WARNING: THIS STORY IS NO LONGER BEING EDITED FOR CONTENT. FULL DESCRPTION WILL BE INCLUDED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED…

Disclaimer: I don't own the original cast of characters from Twilight, but I am the mastermind of this plotline :)

Thanks as always to Sihaya 9 for her beta work. Also thanks to our own lovely Sassenach Wench for validating these pups for us! Now read on to find out about little Emmalie's entrance into the world and how the rest of the trial plays out. This one is a bit shorter than the last. Hope you enjoy it!

We only have three chapters left before the epi, bachelor/ette party and other future decisions being made, wedding, and then the reception. Thanks again for everything!

The Eye of the Storm

BPOV

Testifying in the trial was torturous. I don't know if I had ever been through such an emotional rollercoaster as that, with the exception of the actual event itself. That asshole of a lawyer pushed me to the brink so many times, twisting my words and actions, trying to make me look like the bad guy. What the fuck? The asshole holding us all hostage with munitions worthy of military personnel was the bad guy in all of this! All I did was work my ass off to keep everyone healthy and safe and get us through it.

I didn't think anything could have me more stressed out than being on that stand until only a few measly minutes after leaving the courtroom I got the call that Rosalie was suffering from Preeclampsia and was going to be having an emergency C-section. Suddenly, the stress of what I endured faded into the background as concern for my sister-in-law and unborn niece took the forefront.

I asked Jasper to go back in to find Dimitri to tell him the situation and that we wouldn't be back for the afternoon session. I knew Dimitri would understand, and would also have to rework his witness list because I was pretty sure he was planning on starting with the boys once he finished with the rest of the staff.

Edward eyed me warily as he helped me shove my way through the cluster of reporters out front before assisting me into the passenger seat of his Volvo and speeding us toward the hospital.

"So what exactly is going on Bella? What is Preeclumptia anyway?"

I couldn't help but chuckle under my breath at his incorrect terminology. "Preeclampsia is something that only happens to pregnant women and can be very dangerous or even fatal if it goes unchecked. The main symptoms are high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Anyway, the only way to cure it is to deliver the baby. They could have induced, but the impression I got was that her blood pressure is spiking dangerously high and I know Rose is desperate to keep Emma safe. My guess is that the doctor probably suggested it and knowing what all could go wrong if they went the other way, Rose jumped on the idea."

"So this could be dangerous?"

I nodded with a sigh. "Thankfully, she knows her stuff and so do these doctors. She's actually at full term in a few days so it's totally safe to deliver now. If this had happened a few weeks ago, it would have been way worse because Emma would have been premature. She should do well now, though."

Edward sighed, reaching over to take my hand. He pulled it to his mouth, kissing the back gently.

It seemed to take forever to get to the hospital. We parked quickly and rushed to the labor and delivery floor just in time to see them wheeling her gurney out of her room toward the OR. Edward and I ran up to them as the cart cleared the room, hugged them both, and wished them luck before nervously sauntering to the waiting room to hear more.

I fidgeted and paced while Edward did his best to keep me calm. This was a routine operation, and it should solve Rosalie's problems, although there were some cases where the issues of this disorder still haunted women up to six weeks postpartum. I really hoped this wouldn't be the case for Rose.

Edward was the consummate perfect fiancé, constantly comforting me and assuring me that all would be fine.

About twenty minutes after they walked through the doors, Emmett walked back through following a nurse pushing a plastic isolette with a beautiful bundle of pink tucked warmly inside. Emmett yanked his mask down and beamed at the bundle before looking up at us in joy.

I ran down the hall to his side, hugging him closely. I looked down at my angelic little niece wrapped in a soft looking pink blanket with a little pink cap on her head, her tiny fists curled under her chin as she sucked on one contentedly.

"Oh, Emmett! She's so beautiful! Congratulations, Daddy!" I hugged his neck tightly as he buried his face in my neck, squeezing back.

I pulled back gently. "How's Rose?"

He chuckled darkly. "Demanding, nauseas, and relieved. The anesthesia made her gag for the first five minutes because, ironically enough, her blood pressure dropped really bad, making her sick. She cried when Emma made her first sounds and watched intently as they worked to clean her up and I held her close for her to see. Then when they announced they had to go check her out in the nursery, she demanded I go with Emma and not leave her side. The doctor said that she should be okay now, so I did what she said, but I'm slipping into recovery to see her. I'm assuming you'd be willing to stay with her while I go, right sis?"

