Sin & Innocence

Story: Sin & Innocence Storylink: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7119225/1/ Category: Twilight Author: drotuno Last updated: 09/28/2011 Content: Chapter 1 to 26 of 26 chapters Source: FanFiction.net Summary: The sequel to Blood & Glory: Gravity's business is booming, but what happens when a ghost from the past
shows up, taking the only thing that matters, can the team work together to fix it or will they rip apart at the seams? Rated M E/B

*Chapter 1*: Chapter 1

Summary: Gravity's business is booming, but what happens when a ghost from the past shows up, taking the only thing that matters, can the team work together to fix it or will they rip apart at the seams? A/N...I'm back! LOL From the notes you left me on the teaser, I think it's a good thing. So much love...thank you! Goober_Lou calls this the "Gravity Series," so I suppose we could go with that. Now, on to the sequel... Let's see... Carlisle and Esme are getting married, Rose and Emmett are expecting their first child, and Gravity is pretty busy. Most of you are worried about a few things, and I can't say that I blame you, but I really need you to just calm down, brace yourselves, and have faith in me. So Mercward is back...as a daddy. GAH! I do love him. So that being said, let's say hello to everyone again. This story starts out a little different than the first one, not that there won't be action (hey, this ME we're talking about) but it just won't take place just quite yet. I really hope you enjoy the new story, because it became a cemented idea in my head the very second I finished B&G. SO...On with it... I'll see you at the bottom.
CHAPTER 1

EDWARD
"Edward, it's almost time for the toast," Rose said from the balcony doorway. I nodded at the poor thing as she held her lower back while she waddled back inside. She was due within weeks. In fact, getting her there, in a dress that fit, not to mention maintaining her disposition, had been a daunting fucking task for everyone involved especially for Emmett and Bella. I snickered to myself as I walked back into the reception for my dad's wedding. It had been a beautiful, but very fucking large event a far cry from what the rest of us had done. Bella and I had gotten married in San Francisco, with just my father and Esme in attendance at the courthouse. Emmett and Rose had gotten married in Vegas, right after the huge events took place in Seattle, and Jasper and Alice had thrown a small party, invited just close friends, and hired a Notary to say their vows. All simple, all private. My father, on the other hand, who was getting married for his second time, decided to go all out. I knew most of it was for the public, because he was still very much involved in Twi Tech; once the media got a hold of the information that he was engaged, it all got fucking out of hand including the fact that his first wife had died from cancer. But more than that, he wanted to hand my now new step-mother, Esme, the world. And that I fucking understood, because she was an amazing woman. A small miniature torpedo collided with my legs, and I looked down to see a grumpy, but always adorable little three year old. Bethy never looked more like her mother than when she was mad. "What's this, little sweetness?" I chuckled, scooping her up and rubbing her dramatically wrinkled brow with my thumb. Elizabeth Renee looked like a baby doll in her bright yellow dress and black patent leather shoes. Her dark hair was half up and curled adorably at the ends, secured with a sweet, yellow bow at the back of her head. Her legs wrapped around me, covered in now wrinkled white tights, as she grabbed my face with one hand and pointed behind her with another. She'd been the flower girl for the wedding, the basket of rose petals long since discarded once we'd all made it to the reception. "D-Daddy, JW is b-bothering me," she grumped and huffed, folding her arms across her chest in a gesture so much like Bella's that it took all I had not to laugh, when obviously we were having an emergency of the utmost importance. I glanced over her shoulder to see who she was talking about. Jacob Black's son, JW or Jacob William Black who was just a year older than Bethy, was rubbing his shin and tugging on his father's pant leg at the same time, and I had a feeling my daughter had just kicked the shit out of the poor boy. "What happened, pretty girl?" I asked, walking around the dance floor with her in my arms. "He was playing a game and wouldn't let me join...s-so I k-kicked him," she sputtered, her green eyes blazing and sounding more like me everyday. If she got anything from me, it was my stutter, though hers was more prominent when she was excited or in trouble, whereas mine was a tell of nerves. And she'd received a wonderful combination of mine and Bella's tempers. My beautiful, sweet, ever so smart little girl could take zero bullshit from anyone. "Tell him the real reason, Bethy," Bella snorted from behind me, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Her amusement at our daughter could barely be contained. "Oh, yeah!" she huffed, her eyes growing dark with ire. "A-And he tried to kiss me!" Her arms spread wide as she gaped at me, like she couldn't believe someone could possibly have offended her in this most hideous of fashions.

I laughed out right at not only my little one's actions, but of who JW belonged to, my wife joining me. Jacob Black was my wife's ex, and it wasn't a secret that he was not only afraid of me, but of Bella, too. JW was the karmic result of his cheating on Bella during their relationship with his assistant, Lauren, and even though the little boy was a funny little kid, I couldn't help but feel that JW would genetically receive a "cheating" gene, so there was no way he was good enough for my Bethy. I didn't give a fuck how young he was. "Well, then, I see nothing wrong with your reaction, little sweetness." I shrugged at her, smirking when Bella laughed again, kissing my cheek. "Of course you don't," she chuckled against my jaw. "Personally, I hope she keeps that attitude permanently." "Me, too," I snickered, kissing both my girls, before handing Bethy over to Bella. I pointed to my daughter as I raised my eyebrow. "Next time he tries to kiss you, run away and tell him you'll bring your dad and your uncles back with you," I growled into her neck, loving the squeal that erupted from her. Bethy grinned and nodded, pushing and shoving at me. She wriggled down from Bella's arms, running across the reception hall, yelling, "Hey, JW, guess what!" Bella snorted into a laugh, wrapping her arms around my waist. "You know she's told him that you, Jazz, and Em are all soldiers, right? She's about to scare the shit out of that boy." I chuckled, kissing her forehead. "That's my girl," I snorted, looking down at my wife. "Nervous?" she asked, tilting her head at me. "No," I sighed. "Well, trying not to be, anyway. You?" "Not really," she stated, shaking her head. We were the Matron of Honor and Best Man, and it was time for the toast in front of a very large crowd the one thing neither of us was particularly looking forward to, but were doing anyway, because we loved my dad and Esme. I looked down at her, cupping her chin and bringing her lips to mine. She looked amazing today though all of the girls did, really. Esme had gone with a Spring color theme, because not one of the girls could decide what color to wear, so they wore them all, though every dress was made alike. My Bella was in pale, icy blue, Rose in a light pink a lot of light pink Alice in lavender, Mickey in a sage green, and Makenna in a pale tangerine color. The guys and I had all teased the shit out of them when we first heard about it, telling them that they all represented flavors of sherbert. But once the dresses were revealed, all flowy, form-fitting, and sexy, we shut the fuck up. Quickly. "You're so beautiful, baby," I whispered against her lips, pressing my forehead to hers. "You're lookin' pretty good yourself there, Edward," she giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck. "If I hadn't been the size of the Goodyear Blimp when we got married, then I'd feel like I missed out on this tux situation..." she teased, biting her bottom lip. "You," I growled in her ear, biting at her earlobe, "were gorgeous pregnant, sweetness." "So you told me...repeatedly," she chuckled, pulling back and looking behind me when our names were called. "It's time," she sighed, rolling her eyes up to mine. "This is one of those times when the 'ladies first' shit is for the birds. I wish you'd go..." I grinned, holding my arm out for her, and guided her back to the wedding party table. "You'll be perfect, love. I'm sure." I kissed her temple as we stepped behind the table. "I'll be right next to you. Or...you can pretend everyone's naked." "Edward!" she hissed, rolling her eyes. "That is somewhat disturbing, what with some of the people in this audience." "But not for me," I chuckled, giving her whole being an appraising glance as I dragged my tongue along my bottom lip. "That's because you have a one-track mind," she laughed, kissing my lips. "Only with you, Mrs. Cullen," I said with a shit eating grin. Bella took her place at my side, but stayed standing as Rose tapped her glass to get everyone's attention. She held up her glass of champagne, looking over at my father and Esme, who were sitting beside her. The music quieted, and people took their seats back at their assigned tables, giving my girl their attention. "I met Carlisle for the first time when I was twelve years old," she started, giving my chuckling father a wink. "He was my dad's best friend and business partner. He'd just and I mean just retired from the Air Force, so he was a little intimidating in full uniform," she snorted, shaking her head. "It wasn't until years later that I really got to know Carlisle, got to see that he was far from intimidating, and that he held more than just the titles of best friend, business partner, and retired Air Force Captain."

She took a deep breath, swallowing, and I touched the side of her leg where no one could see it, because I'd heard her speech. I knew where she was going with it. She glanced down at me and took another deep breath, her little chin jutting out in determination as she turned back to her audience. "He's my godfather, my father-in-law, my child's grandfather or Poppy, as he prefers. He's one of a handful of heroes that I owe...everything to," she said, her voice filling with emotion, "and he's now the husband to a woman that I love as much as my own mother. And I know if my dad were still here, he'd be so very happy for you, Carlisle," she said with a nod. She swallowed thickly, wiping a tear away, and I'd never wanted to hold her more. "Esme," she said, a sweet smile gracing her face. "She and I used to be neighbors, and she holds a few titles of her own," she snickered, smiling down at the bride and groom. "She's Gamma to my daughter, she's been my therapist, my cooking partner, and my nanny. She's the glue to the cluster of people I've come to know as my family, because without her, I'm sure we would have all fallen apart at the seams a long, long time ago." "Or killed each other," I muttered, smiling up at my wife when she heard me. "Right, or killed each other," she giggled, rolling her eyes at the laughter. She turned back to my dad and Esme, holding up her glass, and we all followed suit. "I couldn't have picked two people who were more perfect for one another. To Carlisle and Esme," she stated, and we all drank with her. She hugged them both, nodding to whatever my dad was whispering to her, before sitting down. "Perfect! See, love?" I whispered against her ear, and she nodded. "But I'm glad you went first," I teased her, laughing when she punched my leg and rolled her eyes at me. I stood up, looking around the room. The front few tables were filled with the closest of friends the ones we considered almost more than family. The tables on either side of the bride and groom table held the rest of the wedding party: Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice on the left, and Mickey, Obie, Makenna, and Wes on the right. In the middle of the front section of tables sat Benny, Angela, Aunt Kate, Sam, and Alec, and the table beside them held Eleazar Esme's brother Felix, Eric, and shockingly enough, Eric's sister, Victoria, and her little girl, Chelsea. Everyone else in the room seemed inconsequential to me, because they were either media, Twilight employees, or clients that my dad felt the need to invite. It was really to the people up front that I spoke, but I finally let my gaze fall to my dad. I cleared my throat and took my own deep breath to calm my nerves not for speaking in front of everyone, but for what I was about to say. I felt Bella's hand on the side of my leg, because she also knew what my speech was about. "I asked my mother once why my dad was gone a lot when I was a little kid. She told me that he was working really hard keeping us safe. She said that his job was so important that they needed him all over the world, and that we should appreciate the time we actually got to spend with him," I said with a small smile. "But something about that answer didn't sit well with me, so I wrote him a letter. He was stationed in Germany at the time, and it seemed like forever before I got an answer, but when he called me, his answer made much more sense. He told me...and I quote, 'because they fucking tell me to go, son.'" I smiled over at my dad, who was chuckling, along with the whole room, and shaking his head. "When we found out he was retiring..." I continued, bracing myself, "...b-because my mom was sick, she gave me the best piece of advice when it came to my dad. She said... 'Just because he's gruff and impatient, doesn't mean he doesn't love you, Edward. He's the best friend you'll ever have, son.'" I sighed, looking over at him. "She wasn't wrong. He's been there for me more times than I can count, taught me everything I know about being a good soldier, a good father, a good husband...just a good man. Just after my mother passed away, my Aunt Kate gave me a letter from my mother, and I've never let anyone read it, but I wanted my dad to hear a part of it." I pulled out the letter, or at least the copy that Bella had been nice enough to make for me, even going as far as highlighting the part I wanted to read. I cleared my throat, looking at my dad's surprised face, but read the words to him I'd read many times to myself. "Edward, there may come a time that your father finds someone...someone that he may want to marry. Please

understand that it isn't a an insult to me, or any memories you two have of me, but take comfort in the fact that maybe he's found someone that loves him just as much as I do. Your father is a caring, loving soul and deserves to find happiness.
"Always be a gentleman and treat her with respect, son, because if she's worthy enough to capture your father's heart,

then she'll be worth getting to know."

I tucked the paper back into my pocket, lifting my glass. "I couldn't agree with her more, because my dad has never been happier since Esme walked into his life, and not only do I respect her for it, I love her for it. Congratulations, Dad...Esme." "Here, here!" the front three tables bellowed, standing up when we downed our glasses of champagne. My dad stood, hugging me close and saying, "Thank you, son." I nodded once at him, practically catching Esme as she dove into my arms.

"I know that wasn't easy, sweetheart," she whispered in my ear. "But it was beautiful...thank you." ~oOo~

BELLA
"Unca Alec! You're doing it wrong!" my daughter huffed, looking up at Alec like he was crazy. "You're n-not s-supposed to spin the noodles like that...you suck them in!" I grinned over at the next table as my daughter tried to teach an Italian how to eat spaghetti. "Ah, Bambina," he crooned to her, pulling her into his lap. "Let me show you how to really eat pasta." He tucked a napkin into the front of her dress and proceeded to teach her how to twirl spaghetti around a fork, making sure that each noodle had the precise amount of sauce on it, before making her take a bite. Her sweet, sharp green eyes lit up as she chewed, licking her lips, and I couldn't help but giggle at her. There wasn't anything she wasn't willing to learn, but that face was her father's that sweet, happy look of just plain adorable goodness. Her face practically glowed. "Oh yeah...you're so right!" Rose chuckled from the seat next to me, and I turned to look at her. "Sometimes, I'm not sure who she's more like...you or Edward." I snickered and shrugged. "It's true. I see us both in her." I reached out and rubbed her belly, getting rewarded with a hefty kick to my hand. "I'm sure we can play the same game when Caleb gets here. How are you feeling?" "Fucking exhausted," she sighed, rolling her eyes at me. "I think Emmett threw my shoes off the balcony about two hours ago, because my feet are now three times bigger." I laughed, looking at her bare feet. "Glad we talked you into the pedicure, then." "No shit," she snorted. We both looked up when Alice, Mickey, and Mack joined us. "Damn, damn, damn! Now I know why we didn't have a big wedding," Alice groaned, looking around the reception hall, which really was a giant ass ballroom on the top floor of a hotel in downtown Seattle "This is...ridiculous!" "I said the same thing," I told her, pointing to Carlisle and Esme on the dance floor. "But she's happy." "That's all that matters," Mickey added. "I personally don't want this shit...but to each their own." Not one girl sitting at that table, with the possible exception of Makenna, was a frilly girl. I could see Mack having the traditional wedding, but as for the rest of us, not a chance. Every last one of us had a license for a concealed weapon, a black belt in martial arts, and had killed when necessary. My girls were competent, skilled, and extremely smart, which also made them very, very practical. Frilly...was not practical. That wasn't to say my girls weren't feminine, because they were. Every last one of them could turn on the sexy charm to catch a cheating husband or finagle information out of a cop concerning a missing person. And they all were very good at their jobs. I counted my blessings that they all worked for me at Gravity Investigations even Mickey, who occasionally helped us out from time to time. "Yeah, and when's that date?" Rose teased, because Obie had asked Mickey to marry him ages ago, but they just hadn't gotten around to it. "Shut it," she growled, smirking when we all laughed at her. "There's no hurry. What the hell?" I grinned at her, shaking my head. "How long can you stay in Seattle this time?" I asked her. "How long do you need? Or should I ask...what do you need?" she countered, a wry smirk on her face. "I might have...something I could use you on. Can you come by the house tomorrow?" I asked, knowing that she'd be perfect for what I needed. There wasn't a lock or safe Mickey couldn't get in to. "Yeah, definitely," she said with a nod and a laugh. "You mean, you're not giving anyone a day off after this shit?" "Ummm, no! She's a freakin' slave driver," Alice growled, but broke into a giggle when I flipped her off. "Is this that cold case, Bellsy?" "Yup," I sighed, playing with the flowers in the center of the table. "I'm not sure, but I really think there's something in that old warehouse. Perhaps... I need help getting inside," I said cryptically. Mickey's smile widened, and she nodded slowly. "Perhaps... Well, let me know tomorrow, then."

"No work at my wedding," Carlisle growled low in my ear, making me jump, but he offered me his hand. "I suppose the only way to stop that is to make you dance with me." I looked around the dance floor, smiling at some of the strange pairings. Aunt Kate was dwarfed in Sam's presence, because she was no taller than me and he was a massive sized man, and I could see that his scars were making some of the people that weren't used to him very nervous. Esme was dancing with Eric, but they were deep in conversation, and I was pretty sure she was finding out the update on his sister, who Esme had counseled for quite some time after we removed her from under the threat of Royce King. My daughter had dragged her Uncle Alec out to the dance floor, and he was dipping her dramatically, just to hear her uncontrollable laugh. Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Jacob were all leaning against the bar, deep in conversation. I smiled when I could see Jake rub the back of his head his nervous tick. My husband and his best friends made my ex very fucking nervous, because he knew what they were capable of, and he was nowhere near that physical. Seeing Jake reminded me of Lauren, so I found her sitting at a table, sharing a piece of wedding cake with her son, JW, as he sat in Billy's lap. Jake and Lauren had tried to work out a relationship for JW's sake, but they'd failed miserably. They were currently pretty damn good friends and roommates. It was a weird kinship, but JW was benefiting the most from it. Jake still worked for Twi Tech, under the heavy gaze of Carlisle, and so did Lauren. She was offered a position back at the company as soon as JW was born and Jake had recovered from his gunshot wounds after trying to protect my father, Charlie. Carlisle placed an arm around my waist and took my hand in his as the orchestra changed to another song, but he caught my line of sight. "I think Jake can handle things while I'm gone," he stated softly, and turned back to me. "It's what he was born to do," I chuckled, shaking my head. "Between my dad and Billy, they were placing their bets on him, because they were pretty damn sure I wasn't going to run the world." Carlisle grinned, kissing my forehead. "They did a good job with him, then. He's smart, innovative." "I still see the kid that I went to high school with. The one that decided to toilet paper and shrink wrap the principal's car the week that a journalist was writing an article on the high GPAs we all carried." Carlisle laughed. "Oh, Bells, remind me when I get back to tell you a few stories about Charlie and me from back in the day. We were not innocent." "D-Daddy!" I heard behind me, recognizing the stutter of my baby, but I could hear it wasn't her usual call for her father; it was her cry that something was wrong. Carlisle turned us so that he could watch his son scoop up Bethy and dust her off. She apparently had slipped down, barely scraping her knees, but her hands took the brunt of the fall, because she held out both hands to him palms up so that he could kiss them all better. "I'm going to miss that little thing," Carlisle muttered, looking back at me. "A whole month long honeymoon, Romeo," I teased him. "Your own doing, I believe. Did you actually buy the island, or are you just renting it?" "I'm just renting it, silly," he huffed, but he fought his smile, still staring at his son and granddaughter. "Though, I'm waiting to make my decision until I actually see the damn thing," he mumbled, rolling his eyes at my laughter. We were quiet for a bit, just swaying to the music and watching Edward set Bethy on the tops of his feet to teach her how to dance. It was moments like that, when he didn't even think about how perfect of a dad he was, that made me fall in love with him all over again. He didn't care that people were watching, that he was in a custom tailored tuxedo, or even the fact that she was standing on really expensive shoes. What he cared about was watching her tears dry as he spun her on the dance floor. "How's that daycare in Forks working out?" Carlisle asked, the fierce business man and former mercenary coming out in him, but I wasn't sure if they even came close to the protectiveness of Poppy. "Mrs. Cope is really good with her," I replied with a nod. "Bethy only goes every other day; she works with Alice the other two days. Both women want Bethy tested." "IQ?" "Yeah," I sighed, smiling with pride, because the people that surrounded my child on a daily basis, along with her natural curiosity, made her brilliant. "She's already reading, Carlisle. And I'm pretty sure by the time she makes it to kindergarten, she'll be fluent in Spanish." Carlisle grinned, nodded, and took a deep breath. "Let me guess," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Makenna is teaching her art... Alice, computers and language, Jasper, math..."

"And Edward has just started teaching her how to cook," I giggled up at him. "Now that is something to see. He sets her on a bar stool next to him, both in damned aprons... He reads the recipe, and she carries it out to the letter. They baked a cake together for his birthday last week." "Next...he'll be teaching her how to fly," he snorted, rolling his eyes. "Don't think she hasn't asked!" I laughed, my head falling back. "She sits up in the pilot seat, pretending to shoot down enemies, like it's an Apache or something." Carlisle chuckled. "I should thank you every day for her...and my son. Look at them." "I don't have to," I snickered, rolling my eyes, but I looked anyway. "They are two peas in a pod," I sighed, looking at the two people that meant more to me than my own life, but I knew what my father in law meant. Before I came along, Carlisle was truly worried about Edward and the closed off personality he'd developed, but the truth of the matter was, Edward and I had healed each other. "How's Gravity?" Carlisle asked, tilting his head at me. "I thought no work at your wedding?" I teased, biting my bottom lip, but I answered when he huffed sweetly but impatiently, because in all reality, he was my boss. "Busy," I stated with a shrug. "Now that we've incorporated the security part of it, and with Rose bringing in new business, we're always working on something. Alec and Emmett have a governor they're meeting at the airport tomorrow. He's to be guarded while he's here for the next three days. Edward and I...and possibly Mickey...will be helping a guy try to find out what really happened to his brother. It's a cold case that the police could never close, because the trail ran cold." "If you need anything, you call Angela or Sam. They can get messages to us while we're gone, okay?" he said, his voice taking on an urging tone. "Carlisle, we'll be fine," I sighed, smirking up at him, but looked down when there was a tug on my dress. "Pretty girl, did Daddy dance with you?" "Y-yup!" she beamed, looking like a little ray of sunshine dressed in yellow as I gathered her into my arms. "He s-said that it w-would make me forget I fell." I smiled when the word fell somehow ended up with a W in it. "Well, was he right?" "Yeah," she said, but a long, wide yawn escaped her as she held out her hands to show me the damage. There wasn't any broken skin, but both palms were bright pink. I picked them up and kissed each one loudly, before she lay her head on my shoulder. I could see Angela talking to the wedding director, and she looked up to signal to me. "Give Poppy and Gamma hugs and kisses, Bethy," I whispered to my sleepy girl. "They're leaving soon." I jerked my chin for Carlisle to turn around so he could see they were signaling for him. "'Kay, Mommy," she said with another yawn, reaching for her grandfather. "Bye, Poppy. I'll draw you p-pictures while you're gone on your hummy-moon," she muttered adorably as she hugged him tightly. "Miss Makenna is teaching me twees next." "You better," he growled at her, covering her in kisses until she was a giggly mess. "'Cause I'm gonna miss you, baby girl." "Love you, Poppy," she said as he set her down. She ran to Esme, who immediately scooped her up and kissed her like Carlisle had. Warm, strong arms wrapped around me from behind, as I felt kisses being placed to the back of my head. I leaned back into Edward, sighing contentedly in the comfort he unknowingly brought with him. "You two take care of each other and my granddaughter," Carlisle ordered with a pointing finger, before placing a kiss on my cheek and pulling me into a hug, only to place a strong hand on Edward's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "We will, Dad," Edward snorted. "Go...have a good time. Check in when you can." Edward and I both walked to Esme, who was wearing a beautiful dress in the prettiest of cream colors, and Bethy reached for me, snuggling into me sleepily and laying her head on my shoulder. "A month is too long," Esme sniffled, tears filling her eyes. "I'll miss you all too much." "You won't have a chance," Edward teased her, kissing her cheek. "Dad will keep you too busy. I'm pretty sure he's going to show you just about every island down there in Brazil." "Relax, enjoy being away from whiny clients for a while, and you get Carlisle all to yourself," I chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"My clients have problems, Isabella," Esme snorted, rolling her eyes at me. "One of them being Delia, you know," she growled, raising an eyebrow at me. I winced, shaking my head and instinctively placing kisses to the top of Bethy's head. Delia was Riley Miller's first victim, the man that had kidnapped and beaten me the very same man that Edward and his dad had saved me from almost four years ago. Delia was in a hospital for mental issues, but Esme worked with her as her psychiatrist twice a week out of the kindness of her own heart. She'd done the very same with Victoria, but the latter was ever so much better off than Delia, especially once the news of Miller's death had reached our ears. Poor Delia had lived with Miller's abusive mother, until Wes Mitchell went in there per Benny's and Edward's requests and used his FBI status to declare the whole house unfit, securing Mrs. Miller in an assisted living facility and moving Delia to a mental hospital. Carlisle, Sam, and Eleazar had stowed Riley Miller away in a prison down in South America, with the knowledge that he would never escape. He didn't. He had died six months to the day after we'd dropped him off. Carlisle had received "proof of death" from Sam, by way of photographic evidence. Miller was practically unrecognizable. He was covered in bruises, marks, scars, and burns, not to mention the loss of another digit to match the one he already had all the things he'd used to torture his victims with. He was a tenacious bastard, surviving for so long under such circumstances, but I supposed it had all gotten to him in the end, because he'd found something in his cell to slit open his wrists, causing him to bleed to death in the deep hole in the ground that his wardens had kept him in. "Fair enough," I admitted, "but the rest are spoiled rich wives." Esme grinned and shrugged, planting kisses on mine, Bethy's, and Edward's cheeks. "You guys be careful with that work you do, and don't hesitate to call us if you need us," she urged, "but thank you both for everything." Edward and I smiled, because we knew she meant the wedding. Carlisle was so busy at Twi Tech that had we our friends included not helped her, she would have gone insane planning this enormous event. With more hugs, more kisses, and a few dirty honeymoon innuendos thrown their way from Emmett and Mickey, Carlisle and Esme dove into the elevator with Sam. He was their escort to the airport, overseas, and would be staying on the mainland throughout their stay on the island that Carlisle had rented. We wouldn't let them go out of the country any other way. Carlisle was way too high profile for that. "I'm glad we rented a room here tonight," Edward mumbled softly against my temple. "My girls look tired." "We are," I snorted, looking up at him and rubbing Bethy's back as she slowly drifted off, despite how much she was fighting it. "Exhausted, actually. And we have to be back at the house tomorrow." "Well, head to the room, sweetness," he sighed, placing kisses to Bethy's cheek. "Get her in bed. I'll finish up with the wedding guy." "Careful with him." I chuckled at Edward's eye roll. "He thinks you're oh-so-cute." "I am aware, Bella," Edward answered dryly, snorting at my giggle. "Though, I may be in the clear, because ever since the pictures, he's been eying Wes." "Well, good. You're mine," I sighed dramatically, smiling at his grunt of agreement. "Come to us soon, Edward," I said, carrying my now completely unconscious child into the elevator, with my husband following us as far as the doors. "You know she'll fight sleep if you're not there," I told him, because I knew as soon as I changed Bethy from her dress to pajamas, she'd ask for him, even though she was half asleep. She always did. "I know, love. Give me twenty minutes," he sighed, and the doors slipped closed. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Beautiful family," I heard behind me, and I turned from the elevators to see a woman in her mid- to late forties standing in the hallway. "Thank you." I smiled politely, though I didn't recognize her at all. She was dressed like she'd attended the wedding, but there were so many people that it was hard to say for sure whether I'd seen her there or not. "Were you here for the wedding?" "No, no," she sighed, shaking her head. A small smile curled up on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I was here for...something else." "Hey, Edward!" Mack gushed, rushing to the doorway of the reception hall. "The guys want to know if you'll help load the presents, so Em can take them to Twi Tower for your dad. And that Stephen guy needs someone a Cullen someone to sign that the whole she-bang is over and done with." I smiled and nodded, turning to look for the woman, but she was gone. When I looked back up at Makenna, she was staring down the hall. "What?"

"She looked...familiar," she mumbled, her brow wrinkling. "I thought you didn't forget faces," I teased her, walking back into the ballroom with her. "I don't," she grumped, giving one more glance behind us. It took me longer than the twenty minutes than I'd promised my girls. After narrowly escaping the gawking gazes of Stephen, the wedding planner, I had to make sure the hotel was notified that everything was done, that all the guests had left, and help Jasper, Emmett, and Wes load up Emmett's Jeep with all the presents to take back to Twi Towers to store at my dad's apartment. I also escorted a very tired Rose to her hotel room, while Emmett made the present run. "Can I ride to the house with you guys tomorrow?" she asked wearily, looking down at her poor swollen bare feet as we rode the elevator. Luckily, she was on the same floor as Bella, Bethy, and I. "Yeah, sure, but don't you need to rest?" I asked, remembering how my Bella had taken a little time towards the end of her pregnancy with Bethy. "I can't," she sighed. "Staying home just pisses me off. I get bored. Plus, I need to be there for the case that you and Bells are starting tomorrow. I'm pretty sure it's a waste of time, but the guy is begging for someone, anyone to try to find something out about his brother." "And you want to listen in as Alec and Em pick up Governor Palmer," I surmised, just knowing that every girl in that office worked the same way. If our spouses were separated on different jobs, the other tended to monitor every movement with Alice's help. "Yeah, there's that, too," she sighed with a nod as we walked down the corridor. "But I'd rather be close to everyone if Em's going to be away for three days, especially since I'm due any freakin' minute." I grinned at her and waited until she got her door open. "I don't blame you. You're welcome to stay with us." "Thanks," she said, rubbing her back, "but Alice has already claimed me. She has a room ready and everything. I'll be staying with her until Em's done with this job." I snorted and shook my head. "Call us when you're ready in the morning, Rose. We'll roll you downstairs." "Funny, jackass," she laughed, shoving me back. I waited until she was secure behind her door, before walking the rest of the way down the hall. I stepped into our suite, to find the lights off in the sitting area, but a dim glow coming from the master bedroom. Both of my girls were curled up on the king size bed, dressed in pajamas, and Bella had even gotten Bethy to sit still long enough to braid her hair to keep it from her face during the night. "Damn," I sighed, shaking my head, because they looked so sweet, so fucking perfect. There were times when I thought my chest would explode with the love I had for them. I shrugged out of my jacket, vest, tux shirt, and tie, tossing them on the chair in the corner of the room. I kicked out of my shoes and socks, leaving on my white undershirt and pants. "Daddy," I heard softly behind me, and I turned to see my sleepy girl sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Shh, little sweetness," I whispered, pointing to her mother. "Mommy's sleeping." Bethy crawled to the end of the bed, and I scooped her up. "It's time for lights out, little soldier," I said softly, loving this routine with her. "Yes, sir," she said, yawning widely, wrapping her arms around my neck as I carried her to the other bedroom and planting the sweetest of kisses to my cheek. She smelled like clean soap, toothpaste, and whatever shampoo Bella was buying her these days as I buried my nose in her hair. I tugged back the covers and set her gently on the cool sheets. "Only sweet dreams, okay?" "Yes, sir," she muttered, her eyes barely open. "Love you..." "Love you, too," I whispered against her forehead as I tucked the covers around her. I watched as one deep sigh pushed her over the edge that she'd been fighting until she could see me. I didn't close the door, because she liked to run to our bed first thing in the morning, and I left the bathroom light on, just in case she woke up and panicked from being in a strange place. Back in the master bedroom, I carefully situated Bella under the covers, and after stripping down to just my underwear, I slipped in beside her. Bella turned over to face me, her legs tangling with mine and her face nuzzling the crook of my neck. "She asleep?" she muttered sleepily.

