AN: A lot of drama happening in this chapter. James and Victoria are always messing things up. Let me know what you think.

Special thanks go out to my pre-reader Bridgette (aka A Jasper For Me) and beta Jen (aka anonymouslysufferingfromOCD). I can't tell you how much I appreciate their help making my stories better. Also, thanks to all the great writers that I WCed with this week.

*I don't own them.

Good News, Bad News

EPOV

I called the realtor my father suggested the next day. To say they sounded excited at the prospect of a home search for us would definitely be an understatement. Having Cullen as a last name certainly brought some advantages. They were on the task immediately, emailing prospective properties for Bella and I to look at before we physically visited our favorites over the coming weekend. I had suggested to Bella that we also had the option of building a house from scratch and she assured me she would consider that option if we didn't find anything that suited us perfectly. I loved that she and I were so similar in our tastes. I had never been one to flaunt my money and I certainly didn't need an extravagant mansion. I think Bella liked that I was easygoing about our wealth and that I didn't require special treatment or accommodations because of it.

On Wednesday, Embry called me and asked if he could meet with Bella and I that evening. He informed me that he had some disturbing news about James and that I needed to prepare Bella. My hands gripped my hair in frustration. Why couldn't Bella have more stress-free time? I wanted to scream and punch and kick something, but that probably wouldn't have been a good idea around my patients. I snuck off to an on-call room to pace around and called Emmett, asking him to bring Rose over that night so they could be with us to hear Embry's information. I knew Bella and my mother would be coming in soon for their weekly playtime with the kids, so I tried to get myself together; the last thing I wanted to do was add to Bella's worry with my own anxieties.

I was paged for a consult in the emergency room and by the time I arrived back on my floor, I found Bella and my mom engaged in games with several of the patients. I leaned against the wall, taking a moment to admire my beautiful wife. Pregnancy really did suit Bella. She had always been gorgeous, but she was practically glowing as she grinned down at the two little girls. I glanced over at my mom and her eyes locked with mine for a moment. She must have sensed something, because I saw the small frown appear on her face. I forced myself to smile before I walked over to them. Bella looked up as I approached.

"Hey, beautiful." I said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. I smiled at her little playmates. "What kind of trouble are you girls in over here?" I asked teasingly. The giggles that erupted from all three of them warmed my heart.

"No trouble over here, Dr. Cullen," Bella said with a smirk. I briefly thought about putting my glasses on and pulling her away for a "break" in a locked room. I walked over to greet my mother, asking her to find me before she and Bella left.

About an hour later, I was finishing some charts at the nurse's station and felt the electrical pull of my Bella, knowing she was near. I looked up to see her and mom approaching the desk. I stood to walk them out, making small talk along the way even though they both knew I was about to give them unpleasant news. I squeezed Bella's hand as we approached the car.

"Bella, Embry called. He is coming over tonight and apparently he has some information for us regarding James and Victoria." I felt her tense and looked over to see the worried expression on mom's face. I pulled Bella into a hug, trying to offer any comfort I could. "It will be alright, baby. We will deal with whatever he has to tell us. I don't want you to worry." I knew she would, but it was all I could think of to say at that moment. I pulled back to find her giving me a small smile.

"We'll be fine, Edward. I will see you in a few hours." I gave her a kiss and hugged my mom before returning to my floor. My mind was pre-occupied the rest of my shift, wondering what news we would be hearing that night.

I came home to find my mom still there along with dad, Emmett, and Rose. We sat around the dining table eating our roasted chicken and vegetables, trying to ignore the heavy air of uncertainty hanging over our heads. Rose and my mother insisted Bella sit, while they helped me clear the dishes and bring out some coffee, tea, and cookies. The doorbell rang just as we were setting it all on the table. I went to the door, letting Embry in. His face was plastered in an expression of calm, not giving anything away. I wanted to shake him, making him tell me if anything he said was going to scare Bella.

Embry sat down at the table, Bella making sure he had coffee and dessert before he began. Everyone's attention turned to him when he finally began talking.

