AN: Thank you for your reviews! Um... I'll meet you at the bottom...
The squad room was quiet as the team wrapped up their reports. The day's events hung heavy, each member processing everything in their own way. Solomon stood near the whiteboard, arms crossed and eyes shadowed with fatigue as he began taking down the photos from the case.
Rosalie sat at her desk, tapping a pen against her temple as she reviewed her notes. Emmett leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he watched Jasper and Alice debate something on the computer. Jacob stood to help Solomon remove the photos, just having submitted some paperwork.
Bella sat at her desk, her fingers tapping idly against the keyboard. She'd finished her report ten minutes ago but hadn't moved to submit it. Her thoughts were elsewhere, her gaze flickering toward the bullpen stairs.
Edward, seated beside her, closed his laptop and stretched. "Long day," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Bella nodded absently. "Yeah."
Solomon approached them, his boots thudding softly against the tiled floor. He stopped beside Bella's desk, arms still crossed. "You two did good out there," he said gruffly. "Tough day, but you handled it well. All of you did."
Bella sat her pen down, glancing up at him with a small, timid smile. "Thanks, Sarge."
Edward nodded in acknowledgment, giving his own smile, relief drenching his features to just be done for the day.
Solomon hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply. "Brandon Holden's death… that's gonna stick with us for a while. But we've got Alex, and with the evidence we've gathered, he's going to be held accountable. Juvenile correction until he's eighteen, but I have a contact. She's already working on finding him legal representation. He's not beyond saving, not yet."
Bella's jaw tightened, and she leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "That kid's been through hell," she said quietly. "And what about Jamal?"
"He's in the lobby with Jay," Solomon said, his tone softening. "DCFS is processing their placement as we speak. They'll be split up, but I'm going to have a friend who works there to keep an eye on them.. Make sure they don't fall through the cracks."
Bella's eyes flickered toward the stairs again, her expression conflicted. "I should check on him."
Solomon gave her a small nod. "Go ahead. He's been asking for you."
Bella stood, her hands brushing nervously against her jeans. She paused, glancing back at Solomon. "This doesn't get easier, does it?"
Solomon's gaze softened, a rare vulnerability showing on his face. "No, kid. It doesn't. But we keep going. We have to."
Bella swallowed hard, her throat tight. She gave him a small, appreciative nod before heading toward the stairs.
Down in the lobby, the atmosphere was quieter, almost still. Jamal sat slouched on a bench, his hands jammed into his pockets, his sneaker scuffing the tile in slow circles. Jay was beside him, whispering something that made Jamal shrug. The DCFS agent stood nearby, clipboard in hand, her face lined with patience.
As Bella approached, Jamal's eyes flicked up. His expression shifted from guarded to tentative, a mix of relief and uncertainty etched into his features.
"Bella!" he called out, his voice breaking slightly.
Bella's heart clenched at the sound. She quickened her pace, crossing the lobby in a few strides and kneeling in front of him, offering a smile. "Hey, Jamal."
"Thank you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Bella managed a small smile, her throat tight. "You don't have to thank me. You did good, Jamal. You were brave, and you helped us more than you know."
Jamal's lips quirked into a faint smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "What's gonna happen now?" he asked, his voice wavering. "To Alex? To me and Jay?"
She hesitated, glancing at Jay, and then back to Jamal. "Alex is going to get help," she said carefully. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but there are people who care about what happens to him. He's not alone in this."
Jamal nodded slowly, his eyes glistening. "So, he's going to jail, isn't he? Is he… mad at me?"
Hesitating, Bella's mind raced for the right words. She finally took a deep breath, not wanting to sugar coat it—she knew what it felt like, to be in the dark in situations like this. "I won't lie to you. Alex… did some really bad things. He's going to have to see a judge and everything, but… It's not your fault, Jamal. None of this is."
Jamal's face crumpled, and he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "I just… I just want us all to be okay."
Bella reached out, gently squeezing his hands. "You will be. You've got a chance now, a real one. I've been where you are, remember? Foster homes, group homes—feeling like you're just a number, like nobody really sees you."