"Mmhm," I hummed, "so go back to sleep, baby." "I will...I just..." She sighed, and I felt her lips press to my neck and her hand travel down my chest and around to the small of my back, pulling me to her. "You smell good like scotch and cake icing...all sweet and smoky." I chuckled, pressing myself closer to her. "I might have indulged in both before coming to the room. The bartender was cleaning up and had just enough for a glass left over in a bottle. Heaven forbid it go to waste." "And the icing?" "I helped pack up that monstrosity for Emmett to take to my dad's." My girl giggled softly as she pushed at the waistband of my underwear, and I caught up to her quickly. Apparently, she wasn't too tired. I pulled her face back so that I could see her in the dim light shining from the hallway. Her eyes were dark as I pressed my forehead to hers, my hands slipping underneath her nightshirt. "Bella..." I breathed, not wanting to force this, but fuck, if she didn't feel good. She was all warm and clean, and she'd been pushing my limits throughout the entire wedding, because she'd just looked so fucking beautiful. "I want you," she moaned, her eyes rolling back when on of my hands cupped her breast, while the other glided into the back of her underwear. That was all I needed to hear. I gathered up her t-shirt and tugged it off over her head, tossing it to the other side of the bed at the same time that she pulled me on top of her. We made quick work of ridding ourselves of our underwear, Bella using her toes to kick mine down and off of me, which made both of us laugh softly in the darkness of the room. "Are you wet for me, sweetness?" I asked her, skimming my hand down her side and slipping my fingers through her folds. "Yes," she breathed, pulling me by the back of my neck and bringing my lips to hers. Bracing an arm by her head and continuing to kiss her, I slid two fingers into her wet heat. She was indeed ready for me, but I wanted no, I needed to see my girl come. I found the spot that always made her breath catch at the same time my thumb swirled around her clit. I knew exactly what would make my name spill from her lips, exactly how to draw out her climax, and exactly how long she could take the teasing. I knew her body better than I knew my own. It was a good thing to know, because it never got fucking old to watch her fall apart under my touch, my mouth, my cock. There had been a time when she couldn't let me touch her, and every step we took on the road to her recovery after she'd been kidnapped was a step that I didn't take for granted. At one point in my life, I couldn't imagine being with the same woman for the rest of my life, but now, I couldn't imagine any woman but Bella. Period. I needed no one else. "Edward," she hissed, her head pressing back into her pillow as my fingers curled just right inside of her. "Come, baby," I commanded at the soft spot just behind her ear, unable to stop my hips from grinding against her. "If you really want this," I purred, pressing my throbbing dick against her leg, "then you'll come for me." I smiled against the sweet skin of her neck when little fingers dug into my back and twisted into my hair. Her back arched up off the bed as her whole body shook with her orgasm. "One," I growled, dragging my lips across her cheek to capture her mouth with my own as I lifted myself up, settling between her legs. Bella smiled against my lips, knowing what I meant. "Oh, it's like that, is it?" she chuckled darkly, licking her lips as I held myself above her. "How many?" "I need..." I said, wrinkling my nose and pretending to truly consider it, "at least three from you, love..." "Mmm," she hummed, wrapping an arm around to my back and the other hand reaching for my face as I slipped into her slowly. "We'll see, Edward. We'll see..." ~oOo~ "Okay, the way I see it," Rose stated from her desk in Gravity's office as she rubbed her swollen belly, "the best way to start with this case is to talk to the witnesses and friends again. It's been ten years." "You're probably right," Bella said, looking out the window. "We also still need to meet with Todd Jackson before we start. What time is he available?" she asked distractedly, as she watched Jasper push Bethy on the swing outside. Without my dad and Esme around, everyone was taking up the slack when we needed a babysitter. Normally, they would take Bethy when we were starting a new case, but since they were off on their honeymoon, everyone stepped up to help

us. "We're supposed to meet him at a diner in Seattle later this afternoon," I told her, looking up at the schedule on the wall and back down at the file in front of me. "He said he'd be bringing some of Rick's things so we can look through them." "So why am I here?" Mickey chuckled, looking at the bulletin board that Makenna had set up just for this case. "See that warehouse?" Bella asked, getting up from the table. "This was the last place anyone saw Rick Jackson alive. It used to be a club back then, but it closed not long after the investigation cooled off. He used to work there as a bartender." "Who owned it?" I asked, flipping through the file. "Simon Parker..." I mused, answering my own question. "Isn't he that..." "Yes, he made his money through porn. Legit porn, but porn, nonetheless," Bella snorted, rolling her eyes. "Now he backs local film makers...mainly independent film students from UW." "Gay porn," Rose chuckled, holding up a picture of a DVD cover. "Men or women?" I asked with a smirk, knowing the reaction I would get from Rose and Bella. "Shut it!" they both growled. "We were drunk!" I laughed, my head falling back. It never failed to amuse me that the two of them had made out at one time, because they were trying to teach some guy in Rose's dating life a lesson. "Anyway," Bella huffed, giving me a dangerously raised eyebrow before turning back to Mickey, "that warehouse is still owned by him and has never been cleaned out. It's just been...locked." "So you're thinking that there are still records, security tapes...that sort of thing in there?" Mickey clarified. "Yeah, I hope so," Bella stated, pulling out a satellite image of the warehouse. "They were never granted a search warrant for the place, because they couldn't really narrow down whether Rick's death was suspicious or not." "Oh, gotcha," Mickey mumbled with a nod. "Okay, I'm in. I'll go with you guys." "Good," Bella huffed, but we all turned when Alice and Makenna erupted into an argument. They were in the computer room right across from us and had been awfully quiet throughout our meeting. "Pull it up, Alice!" Mack urged. "I need to know if I'm right!" "Okay, okay, okay," Alice sighed, shaking her head. "But who gives a shit if you're right? She was probably a guest at the wedding, or hitting on Edward..." "Hey, hey," Bella chided. "What's this all about?" Makenna stood up straight from where she'd been leaning over Alice's shoulder. "There was this woman last night in the hall just outside of the reception hall. She was talking to Edward, but I swear to God that I know her from somewhere." She handed Bella a drawing of the woman's face, the details all the way down to the small scar just above the woman's eyebrow. "It bothered me that I couldn't remember who she was." I snorted, but looked at the picture when Bella held it up for me. "Yeah, that's her. I thought that she was there for the wedding, but she said no. All she said was that I had a beautiful family. She was there when I walked you and Bethy to the elevators." "You mean...here?" Alice asked, pulling up the security footage from the hotel. "Yup," I said with a nod as I watched the silent conversation on the monitor. The woman and I shared all of thirty seconds on the screen before Makenna interrupted her, but it was the woman's reaction to Mack that was interesting. Her eyes widened, and she turned the other way, leaving the hallway instantly. "She knows you," I stated, pointing to Mack. "That's for sure. Play that again, zoom in on her face." "Hmm, I don't recognize her, either," Bella mused, tilting her head at the woman's actions. "Alice, can you run facial recognition on her?" "Yeah, sure," Alice replied, pulling up another screen on another computer. "It'll take a while, because I've just recently been able to tap into Washington's database, thanks to Benny and Wes. They gave me the parameters a few weeks back, and I haven't been able to adjust the format for..." "Alice!" Bella snorted, shaking her head. "Just...do it. Stop trying to tell me how...I've never understood it." I chuckled with Alice on that one, because she was too damn smart for her own good sometimes. She was registered as

a fucking genius as it was, so when she really got to spewing knowledge, half of it barely made sense. "What's a while?" Makenna huffed, clearly upset that she couldn't remember this woman. "Days?" Alice answered with a shrug, though it sounded like a guess. "I have to capture her picture from this video, map out her face, and then set it up to compare to the list of faces in the system. We have to hope she has a criminal record." "'Kay," Mack sighed, folding her arms across her chest and sitting down next to Alice, but she turned her attention to Bella. "You'd better get going. I'll watch Bethy until you guys get back tonight. Wes is out of town, speaking at a convention in LA. He left this morning." "Speaking of..." Bella chuckled when the office door slammed open and a whirlwind of energy came bounding into the room, with Jasper barely able to keep up with her. "There's my pretty girl," she gushed, scooping up our daughter and planting kisses to her face and neck. "Mommy, do you hafta work?" Bethy asked, giving her mother the full, undiluted power of the begging puppy face, and I couldn't help but laugh, because I had more than once used that same tactic. "I do, but guess what!" Bella gushed. "Aunt Makenna is going to stay with you, so you know what that means!" "I get to paint!" our daughter squealed, not unlike Alice when she was excited, and Makenna chuckled, shaking her head. Every last one of our friends adored Bethy on some level. She was the first born, and they'd all taken some sort of ownership to her. There wasn't one of them that I wouldn't trust her with, and not one of them my daughter didn't adore. "That's right. And don't forget...you promised Poppy and Gamma all sorts of pictures for when they come back," I told her, catching her when she wriggled down from Bella's arms and climbed up in my lap. "You're going, too, D-Daddy?" Bethy asked incredulously. "I'm afraid so, little sweetness, but we're going to try to be back to tuck you in tonight, okay?" "P-Promise?" she whispered, grasping my face in both of her tiny ones. "I said we'd try, Bethy," I told her, kissing each hand before standing up with her in my arms. "If we can't, then we'll call Aunt Makenna, and I'll tuck you in over the phone." She huffed, her eyes darkening with that statement, but she didn't argue. She folded her arms across her chest as she watched her mother gather our things together, including pulling our guns out of the safe. I set Bethy down on the edge of the conference table, taking my Glock from Bella and securing it in my waistband at the small of my back. Bella also reached in the locking cabinet and pulled out my bag, and Alice handed her the laptop. "Bethy, don't forget, you've got school tomorrow," Bella reminded her, because Bethy adored Mrs. Cope, the sweet older woman that ran the Forks daycare downtown if Forks could even claim to have a downtown. "I know. I want pudding for my snack," she gushed, beaming up at me. "Chocolate or vanilla?" I asked her, hoping to distract her so she wouldn't be too upset when we left for Seattle. "Both!" she giggled, squirming when I tickled her sides. "We'll see, little sweetness," I chuckled, looking over at Bella, who was ready to go. I hoisted Bethy up into my arms, asking, "What do we say when we have to be apart from each other, baby?" "Be safe!" she answered like the little soldier that she loved to be with me. "And?" Bella and I chuckled. "Love you!" she said, squishing my face to kiss me as I told her the same, and then she reached for Bella. "Love you, too, Bethy," Bella snickered, kissing her puckered lips. She set her down on the floor, saying, "I want a picture, too, pretty girl." "Okay, Mommy," Bethy sang, immediately taking the paper that Makenna was pulling out for her. We took the opportunity to load up the car and leave while she was happily distracted. ~oOo~

BELLA
The meeting with Todd Jackson didn't take long. He brought us a few letters, a couple of photographs, and the funeral sign-in book.

"I didn't recognize some people at Rick's funeral," he said, sitting back in his chair as we sat outside at a little cafe on the sidewalk. Mickey and Edward flipped through the things he'd brought as we listened to him. "There were our old friends from school, some distant cousins, and our family, but there was this whole group of people that stood towards the back at the cemetery," he continued with a shake to his head. "I never knew what that meant, but the police never gave it much thought. They said due to his profession, it was likely that there were going to be people we didn't know." "Makes sense," I agreed. "And it's possible they're right." "I know," he sighed, shrugging one shoulder. "I just want you guys to have everything, just in case. I really appreciate you trying. They said he killed himself because he was deeply in debt from school loans, and then they considered that he had gotten in with the wrong crowd... You know, drugs and stuff. But that wasn't my brother's way. He was kind of a health nut. He liked eating right and exercising." Todd was a little older than Edward, with light brown curly hair and a spattering of freckles that made him seem younger than he actually was. He was thin, with a sad smile. "What about girlfriends...exes?" Edward asked, tilting his head at a few pictures. "I mean, is it possible for him to have met someone and it went...wrong? Because they're declaring him a suicide, but you don't believe it. I'm just wondering if there were...circumstances that you may not have known about." "Rick dated in high school, but nothing really serious," Todd answered, shaking his head. "I suppose it's possible, but that's not like him. He liked going home to his apartment. He liked just hanging out, watching TV, maybe having a few beers. He wasn't a manwhore, either, if that's what you're thinking. I can't see him treating anyone with any callousness. He was really kind to people. All around, he was a pretty happy guy." Edward nodded, absorbing that information, but he wasn't finished. "And Simon Parker? Did you ever meet him?" "Only at Starlight," Todd answered. "I went to the club every now and then, but I never really talked to the man. He seemed pompous and snobby, to be honest," he snorted. "We don't come from a lot of money, so I'm not used to that scene." "It doesn't take money to make an asshole," Mickey stated, almost under her breath, but we all chuckled. "I suppose that's true, but I never asked Rick about him. He was his boss. Bosses can be...difficult." "No kidding," Mickey and Edward both teased, looking up at me. "Shut it, both of you," I snickered, pointing at them. As Edward's hand caressed my thigh under the table, I turned to Todd. "I'm going to be honest with you. It's been a long time, and people's memories fade with this amount of years," I said, my finger landing on the funeral sign-in book. "We'll try, but I don't want you to get your hopes up." Todd nodded, like he was already preparing himself for that inevitable outcome. "This is my last ditch effort...for our mother. My dad died last year, and there's not a day goes by that Mom doesn't ask about Rick's case. She never believed he killed himself on some back alley of Seattle. She never felt him capable of it." My nose wrinkled, but I understood where he was coming from. "Okay, Todd, we'll be in touch." "Thanks, Miss Swan," he said, standing up and shaking my hand. I used my maiden name with most clients, and Edward used his mother's Masen. It was a form of security that we'd all agreed on when we combined both his crew and mine. We tried not to use our real names or mention any family, and we didn't even allow anyone else on the crew to reveal those things about themselves. It was a rule the boys and Mickey had used when they were mercenaries, and we'd incorporated it into Gravity. It was something I wished we'd used when I'd first opened the doors. Todd left us, and I felt warm fingers tuck my hair behind my ear. "What do you think, sweetness?" Edward asked as I sat back in my chair. I sighed, picking up a photo of Rick with his brother, and then a picture of Rick with three people Todd said that he didn't know. Finally, I cracked open the funeral sign-in book and tapped it with my finger. "I've read Simon's statement to the police, and it was so...vague," I stated, looking at the highlighted names that Todd had marked for me. "Alice wasn't able to get an employee list for this...Starlight club." "I'm not sure tackling every witness will be worth the work, Bells," Mickey added. "I'm with you...I think you need to compare the employee list to the names in that book in order to see who you need to talk to first." "I think you're right," I mumbled, flipping through the police report again.

"Okay," Edward stated, standing up and tossing some money onto the table to take care of the bill. "The old warehouse it is..."

A/N... There you have it...the first chapter. I tried to catch up some things that I knew you'd wonder about from the last story, the main one being Miller's fate. Before you ask, it was Sam that went down there to verify Miller's death, so he's dead...really dead. I couldn't bear to bring that asshole back! LOL So Edward and Bella and Mickey are working a case, Rose is about five seconds from going into labor, and Makenna doesn't like the fact that she couldn't remember a face. Carlisle and Esme are off on their "Hummymoon," and a month at that. If you're wondering about Bethy's IQ, then trust me when I tell you that I know a kid that smart. At four, he could explain in utter detail the process of photosynthesis. Mmm'kay? ~raising an eyebrow at you all~ He is wicked smart! Anyway, he's sort of my base for Bethy, though the combination of Mercward and Bella makes her so easy, so fun! :) Like I said before, this starts a little different than the first one. I know the first one was action right out of the starting gate, but this will get there. This one will build, though the warehouse coming up is interesting. Remember, Gravity isn't always dangerous cases. I really hope you guys like this new one, because it's important to me. It's emotional for me to write these characters, especially considering some of the future events. DON'T PANIC! I'm just saying! Now, I need to thank a few peeps... JenRar for beta'ing this as always, and for the constant "send everything you have done!" mentality. To MedusaInNY for all that she does for me when she doesn't have to concerning my blog. To les16 for her amazing cheerleading! And to Goober_Lou, who lets me grab her and bounce ideas and scenarios off of her left and right, and who also tells me exactly what's going to get me in trouble with you guys! Sigh...I catch hell from all directions, trust me! Okay, review for me. Let me know what you're thinking. I want to remind you guys that I don't reply to reviews, but I read every single one! I do, however, post twice a week instead...or at least try to as long as RL stays level. I figure that more story is better than a "hello and thank you" from me. The extra post is a hello and thank you! LOL And I do thank you...so let me hear what you think... Next post looks like the usual Wednesday, so until then... Later! :)

*Chapter 2*: Chapter 2

A/N... I didn't say this on chapter one, but I suppose it should be said: I don't own Twilight, or its characters, but we all know who does. I do own my plot, and my own characters, though. AND...this is rated M for many reasons. They are, but aren't limited to: language, violence, mention of drugs and crimes against women and children, lemons, sexual innuendo, and Mercward sexiness (yeah, he needs his own warning label) Okay, now...a little something I feel the need to do. I receive a lot of reviews (and I thank you guys for all of them) and there are the rare few that are not kind (I'll live, trust me), and the rest are praises and love. Just as I received some flaming reviews, I also received a review from a woman that has been with me since my very first story, very first chapter. She said that she could no longer read anything that I've written...not that she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. She's become very ill, and her diagnosis was for three months. THREE MONTHS... my heart broke, because I've been at this now since 2009...and I've come to think of this woman as a friend and inspiration, and even though she may never see this, I'm dedicating Sin & Innocence to her. Q (Kyuketsuki In Oki)... this is all yours, sweetie. My heart and thoughts are with you and your family. Now, to answer a few concerns, because I really need you at ease for this story... I DON'T WRITE EDWARD AND BELLA CHEATING...or divorcing...see my Fanfiction profile if you don't believe me. However, I do write real life, real issues, real dialogue, and real emotions. I write observations that I see everyday on TV and in my life, I write fantasy, and I write about love (in all its forms). AND...I never said Bethy was a genius, but please understand when a child has the advantages that THIS child has, she's going to be...above average. Mm'kay? and that, is a real question, too...just ask the writer of South Park. LMAO Now...on with the story...let's find out what's in that warehouse...
CHAPTER 2

BELLA
"Ali's Den of Iniquity," Alice said, answering her phone, causing the whole car to laugh. I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Honestly, Alice," I sighed. "We're at the warehouse. I need you to take a look at it. Is there power? Security?" "No security that I can see, but that doesn't mean there isn't some sort of old school bell system," she mumbled over my speaker phone. "There is power, but the bill has been the same for years. It's paid out of Simon Parker's office...every month...on time." "Which means no one has turned even a light bulb on in this place in like a decade," Mickey concluded with a nod. "I'm going to make one trek around this building...look for the best entrance. I don't want to pick the wrong one and set off an old ass fire alarm or some shit." "Well, you're lucky, because the surrounding warehouses are abandoned and up for auction next month," Alice stated. "That will give you an extra few minutes to get in, and then out again if you do happen to set something off. I could kill the grid, if you want..." "No, Alice," Edward said, stopping her. "Not necessary. I can't imagine this will take long. Tell me where the office is, while Mick does a prelim check." He turned to Mickey. "Radio open," he commanded, and we all tucked an earpiece in. With that said, Mickey left the car, closing the back door behind her. "West side of the building, up a flight of stairs. It's one door, one room," Alice finally answered Edward, typing away on her computer. "It should sit opposite where the bar and kitchen are, according to the layout." "Thank you, Alice," he said, looking at his phone, which was showing a picture of the warehouse's plans. "We'll be on the radio from this point on." "Okie dokie," she sang, ending the call. "What are you hoping to find in this place, love?" Edward asked, turning slightly in the driver's seat of his Challenger. "I want to match these names," I said, holding up the funeral sign-in book, "to possible employees, because these names were not on the list of people that the police spoke to after Rick was found in his car with a bullet in his head. Then I want to know why a perfectly happy boy according to everyone that knew him in his early twenties, just up and dies of what looks like suicide. I don't get it. And I don't like it." Edward smirked, but reached into the back seat, pulling his bag to his lap. He rummaged around, only to find two flashlights and a few sets of latex gloves, handing a set of each over to me. "We'll need these. I don't want to touch a single thing in there not one light switch, and no fucking fingerprints left behind."

The sun was slowly setting behind another warehouse as he tugged his black baseball cap on backwards, only to pull his gun out, popping out the clip and checking the chamber. We may not have been in danger, but my Edward never took any chances. Ever. He treated even the simplest of jobs with the utmost control and security. I'm not sure if he could ever change that about himself nor would I want him to. "Okay, guys," Mickey called in over the radio. "Our best bet...back of the building, fire escape...the door up top." "Let's go," Edward said, and we both got out of the car. He set the car's alarm as we darted across the deserted street of the old industrial area and around the back of the building. We looked up what looked like rusty old metal stairs, to see Mickey already working on the lock of the door. By the time we'd carefully climbed up to her, she was standing up straight and pulling her gun out. Edward motioned for Mickey to open the door, because he was going to take the back, letting us lead the way in. Once the door was closed behind us, we all turned on our flashlights, scanning the room. We were on some sort of catwalk that edged the side of the building, eventually leading around to the office or down to the main floor of what used to be a pretty damn big dance club. The air was musty and thick with dust motes, a fine film of it covering just about everything. I shined my light down below us, and the place was a mess. Tables and chairs were overturned. Empty liquor bottles were everywhere, and some were even shattered across the floor. The door to the kitchen area was open, but seemed to be broken off of its hinges. "Damn," Mickey snorted, shining her light around the room. "What in the blue fuck happened here?" "It's like they just closed one night without ever cleaning or opening back up," I noted, walking slowly to the end of the catwalk. I tried the door, but it was locked. "Yet...this, they lock," I stated. Mickey immediately got to work, pulling out the little pouch containing her tools, which she always kept on her. "The whole place looks like the Apocalypse ravaged the joint, but they made sure to lock the fucking office," I muttered, smirking when Edward chuckled softly behind me. "Perhaps they are hiding something," he snorted, nudging me with his elbow. A soft click rang into the empty space, and Mickey opened the door, letting it glide open. All three of us peered inside, not knowing what to expect. Like the rest of the place, the office was covered in a thick layer of dust, but unlike the club downstairs, the office was in damn neat perfect order. File cabinets lined the back wall, right behind a generic metal desk. There was no computer equipment, but a calculator and a desk pad still sat on top. Two folding chairs sat just inside, also covered in dust, a jacket slung haphazardly over the back of one of them, and two small bookcases were along the wall right by the doorway. "Okay," I sighed, shaking my head, but walked straight to the first file drawer and tugged it open. Mickey took the desk, opening drawers, careful not to stir up too much dust. Edward knelt down by the bookcases, reading the titles. The first drawer I looked through was nothing but financial stuff taxes, purchasing, bills. The second drawer was the jackpot. "Bingo," I sang to myself, pulling out the file containing payroll information. I pressed my earpiece. "Alice..." "Talk to me. What'cha got for me?" she asked, typing away, and I could hear my child in the background. "Is she singing?" I laughed, and Edward snickered, standing up from the bookcases. "Yeah, Jasper's teaching her some old cowboy song," Alice told us with a giggle. "Nice," my husband drawled, rolling his eyes. "I'm going downstairs to look for the video equipment," he said, pointing to the upper corner of the room where an old camera sat completely still and covered in an impressive cobweb. "Okay," Mickey and I told him at the same time, and she came to look over my shoulder when I turned my attention back to Alice. "Alice, I'm going to read you some names and social security numbers. I'll need profiles on each of them." "Easy-peasy, Japanesey," she chuckled, typing away. "Okay...hit me." I read off the names and their socials, making sure they were the same names in Rick's funeral sign-in book, before putting the file back where I found it. "Thank you, Alice," I said over the radio. "How's that facial recognition thing coming for Mack?" "I've pulled the pic, mapped the face, and just started the search," she answered. "Like I told her, it will take time." "Okay," I sighed. "I'm not sure why she's worried. It wasn't like the woman tried anything."

"It was her reaction to Makenna," Edward answered, instead of Alice. "That woman did not want Mack to see her. At all. It won't hurt to find out who she was..." "True," Alice and I said at the same time. "We should be home in plenty of time for Bethy, Alice," I said. "Could you let Makenna know?" "Sure, sure, sure," she chanted in her usual three time manner. "Alice," Edward started with a grunt. "I've got...fucking old ass VHS security tapes dating all the way back to when this place opened. Can you do anything with them?" "Ancient fucking shit," she mumbled, and I could hear her rifling around on the other end. "Yeah," she huffed. "I still have my converter. Can you take them?" "I am taking them," he countered gruffly, and we heard tapes being picked up and slapped back down. "This room hasn't been touched in ages, but I'm only taking the ones from when Rick worked here." "Cool," Mickey snickered. "That's really helpful, pretty boy," she said sarcastically. I grinned, shoving at her a bit, but I did love it when she teased him. "Shut up, wild child," he growled into the radio. "I'm more than just a pretty face. Ask Bella." His amusement could not be missed, especially when I cracked the fuck up over the radio. "Aw," I crooned over the radio as Mickey and I gave the office one more rifle-through. "He does have a pretty face, though... Hmmm...what's for dinner, baby?" I purred, smiling at Mickey's chuckle. Edward could cook better than most five star restaurant chefs. There wasn't a single one of us that complained about anything he made. And fuck, if I hadn't benefited from it when I was pregnant with Bethy. Edward chuckled sexily over the radio. "Bethy asked for homemade pizza. But I'm not telling you what dessert is, Isabella." His voice took on a low, dangerous tenor, the tone that screamed sexiness and carnal promises. "Ooh, hot damn," Mickey giggled, shoving me out the office door. "Dessert indeed, Edward," I snickered, shaking my head. "We're done up here. What about you?" "I'm good," he chuckled, coming out from underneath us on the first floor. He held up three tapes, before tucking them away into the bag slung across his shoulder. "I can't imagine they'll be missed." "No, probably not," I agreed, making sure that the office door was locked behind me. "Well, we've got a decent start on this case. As soon as Alice has those profiles, I'll know who to talk to next." I sighed, following Mickey toward the door in which we came in, but looked over the railing to see Edward staring back toward the door. "We've got company, girls," he breathed over the radio, motioning us to get out the door as he bolted silently but quickly for the stairs. "Get out. Get to the car. I'll be right behind you." We knew better than to argue with him, but I hated leaving the building when he wasn't at my side. Mickey and I slipped out the back door and practically slid down the outside metal stairs. We both gave the door a glance for a brief moment, before slipping around the corner, but I found myself tugged back. "Ed, we've got...one, two cars outside. Looks like cops, and they're between us and the car," she whispered into her headset. "Get your ass out of there." "Probably the industrial park's security," he breathed. "Rent-a-cops...because they're not actually coming in yet. They're just shining a light through the window of the front door. They'll see movement if I move." "Then stay still, Edward," I whispered. "Benny will kill you if we have to bail you out of jail...again," I snorted. He chuckled softly, but it was true. It was during the first year we were working together. Bethy had been just a baby when we'd taken a job to catch a woman accused of selling her company's secrets to the competition. We figured out that she did most of her...meetings after work at her office in Portland, so Edward went in as the buyer. The night she was supposed to meet with him, she never came to the door, so he broke in, just to at least be able to look through the contents of her desk and files. He was totally busted by the building's security. It all came out that it was the head of security that was selling information, not the woman. I'd called Benny and Wes, who both worked for the Seattle division of the FBI, in a fucking panic, because I couldn't have my child's father in jail. They weren't happy about it, but they'd gone downtown to get him for me. I didn't want to know what kind of strings they had to pull to do it, but he was home by that night, and no charges ever being filed.

"Damn it," he growled, and my eyes met Mickey's as we waited. "They're coming in." "Shit," Mickey hissed, looking around. "What we need is a distraction..." I peered around the corner and saw that we were clear to the car. "I've got an idea," I told her, but knew that Edward was listening. "Two girls with car trouble should be enough to give him time to get out, huh?" "Don't break my fucking car, Bella," he growled, but even though I wasn't looking at him, I knew he was smiling; I could hear the amusement in his voice. "Heaven forbid," I chuckled, tugging Mickey's shirt. "We have to do this right. Come on..." We ran as quickly as we could to the car, and I unlocked it, popping the hood. I knew just enough about cars from my dad to know what I could fiddle with and make it look like it wouldn't start, without actually breaking Edward's precious Dodge. One loose wire later, and we were two girls that were stuck with a broken down car. I turned to look at the front of the building that we'd just come out of, the same one Edward was now trapped in, and I could see the two security boys one shining a light in the front window, and the other pulling out a set of keys. I smiled at what Mickey did next. "Ummm... Excuse me," she called loudly, sounding like a vapid, helpless girl. "Can you help us?" Two heads spun like they were on a swivel, and I snorted softly to myself, because from the look of their open mouthed stares, this was going to be all too easy. "Oh Lord, we just made their day." I chuckled low. One guy was skinny, with bad skin and a crooked smile. The other one was a little bigger and was sweating heavily through the armpits of his shirt. Mickey huffed a laugh, looking up at me. "This will be way too easy," she muttered under her breath as they came closer, mirroring my thought from just mere seconds before. "Edward, now's your chance. At least get the fuck outside, okay?" I whispered in a rush, falling down into the driver's seat. "Yes, ma'am," he grunted, and I could hear him running along the metal catwalk in the background. "Ladies," the skinny boy crooned as he ogled the both of us. "What seems to be the problem?" Now that the two young men were closer, we could see their name tags. One was O' Brady, and the other was Donaldson. "We took a wrong turn. The car was acting funny, and now it won't even start," I huffed, pouting like a spoiled rich girl, which was the only way to do it, considering the type of car we were dealing with and the fact that both Mickey and I looked younger than we actually were. Edward's late model Dodge Challenger was decked the fuck out. He'd had it before I met him, so it had every bell and whistle known to the automotive industry, though I couldn't judge him on it at all, because my Mustang was just as bad. It was just one of the many, many ways that Edward and I were very much alike; we loved our muscle cars. "Well, let's see what we can do about that," the bigger boy, Donaldson, sighed, looking under the hood. "I'm out, I'm out," Edward huffed in my ear, and a quick glance towards the back corner of the building confirmed it. "Battery cable?" he asked. "Yeah, and he's about five seconds from finding it, so run to the end of the street, and we'll pick you up at the stop sign," I mumbled, looking up when Donaldson peeked around the hood. "Try it now," he said, after fiddling with the very cable I'd just loosened. The car rumbled to life smoothly, of course, and Donaldson closed the hood, dusting off his hands. "Your battery cable was loose. You might want to have someone tighten that for you before it happens again." "Thank you," Mickey and I sang at the same time, and I could swear I heard Edward chuckle as he ran. Mickey started to get into the passenger side, when O' Brady stopped her. "Where were you girls headed that you were lost?" he asked, tilting his head at her. His blush could not be missed. "We were looking for Carson's Motors," she answered smoothly, knowing we'd passed that warehouse on our way into the damn complex. "I have to pick up a boat part for my boyfriend before they close. The guy said he'd stick around for us."

