A/N Well, it looks like people are reviewing again and I really appreciate it! I also wanted to say welcome to all the new readers. It never ceases to amaze me that I am still getting faves and alerts for this story. Thank you all so much! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Please read and review! I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

Chapter 63 - Forgiveness

Bella was sitting beside Edward in the front of his Volvo as they drove to the Police Station. Charlie had called and asked her if they could spare an hour to come down and fill out their statements of what exactly happened. She knew there was more to it than that, but she also knew he would tell her what he wanted when they got there. For now, Bella was content to hold Edward's hand in hers and stare at his beautiful profile as he drove the few miles to the station.

When Edward pulled up to the station and shut the car off, he turned in his seat to face her; his face held so much love for her that it nearly took her breath away. "What are you thinking, Love?" he asked her as he gently brought his free hand up to stroke her face.

She felt herself sighing. She should have known that he would be able to tell there was something on her mind. "It's nothing really. Dad asked us to come down and give our statements, but somehow I just know there's more to it than that." She felt silly, but she also knew that Edward would never judge her for her thoughts so she continued. "I mean, how long could it really take to write up our statements? Why would he expect us to be here around an hour just for that?"

Edward smiled at Bella before pulling his hand from hers and climbing out of the car. Before she knew it, he was at her side, opening the door and helping her stand. Once the door was closed, Edward wrapped her in his strong arms. "Bella, whatever it is that Charlie wants, we'll handle it together, okay? You're not alone anymore and if I have anything to say about it, you'll never be alone again. I love you so much." He whispered the last words in her ear before tracing the shell of it with his tongue. When she felt his warm breath on her skin, she couldn't help but shiver and close her eyes to enjoy his touch.

"I love you, too, Edward; more than I can ever express," she whispered back as she moved her hand to the back of his neck, to play with the soft hair there. After a minute of just standing there, reveling in the feel of his arms around her, she pulled back slightly and looked into his penetrating emerald eyes. Standing on the tips of her toes, she raised her face to his as he leaned down toward her. Their lips met for a brief moment in a sweet kiss before she smiled against him.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked. He seemed a little hesitant of her reaction, but she knew he would lend her his strength if she needed it.

She smiled up at him, trying to tell him with her eyes what no words were accurate enough to say. "With you by my side, baby, I'm ready for anything." Without another word, she released her hold on his neck, sank back down to the flats of her feet and reached to grab his hand. Once their hands were locked together, she let him lead her up the stairs and into the station.

Charlie was standing by the door when they walked in, waiting for them. Bella thought it was weird that he had an apprehensive look on his face, but when she saw his eyes dart to a group of people sitting at Heidi's desk and then quickly back to her, she understood why.

One of the people that had turned around at the sound of the bell above the station door was Lauren Mallory. The moment their eyes met, Bella froze right where she was, pulling Edward to a stop with her. "Dad, what the hell is she doing here?" she hissed at Charlie.

Charlie was quick to try to calm her. "Bells, take a deep breath. I'll explain everything to you, but we need to do it in the privacy of my office, okay?" He was fidgeting under her glare, but after a few seconds, he squared his shoulders and tried again. "Bella, please. She's not here to cause you any problems; she's here because she had to give a statement. Her parents are pressing charges against James, okay? Now can we please go into my office?"

What? Bella's head started spinning and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Her vision started to blur and just as she felt her legs weaken and fall out from under her, Edward scooped her up in his arms. "It's okay, Love. Let's go sit down so we can talk, okay? Take deep breaths, I've got you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her to Charlie's office, where he sat down on the small couch still cradling her in his arms. Charlie followed them, closing the door behind him once he was in. "Baby, are you okay now or do you need an Ativan?" Edward asked her, brushing her hair from her face.

Bella took a few deep breaths and when she finally felt more like herself again, she smiled up at Edward. "I'm okay. Thank you for taking care of me, babe. I love you so much."

"Love, there is no need to thank me for that. It's my job to take care of you, to love you, and protect you always. I promise you that I will do just that until I draw my last breath. You are my everything, Bella. I love you, too." He used his index finger to lift her chin from his chest. When their eyes met, she saw the truth of everything he had said reflecting back at her.

