankles while a stranger checked my ass for contraband. Do you have any idea what type of humiliation I endured, both physically and emotionally? My son wouldn't speak to me for weeks. He was ashamed of me. I had to worry about him being teased and bullied because everyone thought his mother was a thief. I needed you, Edward, and you weren't there!"

She pauses, her hand covering her mouth as she regains her composure. I shift my weight from foot to foot.

"I'm sorry, Bella. You're right. I believed the lies. I wasn't there then but I'm here now, and I've been here fighting for your release for the past two weeks. If you'd let me I swear I will spend every day for the rest of my life making it up to you."

Bella snorts in disgust. "Are you actually asking me for a second chance? You just told me that Garrett gave you the proof. What if he hadn't found that cloud backup? You'd still believe I'm guilty, wouldn't you?"

I shake my head. "I would have figured it out eventually. I was progressing in my therapy sessions and one of my goals was to watch that sex tape again. I know; I'm one hundred percent positive that I would have realized it wasn't you. Please believe me. Floyd wanted to punish me and he has."

I take a few steps toward her but Bella turns away.

"Yes, Floyd set you up but no one told you how to react, Edward. Your actions were your own. You didn't trust me. Where were your instincts? Your love? You abandoned me."

"Bella, I'm a vain, egotistical fool. You know this is my first real relationship and I screwed up. When I read those emails, I felt so gullible. I used to be cocky. I was confident and arrogant because I knew I had it all. I was the very definition of one of the "beautiful people": rich, educated, young, and attractive."

Bella turns back to me and rolls her eyes. I shrug but continue.

"Was I conceited? Absolutely, but I justified it because I thought I didn't give a damn about any of it. I couldn't help that I was an heir to one of America's wealthiest families just like I couldn't help that I had been born to good-looking parents. I always told myself the money didn't matter. When we lost most of it, I was almost relieved. I thought it would eliminate the lingering doubts I knew you harbored about me. I didn't give a damn about losing the Cullen fortune. It was the loss of you that affected me most, but underlying that loss was the idea that you hadn't really ever wanted me. It hit me hard. Everyone from my father to Jenks to my new therapist insisted that it was all a lie, an elaborate ruse designed to fool me. I thought you preferred James Floyd over me. The emails were demoralizing and the sex tape was emasculating. James Floyd- Jason Chase - exposed my greatest vulnerability and exploited it to do the most damage. My ego was my Achilles heel. I'm ashamed of that fact but it's the truth."

I close the few feet separating us but instead of towering over her, I drop down; my knees sink into the soft dirt floor. With my head bowed, I speak from my heart.

"I still love you, Bella. I know I don't deserve you but I'll do anything, be anything, and say anything you want. If you want me to go on every network in America and tell the world that I'm an asshole, I will. If you want me to spend the rest of my life groveling in the dirt at your feet, I will. If you want me to find Jason Chase and bring you his head on a platter, I will. I don't expect you to forgive me now but if there's any chance that someday you could, I'll wait. My shrink may call it attachment disorder but this is me loving you forever. Give me the chance to prove it."

I dare to raise my eyes. She isn't looking down at me as I hope but rather gazing out the door of the garage where the rain continues its deluge. When she speaks, her voice is low but there is a hardness to her words.

"Edward, I don't doubt that you love me as much as you're capable of but this experience has shown that you can't love me the way I need to be loved. I need someone who is willing to follow his heart regardless of the circumstances. You were swayed by false accusations and never let me defend myself. I may eventually forgive that but I can't forget it."

I slump back on my heels. "So you don't love me then? It works both ways, you know. You aren't capable of loving an imperfect man?"

Bella closes her eyes but not before a single tear escapes and rolls down her cheek.

"I knew from the beginning that you were hardly modest and definitely immature yet I turned a blind eye to your imperfections and loved you despite them because I also knew you were generous and kind. You made me happy, so happy that I started to believe fairytales could be real but then it all came crashing down. So now, what am I supposed to do? Pick up where we left off? Take you back and wait until the next test in our relationship? Loving each other isn't enough. I can't live my life waiting for you to fail me again. I just spent the last five months questioning why this happened and in the end, it doesn't matter anyway. It did, and I just can't pretend that we could ever go back to the way things were. I need to figure out how to go forward from here. Edward, I need to do that without you."

Bella hurriedly wipes the tear away and holds out her hand. I grasp it and pull myself up from the cold dirt floor.

"Your time's up," she says quietly. I place my right index finger under her chin and gently nudge until her eyes meet mine.

"I am a fool because despite all the negative things you just said, despite all the impossibilities of a future for us, you couldn't say that you don't love me. As long as we love each other, I won't give up on winning you back. I'll prove myself worthy of you Bella. I'll give you the space you want for now but I'll be back. I will wait for you, regardless of how long it takes. I will find that bastard Jason Chase and Victoria and Laurent Dubois, and I'll make them pay for what they did to you."

My finger slides back, stroking her cheek as I kiss her forehead.

"Be safe," I whisper before I turn and walk into the raging storm outside.

A/N It's definitely not over. Next chapter will be BPOV. Yes, eventually we'll get back to the Cullens and what they think now that the truth is out there but not quite yet. If anyone caught it, there was a brief homage to Sand Bella from Shay Savage's Hide & Drink, one of the first vampwards I read and still a favorite. That story, along with a number of Shay's others, was deleted a few weeks ago during the last purge.

BTW, there are a lot of Outlander fans among you!

Last week's episode was hard to watch, poor Jamie. I think Tobias Menzies did a great job capturing what a soulless bastard BJR is. I'm really looking forward to The Wedding episode this Saturday. It should be verra romantic (and hot!). If you haven't already, check out Feileadh Mor, my o/s from the Ruggeddom contest. It's a Kiltward story with a little nod to JAMMF.

Find me on Twitter: Shelly_duran (2 underscores).