"Oh, well...Carson's is on the other side of the park. Go to the stop sign right up there and take a right. You can't miss it on the left hand side, just before you hit the exit. You girls passed right by it." "Gotcha. Thanks, guys!" she said, beaming like a bright sunny morning, and I had to hide my laugh. I looked straight up the street, catching a shadow darting across. Night had fallen, and Edward was thoroughly concealed. We waved to the boys, and I pulled out at the same time that Mickey dove into the back seat. At the stop sign, I looked into the rear view mirror to make sure the coast was clear. The guys had gone back to the front of the warehouse and were going inside. "Go, go," I said into the earpiece, and the passenger side door was yanked open, a heavily breathing Edward falling into the car. "Always gotta make shit hard, huh?" "Shut it, sweetness," he snorted, rolling his eyes at our laughter. "Get us out of here." I felt a kiss to my temple as I drove us out of the industrial area, heading towards home. ~oOo~ "Bethy, let's go!" I called down the hall. "You're going to be late for school, and I still need to do your hair, silly girl!" Edward let a soft chuckle out from behind me in the kitchen. He'd made breakfast and was now putting Bethy's lunch together for school. "Coming, Mommy," she yelled back, but I heard slamming around from in her room. "You said that ten minutes ago," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "God help me when she's thirteen." "But at thirteen, she won't want you to touch her hair," Edward pointed out with a spatula in hand. "Or watch movies, or hold her hand..." "Don't go there," I growled, hating that she was getting so big, so damn fast. "We could have another one," he chuckled, raising an eyebrow at me. "Don't go there, either, Edward," I huffed, rolling my eyes. I looked up at his hopeful, but carefully masked face. "You didn't have lug ten pounds of baby and water around on your bladder and kidneys..." "I would have..." he grumped, frowning just a bit. We did want another child. We'd talked about it when Bethy turned two, and again when she turned three, but it never got past the talking stage. I was back on birth control and had been since the doctor cleared me for it after Bethy's birth. I wasn't opposed to the idea, but I certainly didn't know if we could do it again, because we were honestly really busy. But the thought of a little Edward clone was just about my undoing a little boy with crazy hair and a wickedly charming smile. "Here, Mommy," my little girl gushed, running into the kitchen and clambering up onto the stool in front of me. She held out her brush and her box of "hair thingies," as Edward called them. "Well, how do you want it, baby?" I asked, dragging the brush down her long, thick hair, which reminded me so much of my own. "P-ponytail!" "One or two?" I tugged on her hair to get her attention away from whatever toy she was fumbling with in her hands. "Two, Mommy, okay?" she sighed exasperatedly. "Okay!" I answered back, shaking my head. "Relax, Captain Cullen. I'm not just your hair dresser." "S-sorry, Mommy," she huffed, settling down a bit, because she woke up at top speed and never slowed down all day. Her little stutter was already starting to fade, though it still came through when she was tired or overly excited. But the one thing she had in common with her father was that they both stuttered when they were in trouble. It never failed to melt me from both of them. I was pretty sure Bethy hadn't caught on to it, but I had suspicions Edward knew what it did to me. As I parted her hair and began to separate the two parts for ponytails, her head followed her daddy's every move in that kitchen. "Are you coming wif us, D-daddy?" "To school?" he clarified, zipping up her pink lunch box and setting it in front of her. "Yeah," she whispered, nodding slowly, because I was trying like hell to keep her still.

"You want both of us to drop you off?" he chuckled, giving her a wink, because I was pretty sure he was planning on riding with me this morning, before coming back to meet with Alice. We knew that Alice had already put together the three profiles we'd called in with from the warehouse the night before, but it had been late when we got back, and Edward and I had just wanted family time by the time we pulled in the driveway. We'd come home the night before to see the office locked up and Bethy and Makenna sitting on the floor of the living room, watching The Little Mermaid. They were singing Kiss the Girl as loud as they could, a ginormous bowl of popcorn between them. "Pwease Daddy?" she begged, knowing he couldn't resist it. She could play him better than I could. "I don't know," he sighed wearily, pretending to actually give it thought. She didn't even have to beg him again; she just looked up at him, like one of those lost puppies on the SPCA commercial all big, pitiful eyes and long eyelashes, her bottom lip popping out just right, tilting her head a little. "That," he huffed with a laugh, "she gets from you!" "Is that a yes, Daddy?" I giggled, ignoring his jibe at me, because yeah, that was totally my face she was using. I'm pretty sure I used that same face when I asked him to work with me at Gravity, and he's been with me ever since. "I guess so," he sighed dramatically. "Yay!" my girl cheered, pumping her fist in the air way too much like her Uncle Emmett, which only made her father smile all the more. With the last ponytail secured, I said, "Well, then, let's go. Go get your backpack, pretty girl. Mrs. Cope doesn't like it when you're late. You miss singing." With that said, Bethy burst out into Happy Trails, the song that Jasper had taught her the day before, which made my husband bark out a laugh as he headed out to the SUV. ~oOo~

EDWARD
Forks wasn't a big town. At all. In fact, it was quite the opposite; everyone knows everyone else. It was something I'd hated when I'd first moved here with my dad, just after my mother died, but I'd grown to appreciate after coming back from the Air Force. There was something to be said about familiarity. I'd known Mrs. Cope when I attended Forks high, because she worked in the office. When her daughter had twins the year I left for military school, she'd decided she'd rather be around little kids all day, instead of teens, so she opened a day care and preschool. And she was really good at it. It helped that she also taught Sunday School at the church, which meant she had more patience than I ever could with someone else's children. She was one of a few preschools in the area, but I really liked Mrs. Cope. I opened the back door to the SUV, noticing my very smart girl had already unbuckled her car seat. "Bethy," I warned her, raising an eyebrow. "You know I don't like it when you do that." "The car is parked," she countered, holding out her hands for me to pick her up. "Y-you said w-when the c-car was pparked that it was o-okay." "Dear Lord," Bella laughed, shaking her head. "Bethy, just wait until we tell you it's okay." "'K-kay," she huffed, but wrapped her arms around my neck as I picked her up out of the car. As I set Bethy on her feet, I glanced around. The daycare used to be a home, but Mrs. Cope had been able to turn it into a fantastic place. The front yard was the playground, with a winding sidewalk leading to the front doors. Everything was painted bright colors, including the tables and chairs that I had made for her ages ago. Word got around about my carpenter hobby once I'd settled back into Forks after my tour of duty in Afghanistan, especially once I bought my house. So when I started becoming a regular at the local hardware shop, interest peaked, especially when I gave Mrs. Thompson, the wife of the owner of the hardware shop, her first rocking chair. Mrs. Cope had left word with Mrs. Thompson that she'd pay me for a set of six small tables with four chairs each for her daycare, but I hadn't charged her. It had been therapy for me to take the time to build them after coming home from one of my father's missions. It had been my down time, my quiet time but that was all before my Bella. "Ah, Miss Bethy," Mrs. Cope greeted her, smiling brightly. "Go put your things up and give Miss Valerie your lunch, okay?" "Okay," Bethy sang, starting to take off.

"Hey," Bella laughed. "Little Miss Social Butterfly, you want to tell your parents goodbye first?" "Oh yeah," she giggled. "Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy," she said, rushing to me when I knelt down. She planted loud, wet kisses to my cheek, whispering, "Love you. Be safe." I grinned, because she and Bella were my whole fucking world, and I'd taught her that almost from the minute she could talk. I hated leaving either of them for any time period, so it was almost like a family code for us. Maybe it stemmed from all the shit that Bella had been through before Bethy was born. Maybe it came from my years of being a soldier and being overseas far away from everything. But I was pretty sure it came from my mother, who never let my father leave for a tour without telling him to "be safe" and that she loved him fiercely. I never wanted to leave either of my girls without them knowing that I loved them, even if it were only for a few hours at school. "Love you, too, little sweetness," I whispered back. She rushed to Bella, saying the same thing as my wife played with her hair. With one last kiss to Bethy's forehead, Bella let her go. "It's good to see you both," Mrs. Cope said, smiling up at me, and then turning to Bella. "I wanted to remind you that the three and four year olds have a field trip to Mr. Lafayette's farm this Friday. They get to see animals and see how a farm works. I was wondering if either of you could come along." "Oh damn," Bella groaned, rubbing her temple. "I totally forgot. Umm, can I let you know later today when I pick her up?" "Absolutely," the older woman said, turning to me. "I know how you feel about outside activities, Edward. I just thought one of you might want to be there with her." I smiled and nodded, because she knew a little of our past, and she knew what we did for a living, so for her to take that into consideration meant a lot to me. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, but with my father's spotlighted career, and the fact that we used to be soldiers for hire, I wasn't sure I'd trust anyone outside of my family and crew with the safety of my wife and daughter. It was one thing to be in a one-room school; it was another to take Bethy out of that school, where anything could happen, where anyone could approach the boisterous, friendly little girl, even though we'd fucking stressed the whole "don't talk to strangers" thing to Bethy. If it made me paranoid, then so be it, but I couldn't imagine what I would do if something happened to my girls. Period. The fury and devastation that would incur would be equal to that of World War III. "Thank you, Mrs. Cope," I sighed, looking towards the building and back to her. "We're working a case, so Bella's right... We'll have to let you know later this afternoon. Bethy's grandparents are out of town." "Oh, that's right!" She beamed, clapping her hands together. "How was the wedding?" "Beautiful," Bella gushed. "You'll have to see the pictures. Bethy decided to dump the rest of the rose petals at the end of the aisle." I snorted at Mrs. Cope's laughter, because it was funny. Bethy had done everything we'd taught her and asked of her concerning that wedding, but when there were flowers leftover at the end of the aisle, she'd been confused, so she'd just dumped them, much to everyone's amusement in the wedding hall. Both mine and Bella's phones alerted us to text messages; she checked it out and sighed, looking up at me. "Alice...those profiles are ready...and Rose is staying home at their place today. She's having pains." I sighed, shaking my head. "We'd better go then. Thank you, Mrs. Cope. We'll see you later this afternoon." "Just let me know about Friday, Edward," she said sweetly. "Yes, ma'am." By the time we got back to the house, Bella had already called Rose, verified that we didn't need to take her to the hospital...yet, and I'd called Emmett to calm him down. He was still stuck with Governor Palmer for at least another day and night and was freaking the fuck out that his first child was so close to making his appearance. It seemed Caleb Edward McCarty was just about ready for his big debut. Bella and I walked into the office, where Alice was already hard at work and Makenna was stirring a cup of coffee. Every computer was up and running, each one processing something different, and I couldn't help but watch the one that was searching for the woman that had approached me at the reception. Her face had been captured from the security video, a few marks on certain features, while the picture next to it was constantly changing, trying to find a match. At the top, I could see that Alice wasn't just searching through Washington, but a national database. No wonder it was taking a bit to process. "Where's Jazz?" I asked, looking around, even glancing outside. "I made him stay with Rose," Alice stated firmly. "Her doctor said it's too soon to bring her in, because there's no set pattern to her contractions, but I'm not taking any chances with my next prodigy, so I made him stay."

Bella giggled, kissing the top of her head. "Your first prodigy will be jealous if she hears you talking like that." "Doubtful... Soon, my little minions and I will run the world," Alice said, using a falsely evil voice as she rubbed her hands together, but she couldn't even get that out with a straight face, bursting into a laugh with the rest of us. Although in reality, she was probably right. Bethy adored Alice, because she was so smart. On many occasions, I'd caught Alice teaching Bethy simple chemistry. They'd both laugh when things popped or bubbled over. Alice had taught her to read, simply by teaching her how to use a computer, and had even gone as far as writing Bethy her very own program. It was a simple game, using numbers, letters, shapes, and colors, not to mention pictures of animals and shit. It wasn't long before Bethy had started reading simple words off of road signs and off of the TV. My baby girl was fucking brilliant, but I wasn't proud or anything. "Sit, sit," she chuckled, tossing three files into the center of the table we always sat around discussing cases. "I've got what you asked for. Interesting group of people, Bellsy." Bella set down the stack of things that Todd Jackson had given us, including the funeral sign-in book. Apparently, we'd lucked out, because all three names were found in the employee files at the warehouse. Jeff Kelly, Adam Weaver, and Moses Matthews all worked with Rick Jackson at the time he died and had attended his funeral. What bothered me was that not one cop had bothered to find this shit out. "What about the video tapes?" I asked. "Patience," Alice chided. "I'm converting the last one as we speak," she said, gesturing to one of the many computers on her giant desk. "They will be easier to scan through once they're digital. Tape is just...ugh!" Bella smiled, but said nothing as she pulled the files to her. "Okay then, pixie, talk to me about these guys." "Let's start with Adam Weaver," Alice sighed, sitting down across from us. "He was a fellow bartender with Rick at the time he died. He's still working for Simon Parker, actually. He's the go-between for Parker and the rest of the world. If you need an appointment to see him, you have to go through Adam first. In the ten years that have passed, Weaver was able to get himself back to school and graduate with a BA in telecommunications and a minor in business management." "But you've got down here that he was living in a shitty apartment, barely making ends meet ten years ago," Bella stated, looking up at Alice. "Right, Simon put Adam through school. I was able to trace the finances." "Interesting. Keep going," I mused, looking over Bella's shoulder at the driver's license of the guy. Weaver was six feet tall, weighing a hundred and seventy pounds. He had nondescript brown hair and hazel eyes. According to his most recent address, he lived in a fairly upscale part of town. It was one of those neighborhoods that drew in the artists, the musicians, and the flamboyant. There were also a few photographs that Alice had printed from what looked like a social website, and Adam's lifestyle practically screamed out of them. "He's gay," I stated, looking up at Alice. "He is," she said with a nod. "He's also...trouble. He has a very, very long list of past offenses with the state of Washington. It ranges from indecent exposure to public intoxication. There are a few possession charges, as well. Apparently, he lives a pretty damn fast life, with no intention of stopping, because his last arrest was just last month DUI. His license has been suspended, and he's supposed to be attending AA meetings, but according to his probation officer, he's missed one or two. Somehow, he's avoided having his sentence revoked and being put in jail, but a good lawyer can stop that shit." "I don't want Simon Parker to know about us yet," Bella stated, sliding Adam Weaver's file to the side, "so this guy is on the back burner for now. Next." "You'll love this one," Alice giggled, pushing the next file to us. "Moses Matthews...AKA 'The Preacher,'" she started, raising her eyebrows up. "Preacher was a bouncer at Starlight. Look at him. He's ginormous. He's six foot five and weighs like close to three hundred pounds. He was and still is heavily into body building. There's not an ounce of fat on that big boy." Bella and I both took in the driver's license and some photos that Alice had provided us with, and Preacher was, indeed, a huge motherfucker. He was African American, with what looked like an easy smile and a bald head, but his size alone would scare most assholes away from the club. From the looks of him, I could imagine he'd been very good at his job controlling chaos at a popular bar. "Preacher?" Bella asked, flipping through the file. "He's really a freakin' minister...Reverend Matthews. And he's got his own church now," Alice replied. "He lives a pretty clean life...no current trouble, though he had some assault charges from back then. I could imagine some drunk guy getting pissed off for being thrown out of a dance club...literally thrown, from what I could guess." Alice flipped a page for us and pointed. "As you can see, he's no longer associated with Parker in any way. He's trying his damnedest to clean up

a rough side of town. His current project is a recreational community center, but he's having a hard time getting funds." I pulled the last file to me, and Alice changed gears along with me. "Jeff Kelly...this is the interesting one... He was found two years ago in the very same spot that Rick Jackson was...in the very same condition." "No," Bella gasped, pulling the file closer. She flipped through, finding the pictures from the crime scene, and pulled out the autopsy report. "Same fucking type of gun and everything," she mused, biting her bottom lip as she read. "Suicide...in his car...just like Rick." "Well, shit," I sighed, shaking my head. "Does this mean they both committed suicide, or do we have a pattern of some asshole killing guys and making it look like suicide?" "See?" Alice huffed. "That's the question, because not an ounce of gunpowder was found on either mans' hands. I checked both reports. And both were still wearing their seat belt. Who wears their seat belt when you're about to off yourself? Seriously. Vehicular safety would be about the furthest thing from your mind, I would think," she rambled. "There was also no note...from either of them. I know that most studies show that when someone makes up their mind to kill themselves, they all show the same signs. They start making peace with everyone they know, they start doling out their possessions because they won't be needed and they usually write a note or leave some kind of message. It sounds terrible to say, but it's the truth. They want to be remembered. Despite the fact that they are leaving this earth, they want someone somewhere to know...why." Bella and I just nodded at this information that Alice was spewing, because that was what Alice did. She retained the most obscure bits of fucking info, using it at the most needed moments. It wouldn't shock me that Alice knew the steps a suicidal person took at the time they've made up their mind to end their own life. It wasn't uncommon to catch Alice reading a psychology book, or a forensics text book, or even studying old cases that Benny gave her the clearance to read. I can't imagine what she knew about Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, the Unibomber, or even John Wayne Gacy, because she found serial killers to be fascinating. It had something to do with how a fucked up childhood could turn a human being into a monster. She told me once that one wrong injury to a child's psyche could ruin them as an adult, which gave me nightmares the first few weeks after Bethy was born. I'd been convinced I'd fuck up as a father. Bella slid Jeffery Kelly's file back toward Alice, pulling Moses Matthews back to her. She sat back in her chair. "I want to talk to this guy first," she stated, tapping the folder with her finger. "I'd be willing to bet that his job as a bouncer allowed him to see all sorts of fucked up shit." "What about Adam Weaver?" I asked, pulling that file closer. "I'd rather not deal with Simon Parker just yet," she said, looking up at me. "His police statement was ridiculously riddled with holes and vague accounts of Rick's employment. It was too standoffish, like he was trying too hard to sound like he didn't know anything other than the fact that Rick worked for him as a faceless employee. If we start with Weaver, then Parker will know. If Parker's hiding something, we can't have that." I took a deep breath, because we were about to go into a pretty fucking harsh part of town. I nodded at her, and then turned to Alice. "You'll skim through the security footage?" "Yup," she sang with a nod, rolling her chair away from the table across the room to her desk. "They're all converted, so I'll start looking through them while you guys head to the city. If anything interesting happens, I'll send it to your phones." I started to get up from the table, but Bella didn't. Her attention was drawn to Makenna, who hadn't said anything the whole time; her attention was utterly transfixed to the screen that was looking for our mystery woman from the reception. "Mack," Bella called softly, and the girl's head spun to look at her. "Tell me why she bothers you so much." "I don't forget people," she huffed, frowning down at her cup of coffee. "I know that face, but...something's either changed about her, or she's aged or some shit. I don't know. And her running away from me just fucking confirms that there's something not right with her. She was more than willing to talk to Edward, but when I appeared, she ran like the wind. I want to know why." Bella looked up at me. "Did you get a funky vibe from her, too?" "Love, I'd talked to so many people that day...everyone was giving me a funky vibe. I was tired and ready for all of it to be over. I'd fucking hob-knobbed way past my personal limit." Bella giggled, shaking her head. "Ah...right...no people skills. I forgot, baby. I'm sorry." I chuckled, nudging her with my elbow, because she'd teased me once about opening my own restaurant, but I'd explained to her that I didn't exactly have people skills. My lack of patience, my inability to sugarcoat some shit, just wouldn't allow it. Bella got up, walked to the desk, and sat down to look at the screen. She was quiet for some time, before she took a deep breath, saying, "I'd say she resembles...Lilith Laray...but that's impossible. Lilith is in Shady Glen..." I noticed both Alice and Makenna freeze, but it was my girl's voice that worried me. It was haunted at the mention of that name a name I'd never heard.

"Who?" I asked, looking around the room. It was quiet for a minute, before Alice answered. "Lilith Laray was one of our first cases. The first year, actually." She stopped when Bella shot up out of her chair. "I'm...I've got to get something from the house, Edward, and then we can go," she stated, her voice sounding almost dead. "Bella?" I looked up at her worriedly, but she just held up her hand. "I hated that case," she sighed, shaking her head. "I have no desire to hear about it." As soon as she was out the door, Mack spoke up. "It is Lilith," she breathed, her eyes wide. "But she's scarred here..." She pointed to the mark along the woman's brow. "Her hair is a different color, and she's gained some weight. That's why I didn't recognize her. She's...clean..." I spun to Alice, pointing to the window. "You have thirty seconds. Give me the Cliff Notes version. Now." "Lilith Laray was a drug addict that lost custody of her child," Alice said, beginning to ramble, her eyes nervously flickering to the window watching for Bella, I assumed. "She had a heroin problem, but wouldn't turn down anything else if it was offered to her. She was encouraged to put her little girl, Ashley, up for adoption, but she never did. The foster parents that had taken Ashley in...the Greenes... Well, they wanted her. And who wouldn't? She was such a sweet little girl. She was five at the time." Alice winced, shaking her head. "Bella took the case, because Lilith found a way to take Ashley back. Kidnapped her. She'd been in a rehab facility, gotten clean or so everyone thought and then ran off with the little girl after a court granted visitation." "And?" I growled, not liking that my wife was upset at just the mere idea of this woman. "And Bella found her. It was a simple recovery. Lilith fell off the wagon, going on a week long bender after snatching her little girl. Ashley had to fend for herself, as her mother wallowed in a drug-induced stupor, so she was seen walking in a really shitty neighborhood the same damn neighborhood that Lilith had always crashed in. She was either stupid, or just damned desperate, but it didn't take long for Bella to ask the right people a little grocery store owner, the cashier at a fast food restaurant, and Lilith's drug dealer before she found them. In fact, it was the drug dealer, Sharky, who gave her Lilith's address, though Bella paid a lot of fucking money for that information. She took Rose with her, and once she spotted Ashley, she alerted the police." "So...if that was a fucking happily ever after, then why is she..." I didn't finish, because Alice and Makenna were already shaking their heads. "What?" "We all thought it was done, that the girl was safe. Lilith was committed to Shady Glen...permanently. She was finally diagnosed with schizophrenia and manic depression. She heard voices, and they made her sad," Alice snorted, rolling her eyes. I raised an eyebrow at her to continue. I didn't have time for jokes and shit. "Okay, so once Lilith was put away, she signed over custody, so the Greenes finally got to adopt Ashley. Bella became close with them. I mean, Jason and Amber Greene were really sweet people. They were about our age, with decent jobs, but the inability to have kids of their own. We became friends. Jason was a lawyer, and even sent some cases our way, but a year after Ashley was recovered..." I watched as a sadness that rarely touched Alice's face draped over her like a thick, heavy blanket. And it didn't escape me that Alice had said "was" and not "is" when she spoke of these people. "It had nothing to do with Lilith. It wasn't even Jason's fault. They were coming home one night from dinner, all three of them. They were stopped for a red light, when a drunk driver in one of those big Hummers plowed through the intersection, taking out the Greenes' Mercedes. They never stood a chance, even with Ashley in a safety seat, because the vehicle next to them was a gas tanker. The whole fucking intersection exploded." "Holy fucking shit," I breathed. "I remember that accident. I watched the news about it. The drunk fucker lived! In fact, he was the only survivor, because he was bounced out of his SUV's open window when the the fucking thing rolled." "Yup," Makenna sighed. "Bellsy was devastated. She said that everything she'd done to get Ashley back was for nothing. For a long time, she treated clients pretty coldly, not getting close, just doing the job and getting it done. And she didn't take a missing child case for a really, really long time. She'd refuse them, send them to someone else." She paused, looking at the screen, because it bleeped with an alert. "Oh, fuck," she groaned, looking to Alice. "Lilith Mary Laray..." she muttered, pointing to the screen. "Guess who's out of the nut house?" I heard the screen door slam from the house, and my head shot up to see Bella heading our way. I stood up, grabbed the files we'd need for the day, and tucked them under my arm. I walked to the safe, grabbing my gun, Bella's gun, and two ear pieces, just in case the neighborhood we were about to go in wasn't exactly friendly. I turned back to the girls, pointing to the screen now filling with a police record that looked a mile fucking long on Lilith Laray.

"I want it all on her," I stated gruffly. "Tell me why she's out, because there was a fucking reason that bitch was at the hotel. If she knew you guys, then it wasn't fucking coincidence that she was there. Find it. Keep it quiet, and send the info only to me for now, okay? At least until Bella can handle dealing with it." "Sure, Edward," Mack said with a nod, tugging Alice's shirt sleeve. "Work your magic, pixie. Let's see why they freed the dodo bird." With that said, I walked out of the office, meeting Bella at her car. Her face was grim, and she wouldn't meet my eye, but she was already getting in the Mustang before I could protest. My girl wanted to drive her frustrations out of her, so I didn't argue when she turned the key, revved the engine, and left the house like a bat out of hell. Bella was eerily quiet the entire trip to the city. The only time she spoke was when she asked for directions, and even that was quick and to the point. When Reverend Matthews' church came into view, she parked the car, but before she could get out, I stopped her. "Hey, sweetness, wait," I said, turning in my seat slightly. She still wouldn't meet my eyes. I winced, my nose wrinkling, because I fucking knew that feeling. The three stars tattooed on my chest for the three men I'd lost overseas was proof of that, but we were beyond holding shit in. I could recognize guilt when I saw it. Bella blamed herself maybe not directly, but at least somewhat for the deaths of the little girl that she'd saved and her adopted parents. Though it might not have been her fault, their loss made her feel vulnerable, disgusted with herself that she got too close. "Look at me, please," I sighed, tilting my head at her as she turned to me. "They told you." It wasn't a question merely a statement. "Yes." "God, she was such a bright girl, Edward," she gushed in barely a whisper. "And her parents...they were just...really fucking good people." The last four words came out through gritted teeth. I reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, but I could see she wasn't going to say much else, but she needed to know the results of the search. "The search finished while you were in the house, love," I started, keeping my voice even, especially when her gaze snapped up sharply to mine, her normally sweet brown eyes taking on a black, angry tinge. "It's her. It's Lilith." "That's why she ran from Makenna," she muttered. "She knew you wouldn't know her, and she could approach you, but she knew the rest of us. She's out?" "I've got the girls working on why, baby," I promised her, pulling out her gun and handing it to her. "They're going to keep me posted until you want to deal with it. But until then, we've got to interview this Preacher guy." "Armed?" "Look around you, Bella," I said a little sharper, my eyes not leaving hers. "Every move we're making is being watched. This car screams money. Look at the neighborhood, love. There's no money here. This area has the highest crime rate in the fucking city. I'm not taking any chances with you." She gave a quick glance around and nodded, taking her gun, checking the clip and chamber, before stowing it in the small of her back. She also took the earpiece I was handing her and tucked it in, before looking up at me. My heart broke with the sadness that was there sadness that hadn't been there prior to the mention of this Lilith bitch. "I'm sorry," I whispered, shaking my head, because I didn't know what else to say. My Bella was sweet and kind and loving, and she lost someone she'd grown close to, and for that, I was sorry. "I made so many mistakes on that case," she groaned, shaking her head. "I just...I can't right now." "I understand, and I'll handle it until you can. Got me?" A flicker of a smile glimmered across her beautiful face. "Yes, sir," she snickered, but looked up at me one last time. "Thanks." "I love you," I said with a chuckle, shaking my head. "Now, let's go to church."

A/N...Okay, so the case is coming along, and they've found out who approached Edward at the reception. We'll find more about about Lilith Laray as time moves on, including why Bella is hesitant. Coming up, we'll meet The Preacher, and find out what happened in this convoluted case Edward and Bella are working on...and there just might be a new little addition to the family...not to mention Rose's opinion on

Lilith, which is always interesting. I need to thank you all for joining me on another adventure... I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this and laughing at my nervousness concerning future chapters. Thanks to Goober_Lou, who said, "If I didn't know what was coming, I'd hit you." Yeah, she's kinda tough like that. And to MedusaInNY for all the hard work she puts into my blog, including the beautiful jobs she's done on the PDFs for the Angel Series. Now...let me hear you. I want to know what you're thinking. I told you before, this one starts out a little different than the last one, but I'm promising you that it will...umm...turn. That being said, the next post is going to be Sunday, so we're right on track. Until then, Later! :)

*Chapter 3*: Chapter 3

A/N... Hey guys! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! :) Hope my American friends are having a good long weekend. Much love to everyone else, too! MUWAH! So...it seems every last one of you has the same concern. Bethy. And Lilith. It's understandable, and trust me there is a lot of information coming your way. I also need you to have faith in the HEA. Now...we get to meet Moses "The Preacher" Matthews. Someone asked me what's up with my love for the really big lovable guys... I don't know! LOL But I suppose that's a good question. I think you'll like Preacher. So go ahead...let's see how Edward and Bella deal with this case. Oh yeah...and this chapter comes with a LEMON WARNING...not that you'll complain, but I'm just sayin'.
CHAPTER 3

BELLA
Lilith fucking Laray. My hatred for her could barely be contained, but I just didn't want to talk about her. She'd come damn close to getting her little girl killed several years ago, and it had taken every resource I had at the time to get her back to a safe place. But it had been all for fucking nothing. The Greenes had been an amazing couple, full of love and life, and had made even more amazing parents. Ashley had adored them from the beginning. She'd settled in to school, gotten her grades up, and had even started making friends, when her mother was granted a visit. One moment they were at the park; the next, Lilith had made a run for it. We never did find out how she was able to get away so quickly, but getting Ashley back had been a pathetic display of trial and error. I shook my head, trying to focus on the case at hand as I got out of the car. There were things about the Greenes that wracked my frame with guilt. As if he could still sense my mood, Edward's large, warm hand slipped into mine as he led me across the street and down the sidewalk. He said nothing more about Lilith, but his thumb rubbed soothingly across my knuckles, calming me more than I could even explain. The Sunrise Worship Center sat on the west corner of one of the most crime infested areas of Seattle. It was small and old, but at least it was well kept. In fact, it was the cleanest building in sight, except for the rather large facility next door that was clearly under construction. As Edward and I crossed the street, I was completely aware that we were being watched. Eyes were on us from every angle the group of young boys hanging out on the corner, the old woman tugging her groceries in a small cart behind her, and an older man trimming the dead branches from the small hedge that wrapped around the church itself. It was to that man that Edward was aiming for. "Mornin'," the old man wheezed, brushing off his hands. "Morning. I was wondering where we might find Reverend Matthews," Edward said politely, but not without a touch of firmness to his voice. "Oh, right about now, he'd be next door. He's been fighting the construction workers all week for permits," the gentleman said as he wore a wry, sweet smile. "Red tape has been givin' him hell since he started that community center." "Thank you, sir," Edward said, before guiding me gently down the sidewalk. He stopped us a short distance away and pointed to a sign. "Remington Construction," he muttered. "That's who my dad got to build Gravity's office. We had no problems with permits," he noted, looking up at me, "because Twi Tech owns them." "Well, maybe we can help this place out," I chuckled, raising an eyebrow at him. "A little help for information, you think?" Edward grinned, opening the front doors of the place and letting me in. The dirty, open area was filled with loud voices. However, it wasn't hard to spot the man that we were looking for. Moses Matthews took up a large amount of space as he towered over what looked to be the construction manager. The inside of the building was in complete disarray. The floors were torn up, the walls were stripped, and the sound of dripping water echoed throughout the place. I understood that he was depending on donations and charity for this place, but according to the information that Alice had given me, Preacher had started this project well over a year ago. There was no reason for it to be this far behind. "I'm sorry, Reverend, but I just can't start the plumbing without the permit," the construction manager said, looking up with just a touch of fear in his eye. "I've jumped through every hoop for those people downtown. What more could they possibly want?" Preacher growled,

throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I realize charities take longer, but I'm beginning to think it's more than that," he sighed, turning his head and catching sight of me and Edward. I could see him try to shake off his temper before greeting us. "Can I help you?" he asked. "Reverend Matthews? The name's Edward, and this is Isabella. I was wondering if we could have a word with you," Edward stated, holding his hand out, nodding a greeting as the large man took it firmly. If my husband was intimidated by Preacher's size, he didn't show it. It didn't escape me that I'd been introduced by my full name, but we never went into anything that Edward didn't have some sort of plan, so I followed his lead. "Sure," he mumbled, turning back to the man he'd been arguing with. "I'll be back, Sonny. I'll call over there one more time." "No problem, Preach," Sonny sighed, almost in relief of having the big man out of his face. "Why don't we take this to my office," Preacher suggested, leading us back out of the community center and across the parking lot to the church, his voice deep and rumbling, like rolling thunder. "I'm sorry about that. It's been like pulling teeth to get this project underway. It's giving me ulcers and migraines. It'll kill me before it's over." Edward chuckled softly and nodded in understanding, following Moses down a hallway and into a small, but cool office. Flipping on the lights, he gestured to two chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat. What can I do for you?" Edward took Rick Jackson's photo out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket and slid it across the desk to him. "I was wondering if you remember this guy, Reverend Matthews." "Oh, call me Preacher. Everyone does," Preacher said offhandedly, pulling the photo closer, his brow wrinkling. "Ricky..." he whispered, and then looked up at us with a confused expression. "I haven't thought about him in years." He sighed. "Tragic, what happened to him. Who wants to know?" The last question came out a little gruff, but Preacher reined it in. "His brother, Todd," Edward stated with a nod. "He hired us to find out what actually happened. He's given up on the police." Preacher snorted a soft, but bitter laugh. "I imagine he has. Fumbling idiots," he muttered, shaking his head and looking at the picture again. "How did you find me? The police never approached me." "The police wanted to declare his death a suicide, but the forensic evidence said no," I answered. "Personally, I just think they gave up. We know you worked with Rick. We just wanted to know what happened the night he died." Preacher leaned back in his office chair, appraising us for just a moment. "I wasn't there that last night..." he sighed, shaking his head. "I hated that job," he said, chuckling deeply, "but I had a brand new baby." He gestured to the photo of what was now a handsome preteen boy with short cropped hair. He had the same smile as his father. "I needed the money at the time, because my wife was on maternity leave from the hospital, and being a minister doesn't always pay the best." He smiled softly at the memory, his eyes glazing just a bit. "The place was Sodom...or Gomorrah...or both, but it was a paycheck. I tried to mind my own business and keep the people from tearing each other apart...both the employees and the drunken patrons." He pointed to the picture of Rick on his desk. "Rick was a good kid. He was there like me, to just try to make enough money to pay the bills. He didn't get wrapped up in the politics of the place, or even the drugs or sexual deviance that happened, whether anyone wanted to admit it or not." "So there were drugs?" Edward clarified. "Oh yeah," Preacher snickered bitterly. "The owner, Simon Parker... Do you know him?" "We know of him," Edward answered. "We know how he made his money, what he does now..." "Yeah, now you do," Preacher laughed, "but back then, it was all hushed up. Do you know his family?" "No, sir," we both said, shaking our heads. "Simon Parker is the nephew of Barbara Parker...the former judge," he stated, "so he couldn't be associated with pornography, homosexuality, and drugs. On more than one occasion, she bailed him out of small trouble, but he knew if he was exposed for what he really did, she'd be ruined. It was all about pretenses. Once she retired, no one cared what he did, and it was easy to track his name to everything he'd touched. Not to mention, his fat trust fund had matured by then. "What you still don't know is that Simon Parker is gay," he continued. "He keeps it quiet, for some bizarre reason, but back then...he was absolutely petrified of someone finding out. Of a...fling telling on him," he stated with a raised eyebrow. Edward's mouth opened, closed, and then he said, "Rick." "Oh," I groaned, wincing a bit, because I was pretty damn certain that Todd didn't know his brother was gay. Preacher nodded and sighed. "It's a tough lifestyle. Jesus taught 'judge ye not, lest ye be judged,' or even better...'let the

