AN: Buckle your seatbelts, a bit of a rocky road ahead for our favorite couple. Let me know what you think.

*I don't own them

The Wedding Gift

EPOV

Jasper was there to meet us at the airport and take Bella and me home on Sunday afternoon. It was hard to believe our wedding was a whole week ago. It seemed like we were only in Hawaii for a few days. Time really does fly when you are having fun. Jasper drove us home and helped me carry our bags to the apartment; I really didn't want Bella carrying anything, even if she did complain about me being overprotective. The apartment looked the same as always when I opened the door, not that I was expecting any differences; perhaps my feeling of being a new man after saying 'I do' had caused me to think everything would take on a fresh light, just as I had. As we passed by the dining room, I noticed Alice had placed all of our wedding gifts on top of it, waiting for us to arrive home and open them. Jasper and I took the luggage upstairs and came back down to find Bella at the table, looking at all the cards on the gifts.

"Thank you, Jasper. Do you want a beer or anything else to drink?" Bella asked him when she noticed our return.

"Sure, darlin'. That would be great." She nodded at Jasper and walked over, giving me a light kiss.

"How about you, husband?" I grinned down at her, loving being able to be called husband. I kissed the tip of her nose.

"That would be great, my lovely wife. Do you want to start opening these?" I asked, waving to the mountain of gifts. A small sigh escaped her lips. I knew she hated people spending so much money on her.

"Yeah, I'll be right back." She went to the kitchen to get drinks for us, and returned, beers and juice in hand.

Jasper joined Bella and me at the table as we began opening gifts. My haphazard opening of gifts and tossing of cards resulted in a verbal lashing from my lovely Bella. I guess it was important to keep the card with the gift. Whatever. I rolled my eyes when I opened the second sterling silver tea set. I didn't know what we were going to do with one of them, let alone two. Jasper wasn't helping with his laughter and derogatory commentary.

"What? Oh, God." Bella's shaky exclamation broke Jasper and I out of our gift ridiculing. I immediately went to her side.

"What is it, baby?" I looked into the box that she had open in front of her. I felt the blood drain from my face as I realized what it was. Jasper jumped out of his seat to come over and look, when he saw the reactions from both me and Bella. Inside the box, placed in tissue was a baby bib that appeared to be covered in blood. Bella was holding up a large piece of newspaper that had also been in the box. I took it from her and it had our wedding announcement in the middle with a message written in marker beside it.

Enjoy it for now bitch. It won't last long.

The paper dropped from my hand. I didn't know what to do. Who could possibly send us something so horrible? Who would do this to Bella? Was it possible that Victoria was behind this? Or James somehow? Did someone in Chicago have something against me or Bella? My mind was a jumble of nerves, fear, and rage as I wrapped a crying Bella up in my arms. Jasper had gathered the paper and put it in the box before placing the lid back on to move it away from Bella. It didn't look like there was any card on the box at all. I wondered how it got here.

"Jasper, was that box there at the wedding or was it delivered here?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure, man. I just helped bring everything over after the wedding, but I don't remember every box I carried. Should I call Alice?" I nodded to him. He was clearly as shaken as we were. Bella was still trembling in my arms. She shouldn't have this stress to deal with. I really wanted to kill someone. I heard Jasper on the phone as I was murmuring to Bella, trying to get her to calm down. If this involved Victoria or James somehow, I needed to contact Emmett and figure out what to do.

"She's on her way here." Jasper said.

"Can you call Emmett and Rose and ask them to come over, too?" I asked him. He nodded to me. I knew Emmett should be home. His last preseason game had been the day before. Bella's face was buried in my neck. I placed an arm under her knees and the other behind her back and picked her up, carrying her to the living room. I sat down on the couch and kept her on my lap, wanting to comfort her in any way I could. Somebody was going to pay for threatening her. Bella finally looked up at me with watery eyes.

"Who would do something like that, Edward?" How could I answer that? I had no idea what kind of monster would threaten an unborn child. The only thing I could do was try to reassure her that she and our baby were safe.

