"I'm so happy I have you here with me," Edward said as he placed a kiss on the base of my neck.

My eyes closed and a smile formed on my face. "There's nowhere else I would rather be than in your arms."

"Nowhere?" he asked, pulling away from me.

I groaned at the loss and looked around the entry way of my condo where we currently stood.

"What about under me? Would you rather be there?"

His words alone brought on a flood of desire from deep within me. We had been at this teasing game now for what seemed like months.

"Edward, I don't want to complicate things for you." Alice's case was still going on, three weeks after it started. Everything was taking longer than expected. Alice was causing disruptions in the court room that it caused the judge to stop the whole process early very often. Emotions were always running high in and out of the court room. As for Edward and me, we both physically wanted to move to the next level, I just worried we would do it and be faced with even more confused emotions.

"It won't," he kissed my neck, "I promise." His hands wrapped around my waist and he gripped on to me.

"But tomorrow, you testify…I don't want to…make it harder on you," I breathed out, hardly able to focus on the words I wanted to say as his hands moved over me.

"Bella, it already is hard."


I woke in the morning surrounded by Edward's limbs. His arms and legs were wrapped around me. The evidence of the night before still around us. Clothes thrown all over the bedroom furniture; my bare skin still pressed against his.

The love we have for each other fully expressed.

"Mmm, Bella," Edward moaned as he ran the tip of his nose along my jaw before placing a kiss just under my ear.

"Good morning."

"Same to you, beautiful."

He released me just slightly so I could turn and face him.

"I could get used to this," he said with a smile.

"I could too. Last night was amazing."

"Just lying next to you all night was amazing, Bella. I wish it could last longer, but court calls."

He placed a kiss on my forehead before rolling away from me and out of bed.

I watched in awe of what I had as it walked to the bathroom.


Edward dressed in a suit and tie. He was noticeably nervous, but it was his turn to take the stand and relive all the pain he endured while he was on his possible death bed.

"Now, Edward, when did you first start feeling ill?"

"Um, it was about mid-January."

"And tell us, what did you feel?"

Edward then went into the months he suffered before being brought into my care.

Once Edward finished, the ADA asked one last question. "And you had no knowledge of the fact that Tanya was stealing from you?"

"No idea at all. I had no clue that two of the woman in my life and meant the most to me, were looking for ways to steal from me, let alone try and kill me."

"Thank you, Edward." The ADA sat down and Alice's public defender stood.

"How did you not notice the decrease in income?"

Edward raised his brow and looked at the guy like he had three heads. I had to hold in my laughter.

"Well, as Tanya stated under oath, she had been skimming the funds since day one, so I never would have noticed the decrease."

Alice slid her chair out, making an extremely loud noise. Her frustration was obvious.

"How do you know Alice was involved?"

"Sir, I don't have to know if she was involved. That is the job of the police and the ADA to prove. But, since she has so obviously treated our family like the plague since she was arrested, I don't have a single reservation when it comes to thinking and knowing she was involved."

Edward smiled and I think the public defender realized how stupid he really was and took a seat.

Alice laid her head on the table and slammed her fists down next to her head.

The judge reprimanded Alice and excused Edward.

Tomorrow was closing argument and I prayed the jury would be quick. Edward needed this to be over.


The ADA nailed closing arguments, not that I had a concern that he wouldn't, but sometimes things get messed up when you least expect it.

Alice's lawyer must have taken some smart pills, because he didn't make a total fool out of himself, but I think it was too late to redeem anything.

The jury only deliberated for ninety minutes.

"On the charge of attempted murder of Edward Cullen, how does the jury find?"

"We the jury find the defendant guilty."

"On the charge of murder in the second degree of Eric Yorkie, how does the jury find?"

"We the jury find the defendant guilty."

"And on the charge of embezzlement, how does the jury find?"

"We the jury find the defendant guilty."

The judge banged his gavel on the podium.

"Please hold over for sentencing."

Edward curled into my side, his mother on his other side. He was crying and shaking against me.

"Shhhh, it's okay."

"I know it is," he said through his tears, "I knew this would be the outcome, but it still pains me so much. That my sister…"

"I know, baby. I do."

I placed a kiss on Edward's forehead and let him continue to cry against me.