those without sin cast the first stone.' I refuse to place an opinion on someone like that. There's plenty of others to do that job. Hell, people still judge on race alone; forget sexual preference." He took a deep breath and sat forward, resting his large arms on his desk. "Rick was a good kid...kind, helpful. He had a sharp sense of humor. But he got trapped in Simon's clutches and was used." "Is it possible Rick killed himself over this?" Edward asked, narrowing it down to the question I was thinking. "I doubt it," he replied with a one shouldered shrug, "but Simon wouldn't have done it, either. It would have been...beneath him to have gotten his hands dirty." "What about Jeff Kelly?" I asked, holding up the next photo. "He definitely wouldn't have done it," he stated firmly. "He and Rick were really close. Roommates, best friends. More than once did I catch them talking about opening their own place, their own restaurant. Rick could cook like no tomorrow, and Jeff was excellent with finances. Jeff is gone now...and if I'm not mistaken, the same way Rick went, though I'd be willing to bet that Jeff killed himself. He was devastated when Rick was found. It was why I took him to the funeral." "You took him?" I asked, my eyebrows raising up. "What about Adam Weaver?" Another humorless laugh escaped him. "Adam is Simon's man until the end. Simon sent him with us to keep us quiet from the family. We were to go, say nothing to nobody, and leave...or we'd lose our jobs, and at that point, he had us, because there wasn't a lot of work, and Jeff was too distraught to think clearly. I needed my job. Not that it did any good... Simon shut the place down without warning not long after that." "So let me see if I'm picking up on this," I started. "Rick and Jeff were...together, but Simon used Rick." "Yeah, that's kinda how it went down. Simon has a way of getting what he wants. He wanted Rick. I'm sure there was some sort of blackmail thrown in there. I'd heard him do it before. But Jeff found out and lost his temper." "I don't get it...all the secrecy," Edward muttered, looking up at Preacher. "Let's put it this way... Simon Parker was married, with two young kids, but he still liked men. He was a part of a pretty powerful political family at the time...a conservative political family. If word got out that he wasn't just filming gay sex, but participating in it on the sly, he would have single handedly ruined his family's reputation, not to mention his marriage a financially comfortable marriage. Having Jeff catch them, or at least find out about Rick and Simon, would have been Simon's undoing. He would never have seen a dime of his trust fund." "Guess we will have to talk with Adam after all," I told Edward, who was already nodding. "You should talk to Brenda Davies, too," Preacher added, grabbing a pen and paper and jotting down an address for us. "She was Rick's neighbor. Sweet thing, used to come in to help out on the weekends when we were really busy. She, Rick, and Jeff were all pretty close. She was so upset when he died that she couldn't even find the strength to go to the funeral, even when Jeff begged her." Edward took the paper, and we all stood up, but I pulled out my phone, making a quick call. "Angela, it's Bella," I said, smirking at Edward's chuckle and wink my way. "Hey, Bells, what can I do for you?" Angela sang back at me. She was Carlisle's Personal Assistant at Twi Tech, not to mention married to Benny, our good friend at the FBI. Twi Tech had been started by my father, Charlie Swan, and was now run by Edward's father. Both my maiden name and my married name still carried respect and power at the office. Rarely did I ever use it, but this was for a good cause. "Two things," I stated. "First, call that guy down at the permits department...Robbins. Tell him there's a Remington Construction job down on Harper Street that needs every last pending permit shot through. Like yesterday. And no more waiting on future ones, either. They've dragged their feet long enough. If fees need paying, send them to Makenna at my office." "Sure, Bells. What else?" "Next, call over to Hannah's office. Tell her that Edward and I want to support a charity, and that she should call a Reverend Moses Matthews at the Sunrise Worship Center for whatever he needs, but it's a community recreational center, so they'll need...sports equipment, a computer center, furniture, a library, and volunteers to get it all here and set it up. Okay?" "I'm on it, sweetie," Angela said, already in focus mode. "Oh! And Carlisle checked in this morning. They landed just fine. Sam was about to take them to the island. I was just about to call you." "Excellent. Thanks, Ang," I said with a true smile, and then ended the call, looking up at Edward. "Carlisle and Esme landed just fine," I told him. "Good," Edward said, still highly amused at my phone call.

"Carlisle...as in Cullen?" Preacher asked, looking between us. "As in Twilight Tech? You know him?" "Yes, sir," Edward chuckled. "He's my father. Isabella used to be Swan. As in...Charlie Swan's daughter." "Oh damn," he muttered, smirking at the two of us. "Sorry," he snickered, still shaking his head when we laughed. There was a knock on his office door, and he excused himself, before cracking it open. Sonny was standing there, his face pale as he held up his phone. "Umm, Preach. We're...um, we're good to go. On everything," he stated, his voice a little raspy. He swallowed hard, and then said, "We'll work the plumbing today, but I'll bring a full crew tomorrow so we can pour the flours, install the insulation, and get the walls finished, okay?" "Yeah, sure, Sonny. Thanks," Preacher chuckled, folding his big arms across his chest after he closed the office door. "You just did that, didn't you?" "Consider it a thank you...for answering our questions," I laughed, waving him off. "You should also receive a call from a Hannah Rodriguez today. She's the head of our philanthropic division. She'll ask you a few questions, but be honest with her. She's about to take care of supplies for you. Consider it a donation from Twi Tech. She may ask to see your plans for the place, just so you know." "I don't know what to say," he whispered, his voice filling with emotion. "I've been fighting red tape, the community, and members of the church for this project for two years. All I wanted was a safe place for the kids in the area to hang out after school. A place they could play some basketball, get their homework done...even talk to someone, if they needed. You're giving me...more." "Don't say anything," Edward said with a smirk, holding out his hand, which Preacher shook firmly. "We're just grateful. You gave us more information than we were expecting." Preacher walked us back outside, towering over the both of us as he shook our hands one more time, saying, "In my opinion, I just never saw Ricky killing himself. He always had plans for the future, things he wanted to do. Jeff, on the other hand, may have just...given up." "Both autopsies stated that there was no gunshot residue on their hands, though," Edward noted. "Either of them?" Preacher verified. "Exactly," my husband answered. "Well, not that I want to encourage it, but I could ask around the neighborhood. Some of these boys know...things. They know guns and getting away with things I'm trying to stop. I could let you know what they say. Do you know what type of gun it was?" "Twenty-two," Edward stated, handing Preacher his card. "Small caliber, so we weren't sure if maybe the gun itself just didn't put out that much gunpowder..." "I'll see what I can come up with, guys," he said with a nod. "I'll call you." He held up the card with a small smile. "And...thanks again." Once we were back in the car, Edward's phone chirped with several messages. A dark look crossed over his handsome face as he read through each one, but the last one made his eyebrows shoot up high. "Alice found something interesting on the security tapes," he said, holding up his phone, his nose wrinkling just a bit. "Oh, damn," I breathed, narrowing my eyes at the screen as the video played. "She said the recording had been compromised, but you get the idea," he told me, as I watched Simon Parker force Ricky Jackson to his knees in front of the open zipper of his pants, just before the screen went fuzzy. The next segment of the video showed an extremely irate Jeff all up in Simon's face, his fist clenched around the collar of what looked to be an expensive suit. "And the other messages?" I asked, looking up at Edward. "Not related to this case," he said smoothly, but his eyes remained glued to mine. "Right. Got it." I took a deep breath and let it out. I knew he'd want my side of the Lilith Laray story, but not yet. Edward cupped my chin and brought my lips to his. "What next, then, sweetness?" he whispered against my mouth, his tongue just barely meeting mine. "Brenda Davies," I stated as I started the car, kissing him once more, just because I couldn't help myself. "Then it will be time to go get our girl, don't you think?"

"Indeed," he chuckled, his eyes so very warm and green at the mention of Bethy. "So who's taking the field trip with Bethy on Friday, love?" he asked. "Because we should be done with this case soon. I don't expect much in the way of explanations from Adam and Simon; they've obviously covered some of this shit up. This Brenda Davies may be our last and best bet." "I'll take chaperon duty," I chuckled, pulling out onto the street. ~oOo~ "This is cute," I muttered, pulling up in front of the address that Preacher had given us. The neighborhood looked old, but refurbished, like every large homes had been turned into expensive apartments. Some were brick, some were wood, but they all had quaint porches and multiple mailboxes. Even the roads were re-bricked, with large trees meeting high in the middle, giving off the feeling of being in a tunnel. "Hmm?" Edward said distractedly, looking up from his phone, which continued to alert him. "I said aliens have landed, Cullen," I snarked back, unable to hold my giggle in, because his confused face was so fucking adorable. He grinned, shaking his head and stowing his phone in his pocket. "S-sorry, love," he sighed, looking up at me through his long eyelashes his most deadly weapon. I smirked at him, but I could see he was protecting me from whatever he had Alice working on concerning Lilith, so with a deep breath, I asked, "Is it...I mean, do I need to know?" He winced a bit, but reached up to touch my cheek with the backs of his fingers. "The question is... Do you want to know, baby? You were pretty upset when we left. I j-just n-never w-want y-you to b-be unhappy, B-Bella." God, I loved him, because he meant every fucking sputtered word he'd just whispered. And it never fucking failed to make my heart beat faster when he poured out pure honesty like that. I nodded, swallowing thickly and taking a deep breath. "I need to tell you...and I want to know why she's out, but...I'd like to concentrate on Rick, for now." "Yes, ma'am," he sighed, but brought my lips to his. "I'm here when you're ready, love." "Thanks." We walked up the front steps of a red brick apartment building, ringing the bell for Brenda Davies' place. The door opened to reveal a woman just a little older than myself. She had dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and an expectant smile. "Yes?" "Brenda Davies?" I verified, and she nodded. "I'm Bella, and this is Edward. I was wondering if you had a minute for us to ask you some questions about Rick Jackson..." Her smile fell, and I immediately felt badly, because her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, Rick," she sighed, shaking her head. "It's been so long since I've thought about him. Please...come in." She stood back, allowing us into her apartment and gesturing for us to have a seat in her small living room. "Who sent you?" "Rick's family hired us, Miss Davies," Edward stated softly. "They wanted to try one more time for some answers as to why he died, but it was Preacher that gave us your name." She nodded, sniffling a bit and taking a deep breath. "He and Jeff lived right there," she said, a small but sad smile curling the corners of her lips as she leaned against her kitchen counter. She pointed towards the door we'd just entered, so I understood her to mean that they'd lived right across the hallway. "How long did you know them?" I asked her. "Oh, a little over a year, but when I first moved in, we were the only two apartments rented out, so we kind of hung out together." She huffed a sniffly laugh, looking up at us. "Even when the other apartments filled up, we still stuck together. We became hall snobs against everyone else." I grinned, understanding that feeling. I'd done the same with my roommates in Virginia when I'd attended classes at Quantico. She was quiet for a moment, but walked over to a book shelf and tugged a photo album down, cracking it open and handing it to us. "They never really wanted anyone to know they were together," she stated softly, "but they could be themselves around me. I didn't care. Honestly, they got along better than any guy-girl couples that I knew. Jeff was devastated, of course." She paused for a moment as I looked at the pictures of the three of them, pictures of Jeff and Rick, and just silly shots of them individually doing the fun things that friends do drinking, laughing, just hanging out.

"And you worked with them at Starlight?" Edward asked. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "I worked there on the weekends while I was taking some college classes. I was there Rick's last night. Simon didn't know I was listening, but I was..." "We heard from Preacher that Simon was attracted to Rick," I stated, hoping to urge her on. "Attracted wasn't the word. Simon was a terrible boss, even worse with money, and had serious drug and alcohol habits. He was abusive, both verbally and to Rick and a few others physically." Brenda shook her head again, looking up at us. "Simon always wanted what he couldn't have...and most of the time, he just took it." "And if someone threatened to report him...or press charges?" Edward asked, picking up on something that I hadn't given much thought to. "Exactly," she stated with a firm nod. "Rick left Starlight that night, threatening to yell, and yell loudly. He'd been used, threatened, and Jeff had found out all about it...came to his defense, actually...though too late." "Yeah, but if Rick had reported him, or even told one person outside of that club, then Simon's reputation would have been destroyed," I mused aloud. "Not only that, but Simon's cash cow would have gone up in smoke," Brenda added. "If Simon's lifestyle had truly been revealed, his aunt would have never given him a dime, but he wasn't the only one relying on porn for extra cash." "Not Rick," Edward groaned, shaking his head. "Adam!" Brenda laughed bitterly. "Of all the people that would stand to lose out on that money...Adam. He was Simon's biggest star." "Oh," Edward and I both gasped. "So," I sighed, rubbing my temples at the soap opera that was this case, "would Adam have harmed Rick in any way? Because there's not a single person I've spoken to that thinks that boy was suicidal." "Adam didn't shoot Rick," she stated, shaking her head. "Jeff did." "I thought you said Jeff came to Rick's defense," Edward mumbled, looking up at Brenda with confusion all over his face. "He did, but only after he'd followed him out that night. When Simon was...finished with Rick, Jeff walked in on them...thought Rick was cheating. It resulted in the fight of the century. In all reality, I think Rick really was going to kill himself, just over the humiliation of it all, but when he tried, Jeff struggled with him, and the gun went off." "And Jeff couldn't live with the guilt?" I asked. "No, he couldn't. He left me a note, but I didn't get to the alley in time," Brenda sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "I know you're going to ask me... Why didn't I tell someone?" Edward and I both nodded, because that question was on the tip of my tongue. "I didn't know until the night Jeff left me his suicide note. He explained everything. Up until then, I thought the same as everyone else, that Rick had killed himself. When no one came around to ask questions, then I just assumed that it was suicide. By that time, it had been so long, I wasn't sure anyone would care." "Okay, okay, okay," Edward chanted, sounding like Alice. "I just...let me get my facts straight. Rick and Jeff were together, but Simon took advantage of Rick, which Jeff saw. Jeff...he assumed that Rick was cheating, but in reality, he was about to scream to the world exactly what Simon was doing. When Rick and Jeff got into a fight, Rick pulled a gun to end it all...or for reasons no one knows. When they struggled, the gun went off, killing Rick accidentally. Jeff kept all that shit bottled up inside for seven fucking years?" "Edward, language," I chided, shaking my head. "Sorry," he huffed, his cheeks tinging pink, but Brenda waved it off. "No, that's it exactly," she stated with a nod. "Here..." She flipped to the back of the photo album that was still in front of us and pulling out a folded note. "Give Rick's family this note. It's what Jeff left me. It explains everything." "Good, 'cause I'm not sure I could explain that again," Edward mumbled, rolling his eyes at the whole damn thing. I stood up, and Edward followed my lead. "Thank you, Miss Davies," I sighed, shaking her hand. "You've been a huge help." Edward shook her hand, too, and led us out the door.

"I don't know if Rick was right, but he always said his family would never understand his...sexual preference. He hid it from them," she told us, shrugging one shoulder as she stood in her doorway. "I've been doing this a long time," I started to explain, "and despite how hard someone tries to hide things, the truth is always better than the unknown. It's the not knowing that has plagued Rick's family." With that being said, she nodded, and we left her front steps. ~oOo~

EDWARD
Hands down, the Rick Jackson case was the strangest case I'd worked on since I'd started working with Bella. It was strange and twisted, and an all around accident. Preacher actually held true to his word and called us back to tell us what he'd found out about gun powder stippling. He'd asked around, and he was told that the lower the amount of gun powder in the actual bullet, the less stippling on the hand that was holding the gun. He also said that rain and snow could wash it away as well, so after a call to Alice, we discovered that while Rick's death was an accident, the stippling most likely would have shown up on Jeff's hands, but when it came to Jeff's suicide, there were different issues. Jeff had shot himself at night, leaving the window down, but by the time he was found, a severe rainstorm had rolled in, washing away all evidence. The next day, we met with Todd Jackson, giving him everything that we had, including Jeff's suicide note. Somehow, Bella had been right. The truth was ever so much better than the wondering, because Todd sighed with relief that it had been an accident. He even went as far as to say he felt badly that Rick had found some sort of happiness and someone like Simon Parker screwed it up. With the Jackson case closed, I had a few more issues. One was Rose was going into labor, which couldn't have been better timing, because Emmett was done with his job and the rest of us had just closed a case. The other issue was...Lilith Laray. The things I was hearing about this woman were disturbing, but not as disturbing as Bella's avoidance of the whole topic. Alice found out that Lilith had been released from Shady Glen, pending follow up evaluations. She'd showed progress in her therapy, gotten her medications regulated, and had proven herself to be trustworthy within the facility, so she was granted release with stipulations. She was supposed to check in with an out patient program, maintain her medication, and pass weekly drug tests. She hadn't done any one of those things since she'd stepped out of Shady Glen. She never showed up for her first therapy session, her prescriptions were never picked up, and there was no way to tell if she'd fallen off the wagon again. She'd evaporated into thin air. That is... until she showed up at the hotel where my father's wedding was held. Not that Alice wanted to connect the two incidents, and it seemed fishy to me, too, but the drunk driver that had killed Ashley and her adopted parents was now missing. Christopher Douglas never showed up at work two weeks ago and hadn't been seen at his home on the west side of town, either. His car still sat in the driveway, when coworkers became concerned and called the police. He had also disappeared in a puff of smoke. How the man wasn't doing a life sentence in prison was beyond me, but he'd only served two years on second degree manslaughter charges. It had to have been a helluva lawyer that pulled that fucking shit off, because that drunk bastard drove so fast through a red light that he was able to flip the Greenes' car, rolling it into a fuel tanker. And the fucker was so drunk, he never even knew he'd killed three people and a child until he woke up two days later, handcuffed to a hospital bed. The file on the old case didn't give me much information, and Alice and Makenna only knew what Bella had allowed them to know, so I still had no idea what things Bella had thought she'd done wrong. According to her notes, it was an open and shut case. The Greenes reported Ashley missing, hired Bella to work with the police, and Ashley was found just outside of a rundown motel a motel that was used and usually paid for either hourly or weekly. There was no in between with a place like that, because you either lived there, or you used it with a hooker. Rose was present the day that they found the little girl, bringing her safe and sound back to her future adoptive parents. And that was who I really wanted to talk to, but Caleb Edward McCarty had decided I had to wait. "So Aunt Rose and Unca Em are gonna have a baby...like me?" my sweet, curious girl asked, while sitting on her mother's lap in the waiting room of the maternity ward of the hospital. Her little hand reached out and tapped the helium filled balloon that was tied to a baby blue teddy bear. "Well, a lot smaller than you, pretty girl," Bella chuckled, playing with Bethy's long, loose braid that fell over her shoulder. "But yes. Only, they are having a boy." I grinned when my daughter's nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of the completely wrong gender. "Hey, I'm a boy," I argued dramatically.

"No!" she laughed, folding in on herself as if it was the funniest fucking thing in the world. "You're...Daddy!" Alec snickered softly next to me, shaking his head. "She knows where babies come from at three years old?" "She knows the birth process," I chuckled, flicking Bethy's nose just to watch her bury herself in her mother's neck to get away from me. "She's been to Aunt Kate's, so she's seen puppies, kittens, baby rabbits, and all that. She's even seen baby chicks hatch. But she can't grasp how they all...came to be." I raised an eyebrow up at him, and he grinned. "Got it," he chuckled. "Bambina," he called her, and she peeked up from Bella's neck to look at him. "Since you were here first, you gotta show this new guy the ropes, yeah?" "Huh?" she asked, scrambling off of Bella's lap and walking to him. He pulled her to his lap to explain. "Oh yeah. See, you've had to learn all the cool stuff on your own. Like...what the best flavor of ice cream there is." "Strawberry!" she chirped, nodding like he should know this shit. "And how to eat pasta the right way," he told her, shooting a wink at Bella when she laughed softly. "No, no, no," Bethy huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Babies drink from bottles." "Well, yeah, at first, but Caleb will eventually get big like you. He's gonna need someone to show him," Alec countered, wearing the best of smiles. "Like who your favorite uncle is..." he teased, knowing how she'd react. "I love all my uncles," she growled, shooting a nervous glance across the room to Jasper, who was fighting his smile. "Don't stir up...shi...trouble, you jerk," Jasper snapped laughingly at Alec, pointing a finger at him. I snorted, shaking my head at how we'd all had to tone down our language around Bethy, because we'd learned the hard way. She'd gone through a phase where she'd repeated everything that anyone said. When she was two, she got really pissed at her Uncle Emmett for taking one of her toys, and she'd snapped, "Hey, g-give me that d-damn thing back, asshole." I, of course, couldn't breathe, because it was so fucking funny, especially the look of pride and shock on Emmett's face, but Bella had put an end to it instantly, telling us if we didn't start watching what we said, she was going to install a swear jar. And not just any swear jar; this bastard was expensive. The fouler the word, the higher the price. An f-bomb was a hundred bucks. She told us it would be for Bethy's future therapy sessions if we didn't "cut it the fuck out!" It took a week and almost a thousand dollars for us to get the hint. We'd started Bethy's savings account with it. Bethy adored her "uncles," even though they weren't blood related. She wasn't lying about that, but what I noticed was that she went to them for different things. With Jasper, she could be calm, and he taught her outdoorsy things, like how to find the best wild blueberries or track a deer in the woods so she could see Bambi, and he loved to tell her stories. With her Uncle Emmett, she could be rowdy and loud, wrestling with him or playing games. And with her Uncle Alec, she really just listened, like she was doing right then. He made her laugh with his teases and actually talked to her like a tiny adult, instead of a little kid. She respected it, whether she knew what the word meant or not. She liked Wes, Makenna's boyfriend and our friend at the FBI, and she liked Benny just fine, because he brought her crime scene tape and rubber gloves so she could play cop for an hour or two. But she was nowhere as close to them as she was to Alec, Jazz, and Em. With her aunts, it was a completely different story. She was learning all sorts of independence, strength, and snarkiness from each and every one of them. But it was Bella she was truly like, because she could spot bullshit a mile away. "You're t-twying to get me in t-twouble with Unca Jazz," Bethy gasped, her mouth hanging open as she pointed to Alec, who dissolved into hysterics instantly when her eyebrows furrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. She narrowed her eyes at him, not finding it funny at all. "You tell him, baby girl," Jasper said with pride, cracking the fuck up. "That's my girl," Bella chuckled softly beside me, and I turned to look at her. "She's never fooled." "That's very true," I snickered. "You guys are so stupid," Makenna snorted, rolling her eyes. "You don't see us girls trying to see who she loves best. We know it's Alice," she laughed, jerking a thumb to her left, where Alice was sitting quietly, fighting her smile. "Come on, Bethy. Just for all that drama, I'll buy you a hot chocolate," she crooned, opening her arms when my daughter squealed with happiness and ran to her. "I could use a cup of coffee." "Wif whipped cream?" Bethy verified, her bright green eyes shining at the thought. "With whatever you want," she stated, giving Alec a raised eyebrow. "We should make both uncles come with us..."

"Aw heck," Jasper drawled, grasping Alice's hand. "We'll all go. I could stand to stretch my legs anyway." Without even asking, they all took off to the hospital cafeteria with our daughter. "They like her better than us now," I pointed out dryly, which only caused Bella to giggle and lay her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, sweetness," I sighed, taking advantage of the fact that we were alone, even if it was in a hospital waiting room. She got up and sat down sideways across my lap, curling into me. "I love you, too, Edward," she mumbled into my neck as she played with my hair at the back of my head. My hands were immediately drawn to her legs, which were bare up to the hem of her short skirt. Up and down and over her knees I touched her. Starting at her ankles, up her calves, and tracing a finger over her kneecap, my hands traveled, only to slip ever so slightly under the hem of her skirt and back down to start all over. Despite being married for three years, despite having had a beautiful child, I couldn't ever keep my fucking hands off of Bella. It was nearly impossible, especially when her mouth opened wet and warm to the side of my neck. I was completely insatiable when it came to her. Slipping my free hand into her hair, I pulled her back from my neck, our eyes locking. "We shouldn't," I groaned, watching as her tongue glided along her bottom lip slowly, erotically. "Someone could walk in..." "'Kay," she breathed, nodding slightly, but she made no move to get down from my lap. In fact, her eyes stayed glued to my mouth, her breathing a little heavy. Suddenly, I just needed to kiss the fucking shit out of her...and then some. She'd been so quiet the last few days, trying to avoid the Lilith Laray topic, but her nightmares didn't fool me. The fact that she'd wake up and run straight to Bethy's room didn't fool me, either. I wanted some sort of reaction from her, even if it was twisted of me to want it inside that fucking hospital. I wanted to see that spark, that flare of my naughty girl, just for a moment, because I knew she was punishing herself for something that was out of her hands from her past. I picked her up, setting her on her feet and standing up in front of her. "Come with me," I ordered, taking her hand and leading her out of the waiting room and down the hall. Just before we got to the elevators, I looked both ways up and down the hall and yanked open a janitor supply closet, pressing her back into the door and leaning all my weight on her, not only to keep her there, but to keep the door closed, as well. I reached up, planting one hand by her head, the other reaching for the deadbolt. It clicked closed loudly in the tiny room. "Edward," she panted, looking up at me, but she wasn't protesting. She was, however, threading her fingers into my hair to bring my face closer to hers. Skimming my hand down her sides, I hooked my fingers under her knee, hitching her leg up around my hip. It brought our bodies closer as I nipped at her lips teasingly. My tongue stroked across her top lip, along her bottom lip, causing her mouth to open for me. Our moans were quiet in the small space, muffled against each other's mouths as our tongues teased and tasted. My girl was coffee and all things that just made my cock stand to attention, and I really just wanted to really taste her. My hand that was holding her leg around my hip skimmed up the back of her thigh, finding no resistance, no cotton. I grunted, pulling back to look at her, my breathing coming out in pants when I caressed her closer and closer to where she was already wet for me. "Mm, a thong, love," I purred, dragging my teeth down her neck and opening my mouth to the soft spot just below her ear. "That makes this...so fucking easy..." "Maybe I had intentions of fucking you in a closet, Edward," she whispered, nipping at my jaw. There was my naughty girl coming out to play. There was the Bella that could absolutely drive me insane with want and lust and just the need to fuck the shit out of her. There was the girl that had given herself to me, even when she'd walked through the gates of hell just to run into my arms on the other side. It was the same girl that could walk into a room and with just one look, have my cock standing at perfect attention. "Maybe," I chuckled darkly, feeling her whole body writhing under my touch as my fingers moved past the lace of her thong and through her hot pussy. "Have you been wet for me all day?" "God, yes," she gasped, her head falling back to the door with barely a thump. "Always..." I smiled against her neck at that admission, loving that we still could do this to each other, still push each other's buttons until one of us snapped. What usually faded with time had only gotten stronger with us, and I often wondered if it was due to how we started, how we had to take things so slow with her that every kiss, every taste, every orgasm meant something. I slid down her body, kneeling in front of her, my hands on her beautiful thighs. "You have to be so fucking quiet,

sweetness," I warned her in a whisper as my fingers skimmed up her skirt, only to latch onto the sides of her underwear. I tugged them down, and she held onto my shoulders as she stepped out of them. "I know just what to do about this...problem you have," I told her, shimmying her denim skirt up around her hips so that her sex was bare and in front of me. "Fuck, Edward," she panted, her eyes on me as I lifted one of her legs over my shoulder and dragged my nose up the inside of her thigh. "Oh, we'll do that, too, baby," I purred, flicking my tongue over the sensitive crease where her thigh and hip met, "if we haven't been discovered by then...so if you want me to fuck you against that door," I growled low, giving her apex one long lick from one opening to the other, "you'll keep quiet when you come on my tongue." "Sweet Jesus," Bella hissed, her eyes squeezing closed as my tongue swirled around her entrance, only to flatten across her clit. Her hips rolled, her leg pulled me closer, and her fingers gripped my hair to hold me where she wanted me. And I let her guide me, let her show me what felt good, but when she got close, I slowed down, only to slip two fingers deep inside of her. I pulled back watching her face, watching as her normally sweet, chocolate eyes were practically black with lust. She was fucking stunning as her mouth hung open just a bit, her body just feeling as I curled my fingers to hit the spot that always made her breath catch and a squeak escape her. "Shh, baby," I chided gently, suckling her clit again and feeling her walls clench down on my fingers. My girl was so, so close. I was hard to the point of fucking painful as I watched her unravel as quietly as she could against that door. "As much as I love to hear what I do to you," I whispered, just barely letting my teeth graze her sensitive flesh, "I need you quiet, Bella...but come for me, love." Bella's teeth sank down onto that gorgeous bottom lip of hers to keep from calling out, and her whole body shook as her climax wracked through her, causing the sweetest of shivers to tremble around me from her legs to the tips of her fingers. I kissed her clit one more time, before standing up in front of her. "Can you still be quiet, sweetness?" I asked, but she was already nodding and unbuckling my belt. "Yes, Edward," she answered breathlessly, shoving my pants down, along with my underwear, and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Please, please...baby, I need to feel you..." Her forehead pressed to mine as I lifted her up effortlessly. Her strong legs wrapped around me, her eyes locked with mine, and we both muffled our cries in each other's mouths as I slid her down over me, engulfing my cock in the sweetest feeling I'd ever had the pleasure of experiencing. No one, anywhere had ever felt as good as my girl did. I'd been lost to her the minute I'd met her, but I was her slave the first time we'd finally consummated our relationship. "Fuck, you're so fucking beautiful," I told her, nipping at her lips as I buried myself inside of her as deep as I could. "And feel...so good, so damn good, baby..." "More, Edward," she whispered, and I grasped her ass, thrusting as hard into her as I could dare, considering where we were. If we were discovered, it would be really bad. I kept my rhythm deep, even, but not slow, with swiveling hips just to brush my pelvic bone against her where I knew she'd come quicker. I wanted her to feel every inch of me, and I needed to watch her come again. I kissed up her neck, but she planted her hands on either side of my face, turning my head to kiss me so fucking hard, deep, and so full of passion that for a split second, I lost my rhythm. "Tell me, Edward...tell me you love me," she commanded in a whisper against my lips. "So much, baby. I love you like crazy." "Tell me always." "'Til I die, and way beyond," I answered her honestly, but her desperation was worrying me. "No matter what?" she asked, leaning back against the door and using it for leverage to meet me thrust for thrust. Her hand skimmed down the front of her stomach, and the very second her fingers ghosted across where we were connected, I knew I was going to come, and come fast. I shook my head, because words were lost to me, and we both came. I buried my cock as deep as I could as my head fell to her shoulder. I held her close as both of us came down from our high. I turned my head, giving her sweet neck a long, slow, open mouth kiss. "No matter what," I vowed, pulling back to look at her. Two tears leaked from her eyes, and I kissed them away. "I know something's bothering you, sweetness. I'm here when you're ready, okay?" I asked her, making sure she was looking at me.