"I don't know, Bella. We will figure it out though. I don't want you to worry or stress yourself out." My hand moved to rub her belly. "I promise you that I will do anything and everything to protect you."

"Edward, I want you to be honest with me. Is there something going on that you aren't telling me?" I gulped, knowing that I had to tell her about James and Victoria. There was no other way. But, I wanted to wait for Emmett to arrive, so that he could give her more information. I was stalling, trying to figure out what to say, and released a gust of breath that I had been holding in, when the doorbell rang. Bella and I both turned our heads, watching Jasper let Alice in. Alice immediately came over to wrap her arms around both me and Bella. Before I could start to ask Alice about the package, the doorbell rang again and Jasper let Rose and Emmett in. Emmett came rushing over to Bella and sat down next to us on the couch, grabbing one of her hands to hold. Rose knelt down on the floor beside my legs and held Bella's other hand.

"What is going on?" He asked, looking at me. I knew the thoughts that must have been flying through his head. How was he going to feel about telling Bella everything? He wanted to prevent her from feeling guilty, but I believed that she would be safer if she knew what had really happened with James and that Victoria was snooping around. I saw Jasper carrying in the box and sitting down next to Alice on the loveseat. Bella's eyes targeted on the box, resulting in Em and Rose's attention being diverted there. Em and Rose stood to see the contents and I heard Rose struggle for breath as she looked inside. Alice was in tears and Em just stood there looking at the newspaper cutout. His head turned to look at me. I tried to convey to him that we needed to tell Bella, but first I wanted to determine how the box got here.

"Alice, do you recognize this box? Was it brought from the wedding? There was no card or anything on the outside of the wrapping." She was thinking for a moment and gasped.

"No, it wasn't from the wedding. It was delivered here. Jasper and I brought all of the wedding gifts over on Monday, but I came back on Thursday to pick up your mail and the box was sitting in front of the door. I just assumed someone delivered it and the doorman brought it up." She informed us.

"I will need to go down and see if they have any information on who delivered it. I think we should call the police." I said. I wasn't sure if they would be willing to do anything, but I would use my family influence if I needed to. Em's jaw was clenched and he rubbed his hands over his face before coming to sit back down next to Bella and me. Bella hadn't said a word, I assumed she was slightly in shock.

"Bells, I need to talk to you. I might as well tell everyone at the same time since this stuff is going to come out if we contact the police." Emmett began. Everyone was sitting back down, Rose on the floor next to us, holding Bella's hand. Bella's attention turned to Emmett. I was glad she had calmed down enough to stop crying, although Alice and Rose were both teary-faced. Anxiety was flowing through me, not knowing how Bella was going to react to hearing details surrounding her father's murder. Emmett sighed heavily and turned toward Bella.

"After dad was shot, some evidence was recovered from the Monroe house that wasn't revealed to you. There wasn't a need, because you didn't have to testify to anything at any trial since James confessed to shooting him." Bella shook her head in confusion.

"Why would I testify at a trial anyway? I wasn't there when it happened." She asked. Emmett took a deep breath.

"When the police went into James' room, they found hundreds of pictures of you. Items of yours that you had been complaining had gone missing, like papers or books or clothes, they were also recovered." I felt Bella's body tense as she absorbed this information. "James was obsessed with you. He had been stalking you for months and nobody realized it. Somehow, he had been inside the house and in your room at times. That is the only way he could have gotten so many of your belongings." I hugged her tighter to me when she shivered. "James was sick, Bells. He is sick. He set it up where dad went on a call of disturbance to his house and James killed him."

"Because of me." Bella's voice was soft, but everyone heard it. Emmett shook his head in anger.

"No, Bella. This is exactly why you weren't told anything, because you have this tendency to blame everything on yourself." Emmett grabbed her shoulders, making her look at him. "James is a sick bastard. This is his fault. You had nothing to do with it." I didn't like that he was practically yelling at her, but I did understand the need to make her understand she wasn't responsible. She looked at Emmett with hard eyes.