Sentencing was scheduled for the following week.

Last I had heard from Carlisle, the DA wanted life without parole. I was sure that was still where this stood.

Every action Alice took was premeditated. Some of it still made no sense to me. Why call me after she poisoned Edward the second time? Why take him into the hospital? Why not just leave him? If she had, he would have been gone by morning.

My only assumption was she wanted to act the part of being innocent. If Edward had died, they would have been all over her right away. By her leaving him for hours and then calling for help showed she tried to save him. She just didn't wait long enough before trying.

Part of me and I think part of Edward will always wish they could have had her plead out, so we would know the answers to all of those questions. Not that she was talking.

Unfortunately, I don't think we ever will know them.


"Ms. Cullen, I don't often get to speak directly to the defendant on my thoughts of their actions, but I felt I couldn't hold them in this time. Your actions both in this courtroom as well as what landed you in here are unheard of! You are a disgrace to your family. You are supposed to love those people, not treat them as pawns in a get rich scheme."

Edward held tightly onto my hand as the judge spoke. He had talked to the ADA before and they were going to life without parole in a maximum security woman's prison.

"Now, what do the people recommend?" the judge asked.

"We will be recommending life without parole for each charge in a maximum security due to the crime."

"I object to that sentence. Ms. Cullen is young and made poor choices. Why should she spend the rest of her life in prison?"

"Ms. Cullen may be young, but she is not dumb. She premeditated this all. I am inclined to agree with the people. Alice Cullen, you are here by sentenced to ninety years, or the rest of your natural life, whichever comes first in a maximum security woman's prison."

He gravel hit the bench and that was it.

Edward stayed strong and took a step toward his sister before she was ushered out.

"Alice?"

She looked at Edward with complete distain.

"What?"

"I-I forgive you."

The bailiff took Alice by the arm and dragged her out of the courtroom as tears flowed down her face.


EPOV

Some people may have thought I was completely insane for telling Alice I forgave her. In fact, I was sure Bella thought I was crazy based on the look she gave me when I turned back around.

It wasn't that I understood why Alice did what she did, or how she was even capable of it, but if I hated her, I was no better than her. If I looked at her with hate and anger, I was looking just like her.

She held hate and anger; I didn't want to hold that any more.

Alice cried as the words come from my mouth. I hoped she was crying because she knew I was better than her, or because she felt the slightest bit of remorse.

Part of me hoped she felt remorse. I wanted her to not be completely soulless. Ever since she was arrested, all I saw in her was hate and anger in her; not my little sister.

In that moment, with her tears, I saw a small part of the girl she used to be.

I hugged my mother and father. With everything happening with Alice and me, somewhere along the way, they put their differences aside.

Watching the world that was their children fall apart around them, made them want to hold on to each other.

As much as I hated what my dad did, and what was happening to me, I was happy they found their way back together.


Bella and I went back to her place. It was still early in the afternoon, but I felt completely drained. I think the mental drain of the whole situation was finally taking a toll on me.

I stripped down to my boxers and climbed into bed. I pulled Bella in along with me. She curled against my side and lightly ran her hand up and down my bare chest.

"I'm so happy I found you," I whispered into her ear, leaving a light kiss on her forehead.

"I'm happy too, but I hate how we came together," she replied back.

"Yeah, the whole wanting me dead thing is kind of a crappy way to meet…but it was worth it."

I placed my fingers on her jaw and lifted her face until she was looking me in the eye.

"Isabella Swan, with everything going on, I have never been as happy as I am with you." I prayed that my words and my expression could tell her what I wasn't sure I was ready to share yet.

I loved her. I was madly, deeply and without a doubt in love with her.

"Me too, Edward. Oh, me too." She placed her lips on mine and I let my hands roam where my mouth ached to be.

Our tongues tangled together as did our limbs. The tiredness I just felt washed away as Bella and I came together.

With her, I didn't need sleep, I didn't need food; I just needed her.

And right now, I was getting everything I needed from her.


So I know this isn't way lemonie - and I guess I had written an outtake that wasn't posted on FFn due to them pulling anything back in the day that violated TOS... and I don't have that outtake. Do any of you have it? I'd posted it on TWCS... It may even still be up there - not sure. If any of you have it, let me know!