"I love you," she said simply, nodding and holding me closer. "I love you, too, Bella," I sighed, wincing when I set her down and we separated. We straightened our clothes, fixed mussy hair, and Bella pulled her thong back on, but I stopped her when she reached for the lock of the closet. "Hey, nothing will ever change that, love. Ever. Do you know that?" I asked her. "Nothing you've done could ever change how I feel about you, baby. I promise. And there's nothing I don't want to know about." She nodded, saying, "I know, Edward...I just..." We both froze when someone tried the door, and I couldn't help but smile when she snorted into the sweetest of giggles. I held my finger to my lips as I pressed my ear to the door, making sure whoever was on the other side was gone. Carefully, I cracked the door open, and we slipped out unnoticed. ~oOo~ "Look at you, handsome!" Bella cooed sweetly to Caleb, rocking him gently. And not for the first time did I let the desire to have another child flit through me. Just watching Bella holding the noisy little bundle made me want to try again. Caleb Edward McCarty was a healthy, almost ten pound baby boy. He had a shock of curly blond hair, a sweet chubby face, and two big, curious eyes that took in everything around him. He was the perfect blend of his parents big and sturdy, like Emmett, and just as fair and beautiful as Rose. "He looks like a baby doll," Bethy whispered to me, because she'd been told not to make a lot of noise. I turned to her, squeezing her closer on my lap. "You think so?" I asked her, smiling at her enthusiastic nod. "You did, too, pretty girl. You were the prettiest baby in the hospital," I told her. She grinned, shaking her head. "Mommy says you say that because you can't see past me...th-that we're p-peas in ppods." I laughed, kissing her neck loudly. "Mommy may be right, little sweetness." Bella giggled softly, looking up at the two of us as we all just hung out in Rose's hospital room. Her eyes were warmer now, more relaxed, but when she watched me and Bethy, an overflowing amount of love just practically radiated from her very soul. It happened every time. "No, no," Rose snickered wearily from her bed. "I can vouch for your utter cuteness, Bethy. You were the prettiest in the hospital the day you were born. Today...he is." She pointed towards Caleb with a wry smirk. Emmett and I laughed, but we all looked up when a nurse came in. "Mr. McCarty, we need you to sign a few things up at the desk," she told him as she wheeled in a bassinet. "And if Mrs. McCarty is feeling up to it, she can change into her own clothes." "Oh, umm," Emmett started, rubbing the back of his neck after setting Caleb in the bassinet. "Rosie, your bag is down in the car. I'll just..." "I'll go get it," Bella offered and took Emmett's car keys from him, turning to Bethy. "Pretty girl, do you want to walk with me?" "Yeah," Bethy said with a nod, but her eyes were wide as she tugged her mother closer. "I have to potty, Mommy." "I figured. I was wondering when that hot chocolate was going to kick in," Bella said with a sweet smile. "Come on, we'll take care of both, huh?" I chuckled at my girls, kissing them both as I leaned back in the chair to watch them leave the room. "What's wrong with her?" the ever perceptive and always sharp Rose asked, raising an eyebrow at me. They'd been friends since high school, so there wasn't much the two of them couldn't read off of each other. "I was hoping you could tell me," I sighed, sitting forward and resting my elbows on my knees as I looked up at her. "You've been...indisposed, but... What do you know about...Lilith Laray?" "That bitch?" Rose growled, looking over at Caleb when he stirred, so I went over and scooped him up for her, placing him gently in her arms. "Where the hell did that name come from?" So I paced and explained what I knew to her quickly, while everyone was out of the room. I started with when Lilith approached me at the wedding reception, her reaction to Makenna, and the discovery of her name when Mack didn't quite recognize her due to the changes the woman had gone through. I told her that Bella wouldn't even talk about it, and that Alice had given me the case file. I also brought her up to speed on what Lilith was now up to or at least what Alice and I suspected, concerning Christopher Douglas. When I was done, Rose was shaking her head, her face fierce.

"What?" I asked, practically begging her with my eyes. "Spill it, Rose." "Shit, Edward," she sighed, leaning her head back to the pillows behind her. "You'd better up security, sweetie. I'm not kidding. If Lilith approached you, then it was really Bella she was after." "Why?" "Because Bella..." Rose faltered, taking a deep breath. "Bella truly lost her shit on that woman after the Greenes died. She blamed her for everything, even when Bella was blaming herself. I think maybe she just wanted someone else to...hurt." I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "But why up security? It was an accident." "Because I got a call from Shady Glen after Bella left, and Lilith Laray snapped after Bells told her that her daughter was dead, despite the fact that she'd given Ashley up for adoption. The doctors said Lilith kept repeating the same shit over and over... 'I'll kill her...it's her fault. She won't get away with taking my baby from me...'" Rose looked up at me, a frown turning her features into a dark look, even though she was cradling her son. "If she's out, Edward...she'll come for Bella. It's not the first time that Lilith has killed before."

A/N... Okay, first things first... the Rick Jackson case. It is officially closed, before you ask. No, there was no need for Simon or Adam to be talked to, because Brenda had the answers. And no it has no bearing on Lilith. Edward and Bella did what they were paid for...they found out how Rick died...and then some. Coming up, we'll hear more about Lilith, and Bella finally tells her side of the story. And the field trip to Lafayette's Farm. I'd like to thank JenRar for not only beta'ing this but threatening me. My bomb shelter is almost finished, thank you very much. LOL Goober_Lou pre-reads this for me, often throwing things at me, but gives me the best feedback. And much thanks to MedusaInNY who helps with my blog, but with so much more. This last week, she talked me down from the ledge! LOL Thanks, to all of you! This is really going pretty much to schedule, though this being a holiday week, my own personal schedule is a little weird. I actually have to work on the 4th of July, so that sets the rest of my week off. I'm fairly certain that I will post Wednesday on time, but don't panic if I don't. Either way, let me hear you. I know you've got things to say. Until next time...Later.

*Chapter 4*: Chapter 4

A/N...Hey, guys! I hope everyone had a safe holiday weekend, and for those of you out of the States, you could've celebrated with us... we don't mind. Any excuse to get drunk and light fireworks... LOL :D (which is a combination fit for You Tube) Okay...so this is where things start to get tough. Please trust me, this is how I saw the sequel going from the very beginning. Strap yourselves in... Hold on tight... There will be turbulence. On with it...
CHAPTER 4

EDWARD
"What do you mean she's killed before?" I snapped, my pacing stopping at the foot of Rose's bed and my hand gripping my hair. "She means exactly that," Bella stated from the doorway, and I spun to look at her. "Lilith has...hurt people. Badly." Bethy was in her arms, so the conversation was on hold, and I was totally busted, because from the look on my wife's face, she'd heard everything. Bella kissed Bethy's temple. "Go ask Aunt Alice if she's about ready to go home. You've got school tomorrow, pretty girl," she told her, setting her on her feet. "Okay, Mommy," Bethy sang, taking off down the hall. Bella's eyes landed on Rose, and then me. She took a deep breath. "Ashley wasn't Lilith's only child. She had another little girl Bree. Bree was two years younger than Ashley, and Lilith let her drown in the bathtub, because a telephone call was more important than a toddler splashing around in a soapy, slippery tub." My wife's nostrils flared as she stated these things, but she paused for a moment. "It was how Lilith lost custody of Ashley to the state to begin with," Rose explained, wincing up at me when Bella wasn't looking. "That would be her first victim," my girl sighed, shaking her head. "Her second was at Shady Glen. She beat a nurse so badly that they had to put her on a machine to breathe. Her family eventually shut it off. I blame myself for that one," she stated, turning to the window. "Bella, you didn't know," Rose countered. "You were upset...and with every right." "I was...beyond upset, Rose," Bella huffed bitterly. "I was livid." She spun around to glare at me. "It was my fault the Greenes were out that night. They were meeting me for dinner. They wouldn't have been at that corner if they hadn't just left the restaurant." "Bella, that wasn't your fault," I stated firmly, placing my hands on her shoulders. "You had no way of knowing that a guy was going to drink himself fucking stupid and get behind the wheel of his car. That was not your fault, sweetness," I reiterated to her. "Maybe," she sighed, shrugging a bit. "But the woman at Shady Glen...that was my fault. I sent Lilith in to a psychotic episode." If I knew my Bella, then she really let the woman have it, but I couldn't imagine her taking the blame for the whole thing. Lilith was sick. The emotions flying around the whole situation would have been at an all time high. "What did you say to her, love?" I asked, because the curiosity was killing me. Unfortunately, she couldn't answer, because we were interrupted. "Yo, Eddie," Emmett called, ducking through the doorway, because he had my daughter firmly planted on his broad shoulders. "Rosie gets to go home tomorrow, so can you drop that rocking chair off?" I winced, looking to Bella, because I was actually considering going with her and Bethy on that field trip to Lafayette's Farm. I'd thought it the minute Rose had said to up security, not to mention that my little sweetness would be seeing something new. Something about that farm set back in the woods didn't feel right to me. Not that I didn't trust the school, or even old man Lafayette, but I just didn't trust this Lilith bitch. If she found us at the wedding, then she could find us again. "We'll be fine, Edward," Bella told me, giving me a nod, but even she didn't sound so sure. "Em, why don't we let Jasper bring it over," Rose suggested, her eyes flickering from mine to Bella's, finally landing on

Emmett's confused face. "Or at least wait until Bethy's out of school." "Naw, Ed's got to show me how to work the crib he built, babe," Emmett countered. "You may know, but what if you're sleepin'?" "We'll see, Em," I sighed, not promising him shit at this point. "I've got something I need to look into, man. Okay?" "Sure, dude," Emmett said, his brow wrinkling as he turned to Rose, setting Bethy down onto her feet. She immediately ran to me, and I scooped her up. "What's going on?" By now, everyone was in the room. I was sure they were all about to bid Rose a good night, but they were all frozen with Emmett's question. "Fine," Rose sighed, shaking her head and breaking the silence. "I'll say it. We've got a problem. Lilith Laray is out of the mental facility that she was committed to, and we need to stay sharp. Her hatred for Bella will be an issue." Since Bella wasn't giving the command, Rose would, and without shame. "Alice, Mack...get everyone up to speed on exactly what that woman is capable of. Alec, don't take any protection charges for now. Em, you stay with me, and I'll tell you all about it." She turned to Bella with a raised eyebrow, daring her to say differently. Then Rose's sharp blue, but very tired eyes fell to mine. "And you... Go tomorrow...if you let them go at all. Make it a freakin' family day, okay?" As everyone agreed and told Rose and Emmett goodbye for the night, Bethy turned my face to hers. "You're going to the farm wif us tomorrow, D-Daddy?" "I was thinking about it," I chuckled at her, because her eyes were bright and happy. "Would you like that?" She grinned, nodding vehemently as I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah." ~oOo~ I smirked down at Bethy when she finally emerged from her room the next morning. She was wearing dark blue overalls and a long sleeve pink shirt, but what capped it all off, besides the two long braids that fell down either shoulder, was the bright pink high-top Chucks that peeked out from under the rolled up denim. I could have kissed her to death, because she was beyond cute. "Did you pick this outfit? Or did Mommy?" I snickered, setting her on the counter to really get a good look at her. "Mommy helped," she said, picking up a piece of toast and munching on it. I chuckled, tugging one of her braids. "I figured as much," I muttered, kissing her forehead before swinging her down to a stool. "Eat, little sweetness." "'Kay, Daddy," she sang, her little legs swinging as she moved on from toast to bacon. I found Bella in our room, and I leaned against the doorway, watching her. She was dressed similarly to me today: jeans, hiking boots, a thermal shirt with a plaid shirt over it. It was technically summer in the Pacific Northwest, but that didn't mean that mornings weren't chilly. Bella smiled, looking up at me. "She knew the field trip was to a farm. She insisted on overalls, like she wears at Aunt Kate's. I had to girly her up somehow." I laughed and nodded. "It seems to suit her personality." "I know, right?" She giggled, rolling her eyes as she made our bed and stowed a few things in a bag. "She's...just so...animated." I grinned, reaching out just as my wife walked by, tugging her quickly to me. I couldn't help it. I just needed to kiss her. I heard the bag thump to the floor and felt her hands glide up my chest and around my neck, as my mouth covered hers. She tasted like toothpaste when my tongue slipped along hers, twisting erotically enough to make the two of us moan wantonly. "I love you," I whispered as I nipped her lips, down her jaw, finally planting an open mouthed suckling kiss to her neck. "And I love you," she sighed, pulling back to look up at me. "Mmm, coffee," she hummed, closing her eyes and licking her lips. "I want some." I chuckled, bending down to grab the bag she'd dropped and tossing it and Bella over my shoulder. The bag was silent, but my girl squealed, much to our daughter's delight. I set her down next to a giggly Bethy, before walking around the counter and making Bella a cup of coffee. I leaned on the counter on my elbows, looking at both of my beautiful girls. "I have rules today, sweetnesses." Bella's eyes snapped up to mine, but Bethy simply tilted her head at me curiously.

"No one goes anywhere without Mommy or Daddy with them," I told Bethy specifically. "Okay?" "Okay, Daddy," she answered quickly, taking a huge bite of eggs. "That means the bathroom, the barn, not even with Mrs. Cope, Bethy. I want one of us with you all day...at all times, okay?" "We're suh-posed to have a b-buddy today, D-Daddy," Bethy told me excitedly. "We're suh-posed to hold hands wif them when we're at the f-farm." "Well, that's fine, little sweetness, but your buddy will be with us, too," I countered, thinking one extra little girl wouldn't make a difference. "Abby is my best friend," she mumbled around her bite of bacon. "Don't talk with your mouth full," both Bella and I chided softly. I turned to Bella. "And we'll need to get into the safe before we leave," I stated, raising an eyebrow at her, because I intended to be armed, despite the fact that it was a fucking preschool field trip. When Bella started to argue, I held up my hand. "Wait, and I'll tell you why. That farm is situated on the outskirts of town. It's surrounded by thick woods, and not far from it, there's an old camp grounds that have long since been shut down. Old man Lafayette may still have his fences up around most of the perimeter, but not along those back woods. I should know, because he asked me to fly over his place when he lost those three cows last year." "All done, Daddy," Bethy stated proudly, pushing her plate away. "Good girl," I crooned, setting her on her feet. "Go get your jacket, brush your teeth, and we'll get going." "Yay," she cheered, padding down the hallway. I turned back to Bella. "If this Lilith woman recognized you from all the hoopla that wedding brought about, then she can track our name," I started, raising another eyebrow at her. Despite the fact that my house was hidden on paper, our names were all over that small ass town. Bethy was registered at school and the pediatrician's office. Our names were on accounts at the florist, the bookstore, the pharmacy, and the fucking hardware store, not to mention the goddamn library. I knew from Alice that anyone could be found, if you knew where to look. "She's not big, but if she did something to the drunk driver, then she's not working alone, because he wasn't exactly a small man. I'm not taking any fucking chances, Bella. I can't." The last two sentences came out in a hiss, because I tried my damnedest not to curse in front of Bethy, but my nerves were inexplicably on edge, and my daughter's feet were thumping down the hallway. Bella silently studied my face, taking her last sip of coffee, before standing up with a nod. "Fine. I'll go out to the safe. You get her in the car." "Yes, ma'am," I told her, looking down when a tiny pink jacket was being forced up at me. "Come here, pretty girl," I grunted, grabbing her overall straps and hoisting Bethy up from the floor to the counter as Bella went outside to Gravity's office. "Daddy!" Bethy giggled, trying to wrest my hands off of her clothes, but her laughter was too out of control for her to even accomplish anything. "Okay, okay," I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes at her. "Right arm out!" I commanded, and she stuck it out immediately so I could slip her jacket on. "Left arm out," I chuckled, tugging tiny fingers through and pulling her braids out. With one last look around the house, I tossed her over my shoulder, grabbed the bag Bella wanted to take, and set the alarm at the front door. ~oOo~

BELLA
I sat down on a bale of hay, watching Bethy and Abby climb over and around a haystack along with two other kids from their class. There were maybe twenty-five kids at the farm. Mrs. Cope and Mr. Lafayette had coordinated with the other two preschools in the area to make it a pretty big event. He enjoyed having the little ones on his property and made it an annual thing. He'd set up a petting zoo, with goats, ducks, rabbits, and even a deer that had wandered up on his property ages ago and never left. He blocked off one paddock to give pony rides on his two oldest mares, and the amazing smell of barbecue wafted over the whole property. "I wonder if any kid has figured out that the food on the grill used to be a cow in the back field," Edward mused, falling down next to me.

"Shut up!" I laughed, shaking my head. "I hope not, but don't start them thinking." He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing my forehead. "I'm just curious. Aunt Kate let me figure that shit out the hard way." "Awww," I groaned, cupping his face and kissing his cheek. "Don't tell me she let you fatten the damn thing up all summer..." "Yup...Steve," he sighed, his face almost too sad not to be funny. "Steve? Really?" "What? Steve's a good name..." "Edward, I swear..." I giggled, still shaking my head at him. Sometimes, he was as silly as they got. And other times like this morning at breakfast I knew he meant complete business. "Daddy!" Bethy called him, and his head snapped around. "We want to ride..." She pointed to the pony paddock, and we both nodded and stood up. We'd really just been shadowing her all day...well, her and Abby. They could pass for sisters, the two of them. Both had dark hair, fair skin, and were just about the same height. Abby and Bethy had bright smiles and sweet, secretive giggles. But Abby had dimples and dark almost black eyes, where Bethy had a few freckles over her nose and cheeks and bright green eyes. However, they were both dressed similarly, except Abby's overalls was a little jumper dress, instead of jeans. Edward and I leaned on the paddock fence, waiting for Abby and Bethy as they stood in line. I couldn't help but smile when they talked with the girls behind them excitedly. Abby's little giggle reminded me of Ashley's, and I sighed, leaning my head on Edward's shoulder. "You would have liked the Greenes," I told him softly, starting out of the blue, but if I didn't, I'd never get the story out. "They were fun, easy going, and Ashley loved them instantly. She...wanted to be adopted by them." I looked up and saw patience and understanding gazing right back at me, and I nodded. "They really were out meeting me for dinner. I always blamed myself, but you were right...what you said yesterday. I didn't make Chris Douglas drink...or get into his car. But I just needed to blame someone," I whispered the last sentence, "so I blamed Lilith." I felt a hand on the top of my head and Edward's lips press to my forehead. "God, Edward. I've never hated someone like I hated her. Never. She'd wasted...everything," I told him, because it was the truth. "She'd allowed her addictions and men and everything else in her life to come before her two beautiful girls. She'd already lost Ashley to the state and Bree to death, and then, to have Ashley die, too... The day of the Greenes' funerals, I just...lost it. Caskets shouldn't be made so small," I mumbled, looking over at the little line of girls and boys waiting with Bethy. "They just...shouldn't." "I know, baby," he sighed, placing another soft kiss to my temple. "I drove to Shady Glen, because I just knew they hadn't told Lilith," I whispered, looking up at him. "Fuck, it was cruel what I did, Edward...I told her what happened. I told her that she'd now lost both her children, that it was her fault. Had she done what a normal parent would do, she'd still have them both..." I shook my head, and Edward casually wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "She was sick, baby...and I just dumped it all on her, to make myself feel better." "I'm not saying you weren't wrong, love," Edward said, soothing me with sweet touches to my face, "but..." "No, no, no!" we heard behind us, and I'd recognize Bethy's voice anywhere. Edward and I turned to see that the man running the pony ride was trying to pick her up and put her in the saddle, but she wasn't having any part of it. The pure anger, the tentative steps away from the man were not like her at all. "No!" she huffed, backing up again and glaring up at him. "Look, kid...you can't ride if I can't get you up there," the man told her, but her eyes were black fire as she turned to us. "Daddy," she huffed, looking up at him with frustration and a nervous glance to the farm worker, even when her dad knelt in front of her. "He's scary," she whispered to Edward. "Okay, well, do you still want to ride, little sweetness?" he asked her, smiling when she nodded frantically. He stood, scooping her up and swinging her into the saddle. Once Edward was sure she was okay, he turned to the guy. "When it's over, I'lltake her down. Got me?" he practically growled in the man's face, because whatever made her unhappy, made her father unhappy.

"Yeah, man. Whatever you say," he conceded, but the small smile that he gave Edward did not meet his eyes, and I kind of understood what Bethy meant. The guy was a little unnerving, especially when his eyes landed on what my husband was concealing at the small of his back in his waistband. Edward walked back to me, his face still a little dark. "You ever see her react like that?" "No," I told him, shaking my head. "And I can't blame her. He's creepy...and he totally knows you're carrying." "Good," he sneered, but turned back to me. "What happened at Shady Glen, baby?" "Oh, um... Well, Lilith snapped. She blamed everything on me, told me that Ashley would still be alive if I hadn't taken her away. She said if she ever got her hands on me again, she'd kill me," I said with a grimace. "To be honest, I hadn't thought she'd ever get better. And there was a part of me that thought she was right that if I hadn't taken the case, Ashley would have been found by someone else, and they'd all still be alive." "Well, now we have a problem, sweetness. She's out, and she obviously intends to carry through with her threat, because it wasn't coincidence that she talked to me. What do we do?" he asked, looking up when Bethy called for us, and we both waved at her. "I think we'd better talk to Benny and Wes," I guessed, shrugging one shoulder. "You know, handle this the right way..." Edward stared down at me, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Okay, we'll call them." When the ride was over, we went to get her and Abby down from the saddles. "What's next, baby?" I asked her, as she, Abby, and I giggled into hysterics when Edward picked Bethy up by the back of her overalls, using her straps like a handle. "She feels awful light to me," Edward noted, pulling her up and letting her back down. He was doing curls with our daughter, who was loving every second of it. "I vote something to eat." "Daddy, put me down!" she commanded, sounding just like him. He pulled her up to his face. "Tell me you love me first," he bargained, wearing my favorite crooked smile. "Love you!" she practically screamed, her little legs kicking behind her. "Good girl," he chuckled, setting her on her feet as we approached the picnic tables. I fixed both girls a plate, letting them sit with their friends and Mrs. Cope, while Edward and I sat off to the side, sharing a piece of cake. "What if..." I mumbled, snickering when Edward kissed away a crumb of chocolate cake. "What if Lilith wasn't supposed to be released?" I asked him. "I mean, what if somehow she fooled them? I've seen that happen. Or if she was somehow able to buy her way out..." My voice trailed off, because I wasn't sure what I was trying to prove, or if I was even the right one to deal with Lilith. I was biased against her beyond comprehension. "Do you really want to do this?" he countered, his brow wrinkling. "I mean, if she comes at us, we could just call Benny, but to actually investigate her?" "I don't know," I told him honestly. "I can handle anything she throws at me, and you can handle yourself, but Bethy..." I said, pointing across the table. "She's innocent in this. I'll lose my mind if Lilith tries to...make shit even." The darkest of looks crossed Edward's face, but he nodded. "Okay," he sighed with one single nod, but it all faded into sweet love when Bethy walked up to us. "I have to potty, Mommy," she whispered, her little cheeks tinging pink. "Okay," I whispered back. "What about Miss Abby? Her, too?" Bethy nodded, waving Abby over. Edward chuckled, kissing mine and Bethy's temple. "Bathroom break it is," he said with a sweet smile. "I'll call Benny and Alice while you're in there. See what they both say. I'll have Alice and Mack start looking into Shady Glen, love. Will that make you feel better?" "Thank you, baby," I sighed, loving that he always had my back. "Anything for you, sweetness," he chuckled, rolling his eyes, because that sounded trivial, but he meant every word. As Edward stood up from the picnic table, pulling out his phone, I took each girl's hand and walked to Mrs. Cope. "Bathroom?" she guessed with a warm smile, and I nodded. "They said to use the farmer's facilities in the barn. It was

easier for Mrs. Lafayette not to have little ones traipsing through her house." "Okay, gotcha," I chuckled, wondering how much longer the little old couple could actually run a full time farm. "All right, girls, the barn it is..." We walked across the farm yard into the barn, which was large, although not as big as Aunt Kate's, which made me think to call her. She was up in Alaska, living mostly with just her and Tom, Obie's brother, when Obie and Mickey were down visiting us. Of all the safe houses that Edward and Carlisle had taken me to, Aunt Kate's had been one of my favorites. I'd never felt safer there. Not to mention, the woman told the best stories about Edward as a kid. "Here you go, ladies," I told them, holding the bathroom door so that we could all go in. It wasn't the grandest of bathrooms, but for the potty emergency that we were having, it would do. It seemed to be all wood, with a toilet, sink, and a fiberglass shower the latter of which looked fairly recent or refurbished. Both girls did what they had to do, and I stood behind them at the sink, helping them wash their hands. I saw the movement out of the corner of my eye the shower curtain but before I could open the door and get the girls out, a sweet smelling cloth wrapped around my face, covering my mouth and nose. I heard the girls scream, before everything went black. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Edward, you ugly thing! How are my girls?" Benny laughed over the phone. "Gorgeous, as always," I answered honestly, watching as my wife talked to Mrs. Cope, before taking off across the property towards the barn. "Listen, you skinny ass, I need you to look into something for me. I think we may have a problem. A legit problem." "Talk to me, bro. Let me hear it," he said, completely doing a one-eighty from playful and teasing to all FBI agent. I gave him the rundown, telling him to call over to Gravity to get the files sent to him. I explained the entire situation that had started this shit, how Lilith had just shown up at the wedding reception. He was shocked that Makenna hadn't recognized her, but even more shocked at what the woman had done back in the day to set off my wife. "Can't say that I blame Bella," he mumbled, typing away on his computer. "So you think...maybe she's carrying out an old threat?" "I don't know." I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I paced slowly away from everyone. "I do know that Bella thinks maybe this bitch wasn't supposed to get out. I was going to have my crew look into it." "Go ahead," he conceded. "In fact, I'll set up a restraining order now, just in case... and as a fucking favor." I grinned, shaking my head at him. "Let's do this," he said, and the phone beeped once. "Let's three-way this call to Alice." The phone rang once, before someone answered it. "Gravity," Makenna chirped cheerfully. "Hey, Mack, it's Benny and Edward," Benny stated. "I need Alice, please." "Hey," she sang. "Okay, hang on." "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" Alice answered strangely. "Alice," both Benny and I sighed. "No seriously. I'm actually running this experiment," she giggled, but I could hear her crunching on the other end. "It won't fucking work if you bite into it, pixie," I snorted. "Oh, yeah, damn," she sighed, tsking to herself. "Oh well, what can I do for you?" Benny proceeded to tell her that what he was going to do on his end of the Lilith situation, and gave Alice her own instructions to send him everything she had on the woman and the old Gravity case file. "You're sure that it was Lilith Laray?" he asked, after she had told him about using the facial recognition software. "Yup, yup, yup," she chimed three times.

