A/N Thank you Saltycocacola for your input on the direction I should take. I really appreciate it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed on my last chapter! You guys are amazing. Enjoy!

Alice's POV

Once Edward and Carlisle came back with the Joker in hand I knew we needed to be quick.

"Tie him up, Edward," I said. "They'll be here in ten minutes…. Bella will be awake in three and I trust you'll want to be with her."

Edward threw him into the chair and an earth-shattering scream of pain filled the room.

"Why is he in so much pain?" Jasper moaned.

"Edward broke some bones," Carlisle explained. "They'll just assume it happened last night. I doubt they'd care enough to dig any deeper."

I rubbed my husband's arm comfortingly. "Do you need to leave? His pain might be a bit… much." Jasper's ability came in handy at times but it caused him pain on some occasions. I hated to see him so uncomfortable.

"Actually, it's better he stays," Carlisle said quickly. "They may want all of us present."

Jasper nods and I look back at the Joker, now restrained and softly moaning in pain.

"I'm going to Bella," Edward said and walked down the hall to the office without a second glance.

I looked to Carlisle.

"Alice, I'm very worried. Has Amanda decided what will happen to Bella?"

I shake my head. "Either she hasn't yet decided or she's extremely good at hiding it. It's probably the former. I would definitely have seen. I've been watching closely."

"Yet you couldn't see any of this happening?" Rosalie snaps from the sofa. "You found evidence of Bella's betrayal and said nothing. You need to figure out where your loyalties are, Alice. It seems you're choosing Bella's protection over this family. Bella is gone. It's over. Give up."

I narrowed my eyes but said nothing. I didn't want to deal with Rosalie right now. All I needed to know was that Bella was safe and this mess was over. I only hoped this didn't jeopardize her chances of recovery.

Bella's POV

My eyes fluttered. What the hell was going on now? I took a deep breath and winced as a stabbing pain surged from my side throughout my entire body. Then, I remembered.

I wanted so desperately to forget. But I knew, what was done was done. In a way, I was glad. I always find a way to lose the people I love. And, in the end, I always discover that they never truly loved me anyway.

The Joker was just another notch in that belt.

"Bella?" I heard a soft, beautiful voice beside me whisper. "Are you awake?" I don't respond. "Please, open your eyes. I just need to know that you're okay."

My heart beat quicker. Why was I so pleased to hear those words? I felt… cared for. But I knew that wasn't what this was. He knew I was awake so I opened my eyes slowly, not turning my head but looking straight at the ceiling.

"Why aren't I dead?" My voice was hoarse and my throat ached. Every movement brought the pain, so I tried to stay as still as possible.

I heard him breathe a sigh of relief. "Carlisle. Are you in a lot of pain? Would you like some more morphine? I'll have Carlisle-"

"I'm fine." It was a lie, but I didn't want anything else going into my body for the time being.

I was silent for a few moments, focusing on breathing as softly as I could to avoid the pain in my side. Then, my eyes hardened. The Joker. The man who ruined my life. I sat up and moaned in pain.

Edward's hand floated just above my body, hesitant to touch me but also wanting to comfort me.

"Let me get you something-"

"No," I say stiffly. I turn my head towards him and look him right in his golden eyes. "Where is he?"

Edward hesitated but decided to cooperate. "Tied up in the front room, as we left him last night. Bella, you don't have to…"

Before he finished his sentence I was on my feet. I winced in pain but never made a sound. I felt the bandage around my waist rub against the stitches as I took my first step and that brought out a small hiss, but other than that I kept walking. I was in my underwear and covered in bruises, but I didn't care.

"Bella, wait, I can't let you-"

I turned around sharply, now used to the pain.

"You can't stop me. I'm not your daughter… or your wife."

I turned on my heels and kept walking. I knew he was following behind me, but none of that mattered. I could sense eyes on me as I entered the front room and someone might have even said something, but I didn't pay attention to it. All of my focus was on the monster strapped to the chair, looking at the floor and moaning in pain for whatever reason. I didn't care to ask.

Once I was in front of him, I stopped. I waited. Eventually, he lifted his head and looked up at me. Right in the eye. He smiled through the moans.

"I'm so… glad to see that you're alright, cupcake," he cooed lovingly.

I did the last thing I thought I'd ever do when he looked at me like that. I drew my hand back until it was fully behind my back, and brought it forward. It collided with his cheek with so much force that the chair inched back.

My breathing sped up and the pain was becoming more evident, but I continued to ignore it. This was more important.

"I don't care what you feel about me now," the Joker sighed, recovering from the slap. "You'll be back…" I lifted my hand again at his words. "But," he said. I paused my movement. "You should know that you're not any better off with these things. I don't know what they are, but they're not human. You should get out while you can, honey."

I pulled my lip back in a grimace. "They've taken better care of me than you ever did."

"Really?" he chuckled. "For a man with super strength, he certainly didn't jump out of his restraints to save you, sugar. I'd think about that."

My hand came down again. The sound echoed through the silent house.

"I hope you rot in prison," I said, turning away. I didn't want to look at him anymore.

"So will you when they come for you."

I didn't respond. For the first time, I noticed the eyes on me. Suddenly, a piece of clothing was draped over my shoulder. I turned around to see Alice placing a fluffy pink gown over my bare back.