I beamed up at him. "I'd be honored. Usually only parents are allowed, but I'm hoping our connections will allow me to go in there."

Edward chuckled behind me as he stepped around to hug and congratulate Emmett. "I'll buzz Dad and ask him to call down. He's on lunch for the trial right now, so it should be fine."

Emmett frowned down at me as we began to follow the baby and the nurse toward the nursery. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, squirt. Did it go okay?"

I shrugged with a frown. "It wasn't great, but I think Dimitri pulled through for me in the end." I glanced back at Edward who smiled at me with a small nod.

"I don't want to talk about it now, though," I sighed, shifting my focus back on my perfect little niece. "We can talk about it later."

Emmett nodded and hugged me once more, following the nurse and Emma into the glassed in room.

I stood at the window and watched in awe while the nurses examined and cleaned up my beautiful little niece; Edward stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist, his head resting on my shoulder. An occasional sigh would escape his mouth and his arms would tighten on my waist.

We weren't there long when Alice and Jasper slid in beside us, along with Andy, Carlisle, and Esme.

Emmett caught sight of them and smiled, lifting Emma out of the bassinet now that she was all clean and fresh, holding her up for them to see her better. He was already so comfortable with her. It brought tears to my eyes to see the love and devotion in his eyes. He skillfully tucked her in the crook of his arm, reaching his hand up to pluck the little cap off her head to reveal a mop of blonde wispy tufts.

Emma apparently didn't care for the cool air on her head and began to fuss nearly immediately. Emmett looked terrified for a second as he tried unsuccessfully to put the tight fitting knit cap back on her head. Finally, he laid her back down, using two hands to slide the cap back on before picking her back up and cuddling her close to him, cooing sweetly down at her face.

We all sighed and made over the beautiful bundle of joy in his arms before the rest of the crew dismissed themselves to return to the trial. Dimitri was frustrated at how the turn of events was going to mess with his witness list, but managed to work things out. Andy and Jasper would be there that afternoon to testify and then Emmett and Edward would be expected to take the stand early the next day. The judge was very understanding and allowed the adjustments.

Right after everyone left, Emmett looked up and nodded for me to come in. I went to the nurses' station, where they allowed me to pass through. Emmett gestured toward me with Emma and I froze for a moment.

"Wait, won't Rose be upset that I got to hold her before she did? I don't want to take that from her."

He chuckled. "I think she'd be more likely to kick your a...," his eyes widened as he looked down at Emma and glanced around at the tiny bundles all around us, "I mean butt, if you didn't. She wants one of us with Emma at all times. Now come take your niece so I can go check on this angel's beautiful mother."

I smiled and carefully took the light baby girl from her burly father's arms, tucking her into the crook of mine. I reached up and brushed a finger along her soft pink cheek as her tiny mouth opened into a perfect little 'o' and her tiny eyes fluttered open. I gasped at the emotions that flowed through me, tears pooling in my eyes, blurring her tiny face in my vision.

"Hi there, Emmalie, I'm your aunt Bella. You're so beautiful. Do you know that? Just like your Mommy. Mommy is going to be so excited to see you. You are what she always wished for and never thought she would get to have. You are going to be the luckiest baby alive, little girl."

My chest felt like it could burst from the love I felt for this tiny little being that belonged to my big brother. My imagination couldn't even begin to grasp how much more that feeling would have to be if it were my own child in my arms.

I looked up toward the window to see Edward standing there, staring in at us. His hand rested against the window and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. His thoughts were right in line with my own.

The nurse came up to me, asking me to put Emma down while she did another checkup. I stood nearby, watching closely as the nurse unwrapped Emma's tiny body and inspected her perfect little limbs. I chuckled when I looked at her feet, realizing she had gotten the Swan big toe just like Emmett and me. My eyes roamed her body finding little attributes that correlated to both her mother and her father. She had Rose's long slender fingers and Emmett's nose and an adorable little birth mark on her hip that kind of looked like two tiny hearts connected at the bottoms.

When the nurse finished up, I picked my niece back up in my arms and settled in a rocking chair near a window so Edward could see her as I tucked her in my arm and caressed her little body parts carefully.

Soon my brother returned, announcing that Rose's pressures seemed to be stabilizing and she was exhausted, sleeping in recovery. As soon as she heard his voice, Emma's eyes opened again and her head turned his direction. I sighed happily. She knew and loved her Daddy already. I passed Emma to him and watched as he settled in the rocking chair with her, happily cooing down to her pretty face.