"Okay, well...here it goes," Benny stated, typing away, but he sighed deeply. "God, I haven't been out to Shady Glen in years. It's a state run facility, but the FBI has studied some of its...more dangerous residents. It's basically an asylum for the criminally insane, and a poorly run operation. It's the low end of the nursing jobs, where the head doctor is just this shy of having his license pulled. Dr. Ross Vernon. "Give me some time, Ed," he continued. "I'll run a background on everyone at Shady Glen. And I'll also work on Lilith...see what therapy sessions she's had. Alice, if I have that facility send you a visitors list for the last few years, would you and Mack go through it? Flag anyone suspicious?" "Definitely," both girls answered over the phone that was now on speaker. And that was why I loved the skinny shit. Benny had plenty of people he could ask to do this, but he trusted mine and Bella's crew explicitly. "And where's Bells, 'cause I'd like to ask her a few questions?" Benny asked. "Oh, um...she was taking Bethy to the restroom," I stated, walking towards the barn, "but she should be out by now. Hang on; I'll walk over there." I walked into the barn, seeing a small crowd of people gathered at the end of the building. Mrs. Cope rushed to me. "Oh, God, Edward...we were just about to go find you..." The older woman's face was pale, not an ounce of blood in it to be found. She was scared shitless. I didn't wait for her to finish, but brushed past her, finding my wife on the floor. "Bella?" I gasped, cupping her face, but keeping my phone at my ear. "Baby, wake up..." My wife squeezed her eyes closed, finally squinting up at me. When my hand came out from behind her head, my fingers were covered in blood. When she'd fallen, she must have smacked the piss out of her head. "Baby, where's Bethy? And Abby?" I asked her, looking around. "Oh fuck!" she gasped, trying to sit up, but blanched when she got about halfway up. "Edward, there was someone in here...they...they knocked me out with something..." My head swam and my breathing stopped as I stood up. "Bethy?" I called out. "Edward, talk to me," Benny growled over the phone. "Did I hear her right? Did someone knock her out? And Bethy's not there?" "Yeah... Bethy!" I yelled, running to the end of the building and looking out towards the woods. My heart was truly in my fucking throat. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," Alice hissed over the phone. I could hear her order instructions to call not only Emmett, but Alec and Jasper, too. "Call Jazz first; he's closer. He can get on the ATVs and haul ass over to the Lafayette farm. Now, Mack!" "Hang on," I said, spinning when Bella vomited behind me. I rushed to her. "Bella, baby...you're sure someone was in here..." "Yes," she sobbed, squeezing her eyes closed, but when she swayed on her feet, I made her sit back down. "Don't move," I ordered, and then into the phone, I yelled, "I'm tracking the fucking woods. I need...everyone... Someone took her, Ben," I breathed, trying not to lose it, trying my fucking damnedest to stay focused. "You've got it," Benny said soothingly. "We'll be there, man. We'll do a perimeter search, and we'll even get you in the air, okay?" he asked, but I didn't answer him. My eyes were scanning the entire farm. I turned to Mrs. Cope. "I need every child accounted for and in one spot. Now! We've got two girls missing...so far." "Dear Jesus," she prayed, running off to do exactly what I said. Her destination was the picnic tables. "Edward!" Alice yelled. "Jasper is en route to you through the old trails, he said to tell you. Emmett was already heading this way, and even Mickey and Obie were close by. Alec was here, so he went with Jasper...you'll have everyone soon." "Ed, I've got two units heading your way, complete with search dogs. They'll answer to Wes until I can get to you, got me?" "Yeah," I breathed, darting outside of the barn, but I could barely see straight, because my baby was nowhere to be found. "And an ambulance, Benny," I muttered. "I don't know what they did to Bella..." "Sure, man," he replied. "I'm switching to radio," I told them, ending the call and trading my phone for the earpiece that Bella had gotten out of the

safe that morning when she grabbed our guns. I shoved the earpiece in my ear, punching it on. "Who've I got?" I growled, finding the entry point at the edge of the woods where a branch was broken off. "I'm here," Jasper said, checking in. "Me, too, kid," Alec stated, and I could hear the engines of Jasper's ATVs in the background. "You two...come around the west side. Jasper, head through the campground. I'll try to work the trail that way." "Sir," they both replied. "Edward, Benny said Wes is ten minutes to you," Alice stated. "I haven't fucking got ten minutes, Alice!" I snapped, finding a recently used trail. "In ten minutes, I could lose them..." I ran for a few more yards, finding a purple hair ribbon hanging from a bush. It was Abby's. "Fuck. Why would they take them both?" I panted, turning in one spot, but the noise in my ear was killing me. "Radio silence..." I ordered, closing my eyes so that I could hear everything every noise, every gust of wind through the trees, and the snap of a dry twig in the distance. A muffled cry sounded from my left, and I took off towards it. "I've got sounds from the northwest," I panted over the ear piece, pushing my legs as hard as I could, considering the uneven terrain. Tree branches snagged at my clothes, and my boots squelched down in mud as I followed not only the sound, but the trail the assholes had left behind. If I knew my Bethy and she was aware of what was happening, she was most likely fighting like hell. I found a few footprints through the mud and continued to follow the trail of snapped off twigs. The fuckers didn't seem to give a shit about covering their tracks. "Edward," Makenna stated. "It's only the two of them missing, according to Mrs. Cope. I just checked in with Bella...sweetie, she's a mess. She thinks it was Chloroform they got her with, but she's got a helluva bump on her noggin'. She's sick, but fucking determined to help you." "Tell her to sit tight," I whispered, wanting my presence to stay a secret. "If she can't fucking stand up, then she'll be useless out here." "'Kay," Makenna mumbled. "Edward," Alice growled. "I've got thermal on you. There are...three entities moving about forty yards from your location, but they aren't heading in the direction of the campground. More towards the 101. And it looks like they've got a party waiting on them. Emmett...what's your location?" "I'm on the 101," he growled. "Eddie, keep pushing them that way. Alice, switch to satellite image and give me a make and model of that waiting party. And tell Wes and Benny to keep the cops off my speeding ass!" "Looks like a Ford...Expedition," Alice stated. "It's dark in color. I can't tell if it's black, blue, or what, but it's on the shoulder...the same side of the road you'll be on." "Gotcha!" Emmett stated. "Eddie!" Jasper called. "I'm at the campgrounds...they were here. There are signs of what looks like a handful of people staying in these old ass cabins. Alice, report it to Wes, get a crew up here!" "Okay, okay, okay," she chanted. "Edward, go straight from where you are for about four yards, and then turn north towards the 101. You may be able to split the distance with a diagonal line to them. Go!" "Ten-four," I muttered, trusting wholeheartedly in what she said, because at that point, she was my only eyes in the sky. As I ran, I focused on my feet, not my nerves, not the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I turned north when Alice told me to, pushing myself faster and harder. "Shit, fuck!" Emmett growled. "Ed, I'm trapped. I've got a pile up on the 101. Who's got him? Answer me!" "My ETA is five from the farm," Mickey answered, suddenly on the radio with us. "Hang in there, pretty boy." "I need air support," Wes ordered. "I need someone in the air...yesterday! Goddammit! Edward, I'm pulling through Forks now, man. I've got a crew unloading on the 101 and an ambulance that should already be pulling in." I had no energy to talk and keep running, so I stayed quiet. To my left, I heard the rumble of four wheelers, and I knew that Jasper and Alec were racing up the old trail not far from me. The sound of traffic met my ears about the same time that the

forest fell away. Shots pinged off of the tree trunk next to my head, and I dove for the ground, pulling my weapon out. I could see the SUV that Alice had described sitting on the side of the highway. "I've got visual!" I panted, barely able to speak. "I've got two men...one behind the wheel." "Cooper, talk to me," Wes ordered, "because I know you're right there." I lifted my head to see a black sedan screech to a halt on the opposite side of the highway, and four Feds piled out, guns raising, hammers clicking back, the bastards getting ready to fire. "Don't fucking shoot!" I yelled. "My daughter's in that car! Have you lost your fucking minds!" "Hold your fire!" Wes ordered. "Follow Edward's lead on this shit, Cooper." I stood up, planting my back against the tree next to me, peering around towards the SUV. A young man with a scruffy face had a gun pointed to Abby's head. "Don't do it, asshole!" he yelled. "She won't see Santa Claus this Christmas...I promise you." A twig snapped to my right, and Alec put a finger to his lips as he crept closer to the edge of the tree line. His gun was drawn, his eyes sharp as he assessed the situation. "Keep him talking, Edward," Wes urged. "What do you want, motherfucker?" I yelled, stepping from the trees, my gun out to my side in a sign of surrender. "I've got what I came for," he chuckled, shrugging one shoulder. "Call them off," he stated, pointing across the road towards the Feds, "or this could get real ugly, real quick. You have to let us go. We'll kill them, quicker than you can get to us, and you know it." He shifted his hand, placing the muzzle of the gun just under Abby's chin. "Are you willing to bet their lives with those odds?" The back door of the SUV was open. I couldn't see what the driver looked like, but I could see Bethy's profile, a revolver pointed directly at her forehead. "Back them off, Wes," I begged. "I can see inside the car. The driver's got a gun at Bethy, his partner on Abby." "Fuck, Ed...what do you want to do?" Alec asked softly. I ran a hand through my hair, finally meeting his gaze. "I can't...I don't... I fucking know who this is," I eventually sputtered. "Well, if you know, then we can find them," he said soothingly. "They obviously don't want to kill the girls, because they need them. We'll call everyone in. Benny's on his way from Seattle. Wes just got to the farm. We can find them," he said again, raising his eyebrow at me. "If it's a money thing, we've got that, too." He looked across the grassy area at the asshole with the gun pointed at a three year old's head. "Their days are numbered, kid, but if you fight now...you may lose. I know it's killing you, but look at them. These fuckers aren't in charge. They're just the peons. They're pick up and delivery men." I couldn't see the driver, but I could see what Alec was trying to say. The shifty eyes of the guy on the outside said it all. He knew going in that there was a real possibility that he could get caught. He stood like a thief, not a military man. He radiated defense, not offense. But he had no problems taking out a three year old child in order to get away. Tears of anger and frustration, of heartbreak and worry filled my eyes as I thought it over. I dropped my gun to the ground, pointing to the asshole leaning against the SUV. "You...will die," I promised him. "You've just made the biggest fucking mistake you've ever made, cocksucker." He grinned, cocky and bold. "Whatever you say, Dad. I'm sure we'll be in...touch. But if they follow us, I will throw these girls out of this truck while we're going sixty down this fucking highway." "Daddy!" I heard from the SUV, and it was all I could do along with Alec's help not to run to my daughter. "Back off!" I told the officers across the street. "Let them go." It was the hardest words I'd ever spoken in my life. The most important thing I'd ever had a part in was just about to drive away with people she didn't know. My heart shattered when the asshole shoved a sobbing Abby into the back seat, crawling in behind her. I felt like a part of my soul just broke off and fell to the ground, withering away to nothing, as I watched the SUV crank up and drive away, taking my Bethy with it. "Come on, kid," Alec said, placing a hand on my shoulder when my knees gave out and I sank to the ground. "Let's go see about Bellissima, yeah?"

I nodded, but I had nothing left, letting him lead me to the four-wheeler that was parked next to Jasper, who was talking on his phone. Alec pulled out his own phone, speaking urgently, but quietly. "Sam, you need to get me Carlisle...ASAP! No, man...now!" ~oOo~

BELLA
I gagged again when the EMTs moved me from the floor of the bathroom to the gurney. I wasn't sure if it was my head injury, the chemical that had been used on me, or just my nerves that were wracking my frame with nausea and lightheadedness, but whatever it was made me dizzy. "Let me see," the young woman said softly, lifting my head gently to look at the spot where I was hurting the most...physically. "Looks like they slammed you back into the shower when they knocked you out." I nodded, and then shrugged, tears welling up with the movement and the ache in my heart. "I don't think you need stitches, honey," she stated, "but you need to sit up for me. Stay awake, okay? If it's a concussion, then sleeping would result in further damage." "I'm okay," I sighed, sitting up on the edge of the gurney as she cleaned my wound and walked back to the ambulance. I looked up when several Federal vehicles pulled into the farm's driveway. Wes was out of his car and kneeling before me before I could blink, as his officers walked to the picnic tables that was filled with worried teachers, parents, and fidgety kids. "Talk to me, Bella," he said softly, taking my hands. His face radiated worry and just plain anger, because he'd become a true friend since he helped us take down Royce King not to mention he was crazy about my Makenna. "She took them," I said, the sob I'd been holding back escaping out of my chest just a bit. "She's got my baby... Edward's tracking them." "Lilith," he verified, and I nodded, swiping at my tears. "Benny's on his way, but...Edward...he um...he had to let them go, Bells. He had no choice," he soothed when my sobs, my ability to breathe, became harder. "Sweetie, they had a gun to those girls' heads. They would have killed them before we could blink. They told him they'd be in touch. I've got someone following them at a safe distance, but too far back and we could lose them." My phone rang in my pocket, and thinking it would be Edward, I answered it. "Bells," Rose sighed. "Talk to me, sweetpea..." "Rose, she's gone," I sobbed, my control slipping a little more. "They took her and her friend, Abby, and they're gone!" She hissed a string of curses, but took a deep breath. "Where's Edward, Bellsy?" "He chased them, but...he couldn't...he didn't..." I heaved a deep breath trying to get myself under control. "It's my fault, Ro. I didn't check the shower...I just took them in..." "Calm down for me, Bells," she soothed on the other end, and I could hear the murmurs and coos from Caleb on the other end. The sound was my undoing, because it only reminded me that she had her baby, and mine was...gone. My tears couldn't be stopped; they coursed down my face unhindered. A sound of pure anguish met my ears, and Wes and I looked across the farm to see a woman being held up by one of Wes' men. I grimaced, understanding her pain. "Mrs. Carmichael," I told Wes. "Abby's mother." He nodded, rubbing my hands. "I wouldn't mention a thing about what you know around her. Best let her think that you're in the same boat she is. It could get ugly if she thinks your work brought this on her child." I nodded in agreement, and even Rose muttered to me, "That's not a bad idea, Bells." Wes' phone beeped with a call, and he answered it quietly. "Benny..." he said, but just listened for a few moments, nodding in agreement. "Got it. I'll call her now, Ben. Just get here soon. I'm going to need all the help I can get on this one... No, I tried to have them follow at a pretty far distance, but they lost them. I couldn't risk them... Yeah, I know." He paused again, his eyebrows raising high into his hairline. "No shit?" he asked, turning away from me slightly. "Okay, so I know that they...right..." he sighed, shaking his head. "This won't be pretty, then. Will he..." Wes sighed again. "Hell, fuck...no, I don't blame him... Fine, Benny." He ended the call, walking away when one of his officers called him, but put his phone back up to his ear. "Alice, what've you got for me?" he asked, his voice trailing away the farther he got from me. "Bells, talk to me, sweetie," Rose urged in my ear. "Take a breath and focus. Are you hurt?" "Not really," I sniffled. "They knocked me out, bumping my head on the side of the shower."

"Okay, well, it's not your fault," she stated, "and we've got everyone coming to you. Emmett should be pulling in any minute, Obie and Mickey were in Oregon, but turned around, and Alec and Jasper were tracking with Edward. I've talked to Alice, sweetie...she's working with Benny and Wes to track the SUV and..." I head shot up when the rumble of ATVs pulled up in front of the barn. Alec, Jasper, and Edward stepped off of them, walking my way. "Rose, Edward's back," I breathed, tears filling my eyes. "Go, Bellsy, and call me back when you know something..." I ended the call, leaving the phone on the gurney and standing up. "Edward," I sobbed, "what happened?" I'd never seen the light, the fire, extinguished out of my husband's eyes, but when I looked at him, there was just...nothing. He looked haunted and defeated and about five seconds from breaking something. He was a wreck, with his shirt torn, his shoes muddy, and his hair sticking up in every direction, despite the fact that he'd just gotten it cut before Carlisle and Esme's wedding. "Easy, baby," Edward said, his voice rough, but he eased me back down onto the bed. "I had to let her go," he whispered, and when his voice cracked and his eyes filled with tears, the dam didn't just burst on my emotions, it completely disintegrated. "I'm sorry," he chanted over and over, but caught me in strong arms, which were still shaking. "What do we do?" I ranted, gripping the front of his shirt. "We have to get her back, Edward. I didn't know someone was in there. I'm sorry..." I locked eyes with his. "I need my baby back...I can't...breathe...without her." "We. Will. Fucking. Get. Her. Back," he snapped, his hand gripping my shirt. "They..." He was cut off when my phone rang, and I picked it up, answering it quickly. "Hello..." There was a pause on the other end, until I heard, "Mommy, Daddy!" "Jesus, Bethy," I breathed, my hand flying to my heart, because my baby sounded scared. Edward snatched the phone from me, turning the speakerphone on. "Bella Swan...Cullen," a voice on the other end started. It was neither male nor female. In fact, it sounded filtered. "Do I have your attention now, bitch?"

A/N...Everyone take a deep breath...let it out slowly. I will admit that this was the cruelest of cliffies I've ever left you with. And I'm sure a fair amount of you are upset with me. Some of you guessed this would happen. And it happened while both parents were on duty...circumstances against them, it seems. I will PROMISE you, because some of you are worried just how cruel this may get, that there won't be any physical or sexual abuse towards those kids. I'll promise that, because I know that you remember Bella's captivity in B&G, and I wouldn't do that to an innocent child... I can't write angst for long, and most of you that know me are pretty used to that, but those that don't, understand that the emotions will be rough for a few and then take a turn. I need to thank JenRar for telling me that readers will chew me up and spit me out...just to chew me up again over this chapter. I'm pretty sure she's right. Thanks to Goober_Lou for helping with the small details in the chase through the woods. And to MedusaInNY for the amazing job she does on my blog...and one of the few that may not yell at me over this chapter, but I am expecting to have to dodge her poor aim of heavy objects. ;) I have a fantabulous weekend off coming up. I will be off starting Saturday, going back to work Wednesday. And the next posting is looking like Saturday... Yes, early, because I know you'll be threatening me by that point. Ohhh... I KNOW that you have something to say now, so let me have it. My bomb shelter is complete and well stocked. I'll be hiding in there until Sat... Remember...HEA, HEA, HEA... Okay? Until then... Love you and Later...

*Chapter 5*: Chapter 5

A/N... Okay, so I have to give you guys credit. There wasn't much yelling. There was some surprise that Bella wasn't taken, and that Abby was. I'm proud of all of you that told me that you had faith in me, and I promise I won't let you down. Now, some of you also guess this next chapter. It's a...rough chapter, but it's an understandable reaction. Most of you that know me...you understand that I can't write angst for very long. I'm a get it out and clear it up kind of writer. Dwelling in angst would make me ill, I think. LOL That being said...let's see where we stand...
CHAPTER 5

BELLA
"Bella Swan...Cullen," a voice on the other end started. It was neither male nor female. In fact, it sounded filtered. "Do I have your attention now, bitch?" "Yes," I breathed. "Who is this?" "Oh, I'm sure you have a clue," the mechanical voice stated with a crazed chuckle. It sounded broken, evil. Wes came to stand beside me and Edward, his face grim as he spoke low into his headset. "Alice...trap and trace on Bella's phone." "You won't catch me," the voice sang to him over the line. "I just wanted to make sure Bella was paying attention." "What do you want?" I snapped, snatching the phone from Edward's hand. "A little of this...a little of that," the voice sighed dramatically. "And a whole lot of money. What's the price for family these days? What would you pay to get yours back? Payback's a bitch, baby. Stay tuned..." The call ended, but everyone around me was still and silent. I looked to Wes, who was still on his own headset. "Throwaway phone," he muttered, nodding like he'd guessed that would be the case. "Trace it as best you can, Alice. Anything on the SUV?" he asked her, sighing deeply. "Well, let me know what you get." When he hung up, he knelt down. "The plates on the SUV were stolen, but Alice is running a search for anything or anyone connected to Lilith Laray that may have a car..." "What about an Amber Alert?" Edward snapped, standing up from in front of me and starting to pace. "Already done, man," Wes said calmly. "I've sent it out from here, to Canada, to Idaho, all the way south to California." "And fingerprints?" Edward asked, pointing to the bathroom behind us. "There's got to be something in that fucking shower." He turned his fiery gaze on me. "Did you see any-fucking-thing, Bella?" I flinched, shaking my head. "No, I'm sorry." Wes nodded, turned to the officer standing next to him. "Get as many statements from those people as you can, and then release them. Have Cooper check in, because I need him to walk the woods and process the campgrounds Jasper found, and have Gibbons start processing that bathroom. I need this shit done now." "What about Mrs. Carmichael?" the officer asked. "We'll leave her for Benny, Hardy," Wes sighed wearily. "I want Bella and Edward back at Gravity. I want Alice there with them the next time these assholes call." "Is everyone accounted for?" Edward asked, looking around the farm. "You know, kids, teachers, farm employees." "The pony ride guy is gone," I whispered, looking up at him when he spun to look at me. "The one that scared Bethy...he's gone. You didn't see him with her?" "No, I didn't fucking see him with her!" he growled. "It was a different guy that had Abby, but I couldn't see the driver." "Okay, okay," Alec stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on Edward's shoulder. "Let's get this shit back to Gravity." "I'll find out the pony ride guy's name," Wes said softly, looking between us. "You two," he ordered, pointing to Jasper and Alec, "get them back, and as soon as I'm done here, Benny and I will be there. Emmett rerouted there already. He said he was upping your security. I think the best course of action will be to set up shop at Gravity. It'll be better than having to rely on the Seattle office. Okay?"

"Got it," Jasper said, giving Edward a strange look as he helped me to my feet. "Let's go, Bells. I know you...you'll work better from your own office." ~oOo~ "Sit," Makenna ordered, pulling me down at the conference table at Gravity. "I need you to describe the pony ride guy to me. What's his name?" I could see she was trying to get me to focus, but it was hard. I was riddled with guilt as I looked up into her sweet, but patient face. This whole thing was my fault. I should've never messed with Lilith ages ago, I should've never left the reception early or I would've recognized her, and I could see it on my husband's face that he blamed me, too. The fact that he hadn't touched me or could barely look me in the eye proved it. "Old man Lafayette said he went by Kenny...Kenny Porter," I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut, because my head was fucking pounding. It didn't help that Edward was a pacing lion in the computer room with Alice. "Okay. Kenny," Mack sang, pulling her paper closer and getting her pencil ready. "Oh, Bellsy...you have to focus for me. I know it's hard." I felt lifeless, achy, and just plain empty, but I took a deep breath and nodded. "Um...young, skinny. He was no more than mid twenties. He scared the shit out of Bethy," I whispered, locking gazes with Makenna. "She knew, Mack." "Of course she did," she agreed, smiling. "She wouldn't be a kid of yours and Eddie's if she didn't." She paused for a moment, but forced the conversation. "Keep going, Bells. What kind of hair...curly, straight? How were his eyes? Big? Too close together?" "He was scruffy, unkempt, like he smelled bad if you got too close," I told her. "He had shaggy hair, like it had been a while since he'd gotten it cut, but like it used to be buzzed. Blue eyes, really light blue eyes. And he had ink on his face." "What kind of ink?" she asked, looking up from the paper. "A tear drop, coming from his left eye," I told her, looking over her shoulder. "His jaw was sharper, his eyes closer together." "Good, honey...good," she praised, but her sole concentration was on the picture in front of her. "Ink on his face may mean he's been in prison. Good," she praised again, her pencil gliding across the paper. With a few more touches here and there, she got his face down on paper. She slid it to me, and all I could do was nod in approval, because it was perfect. "I need Eddie for the face of the guy he chased," she whispered, pinning Kenny's portrait to what had been an empty bulletin board, but which now held a photo of Lilith, Kenny, and a map of the area with pins in it where the last phone call was made. We both jumped when his booming voice reached a new level of pissed off. "I don't give a fuck, Alice!" Edward barked from the other room. "There's got to be something on this bitch that we're not seeing." "I'm sure there is, Edward, but you've got to give me time to look at the mental hospital, its employees, and search for any relatives Lilith may have. I'm already working on the SUV, the prepaid cell, and I'm waiting for Benny's rush on the fingerprints. You have to wait," she flat out told him, almost without apology. "When Benny gets here, he'll be able to work with me, but until then, I'm all alone here. Okay?" "Waiting to hear about this shit is what got us here. I should've heard about this fucking bitch ages ago," Edward grumbled, and I jumped when Alec's hand rested gently on my shoulder. "I saw the guy, Mack," he said softly. "I'll describe him for you." Makenna nodded, giving Edward a sideways glance, before pulling a clean sheet of paper to her. I looked down at my hands, feeling useless and still groggy from my headache, but I felt fingertips under my chin. Alec lifted my gaze to his. "He doesn't mean it, Bellissima," he whispered, kissing my cheek. "He's a hurting man, okay? You didn't see the conflict he faced, amore. He watched a gun get pointed to Bambina's head, and he couldn't do a thing about it." He wiped away a tear that escaped my eye, sighing deeply. "You know you and the little one mean the world to him, right?" I nodded, swallowing thickly. "I know, but what happens when one part of your world is responsible for the loss of the other?" I asked him, not waiting for his answer. I got up from the table, swaying on my feet just a little, and left the office in search of Wes, running into Emmett after leaving the room.

"Bellsy," he said, rushing to me from the front porch. He cupped my face. "Are you okay?" I nodded with a mumbled, "Yeah," looking up at him. "Okay, well, I went ahead and secured the perimeter, turning on Eddie's old sensors. I made sure the gate would only open with the remotes that you've given to trusted people, and I checked the house out, okay?" "Yeah, thanks, Em." "Also, Wes and Benny have stationed some guys throughout the property, so don't panic if you see someone walking around. They've been told to keep their FBI vests on," he stated, pointing toward the driveway so that I could see one of the guys pacing. "Where's Wes?" I asked him, rubbing my temples. "He was called away to the campgrounds, but said he'd be right back." I nodded that I'd heard him and went inside my house. It was quiet too quiet. There was no TV blaring with cartoons, no laughter from the kitchen, no thumping of tiny feet on hardwood floors. My heart shattered, and I found myself standing in Bethy's bedroom doorway. Her most recent favorite toy was laying on her made bed a stuffed rabbit. Edward and I had been reading the Velveteen Rabbit to her at night, and that, too, was sitting on her nightstand, waiting to be cracked open again. I fell down hard on the edge of the bed, bringing "Mr. Bunny" to my nose. It smelled like her, like soap and sugar, and just little girl, and I couldn't help but curl up with it, sobbing into Bethy's pillow. ~oOo~ "Damn it, Edward," I heard Jasper in the hallway. "Has it been so long since you've had a head injury that you've forgotten that you need to wake Bella up? Fuck. What's the matter with you? She could slip into a coma, asshole!" "I've got her, so both of you can shut the fuck up!" I sat up groggily, unsure of the voice I thought I was hearing, rubbing my face and looking up to see Rose standing in the door. "What are you doing here?" I asked, rushing to her, my tears starting all over. "You should be with Caleb." "My parents are here," she explained, wrapping her arms around me. "They gave me a few hours reprieve, though I will go back tonight. I just...I needed to see you," she whispered, and I could hear her own tears start. "I'm sorry, Bellsy..." She pulled me back down to the edge of the bed, keeping her arm around my shoulders. "He's not handing this shit very well, is he?" "He blames me," I stated, shrugging one shoulder. "Hell, I blame me, so I can't say that he's wrong." She was quiet, but I looked up at her. "I need her back, Rose. This bitch needs to call me, tell me what she wants, because I need my baby back." Rose held me tight as I let another crying fit take over. When I settled down a bit, I asked, "How long was I asleep?" "A few hours. They shouldn't have let you go that long," she told me, taking a peek at the bump on my head. "Those motherfuckers did that shit on purpose, I guarantee it. Lilith would have told them you were...a handful. My guess is they knew you could kick their ass, so they had to take you out completely. They'd have done the same had it been Edward in that bathroom. Only with him, it would have been a bullet, because he's not the one she wants to torture. It's you." I noticed that she was speaking just loud enough that everyone in the living room could hear her. She was protecting me, boosting me up, and warning them all at the same time, because I could tell that she was just plain pissed at Bethy being taken, at Edward's attitude, at the fact that I'd gotten hurt just pissed. The conversations that I could hear had come to a stop, but I winced, shaking my head. "But why take both girls?" I asked, because the question had been burning on my tongue since the second Edward returned from giving chase. "My guess?" she asked, raising her eyebrows up until I nodded. "I've seen Abby...those two little munchkins are really similar. Even worse when you don't know them at all. I bet the jackoffs that she sent were only told what Bethy looked like, and there they see two little brown haired girls. Better safe than sorry." I nodded, because it made sense. But we both jumped when my phone went off in my pocket, because it was the wee hours of the morning. "Bella, out here," Wes called, and Rose and I rushed into the living room. "Is it her?" The phone read, "Unavailable." I nodded, looking back to him for instructions.

He picked up his radio. "Benny, incoming call now!" He pointed back to me, mouthing, "Go!" I answered the phone, but didn't even say hello before the creepy mechanical voice was singing. "Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies..." it warbled, taking a deep breath and chuckling slightly. "Ashes, ashes...we...all...fall...down." She ended the song, having only sung parts of it, but it was fucking scary nonetheless. "Oh, Beeellllaaaa," she called out, still chuckling. "I know you're there, Bella. And I know you're not alone, so any of your Gravity bitches, or the FBI you called so quickly, or even Daddy himself can answer for you... Are you listening?" I sneered, looking to Wes, who motioned for me to talk and set the phone on the coffee table, but the way that the voice spoke, the teasing manner, and the maniacal speech was absolute proof of who was talking to me over the phone. "What do you want, Lilith?" I asked, setting the phone down. A crazed, cackling laugh exploded from my phone, only to end with, "Well, it seems you haven't lost your touch..." She paused, like she needed a breath. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, niiiiiiiinnnneeee... Ten!" She rattled off at top speed. "Ten million dollars. Don't you think, Bella? Five for each of my babies you killed...equals five for these two little brats." "Where?" Edward growled, practically shaking with hatred. "Not so fast there, handsome," she teased, and why she was still using the mechanical voice, I had no idea. "I'm not done yet," she taunted. "I didn't kill Bree and Ashley, Lilith," I snapped, slamming my hands down on the table, unable to stop myself when it came to this bitch. "Your crazy ass did. I didn't put my two year old in a tub and turn my back on her! I didn't smoke crack until my brain was mush, and then let my four year old walk the streets of Seattle. You did that. Not me. You lost them." Squeals and cries of more than one child echoed in the background, and we all froze. "Don't interrupt me again with your lies!" "I want my daughter back," I said through gritted teeth. "Yes, yes," she sighed dramatically. "Quite the healthy little thing you have. And I know which one is yours, because she's got just the same amount of attitude as her mother. The other one...she's a little...meeker. She was a mistake, but a surprisingly fantastic bargaining chip." There was a part of me that couldn't help but be proud of my baby, but the other part of me knew from my experience with Riley Miller that attitude, while admirable in some state of affairs, could prove deadly in hostage situations. "Don't hurt her," I begged, shaking my head. "I won't...if you follow the next steps, Bella," she replied, sounding almost normal. "I've got a plan, and we're going to stick to it. Stay tuned..." With that, the call ended, and I bolted through my screen door out to Gravity's office. I burst through the door to see what Benny and Alice made of that call. "Easy, Bella," Benny said, making me sit beside him, but pointing to the screen as everyone followed me. "It was another throwaway phone, but this time, there was something interesting. Look," he stated, pointing to a phone number. "The first one had a Washington area code. And this new one?" he asked, waiting for everyone to catch up to him. "This one was Oregon, and that's exactly where the signal ended. She's moved out of state, but hasn't gone far, okay?" Edward and I both nodded, hanging on his every word. Benny sighed, his face looking forlorn. "I won't lie to you two. The fact that she's singing Ring Around the Rosie doesn't sound good, because her emphasis happened to be on the ashes to ashes part. She's out for revenge. She wants to get even...and I think that she was originally going to just take Bethy, but the fact that Abby got wrapped up in this... Well, I think it might have triggered something in her. She's obviously off medication, because her speech pattern, her mood during your conversation, was all over the place. We'll just have to see what her next request is..." "What about the money? Because I can..." Edward fidgeted a bit, but shut up when Benny held up his hand. "I know you'd pay anything at this point, and I don't blame you, but I really want to see what her next request is, Edward. If a trade can be made for those two girls, that's my goal." Benny frowned up at Edward when he started to argue, holding his hand up again. "That's not to say we haven't been busy, because despite our wait to see what this crazy bitch wants, I'd like to find her before she can accomplish much more of this fucked up plan she's got," he said, his voice coming out a little gruffer than he normally spoke, but he gestured to Alice. "Listen, listen, listen," Alice said, her demeanor much more subdued than normal, because I was pretty sure she hadn't slept. "We ran a check on Dr. Ross Vernon, the head shrink of Shady Glen. He's clean for the most part except he just

caught up on a past due mortgage. I'm talking a fucking year past due." Alice raised her eyebrow at us and continued. "He also did something he should never have done. He treated his own family. His son was a resident of Shady Glen, a patient of his father's, and guess which dorm he resided in..." "Lilith's," just about everyone in the room stated blandly. "Exactly," she sighed with a nod. "Kurt Vernon went into Shady Glen for bi-polar disorder and was released after about a year of intense therapy and a round of drugs adjusted to suit him. Next," she said, spinning in her chair and pointing up to the two drawings on the bulletin board. "Kenny Porter... This guy is a bottom feeder. He's done more time in jail than anyone at the age of twenty three should have, and it's everything from petty theft to assault, and from grand larceny to statutory rape..." she said, but the whole office full of people exploded. "Wait!" she yelled. "Let me finish... That last charge was bogus, guys!" She rolled her eyes, waving her hands for us to calm down. "He was out of high school, but his girlfriend at the time wasn't. Her parents didn't like him with good reason, I suppose and pressed charges. "Now," she huffed, pointing to the picture of the guy that Alec had described to Makenna, "this guy looks an awful lot like Kenny's last cellmate, Russell Carnes AKA Rusty." Alice stopped, giving Benny a pointed look, before taking a deep breath. "Rusty Carnes...he's listed on the birth certificate for Bree. She was born Bree Anne Carnes." My head hit my hands, and I rubbed my face with frustration. "So...let me get this straight," I mumbled behind my hands. "Rusty and Kenny were cellmates and have teamed up with Lilith. So what's Dr. Vernon's son got to do with anything?" "Well, it seems when Lilith filled out her discharge paperwork," Benny said, pulling up a new screen on his laptop, "she stated the same address as Kurt Vernon. They were going to be roommates in Seattle." "Okay, well, who paid off the fucking doctor?" Edward asked, looking between the two. "Because two ex-cons and two fucking nut jobs aren't exactly looking like they're swimming in it, and he caught up on his mortgage." "They aren't swimming in it," Alice concurred. "I've pulled Dr. Vernon's financials, and it seems to come up as a loan, but I don't think that's what it is. I've got to trace that money to its source, but it's convoluted and all over the place. That will take me a bit." Wes stepped forward, slapping a file down on the conference table. "The campsite," he sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't get much just a few set of prints, some clothes, garbage, and another used up phone. My lab is processing all of it as we speak. In fact, I should have an answer by morn...well, a few hours, actually." "Same goes for the bathroom prints," Benny added, turning to Edward. "I need to know if you can get ahold of the that money, bro. I don't want to pay a ransom...ever. But having it on hand...to show her...well, it could be beneficial." "I can have it," Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. "When the banks open..." "Not yet," Benny said softly, his eyes flickering between the two of us. "I just want to make sure it's accessible. I'll give you plenty of notice when we need it. I'm waiting on a few things, besides the lab." He spun around in his chair, pulling up a few reports. "I've got a few men out there getting some information at Shady Glen. I've got a doctor that started his residency a year ago. He didn't have the best grades at UW, so that explains why he's at the lowest facility in the area, but he's got money... Well, his parents did, and it seems they've cut him off. While he's swimming in debt student loans, rent, car payments, credit cards his parents are a part of the posh society in Portland. And he ran the group therapy sessions that both Kurt and Lilith attended, according to Shady Glen's records." My head gave a throb, but I nodded, almost figuring out what the scenario could have been. Lilith pours out her crazed, fucked up version of her life to her new, fresh out of college, but financially struggling therapist. It doesn't take much to find out about me, who I'd become and what I'm worth, because Lilith knew my real name. I'd signed it when I went to visit her. Add in the recent publicity for Esme and Carlisle's wedding, and the dollar signs shined in their eyes. Lilith's threat for revenge becomes a plot for extortion. The two of them can't do it alone, so they recruit Rusty, probably the only person that Lilith knows anymore, and he brings his old cellmate with him. Easy job, easy money. "What's his name?" I asked, rubbing my head, but Rose took over for me, pulling my hair away from my face and neck. "Walter Bridges," Benny answered, "and I'm still waiting to hear from my men. If he doesn't show up at work today or they can't find him at his apartment, then I'll know something's up." "Here," Alice said, tapping my leg. "Him." She pointed to the screen, and I looked up to see an average guy. I nodded, barely taking in his brown hair, brown eyes, or the cheesy smile he was wearing on his employee badge. "I have a question," Jasper stated from the back of the room. He'd been quietly listening to everything, but when I turned to look at him, I realized that just about everyone was there Mickey, Obie, Jasper, Emmett, Mack, and Alec and suddenly, I missed Carlisle and Esme with an all consuming sickness. "Do they have any idea who Bethy's other parent is...I mean, really is?" Benny smiled, though it was sad. "That..." he started, holding his finger. "That is our key, right there. I'm damn sure that they have no idea what Edward was, is, or even what he's capable of. And in all reality, I'm not sure they realize what Bella is really capable of, either. I think Lilith just sees her as a PI, nothing more. Her training at the FBI would be private, but it's