Drawing strength from him, she turned to her dad. "Okay, dad. I need you to explain to me what you meant out there. Why did Lauren need to give a statement and what charges are her parents pressing against James?" Charlie looked at her and then at Edward before drawing in a deep breath and launching into the tale of what happened.

...

Bella continued to amaze him with everything she did. When she mentioned her concerns about why her father wanted them at the station, he was there for her. When she saw Lauren Mallory, of all people, sitting in the station with her parents, she panicked and he lent her his strength. What really amazed him though, was the fact at how she reacted when Charlie told her why Lauren was there.

The moment her father was done explaining what had happened this morning to Lauren, Bella released the hold she had on Edward and moved to stand up. "Babe, what are you doing?" he asked her as she slid off his lap. He started to worry because she had a look of determination in her eyes.

"The right thing," she said as she made her way to the door. Charlie didn't seem to know what to do or how he was supposed to react, so he looked at Edward with a panicked look in his eyes. Edward then did the only thing he could do. He jumped to his feet and in three long strides, caught up to her.

When she looked at him questioningly, he simply shrugged and grabbed her hand, knotting their fingers together. "We're in this together, remember?" he asked her with a wink. With a smile for him, she turned back around and opened the door to the office.

It looked as if the Mallorys were just finishing up with the female officer when Bella led him out of Charlie's office. To say that Lauren looked worried when she saw Bella would be an understatement; but the look was so much more than that. Looking at Lauren's face, mixed in with the worry, was true remorse. It looked as if she was finally regretting what she had put Bella through.

When it was clear that Bella was going to go right up to her in the middle of the police station, Lauren's eyes widened and the tears began streaming down her face. Bella stopped when she was only a foot from Lauren and they just stared at each other for a minute. "I'm sorry," Bella finally whispered. "No one deserves to have a guy force himself upon them like what James did. I may not like you Lauren, but that doesn't mean I would ever want to see this happen to you."

Lauren didn't seem to know what to say to Bella's monologue at first. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she finally spoke. "I don't understand how you can apologize to me for something that was completely out of your control after everything I did to you. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you, Bella. I was a total bitch to you for no reason other than petty jealousy." She laughed a little haughtily before she continued. "Before you came to Forks, I was the Queen B. When you got here, you were like the shiny new toy. Every guy at the school had eyes for you from the moment they saw you, even with that ugly ass hair cut. I wanted that attention back and was willing to do anything to get it. Bella, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I know we probably won't ever be friends, but do you think you could at least forgive me?"

Edward looked at Bella, wondering what she was going to say. He knew that this was closure that she really needed to be able to move forward with life, but he also knew that he would stand by her no matter what she chose to do. There was no way he could blame her if she couldn't find it in herself to forgive Lauren. What Lauren did was reprehensible to say the least and Edward wasn't even sure he'd be able to forgive her if she'd done it to him.

Bella amazed him yet again though. He felt her hand loosen around his before she pulled away completely. She must have felt his hesitation to let her go, because she turned to smile at him reassuringly, her eyes asking for him to trust her. With a slight nod of his head, Bella turned back toward Lauren and closed the gap, wrapping her arms around her. "I forgive you," she said. It took a minute for Lauren to return the hug, but when she finally did, it was tentative; it was almost as if she were afraid if she hugged her back, Bella would pull away.

When they finally broke apart, Edward noticed tears in both of their eyes. Somehow, because of everything that had happened, the two had bonded. Lauren might have been right, maybe they wouldn't ever be able to be friends after all that had happened, but at least they were no longer enemies. He watched as Lauren reached for both of Bella's hands before she said anything more, but when she did speak again, she only muttered two words. "Thank you."

Without saying anything else, Lauren released Bella's hand, smiled at her, and then turned with her parents to leave. Not wasting any time, Edward stepped up to Bella and engulfed her in a tight hug. He couldn't have been more proud of her than he was in that moment and he needed her to know that. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he shared with her just how she made him feel in that moment.

"Isabella Swan, I have never been so proud of someone in my entire life. What you were able to do in that moment with Lauren, would have taken most people thousands of dollars and years worth of therapy to accomplish. Forgiveness is not an easy task, especially when it is for something as egregious as what Lauren did to you." He pulled back slightly so he could look into her eyes when he said the next part. "You never cease to amaze me, Beautiful, with how truly selfless you are. I am truly honored that you agreed to marry me and simply can't wait for tomorrow." Ever so reverently, he placed a kiss on her lips as his grip around her waist tightened. "Are you ready to finish what needs to be done here so we can get back to wedding details?"