"Well, I have good news and bad news." I was getting impatient, wanting this to be over with. Luckily he started talking again before I said something I would regret. "The good news is that Miss Denali has moved to stay with her sister in Ohio. I don't think she will be bothering you again." If she knew what was good for her, she would stay there. I briefly considered trying to foil any job opportunities for her in Ohio too, but figured it would be best for everyone if she did get hired somewhere two states away. I watched Embry sigh deeply, looking between Emmett and Bella. I braced myself for what we were about to hear next.

"The bad news is that James Monroe has filed an appeal that has a decent shot at not only being heard, but of being taken seriously. The public defender that convinced Monroe to plead guilty two years ago has been brought up on charges. Basically, he has been accused by multiple defendants of conspiring with the district attorney and falsely influencing his clients to take deals that were not in line with their best interests. Monroe is going to be one of those accusing parties. Monroe's new lawyer is tough. He has already started the filings to get his guilty plea reversed and his confession thrown out." What did that mean? Was James going to be released? I felt the panic bubbling up inside me and looked to see Emmett with his fists clenched on top of the table. Bella grabbed my hand, and I looked to find any serenity I could in her eyes. Over my dead body would that monster ever get near her again. My father spoke up asking a question that was on all our minds.

"So, do you think Monroe will be released?" he asked.

Embry scratched his chin.

"The public would have the new DA in a vice if he just allowed a cop killer to go free with no trial. If the guilty plea is thrown out, then I am sure he will be remanded and have to go to trial on murder charges; although, it would be likely that the confession and some evidence would not be available for the prosecution. If there ends up being a trial, it would be months away at the earliest and you have to prepare yourselves for the possibility that you would be called as witnesses," he explained to Emmett and Bella.

"Wait a minute. If the trial happened in a few months, Bella would be in her third trimester. There's no way she would be able to fly across the country, aside from the fact that I don't want her anywhere near that psycho," my words were spewing out in an angry rant.

Embry held up his hands.

"I know you are frustrated, Edward. I would be, too. I think you should hire an attorney immediately and let them know what is going on, so that you can look at your options in the event that he is remanded for a trial," his calm voice was doing nothing to ease my distress. He looked around the table almost apologetically before the next words came out of his mouth. "I have more to tell you." I heard Bella's quiet sigh, almost as if in resignation. Closing my eyes, I tried to collect myself before I really lost it. I opened my eyes when I heard Embry opening his briefcase and pulling out some papers. He cleared his throat before he looked back up at all of us.

"I really am sorry to do this. This is going to be very difficult for you to read, but I feel like you should be aware of what is happening. I have come across some correspondence between Monroe's lawyer, Riley Cooper and Victoria Johnson. Don't ask how I got this, but I was told to use any means necessary to find out what was going on. Anyway, they are building up another motive for explaining why Monroe shot Bella's father in case they do get a trial. This will start to explain why Victoria is suddenly so interested in Bella's life. I will give each of you a copy and time to read through it." He handed us all a page of paper with what looked like an email document printed on it.

Mr. Cooper,

Thank you for relaying my last message to James. It helps to be able to have some connection with him. I love him and hate that he has been falsely imprisoned. When you next see him, would you let him know that I received his letter and that I love him?

As for Isabella Swan, I am fully willing to testify exactly what James has told you. It is true. She was all over him during school. She begged him to help her get away from her abusive father. James felt sorry for her and thought of her as a little sister. She convinced him that she was in dire danger and he was disillusioned. He was a teenager that felt there was no other option. He thought he was saving her. I can attest to some of the conversations she had with him, telling him of her problems at home and I have others willing to come forward to tell you about her attaching herself to James.

He is a good man. I am very happy that you are doing everything you can to help him. It is time for the truth to be heard.

Sincerely,
Victoria Johnson

I felt Bella release my hand and heard her chair scrape back harshly. I felt like I had been punched in the gut as I watched her run to the bathroom. I quickly went after her, catching up as the door slammed behind her. A wave of helplessness washed over me as I heard her getting sick inside. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and looked over to see Rose standing beside me.

"Let me go in, Edward." I nodded to her soft request. I cringed as I heard Emmett yelling at Embry about the absurdity of the email. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I debated on whether to wait for Bella to come out or to go back into the dining room. I finally decided to go check and make sure Emmett wasn't killing anybody. I walked in on Embry calming Emmett down.