Jamal stared at her, his breath hitching. "You mean that?"
"Every word," she said firmly. "It's not gonna be easy. You're going to have to fight for yourself, and there will be people who don't believe in you. But you're stronger than you think. And you've got people in your corner now. Me, Jay, the people at DCFS. You're not doing this alone."
Jamal swallowed hard, his eyes glistening. "Do you think… do you think I can really be something? Like, not end up like them?"
Bella's chest tightened, but she forced herself to smile. "I know you can," she told him firmly. "You're smart, Jamal, and you've got a good heart, I can already see that. You're not defined by where you came from or what you've been through.You get to decide who you want to be."
Jamal sniffled, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be a cop. Like you."
"I'd like that, Jamal. And when that day comes, I'll be there to pin your badge."
"Promise?"
"Promise," Bella said, squeezing his hand.
And she meant it, every word. As she looked at Jamal's small, hopeful face, she felt a fierce determination settle in her chest. Kids like him didn't just need promises; they needed someone who would actually follow through, someone who wouldn't disappear when things got hard. Bella had spent too many nights as a child wondering why no one stuck around, why every promise felt like a lie waiting to be exposed.
She wasn't going to let that happen to Jamal, though—not on her watch.
Jay, quiet until now, leaned in slightly. "I know you said we don't have to thank you, but I mean it. Thank you," he said softly. "for helping us."
Bella nodded, her voice gentle. "Take care of each other, okay?"
Her chest ached as she looked at the two boys sitting side by side. Jamal and Jay weren't just statistics or case files. They were kids—scared, resilient, and still holding onto threads of hope despite everything they'd been through. Bella swore to herself then and there that she'd do whatever it took to make sure they had a real chance. She would check in, pull strings, call in every favor she had if that's what it took to keep them safe and on the right path.
She didn't just want them to survive; she wanted them to thrive. And she wasn't about to let the system fail them like it had failed so many others.
After getting their case workers contact, Bella headed outside. Edward was waiting by their cars, his hands in his pockets. He straightened when he saw her, the expression on his face curious.
"How're they holding up?" Edward asked as she approached.
Bella sighed, leaning against her car. "They're strong. Stronger than they know."
"You made an impression on him," he shared softly, talking about Jamal.
Bella shrugged, a small, tired smile tugging at her lips. "I hope so."
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the night of the city quiet and serene, surrounding them.
Bella glanced sideways at Edward, her lips curving into a smirk. "Meet you there?"
Edward's grin was immediate and infectious. "Meet ya there."
They climbed into their own cars, pulling out of the lot in tandem. Bella took the lead, her headlights carving a path through the stillness of the night while Edward followed closely behind.
Her body felt heavy with exhaustion, a dull ache settling into her muscles from the emotional and physical toll of the day. Yet, when she glanced into her rearview mirror, the sight of Edward's car trailing hers brought a strong kind of comfort.
At the next red light, she caught him sticking his tongue out at her, his brows wiggling comically. Bella blinked, caught off guard, then her lips twitched and she huffed a tired laugh. "Such a dork," she muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with affection.
Edward caught her reaction, grinning wider. His next move was even more ridiculous—he puffed out his cheeks and crossed his eyes, holding the expression until Bella giggled. The sound of her laughter, light and genuine, filled her car.
Fuck, she was so in love with him.
Her hands tightened briefly on the steering wheel. Why did she keep hesitating? Every time Edward tried to move their relationship forward, every time he suggested something as simple as sharing more of their lives together, she found herself pulling back—dragged down by fears she thought she'd left behind.
But in moments like this, with him trailing behind her, grinning like an idiot and doing everything he could to make her smile, she couldn't deny what she wanted. She wanted to live with him. She wanted to share her mornings, her nights—her everything. Let him be her partner in every sense of the word. She was tired of letting fear have the final say.
The quiet, playful exchanges continued for the next few lights. Bella scrunched her nose at him through the mirror, and Edward responded with an exaggerated pout. She shook her head, unable to stop smiling.