Edward and Carlisle that are the unknown." I looked up at Edward, and his face was dark, but he locked eyes with me for a moment. There was no emotion, and I saw what he was doing. My husband was getting ready to go to war. He was preparing himself to kill, if only for the survival of two little girls one of whom meant the world to him. He was slipping the mask on that he'd worn the first time I'd met him. The hard, unwavering, killing machine, the mercenary that wouldn't blink when he killed a man for lesser crimes. And for the first time since I'd known him, he scared me, because I knew deep down, he blamed me for Lilith's act of revenge. "I want Carlisle here," I muttered, looking back at my hands. The whole fucking room felt scattered and unorganized without his presence. We'd never made a decent decision without him before, and this time, the subject was so fucking important that I needed him. I needed his precise planning, his calm command of the room, and the control over his son, because Edward looked like he was about to blow, and I was pretty sure it wasn't me that could calm him down this time. "He's on his way, Bellissima," Alec answered, coming to kneel beside me. "They're in the air, okay?" "On paper," Benny continued, "Edward and Carlisle just look like they came from money. A regular background check on them both just shows their tours in the Air Force, that Carlisle works for Twi Tech, while Edward is a partner in Gravity. Both married, both living in the state of Washington, and both trade heavily in the stock exchange. Edward's pilot license is there. Carlisle's first marriage is there, and a few properties that he allows to stay in his name. Edward shows no property in his name. And that's good." Benny turned to all of us, his face stern. "Everything that Carlisle did after his retirement from the Air Force, but before his position at TT, doesn't exist...and Edward's life is blank, up to the time that he married Bella. That's fucking perfect, because Carlisle never wanted his soldiers to be mainstream. There are companies out there that are mercenaries, but he never wanted that. He took the jobs he was handed in secret, and his clients respected him enough to keep it secret." "If we find these assholes, if we get a lock on them," Emmett started, his fists clenching at his sides. "Carlisle won't just...follow your lead, Ben. He'll go in like hellfire. He'll take this as a personal hit on family." "I am aware of that," Benny sighed, shaking his head. "And I'm prepared for it. I need you guys to trust me. If it comes down to that, then we'll have to sit down and work it out. I can't just...deputize you as agents." "But Eleazar can," Mickey added. "He's CIA, and he can work under the radar." "I know this, too," Benny snorted, rolling his eyes. "And he's on his way now. Esme's already called him, and he checked in with me." Alice's computer beeped, and she spun to look at it. "They dumped the Expedition, and the Amber Alert worked in Olympia. Two men and two little girls were spotted just outside of a shopping mall, where a minivan was reported stolen." "Tell me it's one of those with the satellite systems in it," Wes said, rushing to her side. "Umm, no," Alice groaned, shaking her head. "Older model Chevy, no GPS." She and Wes started mapping out where the van was taken, drifting off into their own hushed conversation. "What about the other little girl's mother?" Alec asked Benny. "You mean, what we're telling her?" he verified, and Alec nodded. "I've stationed men at her home, waiting for a ransom call that I'm pretty sure will never come. She's a single, working mother, so there's no money to be had there, but her daughter was not an original target, so she's a casualty in this whole mess. She has been told it was a random act, that the kidnappers took advantage of Bella being alone with two children. She's devastated, of course, but as far as her knowledge, it's limited. I'd like to be able to just find Abigail Carmichael and bring her back to her mother, without any of this bullshit hitting her ears." "Fuck," I sighed, standing up from my chair. "It's not Mrs. Carmichael's fault," I groaned. "No. It's not," Edward stated, his voice sharp and cold as his folded his arms across his chest, but he looked down at the floor. The whole room tensed, almost inhaling sharply together. I knew I could feel Edward's anger in the room like another entity, but if anyone was clueless before, they caught on now. What I wasn't expecting was someone to come to my defense. "Yo, pretty boy?" Mickey snapped, her Italian temper rising to the surface. "Why don't you fucking direct that shit toward the right place? Not your wife, okay? I've heard just about enough nastiness from you I can handle today. Focus that shit on the enemy, not the mother of your child. You're acting like this is totally her fault." "Isn't it?" he muttered, stalking out the office door and slamming it behind him. I swallowed thickly, fighting my tears and brushing off hands that were reaching for me. "He's right. It is my fault. I made an enemy in Lilith when I lost my temper with her," I stated softly, shaking my head.

"Maybe," Benny said soothingly, "but Lilith Laray shouldn't have ever been released, Bella. You thought she would be contained, and she wasn't. According to my psych at the office, her file reads like a lifer. She should never have been allowed to get out, because my psych thinks she's not schizophrenic or manic depressive...but possibly a sociopath which makes her very aware of everything she's doing, because her actions are matching with what's on paper. We're going to find her, and we're going to get those girls back." "Right now, it's the blame game between you two," Wes sighed, his nose wrinkling. "I see it happen with every couple that goes through this type of situation... You're blaming yourselves and each other." I nodded, but said nothing, walking out the door. "Let's get you cleaned up and in bed, sweet-pea," Rose urged, guiding me toward the house. "I'm going to stay with you for a few more hours, and then go get Caleb. Can you handle seeing him if I bring him here?" "Yeah, you can set up in the spare bedroom," I said with a nod, unable to grant her access to Bethy's room. I just...couldn't. "But you don't have to, Ro." "No, I think I do." She took me into mine and Edward's room, pushing and urging me into the bathroom. Once the hot water spilled over my face, I let the tears flow. ~oOo~ My sleep was fitful and my dreams horrid, and they were filled with tables, knives, and whips. I relived every minute of my own past of being held against my will only, in my dreams, my daughter was with me. I knew when Rose finally left me. The bed felt cold, empty, except for Mr. Bunny that I had seemed to cling to during what sleep I did get. I looked down at the long, ugly scar on my thigh the one that Miller had left me and I prayed to God that Bethy came out of this unscathed. She didn't deserve scars, and at that moment, I would have happily traded places with her. The house was silent as I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, pulling on sneakers. I looked at my phone that had been quiet since Lilith's last call, tucking it into my pocket before heading out into the house. The sun was up, and it looked like someone had set off a bomb in my living room, because casualties were everywhere. Mickey and Obie were sound asleep on the loveseat, Jasper in the chair, and Alec looked like he'd fallen asleep on the floor, watching TV. Papers were strewn, laptops were left open, and the TV flickered, but without volume. No one was leaving, no one was giving up, but they crashed out where they fell. I imagined that Benny, Wes, Mack, and Alice had all stayed in the office, working through the night, and a twinge of guilt caused me to shudder. But I consoled myself with the knowledge that I'd do the same for any of them. Coffee was brewed in the kitchen, and I could see Edward had cooked in order to focus his frustration on something, though my stomach churned at the thought of anything other than caffeine at the moment. There were pancakes, eggs, a plate of sausages and bacon, not to mention a huge pitcher of orange juice. I supposed it was his way of staying busy, of doing something productive, when we were all just...waiting. According to the clock on the microwave, it was almost ten in the morning. How had I slept that long? But rubbing the back of my head answered that question. The bump was smaller, but the split in the skin was tender to the touch. I hissed, wincing at my own contact, and pulled my hand away quickly. "Still sore?" I heard behind me, and I spun to see Edward sitting at our kitchen table, his expression was unreadable. His long, beautiful fingers were wrapped around a coffee mug, and he looked like he hadn't slept at all. "Yeah," I whispered, grabbing a coffee cup from the cabinet. "The EMTs think that my head caught the edge of the shower when they slammed me back," I explained as I poured my coffee, adding sugar. "You should eat something," Edward said, leaning back in his chair, but his gaze was outside the kitchen window, not directed at me. "Not hungry," I murmured, hating the tension between us, because we just should've said what we were feeling, but we didn't, until it was too late. Maybe it was because we were completely surrounded by everyone we knew, and we'd always worked things out privately. Maybe it was because I felt guilty and lost, when normally I would be focused and working towards the next step, but the loss of my daughter felt like a lost limb, like only half of my brain was working. And Edward was so fucking pissed off that he couldn't fix any of it, it radiated off of him like a fever. "Of course not," he muttered, shaking his head. "Don't wait until you make yourself sick, Bella." I flinched at the sound of my name coming from him, because it spat out of his mouth like a foul word. "I'm not," I countered, shaking my head and walking to the fridge. "I'm still queasy."

"Well, don't use all the milk, either," he growled, standing up. "Other people may want some when they get up, and I can't exactly get to the store right now." That was it. I couldn't take it. I spun around, slamming the refrigerator. "Stop fucking snapping at me, Edward! Keep the fucking milk! Jesus Christ. Why don't you really say what you're thinking? Or can you look me in the fucking eye long enough?" "Why didn't you check the fucking bathroom, Bella?" he yelled, slamming his hands down on the counter, his eyes a fiery ire. "Why didn't you watch the barn?" I countered. "We weren't exactly vigilant at the fucking farm, but they had to have run out the back." "You should've at least noticed your fucking surroundings," he stated, running a hand through his hair. "Damn, didn't your FBI training teach you anything?" I barely noticed that the archway from the living room was now filling with everyone. Even Wes and Emmett had flown in through the front door. "That's rich coming from the man that can out run everyone in this fucking room, yet you let her go, Edward!" I yelled, and the sob that struck my body was actually painful from head to toe. I had to lean on the counter to keep from falling to my knees and curling up. "They had a fucking gun to her head, Bella!" he shouted back, his face pained, and I knew I'd hit the nail on the head with him. He was beating himself up over watching her drive away, but what he said next negated everything. "Maybe..." he snapped, pointing to me, "maybe if you hadn't been such a vindictive bitch with this fucking lunatic, we wouldn't be in this fucking mess to begin with!" Several things happened all at once. My coffee cup hit the tile, shattering into a thousand pieces, and steamy coffee splashed throughout the kitchen. The front door slammed open at the same time my knees finally gave out, because the other half of my heart the half that wasn't aching for my child, but the part that belonged to my husband just obliterated right there on the spot. Hands grabbed me at the same time that I heard yelling voices, slamming doors, and what sounded like fighting, but none of it mattered, because my vision went black. ~oOo~

EDWARD
My world was swimming in red, the same fucking red that I'd seen when I realized someone had hurt my wife, taken my child, and I wasn't fast enough to stop any fucking bit of it. I hated myself for all of it. I just felt so useless and out of control, and all I could see was just...red. I felt angry and heartbroken and just fucking...wrecked. I fucking knew this shit wasn't completely Bella's fault, but it was easier to be mad than break down and fall at her feet, though neither of those things would get Bethy back. Mad, I could do. Mad, I was used to and I fed off of, but wanting to sob, wanting to cry and scream and grip the only person in the room that completely understood because Bella really knew me made me feel weak, like I could lose every-fucking-thing. I couldn't lose her, too, damn it, but I was pushing her away, nonetheless. Something in me broke the very second I watched a man point a gun at my Bethy's head. Had it been a member of my crew, or even Bella, I would've fought, would've aimed my fucking gun and pulled the goddamn trigger, because my crew and my wife would have been able to fight with me. But not my three year old daughter. The odds were stacked against her, because I couldn't have a stray bullet go near her, I couldn't let an innocent like Abby die, and there was no way in hell I could calculate getting to either of them before the man in the car fired his own weapon. I couldn't take the chance, but the waiting the motherfucking, tortuous waiting was killing me. We had to do what this crazy woman said to the letter, or I could lose my child and someone else's. The soldier in me wanted blood, wanted revenge, wanted someone's head on a stick, but the father in me had to wait, and it was a conflict that I couldn't reconcile. At all. I was at odds with myself in so many ways, I was practically spinning. I was just...treading water to stay afloat. I was trying to help, but nothing I said or thought of could work unless we knew all the information, and in order to get the information, I had to rely on...well, everyone. I was angry at Bella for putting us in this situation in the first place, but I knew that it had happened years before she met me. I felt betrayed, though I shouldn't have, but most of all, I just felt...lost. I needed to do something, and I couldn't, and that led to the explosion in my own kitchen with the one person I needed the most. The very second I saw her wander into the kitchen, I wanted to grip her, pull her to me, beg her to just...let me hold her, but her emptiness, her lack of fight pissed me off. I knew she was not only hurt physically, but the loss of Bethy was just about to kill her, not to mention she had to be beating herself up, and I wasn't helping by shutting myself off from her. I should

have been holding her up, with her holding me up in return. I should've been forcing her to plan and plot and focus her hurt into anger, but I couldn't, because I was right there with her. It was only when she'd finally had enough of my shit that I saw that I'd pushed past her limit. I don't know why I'd said the things I had. Why does any couple fight? Why is it when you're hurting, you want the rest of the world to suffer, too? And why, when you need that one person the most, do you try your damnedest to sabotage everything that used to be fucking perfect? Yeah, I didn't have the answer, either, because I'd lost my ever loving mind. The very second the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them, because I broke her. And it wasn't fucking fair of me, because I'd sworn ages ago never to hurt her, and I just had horribly. It was cruel and wrong, but before I could fall at her feet like I'd wanted to, my ass was snatched up from behind and thrown out my own front door and into my front yard. When I spun around to see who had grabbed me, a fist connected at full speed and force to my face, and I fell to my knees with a grunt. "Fuck!" I snarled, holding my nose, only to pull my hand back to see blood on my fingers. "What the fucking hell?" I sneered, looking up and flinching back when my father pulled his fist back again. "I told you once," he said, his voice eerily calm, but laced with a threat, "that if you ever called Bella that, I'd break your nose, son. What the holy fuck is wrong with you? I could hear you all the way out to my fucking car." "Dad," I breathed, though it wasn't easy, because I think the asshole really had broken my nose. Just seeing him, and the relief that he brought with him, caused me to come unhinged. "I don't know!" I said, not even bothering to hide my emotions from him, my eyes swimming with blurry tears. "They fucking took her, Dad. And we can't fucking find her." Two steps, and he was standing in front of me, pulling me into his arms. I was still on my knees, but I wrapped my arms around him as his hands gripped my shoulders. "I know, son," he sighed as I just utterly lost my shit, "but you can't blame her, Edward. It's not her fault. This shit happened years ago. If we went by those rules, then she should blame us all for Charlie's death," he stated, his voice thicker, raspier than I expected. "Do you honestly think she did it on purpose?" "No," I mumbled into his jacket, but he pulled me back, giving me a dangerously raised eyebrow. "No!" "But look what you've done," he said through gritted teeth, pointing toward the house. "Do you have any fucking idea what she could possibly be thinking, because she's been there?" he growled, gripping my chin and forcing me to look up at his pissed off face, only to turn it back at the house. "She's got to be thinking the very worst case scenario, and it's probably scaring her to fucking death, Edward. I know you love Bethy, but she's her mother. Her mother, son! They shared blood and heartbeats for nine fucking months!" Through my screen door, I saw Alec carrying my wife, who was almost limp with exhaustion and grief, through my living room, only to disappear down the hallway. I had done that me and I pushed my father away, retching off to the side and losing everything out of my stomach. Visions of her sweet, trusting eyes as I pulled her out of Miller's dungeon flooded me with memories, causing me to gag again. I had just destroyed that trust, that perfect thing we had, because if anyone knew what Bethy and Abby could possibly be going through, it was Bella, and I'd been so wrapped up in my own misery that I hadn't even given it a thought. Bella's time in captivity had been the worst three days of torture and blood and abuse and just plain hell, so her mind would automatically associate her experience with this. And I knew that she'd rather die than for our daughter to even know about those things, much less experience them. "You're supposed to work together, son," he started, his voice a little softer as he pulled me up onto my feet, "not tearing each other apart. If you want to find your daughter, then you have to work with Bella, not against her." I spat vomit, blood, and snot down onto the ground, finally meeting my father's gaze as I ran a hand through my hair. "We can't do anything until we hear from them, or until Benny can locate them," I told him, and even to my own ears, my voice sounded dead, but a touch whiny. "I know," he said with a nod, looking back at me with a hard look, "and I'll talk to Benny in a moment, but first...I'd like to see my goddaughter." I noticed he didn't say daughter-in-law, and I grimaced at the tone he was using with me, as if I'd lose my temper again, just to give him a reason to punch me one more time. No thank you. He might be retired and have a touch of gray at his temples, but the man had a helluva right fucking hook. "I should..." I started to say that I needed to apologize, but he held his hand up. "Don't. First thing you're going to do is have Esme put your nose back, because despite how upset Bella probably is with you, she'll kick my ass for messing up your pretty face," he ordered, pointing toward the house and rolling his eyes. "Go, and then the two of us are going to sit down with Benny. I want to know every-fucking-thing." I stepped into my house, avoiding the angry glances Jasper, Mickey, Obie, and Emmett were casting in my direction, and I didn't fucking dare look at Sam, who was looming just behind the doorway, because I knew he'd kill me for hurting his "little one." Only one person dared to walk up into my face.

"I love you like a brother, kid," Alec sneered, shaking his head, "but if you ever talk to her that way again, I'll take you out myself. Capisce?" I nodded, looking away from his livid face into my kitchen, where Esme was leaning against the counter. The pieces of Bella's coffee mug were piled into a little stack, and its spilled contents were already cleaned up. "Come here, Edward," she said softly, pointing to the chair I'd been sitting in when Bella had walked in only minutes before. "Sit," she ordered, taking a deep breath. Her face held disappointment, weariness from travel, and a sadness that seemed to be contagious around this house. I did as she asked, only after watching my dad disappear down my hall. Esme walked around my counter, opened a cabinet underneath, and came back, carrying a first aid kit. "This will really hurt, son," she warned me. "I tried to stop him, but he was too angry." "I deserved it," I sniffled, closing my eyes when her hands gently cupped my face. Her thumbs braced on either side of my nose, wrenching quickly to the right. The resounding crack of my cartilage snapping back to where God had originally intended it to be echoed through the house. Groans from the other room, along with my own long growl of pain, followed right behind it. "Damn it!" I hissed, squeezing my eyes as tears of pain flowed down my face. "Don't move," she commanded, taking two pieces of rolled up gauze and shoving them up each nostril. "Esme...I need to see her," I begged, now sounding all stuffy and nasally. "You will," she assured me, carefully wiping my tears and blood away, only to continue to hold my face. "I know you didn't mean it, son. And I know this is killing you, but you're not alone, sweetie." "But I left her that way," I murmured, finishing her thoughts for her and looking away from her calm face that was filled with patience and understanding. "Yes, you did." She kissed my forehead. "I love you like you were my own, Edward. I've told you before, and I'll say it again. Anger isn't always going to help you. Tilt your head back for a minute, 'til the bleeding slows," she instructed, and I found myself gazing up at my kitchen ceiling. "I've always trusted the two of you to find your own way. You've done it from the very beginning. You trusted each other and talked everything out, even when Bella got pregnant." I started to look back at her, but she held me firm. "This is the hardest thing you've ever gone through together, but I promise you, Bella would rather face Miller again than to lose her child," Esme's voice carried with it a deep seated sadness. It was a sadness from experience, because she'd lost a child once. "I know," I sighed, swallowing nervously. "I just... I felt so helpless, Esme. I couldn't stop any of it." "You're surrounded by the best people, the smartest people, the bravest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing," she said softly, checking the bridge of my nose with a careful but knowledgeable hand. "But you need us all...and that includes your wife." She pulled my face back up, locking eyes with me. "We'll get those girls back, but only if we're all on the same page." She paused, eying me for a moment. "As a therapist, I understand your anger and your need to lash out. As a wife and a mother, though, if you ever do it again, this,"she tweaked my nose gently"will seem like nothing compared to what happens when I get ahold of you, let alone what will happen if that group in the other room gets their hands on you." Her raised eyebrow at me did more damage than the punch my father put to my face, though I'm sure it was the latter that helped pull my head out of my ass. I nodded at her as my father strolled back into the living room. "Everyone, outside," he ordered, pointing toward the office. "I need to..." I started to argue, but his gaze softened. "She's fine and she's eaten something, but that bump on her head is really bad," he stated, pulling me aside as everyone left through the screen door. "But she's asked me to tell you that she wants to see you after you've brought me up to speed, and she'd like to talk to Esme first." My heart clenched, but I nodded in acquiescence, shoving my hands into my front pockets. I sighed, realizing that at least one of us was thinking more clearly than the other, because we'd really needed my dad. He started to guide me out of the house, but I stopped him. "Umm, thanks for coming," I murmured, feeling silly for saying it. "I really need you on this..." My voice trailed off, because despite how much he was probably fucking worried as hell for Bethy, he was really amazing at channeling that into a way to find her, whereas, I'd lost my mind. He stopped, gripped my shoulder, and nodded. "Let's see how we can get our girl back, huh?"

~oOo~ "Damn it, Edward," my dad sighed in frustration. "Focus, son!" We'd been bringing my father up to speed on everything we knew, but it had taken an hour. "I can't breathe with this shit," I huffed, tugging out the gauze that Esme had shoved up my nose, much to the disgust of the girls in the room, and tossed them into the garbage. "Asshole didn't have to break my fucking nose," I muttered, shooting my father an angry glance. His face glazed over with a touch of amusement, before he said, "You're lucky that's all I broke. Now...tell me what Lilith said to you in the last call." "I can do better than that," Benny said, spinning in his chair and playing the last call that we'd heard, because he'd been sharp enough to record it. The fact that we hadn't heard from her again was making the entire room on edge, but Wes and Benny kept telling us that it was a good thing, that it was giving us more time to find her first. The longer Lilith took to set up "her plan," the more time it gave us to find out more information about the people she knew. I stood up abruptly from my chair when I heard Bethy and Abby in the background. It was worse the second time around, because Alice was able to isolate them away from Lilith's electronically altered voice. "Shh, shh, shh," Alice hissed, turning off Lilith altogether and just bringing up background sounds. "Listen." "Come on, kids," a male voice urged. "You gotta eat something, and you gotta take this medicine." A part of me wanted to rejoice when I heard Bethy, but I had to bite back my tears, too, because she sounded angry and scared. "I'm n-not sick!" she snapped. "I want my mommy, and I want my daddy. He w-won't like y-you," she told him bravely. There were soft cries woven in there, as well, which I could only assume to be Abby. The dynamic between the two little girls couldn't be greater, and I imagined that my daughter was taking the forefront, because she knew her little friend was shy. Bethy was anything but shy. I fell down hard into the closest chair, burying my hands into my hair. "Fuck," I hissed, feeling so fucking helpless that it was stifling. "God, she sounds like Bella," Mickey noted with a touch of pride. "But why were the voices muted like that?" "Sounds to me like the kids were in another room, being taken care of by the men, while Lilith made the phone call," Alice stated, studying her computer screen and not looking our way. "I've tried to isolate other sounds, but I could only pick up a few things." This time, she did turn to us. "I could hear traffic, a buzzing sign, and what sounded like the bell of a railroad crossing. But this was the best sound," she said, hitting a button on the keyboard. "Go get some ice from the machine down at the end of the hall," another male voice stated, and Alice stopped the playback. "A hotel," Jasper nodded. "Sweet Jesus, that's perfect," he breathed. "Yes, I'm running a hotel check throughout the area where the van was taken," Benny stated, but he didn't sound as hopeful as I'd thought he would. "I'm not sure what name we're looking for, and I'm pretty sure that they'll have paid with cash. If they've got a plan, they'll be ultra careful until they get back to us." "But why haven't they called back?" I asked, sitting forward and leaning my elbows on my knees. "My guess is," Wes mused as he paced along the back of the room, "that they have a goal as to where they want to be when they finally ask for the money. They'll want to set up. And it's not hurting them to make you sweat." "Oh Edward," Benny winced, shaking his head. "Please control yourself with what I'm about to say, but I'm willing to bet that...Bella will be a negotiating stipulation when they finally ask. They'll want her and the money in trade for those girls." I was shaking my head no before he even finished the sentence. "No, no, no!" I yelled, standing back up. "I can't lose her, too!" "You won't." My dad stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder. "But Benny's right. This Lilith may want Bella, instead, because it was Bella that offended her to begin with. Taking Bethy and Abby was just a way to get to what they really wanted Bella and the money." I shook my head again, because this time, I just couldn't take any more without talking to Bella. "I need... I have to talk to her," I finally said, begging my dad to finish this without me.

He studied my face, took a deep breath, and let me go. I ran across my yard and burst into my house, meeting Esme in my living room. "How is she?" I asked, letting Esme check my nose before she answered. "She refused meds or anything that would settle her down," she told me softly, "but I did take a look at that cut on her head. It's healing well, but I imagine she's dealing with a concussion. She may be asleep when you go back there." "Is it... I mean, should she sleep?" "It's been long enough since she received it, so she should be fine," she said with a nod. "She just...worried herself sick, Edward." I nodded, swallowing back guilt and fear. "I need to see her...talk to her." I didn't wait for Esme's permission, but she stepped aside for me anyway. I strode down the hallway, cracking our bedroom door open gently. What I saw broke my heart. Bella was sleeping on my side of the bed, her whole body curled around Bethy's Mr. Bunny. Her feet moved, kicking the covers off, and her entire frame wracked with a shiver as she called out in her sleep. "Edward..." she whimpered. "You promised..." I flinched, shaking my head. I had promised so many fucking things. I'd promised to never hurt her, to always love her, wait for her, be patient for her. But my most recent promise that I'd shattered into oblivion was that I'd promised to be there for her when she finally told me about Lilith... "no matter what." I'd promised her after making love to her in the hospital janitor's closet that nothing she could ever tell me would change my love for her. And I was there for her, but I'd turned on her when things went to fucking hell. I rushed to her, crawling up behind her and breathing her in as best I could through my still very sore nose. "Oh God, Bella, I'm sorry," I groaned, pulling her back to my chest and burying my face into her neck. "So fucking sorry." Bella stirred awake, rolling over to face me. "Edward," she gasped, gripping me to her like a lifeline. "Please don't hate me," she begged. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean any of it. I should've told you sooner about Lilith. I'm sorry I didn't check the bathroom... It's all my fault. All of it!" "Stop," I hushed her gently. "I-It's me, baby. I-I'm the one th-that should a-apologize," I sputtered, not even bothering to hide it or the fact that I couldn't hold her tight enough. "I was an ass, Bella. I'm so fucking sorry..." I planted kisses to her forehead, nose, and chin. "I was just... I feel so helpless, love. I miss her...so fucking much!" A tidal wave of emotions exploded between us, and we held each other until we'd both calmed down. Bella buried her face in my neck, her arm wrapped around my head as she gripped my hair. More apologies from each of us sniffled out between us, along with closer hugs and reassuring kisses. I pulled back to look at her, brushing her hair from her face. "I...I c-can't d-do this without y-you, sweetness," I admitted softly as she wiped tears away from my face. "I just c-can't. I... You... It was so fucking hard to watch her go, Bella." "I know," she cried, her own tears continuing to leak down her face so fast that it was impossible to stem the flow. "I know that must've killed you," she soothed, running her fingers through my hair. How she could soothe me after all that I'd said to her, I'd never understand, but she was comforting me and I took it, because I needed her more now than ever. And I would always need her. "I couldn't get to her, baby," I purged, finally telling the one person that would really just get it. "And I couldn't risk stray bullets or mistakes. If it had been you, I would have fought my way to you, because you would have fought, too...but Bethy...she can't...and I..." "It's okay, baby," she sighed, kissing my lips to stop my rushing words. "I know you were scared, Edward, and I know you were mad." She sat up, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "Please don't hate me," she begged again. "I don't! I could never," I vowed, sitting up in front of her. "I love you...so fucking much. I can't hate you. I-I...w-was just s-so sscared, baby. I was...a fucking idiot." I huffed in frustration, not knowing how to spit it out any other way, but I looked up to see a ghost of a smile flicker across her face. "You were," she agreed, kissing my lips quickly, "but I was a coward for not telling you everything sooner...and not very observant, it would seem." She paused, tilting her gorgeous head at me, and she was still beautiful to me, despite the red nose and puffy eyes. She traced her finger gently under my eyes. "You need sleep, baby," she whispered, her brow furrowing, "and is that...blood?" she gasped, swiping her thumb under my nose, but pulling back when I winced. "What the hell..." "Your godfather defended your honor," I said dryly. "Carlisle...punched you?" she yelled. "Why?"

"Stop, sweetness," I soothed, cupping her sweet, but slowly angering face. "I deserved it. I should never have called you what I did." "But he punched you?" she asked again incredulously. I snorted into a chuckle, shaking my head, because my father was right. No matter how pissed Bella was at me, she would never want to see me hurt. "I. Deserved. It," I stated firmly. "And I will live. Okay?" "Hmph," she huffed, rolling her eyes, before looking down at Mr. Bunny, who was still in her lap. "I miss her," she whispered. "Me, too," I sighed, playing with the rabbit's ear, before looking up at my wife. "And I need you. I need your help, baby." "I'm sorry I've been out of it," she groaned, shaking her head and reaching back to touch the spot where she was hurt. "Let me see." I turned her a bit, pulling back her hair to see the pretty deep cut that was surrounded by a damn big bruise. I kissed it ever so softly. "Rose was right," I admitted. "They did this shit on purpose...to take you out completely." "You were listening," she said, not asking, but nodding like she'd suspected as much. "Yeah," I said, my nose wrinkling a bit. "I was an ass, Bella, but I wasn't far from you at any time." She nodded, playing with Mr. Bunny. "What have I missed?" "Not much, but you should hear what Alice got out of the last phone call," I told her, unable to fight my smile. "Our girl...she's tough." "Yeah?" For the first time since the farm, a true smile drifted up her face. It was pride and love, with a touch of worry thrown in there. "Can I hear?" "Come on," I commanded, hopping off of the bed and holding my hand out for her. She joined me, though Mr. Bunny stayed in her clutches. I linked our fingers together, bringing the back of her hand up to my lips. "Together, we can get her back, love," I whispered against the side of her head, pulling her to me. "You'll never know how sorry I am. I never meant a word I said." She nodded against my lips, looking up at me and studying my face. "There's something else, isn't there?" I nodded, vowing to myself not to hold back from her anymore. "Yeah, there is. Come on..." I squeezed her hand. "We really have to talk about it." She let me pull her from the house out to the office. How could I tell her that she could possibly be used for trade for her own daughter? How could I not? What bothered me the most was that I knew for a fucking fact that she would go without question, and that scared the living hell out of me.

A/N... Whew... I'm so glad Carlisle and Esme are back! LOL I know that was rough, but it was bound to happen, though after looking back on B&G, their quick forgiveness of each other was pretty close. They always fought, yelled, but they always got over it. Okay, so the theory is looking like a trade for money and Bella. The phone calls are creepy...but our crew is slowly putting all the pieces together. I have a surprise for you guys for the next chapter...Bethy's POV. It's not something that will happen throughout the entire story, but her eyes were needed. I can't always write as a 3 yr old. LOL Also...lots of info in the next chap. I need to thank my beta JenRar for this...for laughing at me when she said Bella forgave Edward too quickly, and I told her no...that I forgave him, because I can't keep that level of unhappiness going. ;) Thanks to Goober_Lou...you don't even want to KNOW what she said about this chapter. And thanks to MedusaInNY for all her help on blogs and pdfs and life in general. The next post is looking like some time on Tuesday...but then it will go back to Sunday after that...the normal schedule. Okay...hit me with it. I know this will upset some of you, but it gets better...I promise. So until Tuesday... Later.