"Emmett, this is a full-court jump shot that they are attempting. They are trying to come up with anything possible to provide reasonable doubt."

"But, how can they just lie? There is not one shred of truth in that whole letter; and who the fuck are these other people? I want some names." Emmett's fist pounded on the table. "I think I may need to make a trip back home to Forks and figure out what the fuck is going on," he said mostly to himself. A mad Emmett causing chaos in a small town was the last thing we needed. I sighed heavily; feeling very tired all of a sudden. My teary-eyed mom squeezed my shoulder lightly as she walked past me to go check on Bella.

"Em, I'm going to hire a lawyer tomorrow. Hopefully, these lies will never even be heard in the open. I think we just need to keep Bella calm now," I told him, wanting him to remember his sister was pregnant and didn't need the added stress of her brother flying off the handle. I knew he was pissed off about the insinuation of his father being abusive. I'm sure that Bella was just as upset about that, especially since Victoria claimed Bella had made those assertions. I started to wonder if James was feeding Victoria all of this nonsense or whether she was as batshit crazy as he was. I looked at Embry and I could see the sympathy in his eyes.

"Is there anything else?" I asked him, hoping there wasn't. I didn't think I could take anymore that night.

"No, that's it. Listen, I know most of this wasn't the best news, but at least there doesn't seem to be any immediate physical threat to Bella. Remind her of that. Once you hire the lawyer, have them contact me and I can work with them as I continue to gather any information." He walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Everything will work out. Even in the worst case scenario where Bella's testimony would be required in another trial for Monroe, the truth will come out and he should stay locked up. Just try to remember the bright side is that he is behind bars and should remain there." He looked around the room at Emmett and my dad deep in thought. "I am going to let myself out, I will be in touch." I nodded and thanked him.

I sat down at the table again, none of us saying a word. I looked up and my stomach fell when I saw a pale and shaken Bella escorted back in by Rose and my mother.

BPOV

Wednesday had been a fun day until Edward warned me about Embry coming over that night. Esme had been ecstatic over lunch as we discussed the possibility of Edward and me moving closer to her and the idea of him opening a private practice. Then, playing with the kids always brought me so much happiness. That all went down the drain when I saw Edward's anxious expression as he told me we were going to receive upsetting news. Ugh! I wasn't sure why I even needed any more information on James. He had already done enough damage to me already. Surely, he still wasn't interested in me?

Inner good girl reminded me that I was the one that demanded to be told everything. Sometimes I really wanted to strangle her.

Esme had requested that she stay with me until Edward arrived home from the hospital. When we returned to the apartment, I made us some tea and sat with her in the living room. It actually provided me a perfect opportunity to bend her ear about my fears of motherhood. I sipped my tea, hesitating over exactly how to word my doubts. She seemed to sense my dawdling.

"Okay, out with it. What's wrong, honey?" Her hand patted my knee while she looked at me with expectation. It was so frustrating for me. She was the perfect mother. Would she think less of me if I revealed my weakness? No, of course she wouldn't; she is far too kind. I took a deep breath and talked.

"Esme, were you scared to be a mother before you had Edward?" My eyes trained on her face, watching her every expression. She didn't seem surprised by my question; she actually looked a little relieved. I couldn't help but wonder why. She looked at me and chuckled lightly.

"Sweetheart, believe me; everyone is scared before they have their first child. It is completely normal." I nodded at her reply, but bit my lip nervously. How do I explain that it is more than that though?

"Do you think personalities of children are shaped by upbringing? I mean, how much influence do you think your nurturing provided Edward and Alice to become who they are today?" I asked with trepidation. Would she understand what I was getting at? Would she understand how I felt inadequate to raise children, not having been raised by a mother myself? She took my hand in hers and placed our linked fingers on her lap.