She felt infinitely lighter, the day's heaviness replaced with something warm and comforting. She allowed herself to relish in the simple joy of this connection, this shared moment of levity.
Her eyes flicked back to the road, then to the mirror again. She pulled another funny face—eyes wide, mouth agape in a mock look of surprise. Edward grinned and mouthed something she couldn't quite catch, his eyes sparkling under the faint glow of his dashboard lights.
Then, in an instant, the world shifted.
Her smile faltered as her gaze drifted to the side mirror. The headlights of a speeding car bore down on Edward's vehicle from the cross street, moving too fast, too recklessly. Her heart leapt into her throat.
"Edward!" she screamed, her voice cracking with panic.
The impact was immediate and devastating. The black sedan slammed into the side of Edward's car with a deafening crunch of metal, the force spinning his SUV violently across the intersection. Glass exploded in every direction, glinting like shards of ice under the streetlights. The screech of tires tore through the stillness of the night as Bella's breath caught in her throat, her hands clutching the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Her heart pounded, drowning out every other sound. For a moment, she couldn't move, couldn't think, her wide eyes fixed on the wreckage. Edward's car came to a jarring stop against a lamppost, its front crumpled, smoke beginning to rise from the hood.
"No," she whispered, her voice shaking. "No, no, no."
Adrenaline surged through her, breaking the paralysis. Bella slammed onto her breaks, swerving to the side of the road. Her tires screeched, and she barely registered the car jerking to a stop. She flung her door open and stumbled out, vision blurring as her mind raced with every worst-case scenario imaginable.
"Edward!" she cried again, her voice raw as she sprinted toward the wreckage. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and desperation, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Each step felt like an eternity, her legs heavy yet moving on pure adrenaline. She could see Edward's car, crumpled and smoking, the airbag deployed. The thought that he might not be okay sent a wave of nausea crashing over her.
Before she could reach him, the sound of tires screeching behind her made her whip around. A white van skidded to a stop, and two men in dark clothing leaped out.
Bella's instincts screamed at her to run, but she was frozen, her mind recoiling in horror as they rushed toward her.
"No!" she shouted, trying to twist away as one man grabbed her arm. She lashed out with her free hand, her nails catching skin, but it wasn't enough. The second man locked his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground as she kicked and screamed. The heel of her boot managed to ram into the shin of her captor, but she was only met with an annoyed grunt and a tighter hold.
"Let me go!" she thrashed violently, her fists pounding against them, but they were too strong. Her heart was hammering so fast she thought it might burst, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps.
Caius.
His name exploded in her mind, and ice-cold terror flooded her veins.
Not again.
Not again.
Not
again.
Her body fought on instinct, fueled by sheer terror and adrenaline, but the memory of her last kidnapping flooded her mind, paralyzing her with fear. She was back in that warehouse, ropes cutting into her wrists, Caius's cold, calculating eyes on her as he promised to break her.
"Please, no!" she cried, her voice hoarse, but the men didn't falter. One shoved her into the back of the van, slamming the door shut behind her. Bella clawed at the walls, her fingers scrabbling for a way out, but the van lurched forward, throwing her off balance. She hit the floor hard, her hands burning as she tried to catch herself.
Her hands pounded against the locked doors, the vibrations reverberating through her bones. She twisted and turned, searching for anything—a weakness, an escape—but the van barreled forward, its tires humming relentlessly against the pavement. Through the tinted window, she caught a fleeting glimpse of the black sedan reversing away from Edward's wrecked car.
Tears streamed down her face as despair clawed at her throat. The image of Edward, injured and alone, consumed her. He had always been there for her, and now, she was helpless to get back to him.
Her breaths came faster, more ragged. Her body trembled uncontrollably as the walls of the van seemed to close in around her. Every bump in the road jolted her, the reality of her captivity sinking deeper into her chest. Her fists curled tightly, nails biting into her palms and her mind screamed a singular thought, desperate and unrelenting.
I have to get back to him.
But the van didn't stop. It sped through the darkness, the sound of Bella's desperate screams swallowed by the night.
This was technically supposed to be longer, but I split the chapter into two, so next part later on today...