Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original characters, content and ideas of this story are mine.

Chapter 20

Finding Forgiveness

EPOV

After eating our dinner that Bella had brought I drove her back to the hotel so that she could grab some of her clothes and personal items and then headed back to my apartment. I still hadn't told Bella about James yet because I was waiting on Jasper to call me back with a plan of action to stop him, but not just stop him this time but to also make sure he would never be able to do this to anyone else. I received that call from Jasper while Bella and I were driving back to my apartment and I was glad she had fallen asleep on the way home.

"Hey Jasper what's up."

"Okay here's where we are; I talked to my buddy Tyler at NYPD and alerted him to what was going on and the bank has been notified too by Alice to alert the authorities immediately if any check over $1000 is presented for cashing. I also talked to the attorney who handled all of Bella's finances after her parents died and he advised me that he still has an active power of attorney that does not expire for another 6 months so he faxed a letter to the bank stating that no checks can be cashed that does not have an original signature, so that rubber stamp James had made of her signature won't work anymore. The bank has been instructed to ask for ID as well as a thumb print in order to cash a check on Bella's account and any check that is presented without an original signature will alert them to call the police immediately. As far as Lauren we can't really get her if she is not with him when he tries to cash the check so we will just have to wait and see."

"That is fantastic news, thanks Jasper I appreciate this because I definitely want to see this bastard go down."

"Yeah I don't blame you because if I thought someone was trying to steal from Alice I would probably take them out myself. Have you told Bella yet?"

"No I would rather her see it than for me to tell her so she can see that snake for exactly what he is."

"Well it shouldn't be long, but now we're just waiting."

"Okay well if you hear anything else let me know."

"Will do bro, talk to you later, oh and Edward please don't let my fiancé go crazy with the shopping while she is there. Pretty soon I am going to have to buy a bigger house just to fit all of her clothes."

"I'll try but you know Alice is relentless when it comes to her shopping. I said chuckling.

I pulled into my parking space and killed the engine on my car but Bella did not move. She was exhausted and I was happy to see her resting, but I needed to get her upstairs to our bed. Hmm, our bed I really like the sound of that.

"Bella, love, wake up we're home."

I helped her out of the car and when we were upstairs I led her to our bedroom where she collapsed on the bed. After removing her shoes and pants I headed back down to get her bags. When I came back up Bella had removed her shirt and crawled under the covers in her underwear.

"Love, please put on this t-shirt I don't want you catching a cold sleeping under this air." I said handing her one of my t shirts. I then removed my clothes down to my boxers and t-shirt and joined her. I pulled her close to me with her back against my chest and inhaling her sweet scent I fell into oblivion holding the woman I loved close to me.

When I woke up the next morning and felt Bella in my arms I thanked God that I had not been dreaming. Finally she is here with me where she should be and we are not fighting. As she started to stir she turned in my arms and was now facing me and as she continued to sleep I took this moment memorize every inch of her beautiful face from her long eyelashes to her pouty pink lips. I placed a few light kisses on her forehead before her eyes opened and once again I was lost in the most beautiful pair of brown orbs I have ever had the pleasure of looking into.

"Good morning" she said her voice thick with sleep

"Good morning love, how did you sleep?"

"Very well, probably too well." She said stretching and smiling.

After a few more pecks on her lips curiosity got the best of me and I needed some answers to some questions.

"Bella I think we need to talk and clear some things up. I don't want us to move forward without being on the same page." I said sitting up leaning back on my pillows propped up on my headboard.

"Okay, I agree we should definitely talk." She said also sitting up and crossing her legs.

"First let me start by saying again Bella I love you and your happiness is my only concern. I thought I knew what love was when I was with Tanya, but falling in love with you only showed me how much I was not in love with Tanya I was just going through the motions with her because it seemed like the right thing to do."

"I love you too Edward and I have known it for a long time but I tried my best to run from those feelings hoping they would just go away but no matter what I did you were always there in my heart and in my mind."

I want to talk to you about your new friends Bella and I don't want you to think I'm trying…"

"I don't think you're trying to do anything but protect me which is exactly what real friends do and I'm sorry I couldn't see that earlier. I never meant to shut you out or push you away."

"Bella I have to ask you and please answer honestly… are we… just friends?" I asked not knowing if I really wanted to hear the answer.