"You knew all this time and didn't tell me. You shouldn't have kept this from me, Em." Bella's voice held a tone of anger and accusation.

"Sure, then you could have wallowed then, like you are wallowing now. That would have just been perfect considering that you already had dad's death to deal with." Em was angry and I think he was trying to anger Bella instead of letting her retreat within herself, floundering in inappropriately placed guilt. Their sibling dynamic was interesting, to say the least.

"I had a right to know, Emmett! You can't protect me from everything!" Bella screamed back at him. She pushed herself off my lap and started pacing back and forth, thinking to herself. My stomach flipped when her gaze fell on me. "You knew. You knew and didn't tell me. I knew you were keeping something from me ever since you and Em first met." My throat constricted as I heard her softly voice her realizations. I couldn't deny them. She was absolutely correct.

"Yes, I knew. I'm sorry for keeping it from you, I just didn't think it was necessary to burden you with information that was from over two years ago. Bella, you do tend to blame yourself for things you have no control over and I didn't want this to be another instance of it, aside from the fact that you have had plenty of stress to deal with over the last two months. I didn't see a need to add to it for no reason." I tried to explain, but it didn't sound right as I was saying it. I knew I was wrong. She should have been told, no matter what the circumstances. Emmett cleared his throat gaining her attention again.

"It wasn't his fault. I told him not to say anything anyway. This was my decision. I just knew you would react this way. It's dumb, Bells. Dad himself would have said you were stupid if you blamed yourself over what James did to him." Emmett said. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to me.

"It's more about being honest with me and not keeping me in the dark. Edward, you need to be truthful with me if we are going to make our marriage work. Tell me now what this has to do with this box, how is it connected? Tell me right now anything else that you have been keeping from me." I stood and went to her. I held her hands in mine. I had to assure her that I would always be honest with her.

"One other thing has happened recently that I know of and that is all. I was going to tell you when we got home from the honeymoon. I swear. At my bachelor party, Jacob told Emmett and me about an incident in Forks a couple weeks ago. It seems Victoria Johnson struck up a conversation with Leah one day and was asking questions about you. Leah didn't know who she was. Victoria told Leah that you were an old high school friend of hers and she was wondering how you were. Leah told her that she and Jacob would be flying out to see your wedding in Chicago. Jacob realized who Victoria was when Leah told him later about the encounter. That is it." Her eyes were boring into mine.

"There is nothing else you are keeping from me?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, Bella. And I was wrong. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept anything from you. I promise it will never happen again." I heard my voice breaking a little from the fear that she would resent me, or worse, not trust our relationship. I really didn't know what I would do if I ever lost her. She nodded to me.

"I believe that you only wanted to protect me and only had my best intentions in mind, but I am upset Edward. You can't keep things from me if you want me to trust you." I nodded to her and she sighed, looking down. She pulled me back over to the couch and we both sat down. "So, you guys think this package is somehow linked to Victoria?" She asked.

"I really don't know. It is an obvious connection since she just learned you were in Chicago, but would she really travel all the way here from Washington to do something like this? What is her motivation?" The questions flowed from my mouth. What did Victoria have to gain from going after Bella now? I looked around the room. Jasper, Alice, and Rose had been silent the whole time, just taking in all the information being tossed around. Emmett was still stewing in his seat. I suddenly remembered that Emmett was supposed to check in with his father's old police buddies to see if they could get any information on contacts James had made to the outside. Was there any connection to Victoria?

"Emmett, did you get any information about Victoria contacting James?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, as far as they could tell, the only contact he has had in the past year has been with his lawyer. Some guy named Riley Cooper." He told us.

"Bella, is there anybody else that you could think of that would resent you and your happiness?" Alice asked.