"Absolutely," Bella answered before turning to find her father watching her. She reached for Edward's hand again, and he let her lead him back to her father's office so they could give him their statements. When they finished at the station, they were going to head next door to the courthouse to apply for their marriage license and then head to Port A for some shopping. He had never been so excited to go shopping in his life, but he knew that it would bring him one step closer to taking Bella as his wife.

...

After she and Edward both wrote down their accounts of what happened, Charlie explained to them what it would take to file charges against James. She knew that the more charges there were filed against him, the more likely it would be for one or more of them to stick. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to file charges of assault and attempted kidnapping, but she wasn't sure if Edward would file assault charges as well. When he nodded after Charlie asked if they wanted to file charges, she was relieved. With the mounds of charges piling up against him, the judge would more than likely deny him bail. He had breaking and entering, destroying property, multiple assault charges, attempted kidnapping, attempted rape; the list seemed to go on and on.

After filling out the paperwork that Charlie gave them to file the charges, they both stood to leave. Bella walked up to her father and threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Daddy. Thank you for everything," she told him. When she released him from the hug, she stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, making him smile widely.

When she moved back by Edward's side, he raised his arm to Charlie as if to shake hands. Charlie went against everything she ever knew about him; instead of shaking Edward's offered hand, he pulled him into a hug instead. "You're family now, Edward; a handshake just won't do," her dad told him. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you two have a lot you need to do to get ready for tomorrow. Get the hell out of here," he said with a warm smile for both of them. Without another word, Bella grabbed Edward's hand and began leading him toward the door of the station.

Once they were outside, Edward turned toward her. "Are you okay, sweetheart? That was a lot to have to go though, especially since you haven't even been eighteen for a full week. I'm so proud of you!" He leaned across the small center console and kissed her lips before straightening up again. "Are you ready to apply for our marriage license?"

Bella smiled widely at Edward's excitement when he asked his question. "Edward, I'm okay, I promise; and I have never been more ready for anything in my life. Let's go!" With that, Edward took her hand and they walked the twenty-five yards to the courthouse.

Getting a marriage license was a fairly easy process. Once they were inside, the older woman at the front desk greeted them with a kind smile. After explaining what it was she and Edward needed, she directed them down the hall to the clerk's office where they were asked to fill out the necessary paperwork. Once the gentleman entered the information into the computer, he informed Edward that it would be a fifty dollar fee to receive the license and that there was a twenty-four hour waiting period. Edward quickly took out his wallet and handed the man the cash and then waited for his receipt. Once it was printed, the man explained that they could pick up the license at the same time tomorrow.

As they left the courthouse, Edward had a huge, proud smile on his face. "You look happy, Edward," she told him as she squeezed his hand.

Edward pulled her into him and wrapped his arms fully around her before responding. "Saying I'm happy would be the understatement of the year, Bella. Right now, I feel like the luckiest man in the world." He leaned in to kiss her lips while smiling. "You make me feel this way, gorgeous; you and only you. I love you," he said against her lips before deepening the kiss.

When they were both gasping for air, they allowed some distance between them, smiling into each others' eyes. Finally, she saw Edward glance at his watch and smile. "We've got a little time before we need to leave for Port Angeles. Let's grab some lunch and then go home," he said before opening her door to the Volvo.

"Mmm... Home. That sounds amazing, Edward. Especially knowing it will be with you."

They stopped at the diner for a quick bite to eat and then drove back to the Cullen house. Without a word, Edward opened her door for her and the second she was standing, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the house, up the stairs, and to his bedroom. When he set her carefully on the bed and then went back to lock the door, she knew she was in for some fun.

A/N Ok, so I have to admit I fudged a bit on the marriage license. In my research, Bella and Edward would have had to go to Port Angeles to apply for the license and there is a three day waiting period, not a one day. I toyed with the idea of having Charlie 'make some phone calls' for them to see if he could persuade the court to wave the waiting period, but then decided just to go with what I originally planned and write it this way. It is fiction, after all! :) Thanks for understanding.