She stared at me but did not say anything and my heart fell to my feet and then I hung my head in defeat because her silence said it all, but then she spoke.

"Friends are great to have you need them for so many reasons, to make you laugh when you're down, to talk sense into you when you're judgment is a little cloudy, to protect you when they see harm coming your way, to listen to you when you just need to vent, to hold you when you need a shoulder to cry on and to love you unconditionally through the good and the bad."

She was silent and I looked up still feeling the sting of her just wanting friendship with me, but when I looked into her eyes they said so much more and then she continued.

"I have all of those things in you Edward, but we have so much more than that. We share a bond that goes so much deeper than just friendship, a trust that allows us to open up, an honesty that allows us to not be afraid to tell each other how we really feel, our communication is so loud that even in silence we can hear one another and a love so real that even when we're apart we feel one another. You came to my hotel to find me because you knew I needed you and you didn't need to see me or talk to me to know that and I came here because I knew you needed me because I finally listened to my heart and it told me so." She was on all fours now crawling towards me until she finally sat on my lap straddling me wrapping her arms around my neck and I wrapped my arms around her waist. "So no I don't want just friendship with you Dr. Cullen, I want the fairytale." She said before crashing her lips into mine and at that moment I knew I could never love anyone as much as I loved this woman who had completely captured my heart and mind and I was silently thanking God in heaven for I blessing me with her. I lightly brushed my tongue across her bottom lip and she parted her lips allowing me to deepen the kiss and there was a heat coursing through me that made every inch of me react to this woman's touch. I pulled her impossibly closer to me feeling her heart beat against my chest and feeling the warmth of her body, I planted soft open mouthed kisses down her neck and along her collar bone and the humming noise she made, made me want her more. Putting my hand under her t-shirt I rubbed circles on her back feeling her soft creamy skin and brought my lips back up to hers and she fisted my hair in her hands as we continued to grope one another like two teenagers with raging hormones and then while still kissing me Bella asked a question that took me by surprise.

"What about you and Tanya?" she said still kissing me and breathing heavy.

"What do you mean?" I asked still kissing her and breathing equally as heavy.

"What" kiss "happens" kiss "if she comes back" kiss,…"

I stopped kissing her grabbing her face on either side and looked into her eyes.

"Bella, you" I said placing my hand over her heart "and me" I said placing her hand over mine," that all there is for me, nothing or no one else matters, do you understand that love?"

She nodded and laid her head on my chest and I placed my chin on top of her head and we sat in a comfortable silence holding one another and then my curiosity started up again.

"Bella… um did… you… did you and James…um well did you guys…?"

She snapped her head up with a horrific expression planted on her face.

"Oh God Edward, Heavens no! "

"I'm sorry I guess I just assumed that…"

"Well you know what they say about assuming, assward!" she said cutting me off and smirking.

"Um, that's would be Edward and cute very cute."

"No I did not sleep with James I didn't even kiss James, so you can stop worrying about that."

I mentally did a fist pump feeling a little smug that James did not get a chance to even kiss my Bella.

"You know I would have put your hotel room in my name had you called me you didn't have to call Jessica."

"Well I was mad at you and …hey wait how did you know my hotel room was under Jessica's name?"

"Err, well um … I just…oh alright Alice told me but only because she was worried about you Bella and for the record she has never told me about anything else you have confided in her about."

"That traitor, wait until I see her." She said with chuckle

"Bella, Alice loves you as does the rest of my family and she was very concerned for you so please don't be upset with her."

"I'm not and I know your family would do anything to protect me and I feel very fortunate to have them all of them. And as far as James and Lauren you don't have to worry I won't be hanging out with them anymore."

"What about Jessica?"

"Edward Jessica is the reason I came to your house yesterday. She came to my room in the morning to check on me and to let me know that she thought James and Lauren were up to something the night before so she stayed with me until they left. We actually had a heart to heart and she told me that you were a good guy and to not let you get away because of pride. She also admitted to not liking hanging out with James and Lauren and how much Lauren has changed since she met James. She is really a cool person and she really helped me yesterday so you should reconsider your dislike for her."

"Wow never judge a book by its cover, huh? And speaking of James and Lauren she is right they are up to something, but I didn't want to tell you until we had all the facts."

"We? Who is we?"

"Jasper and I."