"Bella, I do think that parents play a large part in shaping their children. However, I also believe that some things are beyond our control. There are qualities in each individual that are intrinsic and cannot be influenced by upbringing or culture." She paused for a moment, seemingly to decide what to say next. "I know you are worried because you didn't have a mother growing up; but, I've seen the way you care about everyone in your family. I've seen how you interact with the kids at the hospital. I've seen the love you have for Edward. Bella, you are going to be a wonderful mother. You already have the most two important traits a mother could have…love and protection. Everything else will fall into place." I thought over her words. I knew that I already loved my babies and would do anything to protect them. Were those really the most important things to motherhood? I felt like a little weight had been lifted from my heart at the possibility. Maybe I wouldn't be a failure and a disappointment to Edward.

"I've been reading some baby books, trying to prepare myself for what is to come. It seems a little daunting, especially with twins." I confided. She nodded and squeezed my hand again.

"It is great that you are reading up and gathering as much information as possible. But, I am not going to lie to you. No matter how much you think you are prepared, when the babies do come, there will be times when you are surprised or feel overwhelmed. Nothing can completely ready you for the real thing. But, that is where you have me, plus the rest of the family. I will always be there for you, Bella. If you need anything at all, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, I will help and so would everyone else. That is what family is for." Her earnest eyes reassured me. I couldn't help but reach around to give her a hug.

"Thank you, Esme. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your advice and your willingness to help if I need it." I laughed a little as I pulled back. "I just hope I can be half the mom that you are." She scoffed.

"Oh, Bella. You are going to be a great mother; but, thank you for the compliment. I'm just so excited that I am getting so many grandbabies at once!" She squealed. I wanted to smile at her exuberance, but I felt bad recognizing that she didn't know about Alice's miscarriage. I wasn't even supposed to know about it. I had yet to see Alice since I found out and hoped that I could hold my emotions in enough to not let on I had been informed of her misfortune. I changed the subject quickly, not wanting to upset Esme. We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the suggested properties our realtor had sent us. Edward and I were planning to visit some of them on Saturday when he was off work.

Esme convinced me to allow her and Carlisle to be present when Embry came to talk that evening. She helped me prepare dinner for everyone because I knew Emmett and Rose would also be there. We decided to make something easy, throwing together some roasted chicken and vegetables. Carlisle, Emmett and Rose all showed up as we were cooking and Rose got everyone something to drink. Dinner was served soon after Edward arrived home. I tried to keep up a strong, confident front even though I was a bundle of nerves inside. I had a sense of dread for what Embry was going to reveal that night.

I was right.

Nothing could have prepared me for what he told us. My heart clenched as I read the email from Victoria and I felt my stomach rejecting the dinner I had just consumed. I could feel Edward behind me as I raced to make it to the bathroom, but I slammed the door, not wanting him to see my total breakdown. What kind of monsters were James and Victoria? My father was such an honorable man and it hurt to think of anyone saying something harmful about him; let alone think I would say something that horrid. I couldn't stop heaving into the toilet, even after there was nothing left in me. I knew someone else was in the bathroom with me, but it wasn't Edward. Sobs eventually replaced the dry heaves, my body finally wearing itself out. I looked to see Rose beside me, holding my hair and rubbing my back. It was then that Esme came in. Neither of them said a word as they worked together, trying to calm me down. I didn't want to be having this emotional breakdown but I couldn't seem to control it. I felt Rose reach over to flush the toilet with me still clutching it for dear life. Esme cleaned me up while the tears continued flowing. I hated the feeling that I had to be babied or taken care of and I willed myself to gain control over my body again. Using all my effort, I pulled myself up to sit on the toilet seat, forcing the sobs to cease. My breathing regulated and after several minutes I looked up to see Rose and Esme watching me.

"I'm fine." I croaked out. At least, I would be. I really just wanted to go lie down in bed and try to forget I heard anything that night. But, I also didn't want to be the weak link anymore. I wanted to be strong for my family. Taking in several deep breaths, my nerves succumbed to my will and I felt ready to go back out to the dining room.

"Bella honey, why don't I have Edward take you upstairs? I think we are all through tonight." I smiled at Esme, letting her know I appreciated her concern.

"I am OK, I promise. Let's go back out there and get this over with." Rose's hand clasped mine and I knew she was just as upset by Victoria's words as I had been. She loved Charlie like a father, since he had treated her better than her own parents ever had.