"No, I have mostly kept to myself over the years. I can't think of any enemies I have made." She paused. "Well, there was that nurse at your hospital that didn't seem to like me much." She said looking at me. "And, I guess those two society bitches that made me feel like dirt didn't have much love for me. But, I don't think any of them know me well enough to hate me like this." She pointed at the box. "I don't know why Victoria would hate me either. I don't think we ever spoke one word to each other in school. She was a popular cheerleader. I was the mousy geek." I wanted to scoff at Bella ever considering herself mousy.

"Jealousy." Rose interrupted. "James wanted you. She wanted James. That would be motive for her hatred, although she must be crazy too if she did something like this. Also, why would she wait until now? Why wouldn't she have done something in the past two years when you were in Seattle?"

"If it is her, then something must have set her off. Something happened recently, maybe with James, which made her seek out information on Bella and try to hurt her." I surmised.

"But, I told you she hasn't been in contact with him." Emmett repeated.

"What if she is in contact through the lawyer?" Everyone turned to look at Jasper, who had finally decided to join the discussion.

BPOV

I was boiling. I couldn't remember ever being as angry as I was at Emmett. Then I found out that Edward was in on it, too. I would have been breathing fire if I could. But, as angry as I was at both of them, I couldn't help feeling loved as well. I know they were only trying to protect me from feeling guilty. Did I feel guilty? It would be difficult not to. James was obsessed with me and my father was killed because of it. But, how could I be at fault for what was obviously a mental disease belonging to James? I couldn't. I was not even aware that James harbored these feelings toward me. If I really thought about it, I was no more responsible than the police dispatcher for sending my father to the Monroe house on the disturbance call. I think both Emmett and Edward had underestimated me. Sure, I had the initial bad reaction to the information, but when I really thought it through, I was smart enough to figure out that I couldn't assign myself blame for James' behavior. I wondered if I should make Edward sleep in one of the guest rooms for a couple nights.

My heart had almost broken when I heard his shaky voice promising me he wouldn't keep anything from me in the future. He was right that I was angry, but didn't he understand that I would be just as lost without him as he would be without me? He almost sounded scared that I would leave him. As if that would be possible. He simply needed to realize that I was his equal. We were in this marriage together and he needed to be honest with me, no matter if he thought I would be hurt by it or not. Being kept uninformed only made me more fearful, not less. My mind returned back to the discussion when they were discussing the possibility of Victoria contacting James through the lawyer. Edward was still holding my hand in his and I felt him squeeze in reassurance. I looked over at his beautiful face, scrunched up in contemplation and frustration. All I wanted to do was say 'fuck you' to whoever sent that package to me. If they thought they were going to harm Edward or my baby to get to me, they had another thing coming.

"Bella, would you mind if I discussed this with my parents? Just so I can find out if we have a friend high up in the police force that may be able to help us or at least suggest options? I'm afraid if we just go and try to fill out a report, the Chicago P.D. won't really do anything." Edward wanted to use the Cullen influence. I was willing to do almost anything to make sure he and my baby were safe.

"That's fine, Edward. All I want is to be able find out who did this and end it as soon as possible." He nodded at me.

"First, I am going to go downstairs and try to find out if there are security cameras or something so we know who delivered it." Edward said. He squeezed my hand again and leaned over to kiss me, before standing up and walking to the door. Jasper and Emmett followed him, Jasper carrying the package. Rose and Alice came to sit beside me on the couch. I turned toward Rose.

"Rose, did you know about it, too?" She shook her head at my question.

"No. Emmett never told me outright. I think that I always suspected there was something more going on, just by some of the things Em has said in regards to protecting you over the last couple years. But, I didn't know all of that." I felt an odd sense of relief that I wasn't the only one kept ignorant. I looked at Alice, who had tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought that package in here. I should have checked to see if there was a card. I don't know. I should have known better." She was so upset. I pulled her into a hug. If I wasn't allowed to feel guilty, then she wasn't either. Silly pixie.

"Alice, stop that. Don't be ridiculous. You couldn't have known what was in there. Besides, now I know the truth and I also know there is some monster out there. It is better to know and be able to protect my baby and Edward." I said.