I walked back out into the hallway, immediately melting into Edward's warm embrace. We watched Emmett glow toward his daughter in silence for a long while before Edward's voice hummed huskily in my ear.

"Watching you hold that little girl was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I couldn't help but imagine seeing you hold our baby like that someday."

I sighed and closed my eyes, resting my head against his chest. "I know; I was too. The overwhelming emotions I felt holding her, I couldn't even begin to fathom how much more amazing it will be when it's my own, someday."

I felt him sigh happily, kissing my temple. We tapped on the glass, motioning to Emmett that we would be back in the waiting room.

Between the stress of the day in court and the events of Emma's birth, Edward and I were both exhausted enough to somehow fall asleep leaning against each other in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. I'm not sure how long we had been there when Emmett shook my shoulder gently to wake me.

We followed him down a hallway to Rose's room, where she looked pale and exhausted. She laid in the hospital bed with the back at a slightly elevated angle, baby Emma tucked happily on her chest. She smiled at us when we walked in, gingerly hugging and congratulating her.

After a few minutes, baby Emma was passed around, quickly being given to Edward who took her nervously, sitting down immediately with a tense posture. I chuckled at him; slipping in next to him and helping him relax a little.

I whispered in his ear. "Now, if you're serious about wanting one of these, I need proof that you're going to be able to handle it. You're not going to break her, baby. Just relax and let instinct take over."

He smiled over at me, settling back in his seat. Emma let out a tiny sigh, shifting into his arms a little more and lifting her tiny fist to her mouth to suckle again. Edward beamed down at her, his eyes twinkling with daydreams of our future.

We only stayed another hour or so before leaving so Rose could get some rest. Emmett was unhappy that he was going to have to leave them the next morning, but understood that he had to go to court. Rose assured him that they would be fine and some of her work friends had promised to visit the next morning anyway, so she wouldn't be alone.

We went home, calling around to see how the rest of the day in court had been. Varner apparently was nearing the end of his rope and pulling out all the dirty stops. Dimitri shot him down left and right though.

I was nervous for Edward and Emmett's time on the stand. I knew as sure as I knew my own first name that Varner was going to skin them alive on the stand for going into a situation where they knew a loved one was involved. He was going to really put them under the magnifying glass and turn up the sun's rays, but I had every faith that Dimitri would pull them through.

After we were both cleaned up and made it into bed, I rolled to my side, caressing Edward's face tenderly. "So….you helped me relieve some stress last night for my turn on the stand this morning. How about you? Can I…um…do something to help you?"

Edward grinned up at me deviously. "Last night was just as much for me as it was for you, baby. You've got to know that!"

I chuckled and nodded minutely.

He took a deep breath, releasing it in a long sigh as he tightened his arms around my shoulders, pulling me down to rest my head on his chest. I listened to his heart beat regularly in his chest as his fingers pulled lightly through my hair.

"Actually, I would be perfectly happy if you just let me hold you just like this. I love having you here with me. We're usually so busy that when we are both awake and in bed we go at it like rabbits because it's our only chance. I think tonight I just want to be close to you."

I chuckled.

He stilled his hand in my hair as I felt him lift his head to look down at me.

I tipped my chin up with a crooked smile. "When exactly did you become the girl in this relationship?"

He rolled his eyes with a growl, resuming dragging his fingers through my hair with one hand while the other trailed lightly up and down my spine.

"One of us has to; you seem to have the libido of a teenage boy lately. What's up with that?"

I knew he was teasing, but I still acted annoyed. "Hey, women hit their sexual peak later in life than men. Typically not until their thirties, but who knows…I'm weird when it comes to everything else, maybe this is an exception."

Edward chuckled, shaking his head, his eyes crinkled teasingly. "Well, Lord help me if it isn't. You are already just about all I can handle. You hit your sexual peak a decade from now and I might just die trying to keep up."

I growled at him, smacking his arm playfully. "Oh you'll keep up alright; I'll make sure of it."

He hugged me closer kissing my temple gently. "I'm sure you will and I look forward to every second."

We fell asleep shortly after, still wrapped up together, enjoying the calm in the eye of the storm.

o~O~o

We woke up early the next morning. Edward took a bit more time than usual to do his best to tame his hair and shave before sliding into a very nice, and I was sure, a very expensive suit. I didn't know designers, but from how nice he looked in it, I knew it was probably something famous like Armani.