When we walked back into the dining room, all I could see was the anguish on Edward's face when he looked at me. I'm sure that I looked pretty frightful, and I hated that he had to see me in this state. When he rushed over to me, I could do nothing except lean into him absorbing his Edward smell, which always served as a comfort to me. I felt his lips tickle my ear.

"Can I take you upstairs, Bella?" He asked in a whisper. I pulled back to look at him.

"I feel better now, Edward. It was just a shock. Did Embry already leave?" I asked, looking at the table, holding only Emmett and Carlisle.

"Yes, that was everything he had for now. Do you want to sit down and talk?" I nodded to him and took a seat when he pulled out my chair. He sat down beside me, pulling his chair as close as possible. I looked around at my family and took another deep breath.

"Obviously, that entire email was ludicrous. It hurts that they would go to these lengths and lie about my father and me, but they are desperate. I guess that all we can do now is hire a lawyer and let them help us." I shrugged, not knowing what else we could do.

"I will take care of that tomorrow. I would like them to get on this as soon as possible. Embry will keep on top of any court proceedings in Washington in regards to James." Edward said. He tilted my face to look at him. "Bella, he wanted me to assure you that even if the worst case scenario happened, and you had to testify to anything in court, that the truth will come out and James should stay locked up." I nodded to him.

"That helps. Maybe we could also charge Victoria with something since she seems to be in the thick of this situation?" I wondered aloud. I heard Emmett clear his throat.

"I don't know who these other people are that she is referencing, but I'm sure that there would be plenty of people that would step up on your behalf, Bella. They would know you never sought out James." Emmett said. I thought about my life during my senior year when James was there. I would definitely have Angela to tell the truth. Were there any others that I ever truly let into my life? I hoped that my previous inclination for isolation didn't come back to bite me. Victoria had been popular and beautiful. I had often eaten my lunches in the library with my head buried in a book. Rose seemed to sense my uneasiness regarding former classmates having my back.

"It will work out, Bella. I doubt Victoria is actually going to find many people willing to perjure themselves just because she gave them a few blowjobs in high school." I couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped me. It seemed Rose's blunt words also lightened up the rest of the family because they all joined in with my chuckles. After we had quieted again, Carlisle gave me a smile.

"At least we know there is nobody physically threatening you now. I'm sure it will be a relief not to have to rely on anybody else to be with you if you want to go out." I nodded at his assertion. That was the best information to come out of Embry's discussion. I didn't have to be a burden anymore on that front.

"Yes, that's a relief. I'm glad Tanya bolted out of the city. Good riddance." I heard all of them concurring with my words. Rose then clapped her hands together.

"Well Emmy, I think it is time to head on home. It's late and I'm sure Bella and Edward want to get some rest." Rose winked at me and I knew she realized how tired I was. I stood to give them both a hug and make sure Emmett knew I wasn't going to freak out again. I could tell he was worried about me.

"Dad loved you more than anything; you know that, right?" Emmett asked me as he held me in his tight grip.

"I know, Emmett. I am not going to let those lies get to me. I think it was just the shock of seeing them in print like that which made my stomach turn. I promise I am going to be alright." I said back to him. I hated the sad look in his eyes when he walked out. Dad had always taught him to protect his little sister and I was sure the situation made him feel like he wasn't living up to some promise made to our father. I wanted to assure him that it wasn't his responsibility to protect me from everything, but I was sure it would fall on deaf ears.

Carlisle and Esme left soon after Rose and Em, both of them hugging me tight. As soon as the door was closed and locked behind Edward's parents, he scooped me up in his arms giving me kisses all over my face while he carried me up the stairs. I wanted to protest leaving the dessert dishes out on the table, but didn't have the energy or the willpower. It would take more than a few coffee cups to make me willingly leave my Edward's arms.

Edward and I clung to each other in bed that night, whispering our words of love. I'm not sure if either of us got more than an hour or two of sleep, but at least we had each other.

AN2: So, tell me what you think. Were you expecting that news about James? Will Bella have to be a witness or give testimony? Are you glad Tanya is gone? Do you want to kill Victoria?

Next chapter will feature some E and B house-hunting ventures and some pregnant Bella and Alice time.