15
Bella felt physically ill as she stood in the hallway and stared at the people who used to be her parents. Charlie had dressed the part, of course. Dark suit, shaved, combed his hair, a couple of black eyes and a bruised jaw. Renee was wearing a black dress and heels, her hair had been styled perfectly. Phil was standing several feet behind her, an uncomfortable look on his face, and she wondered how much he had known about Renee's reasons for sending her to away. Did she tell him that she send Bella away so she could spend more time with her young, new husband? Or did he know that her mother hated her lesbian daughter?
"Get her inside," Garrett said from behind them, and when Bella turned, she sighed in relief when he and Kate walked up behind them with two men she'd never seen before. He winked at her before looking at Carlisle. "Now."
"Let's go, sweetheart," Carlisle said as he and Emmett shifted their bodies so that they would block Charlie, Renee, and Phil as she, Alice, Edward, Jasper, Esme, and Rose walked into the courtroom. Of course, she could feel them watching her, judging her. "It's going to be okay. Just remember what we told you: don't speak unless the judge asks you a direct question, and no matter what they say, do not, I repeat, do not react in haste, okay?"
Bella nodded, biting the inside of her lip as Garrett and Kate filed into the room with the two men following him.
He placed his briefcase on the table on the left side of the courtroom and turned back to face everyone. His eyes shifted to each one of them before he laughed and said, "Guys, breathe. Everything is going to be just fine."
"How can you be so sure?" Bella heard herself ask, but before he could give her a response, the doors to the courtroom opened again and Charlie, Renee, and Phil walked in with Billy and Jacob Black following them.
Jacob's eyes were a deep purple and still swollen, his jaw and much of his cheek were swollen and black, and he was clutching onto his side from the cracked ribs. He paused inside the room, his eyes falling onto her and he smirked. Fucking smirked like he hadn't just gotten his ass kicked for messing with her. Bella opened her mouth to tell him to get his eyes off her, but Jasper slipped his arm around her, pulling her around so that her back was facing Jacob Black.
"Don't give him the satisfaction of even acknowledging his existence, Bella," he whispered into her ear. "Rise above him."
"I hate him," she whimpered, tilting her backward so she could look him in the eye. "Hate all of them."
"Me too, darling," he whispered, kissing the side of her head. "Trust that we have your back."
"I'm trying," she murmured, mostly trying to convince herself.
At that moment, the bailiff walked into the courtroom, calling it to order. While Carlisle and Emmett joined Garrett and Kate at the table, Esme and Rose sat on one side of Alice, while Jasper and Edward sat next to Bella. The two men Garrett had brought with him settled directly behind her. Charlie and Renee took their places on the right side of the courtroom with Billy Black seated at Charlie's lawyer, which amused her.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Eleazar Santiago," the bailiff called out, and everyone stood up as the judge, a tall, thin man with dark black hair and eyes. He walked up behind his bench and settled in his chair before picking up the file in front of him. He scanned the document before looking around the room, his eyes landing on Bella last.
"You may be seated," he ordered, and everyone sat back down.
Jasper wrapped his arm around her shoulder while Alice held her hand.
"We are gathered here today to discuss the guardianship of Isabella Marie Swan, daughter of Charlie Swan and Renee Dwyer, is that correct?"
"Yes, your honor," Garrett said followed by Billy echoing the same words.
"Carlisle Cullen and Emmett McCarty are petitioning the court of guardianship of sixteen year old Isabella, stating an unsafe home environment as their reasoning," he read before laying the file down on his desk and looking at Garrett. "Charlie Swan and Renee Dwyer are contesting the petition on grounds of kidnapping? Is that true?"
"Yes, your honor," Billy Black said, standing up. "Mr. Cullen and Mr. McCarty, along with Edward Mason and Jasper Whitlock entered the home of Charlie Swan five nights ago and forcefully removed Miss Swan from the house, and then proceeding to physically assault Chief Swan, as you can see from the bruising on his face. They have been holding her inside their home, and have refused to allow her to return to her father's custody."
"Your honor, Garrett Cullen, representing the petitioners, as well as Miss Swan," Garrett started as he, too, stood up. "Miss Swan has already told the deputies who work for Chief Swan that she is not being held against her will, that she does not feel safe inside he father's house. She has filed child abuse and attempted sexual assault charges against Chief Sawn and Jacob Black, and conspiracy to commit sexual assault charges against Chief Swan, Renee Dwyer, and Jacob Black, as well."
"She what?" Charlie snarled, turning in his chair and looking over at her.
"Silence, Chief Swan," Eleazar demanded, and Billy turned and cautioned.
Charlie glared at her before he turned back to face the judge.
"Those are serious accusations, Mr. Cullen." Eleazar stated.
"Yes, your honor," Garrett agreed and turned and looked at the two men sitting behind Bella. "Your honor, these gentlemen are agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, who have been investigating Chief Swan for the last year. As of half an hour ago, they have been issued a warrant to place Chief Swan under arrest on federal charges of sexual assault, battery, human trafficking, and under the Hate Crime stature, as all of his victims were members of the LGBTQ+ community."
"I would like to see the warrant," the judge said, and the two men stood up, walked up to his bench and placed the warrant in his hands. "State your names, gentlemen, for the record, please."
"Special Agent Peter Davis," the taller of the two. He had thick blond hair and deep blue eyes.
"Special Agent Marcus Volturi," the other man, this one with dark hair and hauntingly dark eyes, stated, causing the judge to pause and look over at him. "You'd be correct, sir," he replied to the judges silent question.
"I see," Eleazar said, turning his attention back to the warrant in his hands. "Well, in light of the current situation," Eleazar said, drawing everyone's attention back to him, "I hereby grant full legal guardianship of Isabella Swan to Carlisle Cullen, Emmett McCarty, Rosalie Hale, and Esme Platt. Gentlemen, you may take custody of Chief Swan."
"Your honor," Billy Black started, but when the judge turned his glare onto the man, he clamped his lips shut.
"You honor," Marcus said, pulling another three warrants out of the inside of his jacket. "We have these, as well."
One by one the judge unfolded the warrants, and once he had read all three, he looked from the two agents to Garrett, and then back to where Charlie and Renee sat with Billy Black and them finally onto Jacob. "Proceed, gentlemen."
Peter pulled out his phone and made a quick call, saying it was time. Less than ten seconds later the door to the courtroom opened and a dozen F.B.I. agents flooded into the room.
"Charlie Swan, Renee Dwyer, Billy Black, and Jacob Black, you are under arrest on federal charges of sexual assault, human trafficking, battery, all pursuant under the Hate Crime stature 18 U.S. Code 249, on the attacks on more than a dozen young women, including but not limited to your daughter, Isabella Swan."
As the agents swarmed Charlie, Renee, Billy, and Jacob, forcing them into the ground and handcuffing them, Bella found herself holding her breath. After several minutes, the four had been dragged out of the courtroom, smart enough to keep their mouths shut, yet Bella knew this wouldn't be the last time she found herself face to face with them.
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