I wore another one of those annoying women's suits with the skirts and the jackets. I hated dressing up, but I preferred wearing the light airy dresses and tops Alice always tried to squeeze me into over these uncomfortable, hot things. Edward kept saying I looked hot in them, and boy was he not wrong. It was June and I was stuck wearing these long sleeve jackets, which I did my best to remove every chance I got, but felt it was inappropriate in court.

Besides, I had a sneaking suspicion that his appreciation for them was probably linked to some kind of librarian fantasy or something…in which case we might have to revisit the topic once the trial was over and done with. For now though, I'd just rather not know.

We arrived at the courthouse and this time it was my turn to stew in my seat while Edward and an exhausted looking Emmett met with Dimitri for last minute strategizing before they hit the stand. Emmett would go first, followed closely by Edward.

Emmett's turn wasn't too terribly painful. Dimtiri started by mentioning Emmett's baby daughter who was born yesterday, which delayed his testimony to the jury, who were all smiles for him.

Varner knew better than to attack someone who already had their sympathy. He did make Emmett sweat a bit over knowingly going in after me, and breaking a whole plethora of rules. Emmett explained as coherently as he could, but when a few tears slipped from the corner of his eye when he looked at me, little sighs escaped several ladies of the jury. Varner cast his eyes at them before ending his line of questioning, knowing that if he did to Emmett what he had done to me, he would only be villainizing himself.

Emmett stepped down and came back to sit beside me again, encasing my hand in his, making it completely disappear.

I rested my head against his shoulder briefly, squeezing his arm tightly a second before reaching back to grasp Edward's hand again. I wanted to give him all the comfort I could before he had to leave me.

Dimitri called him to the stand. He leaned down to kiss my temple before stepping up and swearing his oath before taking his seat behind the honey colored banister.

Dimitri began with the basics, covering all the crucial details and bringing the depth of his relationship with me to light up front. He even asked why Edward would make such a risky move as to come in after me. Edward's only reply was, "I couldn't just do nothing. I had to take care of her. I had to help save her."

Dimitri smiled at him with a nod, stepped back to his seat and the judge passed the floor to Varner.

Varner started out easily enough, but he pushed harder and harder the deeper they got into the story and Edward's temper was on the verge of blowing.

"Excuse me, but what does this have to do with the liability of the hospital in this case? My team and I were not tied to the hospital."

"Oh, but Mr. Masen, or should I say Cullen since you are legally planning to change your name to such in just two months from now when you marry Dr. Swan, are you not Dr. Cullen, the chief Attending's nephew whom he raised from the tender age of ten?"

Edward sat back wide eyed as Varner smirked at him.

Varner continued. "Thus, you are deeply connected to both the doctor involved in the hostage situation and the man in charge of operations of the facility, correct?"

Edward whispered a painful 'yes.'

"So then, sir, your actions on that day are connected to the liability of the hospital because you took a personal interest in the situation and put not only yourself, but every person in that room in danger by rushing in when you should have allowed others who were not so personally connected to the case to go in. You got yourself shot in the chest and had to undergo major surgery and a lot of therapy to get back to where you had been before the incident, correct?"

Edward nodded, his adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

I gripped Emmett's hand tighter. Tears were threatening to spill over my cheeks, while I watched Edward practically deflate on stage.

"Was it worth it, Mr. Masen? Was it worth the risk to go in that room that day?"

Suddenly the pain in Edward's eyes faded, he sat up tall in his seat. "ABSOLUTELY!"

My heart swelled at how determined and strong his answer rang out in the room.

Varner flashed a look of surprise at him before it turned into a smirk. He turned theatrically to the jury.

"So you have no regrets for going into that room that day, putting so many innocent lives at risk?"

"No, I do not."

Varner looked pleased when he ended his line of questioning and returned to his seat. Dimitri looked stunned as he stood to redirect, fumbling slightly with his papers.

"Mr. Masen," he addressed Edward, looking as confused as many others in the room were. He had a slight edge of annoyance to his voice. Obviously, Edward had gone off plan. "Would you please explain your last answer to the jury?"

"I'd love to. I would go in there again because nobody there besides the guys and I knew Bella well enough to react appropriately as the events played out. We have spent the last seven years teaching her self-defense in case she was ever in a situation where she was in danger and we weren't there to help. We do live in Chicago after all. I think I probably knew what she was going to do before she did it. Another group of officers might have reacted differently as the events unfolded and ended up getting more people killed. There is no way I would have ever not gone into that room, one way or another, because I love that woman and I would not have been capable of not being there."