"And yourself." Rose added. She gave me a long stare. Of course, I also meant myself. I was obviously still carrying the baby. But, I also knew I would be happy as long as I knew Edward and our baby were safe.

Alice, Rose, and I eventually got up to make some tea. I looked at the dining room table, still piled high with wrapped gifts, and shuddered a little. Alice put her arm around me, noticing my reaction.

"Bella, Rose and I can take care of this for you." I knew she wanted me to be comfortable. But, I wasn't going to let the asshole win. I straightened my shoulders and marched up to the table, taking a seat.

"Fuck them. They aren't going to scare me from living my life and enjoying my new marriage. I am going to open all these gifts and you two are helping. Then, we are filling out every fucking thank you card I have." I said with determination. Giggles erupted from Rose and Alice.

"I agree. Fuck them." Rose added, nodding her head.

"Make it three. Fuck them." Alice said. "You guys get started and I will bring the tea in here."

The three of us spent the next hour unwrapping presents and compiling the thank you list, all the while disregarding the elephant in the room. We talked about everything except the unwanted gift. That is where the guys found us when they finally walked back in. We were laughing in the midst of a mountain of discarded wrapping paper and bows. There was a hint of a smile on Edward's face when he took in the scene.

"So, what's going on?" I asked him. The smile disappeared from his face.

"We looked at the security footage. It was delivered to the front desk and someone that works here brought it up to our door. But, it was delivered via some courier. So whoever sent it, paid for someone else to deliver the package. It was just a kid that actually brought it into the building. He wasn't wearing a uniform or anything and may not even be affiliated with a company." He paused briefly. "I talked to my father while we were down there. He immediately got in contact with one of his buddies who is a retired bureau chief. They play golf together. Anyway, he is bringing Chief Madison over here in about an hour." That was fast. I guess it really is all about who you know. I wondered if Esme had been told yet. I imagined that if she had, she was hysterical at this point. I knew exactly from whom Edward received his panic genes. Edward looked around at everyone. "I am hoping you all will stay through the discussion with Chief Madison, in case there are any questions for you." Everyone replied that they were staying, and I decided I needed to figure out some way to supply dinner, because our kitchen was empty due to being gone for a week.

"How about I order some pizza and we can clean this mess up?" I said.

"I could go for some pizza." I smiled over at Em. It was so hard to stay mad at my brother bear. I went over and he wrapped me up in a hug. "I love you, baby sis." He said softly in my ear.

"I love you too, Emmy Bear." The anger was still there bubbling under the surface, but he needed the same assurance I did, at that moment, that we were going to be alright.

The pizza was ordered and delivered by the time the dining room was cleaned and the thank you cards sorted. We were sitting around the table enjoying our Chicago deep-dishes, when the doorbell rang again. Edward went to the door and in entered Esme, Carlisle, a casually dressed older gentleman, and a younger officer in uniform that didn't look much older than any of us. We were all introduced to Chief Madison, who insisted we call him Harry, and his grandson on the force, Seth. I offered them all food and drinks, although they declined. Esme was at my side, holding my arm in hers, from the moment she walked in. I really was starting to think of her as a mother to me.

Edward began the discussion by telling them about finding the package and letting them see the contents. Seth was writing things down as Edward talked. Alice was asked about the location when she found it and exactly what she did with it. Edward then continued, telling them about looking at the security footage. They said they would also take a look at it. When they asked if we had any suspicions on whom it might be, Emmett filled them in on everything that had happened in Forks. I think I saw a glint of admiration in Harry's eyes when he was told our father was a Chief of police in our hometown. Emmett went on to inform them of Victoria's questioning of one of our friends, in regards to me, and that he had also inquired about any contact between her and James. When they asked if we knew of any other possible suspects, I had to tell them about the incidents with Tanya and the two women in the clothing store. Esme's face was defined in a frown of anger when she heard about the episode in the store. I saw her glance at Alice when I finished speaking. They said the most likely person, of those we discussed, was Victoria, but noted the other names for checking. Finally, Harry turned to me, as Edward stood behind my chair with his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm going to be straight with you here. There really isn't a lot that can be done through the police force right now with just this evidence. Seth will file a report so that we have this filed, but actual investigating will need to be done by other sources. I would like to help in any way I can. I will personally get in touch with officers in Forks and Seattle, along with the prison holding James and try to get any other information, than what you already have. I am recommending that you hire a professional investigator. I can refer a couple good guys that I know. I think that is your best avenue of finding out exactly who sent this and why and if they are planning anything else. It will be expensive though."