"They'll be here in one minute," she explains.

I shove my arms through the soft fabric, knowing I'd be back in prison clothes by the end of the day. As if reading my mind, she placed a hand softly on my cheek.

"Whatever happens, we are here for you. We won't leave you again," she insisted.

I knew that it was lie. Not because she didn't care to stay, but because I'd be forced to leave soon. I didn't even have time to say goodbye.

There was a sudden knock on the door. I braced myself for what was coming. Unconsciously, my eyes squeezed shut as if to try to remove myself from reality. It didn't help; I could still hear what was being said.

"Mrs Waller," I heard Carlisle say after opening the door. "Please, come in."

I heard footsteps and a long silence followed. I was curious, so I slowly opened my eyes. Amanda wasn't even two feet away from me, peering down at the Joker.

"I see Bella did him in," she noted, turning to me. "I'm surprised you're alive."

"Carlisle's a fantastic doctor," Alice piped in from behind me.

"Perhaps. However, he doesn't seem to be very good at taking instruction," she griped, turning around once again to face Carlisle. "You do realize that you disobeyed government orders. You switched off the cameras, practically ignored my calls, let this one run free in your home…" She paused to gesture at me with her thumb. "And, on top of that, you put your entire family's lives at risk. Are you quite pleased with yourself?"

Carlisle sighed. "I've done exactly what you've asked. The Joker is here, ready to be taken in, as was your end goal. The purpose of you sending Bella to me was to find the Joker and to rehabilitate her. I've done both to the best of my capacity so far."

Amanda paused, unsure of how to continue.

Then, she walked back up to me and stood uncomfortably close to me. She began examining me.

"She seems… well. I suppose. Aside from the obvious injuries. What happened to her hair?"

"It changed when she started taking the antitoxins," Carlisle explained. "As did her eyes. She's slowly returning to her normal state, as it evident by both her appearance and her actions." He gestured to the Joker again, who was staring at the floor silently, not willing to face defeat.

Amanda did see his gesture. She stared at me for what must have been a full minute before stepping back.

"I'm… impressed, Carlisle. Not happy, but impressed nonetheless." She walked back to the door and called out to people I couldn't see. "They're ready to go."

"They?" Edward asked from the entrance to the hallway?

"You understand that I can't have her stay here. Especially after all this."

"We've been helping her. If she leaves now you may as well throw out all the progress we've made," Edward snapped, taking a step forward.

Amanda raised one black eyebrow. "Your father has done an excellent job, I admit. But we were never going to permit her to stay permanently. Our concern was finding the Joker. Once she revealed his location, we would have taken them both." She looked at Carlisle. "It's a miracle, really. Nobody's ever faced the Joker and been able to walk away unscathed."

"We have some bruises from the rope," Carlisle muttered. "Nothing too terrible, no. All thanks to Bella. And the progress she's been able to make here."

"Trust me," Amanda said as two burly men entered the room behind her. "I want her to be well. I'll allow you bi-weekly supervised visits so you can continue to medicate and monitor her. This isn't the end, but you don't have to put up with her any more than you have. We thank you for your service."

One of the men lifted the chair with the Joker easily and he cried out in pain. I couldn't help but wince.

The other grabbed my arm and yanked me forward. I hissed at the pain the rough movement caused in my side.

"She's injured," Edward said, somehow already standing next to me with a firm grip on the security guy's forearm. "Be careful!"

"She will need to be observed for her injuries daily," I heard Carlisle say calmly. "I think it best if she stayed."

"There are doctors down at the correctional facility. She will be taken care of."

She looked over at the man and signaled for him to move. I looked at Edward desperately. I didn't want to go. Not now. I didn't want to be alone. To be held up in a cage, broken and depressed and lost and confused. I couldn't believe it, but I wanted to stay.

"Please," I say, turning to Amanda. "I promise you, I'm doin' good! I've been trying…"

"Say your goodbyes," she said harshly. Then she turned around and walked out of the front door.

The man began pulling me away.

"Carlisle, please!" I beg. "Don't let them do this!"

He sighed. "I will be back for you, Bella. I promise you."

My eyes searched frantically for Edward's face. "Edward, please… I can't go back! Please, I want to stay!"

He looked pained. "I'm… so sorry, Bella. This isn't over, I swear to you. I'll always wait for you. We're going to figure something out for you. Just… for now… please try and behave. I'll come back for you. I promise."

I could feel tears rush to my eyes and my cheeks got hot. Great, now I was showing how weak I was.

I wasn't about to let them fall. I bit my lip almost drawing blood and let the man drag me slowly out of the house and into the back of a black van. The Joker wasn't anywhere to be seen.

I was so sick and tired of people promising me things that would never happen. They promised they loved me. They left. The Joker promised that he loved me. He tried to kill me. They promised they wouldn't leave again. They were letting me go.

I can't stand this anymore. I made myself vulnerable in front of them, and no one batted an eye.

I shuddered. I wasn't going to stay in that prison. Not for long, anyway. If Carlisle didn't stay true to his word and get me out, I'd be wheeled out in a body bag. I wouldn't live through another broken promise.

A/N Again, kind of short, but I've been trying to rush through assignments and update regularly. Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing! Please let me know what you thought!