Dimitri sighed, feeling a few of the supports of our case crumble under him, as he looked at Edward in saddened shock.

"Mr. Masen, how do your actions that day reflect responsibility on any of the hospital staff that day?"

Edward grunted with a shrug of his shoulders. "It doesn't, at all. If my fiancé had just been someone in the room instead of a doctor there, I still would have gone in. If my dad wasn't on staff there or even a doctor at all, I still would have gone in there. It wouldn't have mattered when it happened or where, nothing would have stopped me from going in with my crew to save her. I would do it a million times, get shot over and over, just to know that she was safe. My actions in no way can be tied to the hospital. My decisions are my own, as is the responsibility for their aftermath. This entire trial has been a ridiculous waste of time and resources."

Dimitri smiled at Edward, thanking him for his time as he settled back in his seat. Edward was dismissed from the stand and came back to sit next to me, immediately taking my hand and kissing the back before squeezing it tightly in his own. A few more witnesses took the stand, but none were grilled like Edward and I had been. Even Carlisle, who had testified the afternoon before had received lenient treatment from Varner.

Once the witnesses were finished, the judge opened the floor for closing remarks. Varner's seemed weak, like a little kid pointing fingers and throwing blame wherever he could to get sympathy. Dimitri, on the other hand, rocked it, stating unequivocally that the hospital was not responsible for the events of the day. The responsibility rather rested on the dead man who chose to walk in and terrorize us that day. He also went on to bring up the fact that most of the plaintiffs were not even in the room during the worst of the events quoting a few of my words from my testimony to cement his reasoning.

Once both lawyers were finished, the judge dismissed the jury for deliberation and we were all set up for a long, simple game of waiting. Lunch was delivered to the jury as they talked and discussed while the rest of us took an hour to eat together since we knew for sure we had at least that much time before a ruling could possibly come in.

While we were all anxious for the verdict, we were also all greatly relieved that the testimony portion of the trial was over. Now all we could do was hope for the best. We sat and joked over our meals at a nearby Italian bistro, oohing and aahing over the pictures of Emma that Emmett proudly passed around the table. He had already hit up a one hour photo place last night and again this morning before the trial so he had lots of pictures to brag over.

Emmett left us once the meal was done to return to his girls. He missed them too much to stay away any longer. He pulled me in to a tight hug before he left.

"I love you, Bella. You've done a great job. Come by and see us after the verdict, and let us know what ended up happening. Your niece misses you, anyway."

I smiled and nodded, patting him on the shoulder as he left.

We returned to the courthouse to await the announcement that the jury had come back with their verdict. It didn't take nearly as long as we all feared, although we weren't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that they only deliberated for just under three hours.

We all entered the courtroom, taking our seats. I sat between Edward and Esme, holding their hands on either side of me as the jury filtered in.

The judge asked the jury if they reached their verdict and the jury foreman stood to announce that they had. He handed a piece of paper to the bailiff who carried it to the judge who opened it, nodded, and then returned to the bailiff to take back to the foreman.

"Foreman of the jury, please rise and state the verdict of the jury to the court."

The foreman, a tall heavyset man with glasses stood, clearing his throat and opening the paper.

"In the case of the people versus Northwestern Community Hospital, we the jury find the hospital not liable for financial restitution for the plaintiffs in this case."

There was a collective sigh of relief from our side of the room. We all smiled at one another, gently squeezing one another's hands in joy.

The judge made a few more remarks before banging his gavel and declaring the case closed. Dimitri turned around to shake hands with all of us standing in the front row, a big smile across his face. As he took Edward's hand, he held it between both of his.

"When you were up there, I was worried about how the jury would react, but you did great. I have to say, if I had been in your shoes, I would have been the same way."

He smiled over at me and I blushed a little, looking up at Edward with a smile and curling back into his side, gripping his waist tightly.

He chuckled, bending down to kiss my forehead. We walked as a group out of the courtroom and through the collection of local reporters. Carlisle and Dimitri stopped to make official comments as the rest of us walked on.

An hour later, we were all gathered in Rosalie's room, talking happily and passing around Emma. For the first time in months, we were finally free from all of the tension of that day. Everyone was healthy, the trial was behind us, and we were all blissfully happy. Only good thing were ahead of us for the foreseeable future and I couldn't wait.

What did you guys think? Hopefully it all came off okay.