"Money isn't an object." Carlisle and Edward said at the same time. I sighed and Harry chuckled.

"I didn't figure it would be." He said. He looked at me again with a serious expression. "Bella, I can't tell you what to do, but if you were my daughter or granddaughter and this happened, I would ask you not to be out in public alone." I gasped. "Just for the time being, until we have more information about who is out there threatening you; it may not be safe." He added as I felt Edward's grip on my shoulder tighten slightly. Edward was probably going to do something outrageous like hire a bodyguard.

"But, I start classes tomorrow at Northwestern." I pointed out. Harry nodded his head.

"I understand, honey. We can't put you in a bubble and it is horrible that there is this threat out there that may make you adjust your lifestyle somewhat. I am just giving you the advice that I would my own family. I promise we will work to find this person as soon as possible. We can probably get you in touch with an investigator by tonight and I will start making calls tomorrow." Harry told us.

I thanked them both before Harry and Seth left. The family remained sitting around the table. I didn't know what I was going to do about school. Edward was pacing around the room, Esme was still glued to my side, Emmett and Rose sat across from me with stoic faces, Jasper was trying to keep Alice calm, and even Carlisle seemed more morose than I had ever seen him before. I wanted to kill the asshole that had put my family in so much turmoil.

"Bella, if you want, I can go with you to your classes." Rose offered. "I'm not working right now and hey, I just graduated, so maybe I can help you get through." She grinned at me. There was no way I was going to make her sit through creative writing and the works of Shakespeare. I shook my head.

"No, that's ridiculous. Like you said, you just graduated. I am not making you sit through torturous literature courses that you have no interest in." I told her.

"You can't go alone, Bella. Please take Harry's advice. I wouldn't be able to function if you were wandering around on campus by yourself." Edward pleaded as he came to kneel next to my chair. "I will hire a bodyguard for you." I couldn't help the chuckle escaping from me. I knew it. I had him pegged like no other.

"Edward, I knew you were going to suggest that." I stroked his worried face and decided to go with the easiest option for everyone. "No, we aren't going to hire a bodyguard. I was going to take the spring semester off anyway because of the baby, so why don't I just defer school for both semesters this year and go back next fall?" I suggested. Maybe I could finish my novel in all the spare time I would have. I saw the hint of a smile returning to my beautiful man's face.

"Are you sure, baby?" He asked. I could detect the hope in his voice, even though he tried to hide it.

"Yes, I am sure. It would be the best solution. Besides, I can maybe finish my novel, so Esme can critique it for me." I joked. Esme squeezed my arm in support. Then, Edward wrapped his arms around me in a hug. Yes, this was for the best.

Everyone helped clean up the pizza boxes and drinks before saying goodbye and leaving. The heaviness of the threat against me still hung over all our heads, but I think we all felt better knowing we were taking action to find the culprit. When Edward and I finally walked into our bedroom, I noticed all the luggage still unpacked from our honeymoon and sighed. For the pair of us that were used to a fast pace, at least in terms of our relationship, the last 24 hours had thrown us for a loop. Yesterday, we were happily ensconced in a bubble of newly married bliss on a beach in Hawaii. Now, we were caught up in the middle of a CSI episode.

Another reason for me to hate getting presents.

AN2: So, our perfect couple is faced with their first major drama. Who is behind the gift? Should Bella have forgiven Edward and Emmett? What will happen now?

Check out my profile for my new twitter link and also a link for the new banner for Fated Love.

Let me know what you think! Click the review link below.