"Huh, what does Jasper have to do with James and Lauren?"

"A lot, you know your ID you lost, well you didn't lose it James stole it out of your purse the night you were at his house. He also used it to have a forger duplicate your signature and make a rubber stamp to use to cash checks from your account."

"Edward, wait none of this makes any sense what are you talking about?"

"I know Bella but please just hear me out I'm not making this up, where is your check book?"

"In my purse where it always is, why?"

"Will you get it for me and I'll show you why?"

"You want to see my checkbook?"

"Yes please just trust me on this one Bella."

"Okay fine" she said getting up and retrieving her checkbook from her purse and tossing it my way. She didn't sit back down but stood with her arms folded over her chest instead with one eyebrow cocked.

"Look right here your checks in the back of this book jumps from 4992 to 4997, you're missing 4 checks back here. When was the last time you checked your account Bella?"

The look on her face was one of pure disbelief, confusion and disgust. She slowly shook her head not wanting to believe this was possible.

"No, you're kidding me right? Please tell me that James, Lauren and Jessica have not been stealing money from me."

"Not Jessica, but I'm afraid the other two have and they are planning to hit your account again but this time for a much bigger amount. I overheard James telling Lauren at work while I was making my rounds about how the forger did a good job on your signature he copied and how he had already tested the signature out on a few small checks and that your bank didn't question them, but they were for small amounts under $300. James has gotten himself in trouble with some gambling debts in excess of $200k and was planning on hitting your account for that money and another $250k for him and Lauren to leave town with using the last check he has left from this checkbook, but we just don't know when. So jasper has put a friend of his at NYPD on alert and your attorney back in Forks notified the bank as well as Alice that any check over $1000 that is submitted for cashing without an original signature is unauthorized and the authorities should be contacted immediately."

She slowly sat down on the bed and covered her face with her hands.

"I am such a fool and here I thought they were my friends and all the while they've been robbing me blind. And Lauren I just bought her a new living room set because she gave me this sob story about how she hardly makes enough money to pay her bills and how she can never buy herself anything nice and I felt bad for her."

"Bella I am so sorry you had to find out this way and I assure you they won't get away with this. Our guess is that they will be attempting to hit your account in the next week because James is on a timeline with the bookies and I found out from a coworker that he gave a two week notice a week ago to the hospital."

She leaned forward with her arms on her knees and her head hung down and when she looked up she had tears in her eyes.

"Wow you must think I'm the biggest imbecile you've ever met" she said with a humorless chuckle

"No, I think you are a beautiful woman and an awesome friend that James and Lauren never deserved to have met let alone have the pleasure of you hanging out. You were too good for them and people like them will never know your value."

I walked over and kneeled in front of her and took her small soft hands into mine.

"Bella, listen to me I know these last few months of your life have been… rough to say the least and you have done whatever you've had to make it through and I can't blame you it's called survival. But that's exactly what I and everyone else loves about you, you're a survivor and nothing will keep you down for too long. Look at all that you have accomplished love; don't let a few bad decisions get you down because we've all made them."

"I just can't believe I was such a fool and so weak minded that I allowed them to use me the way that they did and I am so glad at least Jessica was there to deter them a little because God only knows how far they would have went."

On my knees in front of her I held her face on either side and used the pads of my thumbs to wipe away her falling tears.

"Look at me, what's done is done we are moving forward and that's all that matters now."

She leaned her forehead against mine and wrapped her arms around my neck while I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me gently kissing he lips.

"We'd better shower and get dressed mom and Alice will be here soon there flight lands in 30 minutes, plus I have a surprise for you."

"Okay" she said standing up and then her cell phone rang.

"Hey Jake, I was going to call u later today, how are you?"

My God does he ever go away?

"You're kidding me next week, I can't wait to see you and you are going to love New York Jake."

What! Please tell me he is not coming here.

"Okay, love you too and I'll see you soon." She said hanging up with a huge grin on her face.

"Edward, guess what Jacob is coming to visit me next week isn't that great?"

Oh joy! How exciting the man who wants my Bella is coming to visit, the excitement never ends!

"Yeah, that's just great love."

A/N: Finally Bella is using her brain and letting Edward in so now we can move onto marriages, babies and bookstores. But what will happen when Jacob comes to town to claim his best friend! Keep reviewing to find out! Thanks guys you are all great!