*Chapter 6*: Chapter 6

A/N...It was an interesting split between you all concerning Bella and Edward's argument. Some of you were grateful for Carlisle's...um...interruption, but others felt that Bella had been just as nasty. I suppose you're both right. But it happens... This first part wasn't easy to write. I've never delved into the mind of a 3yr old before, so it took a few tries and several rewrites. Like I said, it's not something that will happen very often, but I wanted you to see another side to this story. And you'll see that our girl is...tough. Oh...I want it noted that I'm not a doctor, so any mistakes are just those...mistakes. Lilith is a monster...let's just leave it at that. I'll let you get on with it...I see you at the bottom...
CHAPTER 6

BETHY
The light was bright when someone turned it on, and I jumped and covered my eyes with my hands. "Get up, you brats," the mean man yelled. He was the man from the farm, who was there when I wanted to ride the horse, and the car ride to where we were now. He wasn't nice at all. I tried hard not to cry, because the last time Abby and I did, it made the mean man so angry at us. He yelled and took away our dinner. The lady had to make him put away his gun. Guns were dangerous. I knew that, 'cause Daddy said so. "Jesus, Kenny, could you be more of an ass?" the other man asked, pushing him away. "Go pack your shit." I sat up in bed next to Abby. I was still sleepy, because I didn't like strange beds. I liked it when my mommy and daddy woke me up or when I could wake them up. I missed them. I wanted Mommy's hugs and Daddy's breakfast. Abby wiggled away from them, closer to me. "Don't t-touch!" I told him, because Mommy always told me no one could touch me if I didn't want them to. Kenny went back to the room next door and left us with the man with black hair like Aunt Alice. This man wasn't as mean as Kenny. I didn't like him at all. "Fine, I won't touch," he said, holding up his hands and rolling his eyes. "But we gotta get going, so up. Outta bed." Abby tugged my shirt. "Potty," she whispered. "Yeah, yeah, potty," the man said. "Go on...the both of ya." We ran to the bathroom and closed the door. Abby helped me with my overalls and whispered, "I wanna go home." "My daddy and mommy will come," I whispered back. "'Cause I'm not suh-posed to be away from home, except at Poppy's house. And he's wif Gamma on their hummy-moon." We washed our hands in the sink and came back out into the room. The black-haired man was eating a doughnut. "Ready now?" he asked, after taking a great big bite. "Don't t-talk wif your m-mouth full," I told him. "Y-You'll ch-choke." "God, kid, gimme a break, will ya?" he sighed, kneeling down in front us. "I don't like this shit any more than you do, okay? Hang in there for me." "I want my daddy," I told him, folding my arms across my chest, because my daddy would never like these people. "And you said a bad word." "Believe me, much longer with Lilith, and I'll want your daddy," he chuckled, holding out two doughnuts to me and Abby. "We have a place we gotta go, kids. Just...eat for me. It'll be over soon." He stood up when we took our breakfast. "How we got through group therapy together, I'll never know." "Mister..." I said, tugging on his shirt until he knelt in front of me again. "Kurt, Bethy, okay? You can use my name," he sighed, shaking his head. "It won't make a difference."

"K-Kurt...where are we going?" I asked. His nose wrinkled kind of funny. "We're going to see if your mommy and daddy think you're worth a lot of money. But it's a long car ride to get there." I smiled. "Mommy says I'm priceless." Kurt snickered and nodded. "Sure, kid. Let's hope so." ~oOo~

BELLA
I lightly brushed an errant curl from Edward's forehead. He hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and had finally succumbed to his weariness about an hour after he'd had Alice play Bethy's voice for me. He was right; our girl was tough, but she was scared, sounding almost belligerent with the people that were holding her. It happened when she was tired, scared, and uncomfortable with her surroundings. If she didn't like someone, she didn't hold back. And that thought scared the fucking hell out of me, because when the hostage didn't exactly cooperate, the kidnappers tended to lose their patience and I should know. Edward sighed, shifting in his sleep, and I looked down at him. Was I still mad at him? No, I needed him and loved him too much to hold anything against him. Had what he'd said hurt me? Absolutely, but everything we'd spat at each other was only said in the heat of the moment with our hearts hurting and it wasn't anything I wasn't already berating myself over. Fighting wasn't exactly foreign to Edward and me, but we'd always apologized at the end of it, and always moved on. Sometimes, our thick-headed natures didn't always mesh. We were strong people independently from each other, but together, we were just...better. We'd forgotten that in the blink of an eye. It helped that I just knew Edward. I could see what he was doing, see that he was putting up defensive walls. It had just been so long since the last time he'd done that with me that I'd totally forgotten how to deal with it. It didn't help that I was folding in on myself, either. The house was quiet again. There had been no word from Lilith, no phone calls, and most of our crew and friends were taking advantage of either a few hours sleep or the chance to go home and freshen up. Carlisle, Esme, and Alice were still here, the latter of which finally took a break, let me feed her, shove her in a shower, and force a nap on her. But she didn't stay down long, launching herself up from the sofa to go back to her computers. Emmett and Rose were on their way back from their house. They went to get Caleb from Rose's parents. I'd already set up the spare room for them, including Bethy's old crib. They'd balked at first, because they thought Carlisle and Esme would need the room, but Carlisle opted to catnap when he could, and Esme said she'd sleep later in my bed, once Edward woke up. Sam and Alec had gone to the airport to pick up Eleazar, Eric, and Felix, a thought that just made me shake my head. My whole house was turning into a military base. So much help was pouring in, and as of right this moment there was nowhere to direct it. Wes and Benny split their time in the office and out in the field. Benny paid a visit to Mrs. Carmichael, just to check in, just to show that he was investigating Abby's disappearance, but he didn't give her much information. I could imagine she was having a worse time of it than Edward and I were, because at least we knew something. She was completely in the dark and being a single parent, she was utterly alone. The lab results came in from everything the Feds had found at the campgrounds, the bathroom at the farm, and the SUV that Lilith's men had dumped in Olympia. All the fingerprints confirmed who we had assumed we were dealing with Kurt Vernon, Kenny Porter, Rusty Carnes, and Lilith Laray. The only one we couldn't tie in yet was Walter Bridges, the young doctor from Shady Glen. It was already late in the afternoon, but Wes had decided to pay the mental facility a visit himself. He was having a chat with Dr. Vernon about his son Kurt and Lilith, and I was pretty sure Wes wasn't going to be kind about it, because he was nothing if not pissed about this whole fucking case. Dr. Vernon and Dr. Bridges were the only employees at that facility that had thrown up red flags when Alice and Makenna had poured through the files. With one last kiss to Edward's smooth brow, I slid off the bed, took a quick shower, and got dressed. I tiptoed through my living room, trying my damnedest not to giggle at a cuddling Carlisle and Esme asleep in front on my TV. They were taking up the whole sofa. I knew they were tired from traveling and grief at the loss of Bethy, not to mention having to come in and play refs between Edward and me, so I stayed quiet as I passed by. I walked straight out to the office, finding it almost empty, except for Alice and a snoozing Jasper in one of the conference table chairs. His feet were up on the table and his head was back, a soft snore escaping him every other breath. "Wake him, and I'll cheerfully beat you," Alice snickered, handing me a cup of coffee. "He rarely sleeps as it is."

"Yeah, Edward just crashed, too," I told her, following her back into her office. "Anything?" "Wes just checked in. He's at Shady Glen," she said, pulling up a spreadsheet on her screen. "I'm still looking into hotels around the Portland and Olympia areas. I'm not having much luck, because if one person checked them in and someone else snuck the girls into the room, then no one is going to match the descriptions I'm sending them which is the dead end I'm running into." She took a sip of coffee and sighed. "Are you and Edward okay?" "Yes," I told her. "We just..." "Lost it," she finished for me. "It's understandable, really. But I was considering removing his balls forcefully and mounting them over my computers like a trophy." I grinned, nudging her with my elbow. "I'd like to keep him in one piece, pixie," I giggled, but sobered up quickly. "He loves Bethy so much. She's his little mini me, you know?" I started, and Alice nodded for me to go on. "And remember, he's always panicked when it came to my safety since the beginning you know, Miller. I just think the combination of me getting hurt, Bethy getting taken, and his inability to stop any of it was just too much for him." "You expected it," she stated, looking at me intently. "I don't know what to expect, Alice," I sighed, shaking my head and looking down at my cup of coffee. "I just know we need to get my baby back, and I can't imagine how Edward felt when he watched Bethy drive away." I teared up for a second, leaning into Alice when she wrapped an arm around me. "And what's going to happen if Lilith wants you in trade?" Alice asked in a whisper, because that had been the one thing Edward had held back from me. Once he'd told me Benny's theory, I'd accepted it, but I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I really wasn't sure I trusted Lilith to make that kind of request. The bitch was crazier than a shit-house rat. I'd been in captivity before and it was the worst of the worst, so anything else seemed mild in comparison. "If I'm prepared, I could do it. The goal is to get the girls back, right?" I asked her. She stared at me for a moment, and then back at her screens, before jumping up from her seat to start pacing. "Okay, okay, okay," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "We could...send you in packing...well, everything. I could rig your clothes with small knives, lock picks, and GPS trackers. I could mark the money in a way they wouldn't see..." She paused, turning to me. "I could put it all on you in places that no one pats down. And with this group of nut jobs and criminals, they'll never suspect it." I smirked up at her. "Good to know, Alice. Just...hold onto that thought, okay?" She smiled and nodded, sitting back down next to me. "Okay. No prob." One of the computers signaled with an incoming email, and Alice glanced up at it, a small smile spreading over her face. "Well, looky here," she sang softly, pulling up the message. "It seems our dear friend Dr. Walter Bridges is a no show at home and work. Thank you, Wes," she whispered to the screen. "Walter's parents have money, right?" I asked, pulling a keyboard closer to me. "Let's see what property they own. Just because they've cut the purse strings, doesn't mean he still can't use Mom and Dad another way." I pulled up a search, inputting in Walter's parents' names. The list that pulled up was long and included several states. "Well," I huffed, scrolling through the list. "They reside most of the time in Portland. You know, just the simple three-pointtwo million dollar home, guard gate, four car garage, swimming pool..." Alice giggled, looking over my shoulder. "Must suck. What else?" "A beach cottage in California...a few strip malls...an apartment building in Seattle," I read off the list. The last one made me look over at her. "That address looks familiar. Pull it up." "I don't have to," Alice stated, pointing to the file in front of her. "That's the apartment that both Kurt and Lilith were supposedly moving to." She glanced back up at me. "Dear Dr. Walter was their reference for moving in..." "Imagine that," I mumbled, moving on down the list. "Next, there's a cabin in the preserve of Oregon...and a warehouse just this side of the California state line. Well, now..." I mused, rubbing my temple. "Those two are certainly something to look into. Don't you think?" I asked, and Alice nodded, but we both looked up when someone joined us. "Definitely," Carlisle said in answer to my question, coming in and sitting next to us. "You looked awfully cute on my couch, Carlisle," I teased him without taking my eyes off the computer screen. He chuckled, kissing the side of my head. "I've slept in worse places, Bella. How are you feeling?" I turned to look at him. He was asking about more than the bump on my head; he was asking about his son, as well.

When he'd shown up in my room just after Edward and I exploded, I'd never been so glad to see him. I'd fallen into his arms, emotionally spent. He'd held me tight, whispering that he was sorry about Bethy, that Edward didn't mean it, that his son was more like him than he'd like to admit. He'd reminded me of Elizabeth's letter that Edward had read at the wedding, about how Carlisle had been gruff and sharp tongued. He'd said it wasn't right what Edward did, but tempers were apparently genetic. And the last thing he'd said to me was that he'd die finding Bethy for me for us all. "Better," I answered him honestly with a nod. "And did you have to punch him in the freakin' face, Carlisle?" I queried, cocking an eyebrow up at my godfather. "Yes," he stated firmly. "Consider it like a slap to someone who was in hysterics, Bells. He needed to be brought back to his senses, because that's not who my son is...now." His statement was followed by his own raised eyebrow, and I realized that Carlisle truly loved his son and only wanted to see him happy, but he also needed his son in control in order to find Bethy. And despite his calm demeanor, Bethy's kidnapping was just about to drive her Poppy insane. I leaned over, kissing his cheek. "He is finally getting some sleep, but next time, just...smack him upside the head or some shit. Don't make him bleed," I sighed, pulling back. "There won't be a next time," he snorted. As Alice and I manned the computers, the place started to fill back up with people. Where I was going to put them all, I had no idea, but they didn't seem to care. In fact, Alec and Sam set up some temporary tents in the open space between the house and office once they came back with Eleazar, placing a few military type cots inside so someone could take a break if they needed. They even went as far as relieving some of the Feds that were still keeping an eye around the property. Carlisle allowed a few minutes of greetings, but eventually took the three CIA men into the conference room to bring them up to speed. I could hear him in the other room, going over every name and face and location we'd already looked through everything that was posted on the board. I was pretty sure the layout of Lafayette's farm was up there, showing where the campsite was located, along with Edward's path toward the 101. I found that working, that studying files and lists, evidence and backgrounds, was soothing. Actually doing something, instead of sitting around in misery, gave me a chance to focus, to calm down for a bit. By the time Wes had returned from Shady Glen and Benny had returned from Mrs. Carmichael's and his office, night had fallen, and Esme, along with Alec, decided to feed the masses. Emmett and Jasper set up our three long outdoor tables Edward had made so long ago, and even some of Benny's officers took a break to eat. I poked at my food, not really wanting it. It was hotdogs from the grill with all the fixings, and it happened to be Bethy's favorite, because she loved her dad's chili, which Alec had found in the freezer. I couldn't help but smile at how messy she'd get trying to take a bite, spilling half the contents down her front and wearing the other half on her face. A gentle, but warm kiss pressed to my shoulder as Edward's warm body slipped onto the bench beside me, though he straddled it in order to pull me into his arms. "She'll be mad she missed chili dogs," he said softly, so only I could hear him. The table became tense at his arrival, but we ignored them. I nodded, pushing my plate away that Esme had made me, and leaned into him. His strong arms engulfed me completely, and he smelled fresh from the shower, like shampoo and soap. He was calmer now, rested, and he felt like home and comfort and strength. Tears stung my eyes as I fed off of it, burying my face in his chest. "Baby, please eat," he begged. "You need... I know it's my fault...but please, at least eat something." He lifted my face with his fingers under my chin. "Try, okay? For me? I know I d-don't d-deserve shit from y-you, but I need you to stay strong, love." His nose was a touch swollen and slightly bruised, giving him a wrecked and dangerous look. His eyes were earnest and a touch contrite, all bright green and not as tired looking as they had been before his nap, but I finally heard what I'd needed from him since Bethy had been taken his complete honesty, topped off with his in-control tone. I needed that Edward my Edward. The Edward that was able to fight like a lion, while at the same time holding me with strong, yet gentle arms, telling me that everything would be all right. "I can't...the chili, Edward," I complained, looking at my plate and back to him. It wasn't the chili; it was the memory of Bethy's love for the chili. It just made my soul hurt that she wasn't there. "Then I'll make you a plain one, okay?" he whispered, and once again, I realized we were having this conversation in front of a shit-ton of people, but then again...we weren't, because they were giving us this private moment. "Okay," I finally conceded softly, watching him get up, make three hotdogs, only to bring me back one with just ketchup and mustard. He resumed his former position, keeping me close to his chest and between his legs, but silently urging me to eat by

setting the hotdog on a clean paper plate in front of me. It was a sweet, gentle request, but one that was not to be ignored, so I took a tentative bite, though it tasted like cardboard. Swallowing it was like swallowing sand, but I ate the damn thing anyway. A file slapped down in the middle of the table, and Benny took a seat across from us, but it was the looming presence of Sam behind him that Edward's fierce gaze locked on. Sam was pissed, and I knew what he was about to say. "Sam, don't," I said, glaring up at him, but also mentally begging him not to start with Edward, because I wasn't sure if either would back down at this point. There was too much stress and frustration floating around everyone. "Little one, he..." he started, his fists opening and closing over and over at his side. Sam didn't scare me, because I could see his protective nature when it came to me, but it just wasn't necessary. "Sam," Carlisle warned, looking up from his position at the head of the table. "That's my son...I handled it." "Eddie," Sam seethed, ignoring Carlisle altogether, "I will break more than your nose if you don't learn respect for the mother of your child. Am I clear? From what I could tell, she did nothing wrong...but she did almost get her neck broken..." Edward tensed, his fingers gripping the side of the table, but I watched as he calmed himself down minutely. "Crystal clear, Sam. It won't...happen again." His voice was thick with his vow, his temper barely under control, but I wriggled closer to my husband in order to get his attention, because Sam didn't look appeased. "Stop!" I commanded. Though my voice wasn't that loud, the table came to a standstill. "I can't do this..." I begged, looking to Carlisle, and then Benny. "I'm barely keeping it together as it is. Please! I need this..." I gestured to everyone at the table. "I need this to function together. Otherwise, I'll lose it." "Good girl," Esme praised softly from the other side of Rose, who was sitting next to me with little Caleb in her arms. "There's way too much fucking testosterone around here for my liking," Mickey stated suddenly with a dramatic sniff from the opposite end, looking around the table, and Obie tensed waiting for her temper to explode, I supposed. "Everyone needs to calm the fuck down, or we'll never get anything done. Pretty boy!" she called, and he spun to look at her. "You okay now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "You let off some steam, I see. Bells, you okay, too?" "Yeah," Edward and I both said at the same time. "See? That's all that matters," she said, smiling her sarcastically crooked, but beautiful smile. "It's not about you guys...it's between them. This is some scary fucking shit, and they're allowed to lose it, and if they've worked shit out, then I'm okay. Benny, please continue," she huffed, waving at the file he'd slapped onto the table. "I'm sure we could all learn from whatever you've brought." Rose chuckled softly next to me. "Better words could not have been spoken," she chortled, shaking her head and kissing Caleb's forehead. He was happily asleep in her arms. Carlisle fought his smile and won, but opted to focus on his plate, instead of the people at the table. Makenna gave Alice a fist bump on the sly, but I totally saw it. And Jasper smirked, shaking his head. Emmett didn't look as placated as the rest of the table, but this was my family, my crew. We fought, we stated our opinions, and then we got over it. Sam stared at Mickey for a split second, only to turn his attention to Edward and me. "Sorry, Miss Bella," he mumbled, before taking a seat. Edward huffed a small nervous laugh, kissing the side of my head. "Yeah, sorry, baby," he whispered to me. "Me, too." I nodded, linking our fingers together and turning my attention to Benny, who was clearing his throat. "Wes was able to get some information out of Dr. Vernon that I think you'll all find interesting," he stated, setting his hotdog down when Wes took over explaining. "The very second Cooper and I walked into Shady Glen, that head doc started sweating bullets," he chuckled, shaking his head, but turned to look at Alice. "That repayment on his mortgage?" he asked, and she nodded, wide eyed and expectant. "He's embezzling money from the insurance companies of the patients." "Stop it!" she gasped, practically choking on her soda. "So...what? He's charging the insurance companies for treatments he's not giving the patients?" "Treatments and meds...and rooms..." he finished for her. "It's fucking ridiculous, that place. Two person rooms have four beds, patients are on the wrong meds or watered down versions of what they should be on and the staff is neglecting health and cleanliness issues. I brought in my psych team, a warrant, and basically took over, but another FBI division was already building a case against the whole joint. I arrested Dr. Vernon for the theft, and I've got a crew there now to evaluate each and every patient." "What about Lilith?" I asked, glancing between Benny and Wes. "Since we're talking about patients..."

"She never should have left," Wes groaned, shaking his head. "I asked Vernon about her and his son, not to mention Dr. Bridges. Dr. Vernon opened up like the best of books." He chuckled, shaking his head again. "He confessed to everything like I was his priest. He told me Kurt found out about the money, and Lilith overheard an argument between them. She took that shit to Dr. Bridges." He paused for a moment and took at deep breath. "Walter and Lilith...they're..." "Lovers," I sneered, shaking my head when he nodded. "So...let me guess," I sighed, sitting forward a bit. "In order to cover up their affair and release Lilith from Shady Glen, they blackmailed Dr. Vernon. Walter Bridges is backing her on the kidnapping and extortion. He's fucking helping her." "Right in one, Bells," Wes stated with a smile. "Vernon forged all the paperwork, fully aware what he was releasing out into the public, because he went in and changed her medical history, as well." He pulled out a few pages from his file folder, laying it at my fingertips. "She's a sociopath, with no conscience, no hope for ever being a normal human being. No medication will make that better. Dr. Vernon, who was a decent doctor at one time, said it stemmed from her abusive childhood, but the loss of Bree, and then Ashley, was her breaking point. It caused something in her to become...unhinged." "She let that baby drown!" I snapped, practically shaking. "She let Ashley roam the streets of a crime riddled neighborhood!" "Easy, sweetness," Edward soothed, twirling my ponytail around his hand, finally resting it on the back of my neck. "Wes, there has to be more to it than that." Wes nodded, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Dr. Vernon said the combination of her chemical imbalance prior to the deaths of her daughters, combined with the narcotics she was partaking in at the time, caused her to lose grip on reality," he stated, reading it off of Lilith's true medical history. "By the time Bella told her about Ashley's death, she was battling her addictions and mental illness pretty hard." "It was my fault," I breathed, shaking my head in shame. "I just..." "Added fuel to the fire," Wes concluded for me. "Yeah, but Bella...Dr. Vernon said they'd been waiting for her to have a psychotic break at that point. They saw it coming. Look," he said, tossing the pages in front of me. Edward and I read the doctor's notes. Lilith had indeed been biding her time, telling them what she thought they wanted to hear. She was pretending to get better, taking her meds, acting like the model patient, but she was anything but getting better. Dr. Vernon even noted that he saw through her attempts and that he was considering another, more aggressive type of therapy to see if she would have some sort of breakthrough. His fear at the time was that if she was ever released, she'd become a threat to society. They actually saw my visit as a positive thing, because they were able to really break her down to the basics to try and build her back up. He really wanted to help her get better. However, that all started to change once a Dr. Walter Bridges took over for the group therapy sessions she attended three times a week. Wes said Dr. Vernon saw it all, but unfortunately, he was unable to finish what he started, because his illegal activities were found out by his son. In order to save his own ass, he had no alternative but to change the status of her medical file, declare her sane, and release her; otherwise, he would have been in a shitload of trouble which clearly, he now was. "In all reality, Bella," Wes continued with a deep sigh, "if Walter Bridges hadn't come along, none of this would be happening. It was his questions, his dredging up of the past that got Lilith thinking about you again." "And she saw us on TV," Edward concluded in a subdued voice. "Probably," Benny said with a nod. "At least, that's how we assume she found you, but that's what I wanted to talk to you two about." He pointed a finger at Edward and me. "I'd like to see how Lilith reacts if Edward takes the next call." I pulled back from Edward to look up into his concerned face as he said, "I really don't want to piss this bitch off, Ben. If it's Bella that she..." "I know," Benny interrupted, holding up his hand to stop him. "But if she thinks someone else holds the key to the money, then she may be willing to negotiate quicker." "Or she may get pissed off and hurt those girls, Ben!" Edward countered, trying really hard to maintain his fear and his temper. I winced, but turned Edward's face to mine. "Hey, I can answer if she freaks out," I said, shrugging one shoulder, "or we can both talk to her. She's mad at me, but she felt she could approach you." "I can't fuck this up," Edward whispered, but it was heard loud and clear around the table. He shook his head, running a hand through his still damp hair. "We won't let you," Benny stated with a shake of his head. "Ed, this is what I do. Please just trust me on this. If I think we're about to lose her on the phone, we'll let Bella take the call back over, but I honestly think because she's not truly upset with you in general, she'd be calmer talking to you."

My husband nodded nervously in acquiescence, but said nothing more on the subject. ~oOo~

EDWARD
We sat a bit longer at the table, going over some old facts and some new ones. Apparently, while I'd been asleep, Alice and Bella did their own research on Walter Bridges more specifically, on his parents. "I'm actually going to talk to them tomorrow," Wes stated with a nod. "I want to know exactly why they've cut off all ties with their son, if that's truly the case, and I want to know what properties he has access to." "What if they don't cooperate?" Rose asked, shifting a fussy Caleb around in her arms. "Then I'll bring in a whole helluva lot of Feds just to embarrass them in front of their posh society neighbors," Wes chuckled with a shrug, which caused the whole table to laugh with him. "Nothin' works better than the thought of the rumor mill going crazy. Heaven forbid the Johnsons think the Smiths are up to no good...or in this case, the Bridges." Caleb fussed some more, finally breaking into a wailing cry. "Did you just feed him?" Bella asked, holding her arms out for the chunky thing. "Yes, just before I came outside," Rose answered, "but I already burped him." "Bethy used to hold a gas bubble back from me," Bella snickered, placing Caleb up on her shoulder, and instead of patting his back, she rubbed it softly from his little bottom, up to his shoulders. With one resounding hiccuping burp, his cries stopped. "Nice," Emmett chuckled, his face full of pride. "Wonder if he'll sound like that the first time we share a beer." "Edward did," my father snorted, looking up at me. "Oh," I groaned, shaking my head. "Worst hangover...of my life!" "You were old enough to join the Air Force, but you couldn't hold your liquor," my dad laughed, shaking his head. "You were eighteen," Bella giggled, rocking Caleb slowly. I reached up to let the little man hold my finger as he grunted happily in her arms, and said, "Yes, but I was about to go overseas. Dad's superiors were kind enough to let him go with me, so he thought he'd get me drunk once." "Taught you a lesson, didn't it?" Dad laughed from the head of the table. "It did. I rarely got that drunk over there," I said, smiling when Caleb squeezed my finger with a surprising amount of strength, and then yawned widely. "He's just about ready to be put down." "He needs a bath," Rose said softly, but her smile was warm and kind. Motherhood suited her, just like it suited Bella. "Come on," Bella said, standing up. "We'll get Bethy's old bath out of the closet. I'll help you." Most of the women followed them in, except for Alice and Mickey, but it was the latter that asked the question that more than one of us had asked over the last few hours. "Why hasn't she fucking called?" she groaned, watching Bella walk into the house, because Mickey had truly come to love my wife. They were similar in many ways strong, snarky, tough in tight situations. In fact, together in the field, they were an unstoppable force, because they could both think quickly on their feet. "I truly think Lilith wants to make Bella and Edward sweat," Benny said, getting up to start pacing. "And the fact that Walter Bridges' fingerprints haven't been found on anything so far leads me to believe he's setting up somewhere for the rest to join him. My theory is we'll hear from her soon, that she'll set up for the ransom drop off, and then she'll want Bella in trade." I groaned, running my hand through my hair again. The thought that I had to lose one to get the other was killing me. I wanted my family back. I wanted my daughter home safe, and her mother with her. I couldn't handle the mere idea of what Bethy was going through, but I also couldn't stand the thought of Bella ever being held captive again. I couldn't imagine what it would do to her. "My biggest concern is Abigail Carmichael," Benny sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Of all the players in this game, she's... well, she expendable." My head shot up to glare at him. "God, I fucking hope not," I breathed, shaking my head. "Me, too, but it's the truth," he sighed, and he looked weary and worn out. "Her mother has no money, and she just happened to be there when Bethy was attainable. In all reality, Lilith could use her as a negotiating tool...a key to scare

you." "I'm already fucking scared, okay?" I snapped, getting up from the table. "She's achieved that goal." Benny nodded, taking a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. He looked to my dad, before turning his gaze back to me. "It's time to get that money out, Ed. We'll need to be prepared for whatever she comes up with, and be able to take this to the next step." I swallowed thickly, nodding once. "Um...I'll call my bank in the morning." "It's already done," my dad muttered, looking at his hands. "It's in my car." "Dad," I gasped, shaking my head. "I did it on the way here, son," he sighed, holding up his hand when I opened my mouth to speak. "I called from Brazil, had them hold it for me. It's already done," he said again, but his face turned fierce. "I don't plan on her spending a dime of it. In fact, I'll happily pay for her funeral, once this shit is over. This was a hit on my family, a threat against my fucking granddaughter! She, my son, and my goddaughter are worth more than any bank account I have, so it's done...and I'll get it when you're ready." Neither my father, nor I or any of our crew, really needed for money, but what he'd just done was made this personal. It was no longer a police matter, though Benny would most likely continue to run things, but it was now a mercenary hit. He would, without shame, kill every single participant in this kidnapping, and he'd order the rest of us to shoot to kill, as well. My father had just reopened his soldier for hire business again if only to get his granddaughter back. The table was silent as we stared at him, most of us with open mouths, but it was Eleazar that spoke up. "This will be ugly at the end, I'm afraid," he sighed, sitting forward on the table. "I want to know about this Kurt Vernon," he said, looking around the table. "That's the only one in this shit that I haven't gotten a fix on. I get Lilith and Bridges that's money and revenge. I even understand this ex-boyfriend, Rusty, and his pal, Kenny also money. I don't understand where this Kurt fits in." "I asked his father why he was with them," Wes sighed, falling down onto one of the benches. "He said Kurt was there to make sure that they didn't go back on their word. Kurt thinks he's guilty by association when it comes to his father, because in all reality, he should never have been treated by his dad. But..." "He was seduced by the money," I finished for him. "Exactly," he agreed with a nod. "However, he is on his meds. In fact, he picked up his prescription just before the kidnapping. We checked his records. He's not a bad kid. He's been in trouble for normal stuff, some weed, some graffiti vandalism, but nothing major. The doc said he was trying to catch him before he got out of hand. Doc said he knows Kurt went with Lilith as a way to get out of Shady Glen and to split the money, but he swears his son doesn't have a mean bone in his body." "Interesting," Eleazar mused, rubbing his chin. "He may be Lilith's weak link, especially if he finds out his father has been arrested." "It's all over the news," Benny chortled. "He'll find out sooner or later." It seemed everyone filed that away for later, but the table started to break apart. My dad offered Mickey, Obie, Eleazar, Felix, and Eric a place to stay at our old house around the corner. Mickey and Obie took him up on it, because they'd been going for thirty-six hours straight. Eleazar and his men opted to crash on the cots Sam and Alec had set up while I'd been sleeping. I needed a fucking break, so I walked away from them all, opening my wood shop. I needed to relax in order to think, and not stew in my misery and pain. I needed to think of something other than how conflicted I was that Lilith hadn't called, and I needed to stay calm, because I couldn't let my temper snap on Bella again. I'd hurt her too badly, and I was worried the damage was beyond repair, though she didn't act it. In the far back corner of my shop sat a cloth covered project I'd been working on for Bethy. It was a surprise. For what, I didn't know. She'd already had her birthday, and it was less than six months until Christmas, but I was building it anyway. My heart and mind wouldn't even approach the idea that it could possibly be a welcome home present, because it seemed to feel like a jinx to me. I lifted the dollhouse up onto my work bench, after tugging the tarp off, and then my shirt. It was a detailed and intricately designed thing, but something that could take my mind away. I draped my shirt over one of my chairs, pulling a beer out of my mini fridge as I studied what I needed to work on next. "Whoa," I heard from the doorway, and I looked up to see Jasper leaning there. "That's fucking awesome, Ed. Seriously. She'll love it." I smiled, took a long draw on my beer, and then nodded. "I hope so. She was with Bella in the toy store and played with

one for hours just before the new year, so I thought..." My voice trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence without letting my emotions take over. God, I just fucking missed my baby girl. "You gonna make the furniture, too?" he asked, bending down to take a look inside of it. "God, no!" I laughed. "I thought she'd like to pick it out from the little hobby shop downtown." "Dolls, too?" "Yeah, dolls, too. Not that she doesn't have plenty of those." Jasper leaned on the worktable, opening the back of the little house and shaking his head. He wore a small smile when he finally looked up at me. "Can I... I mean...do you need help?" I huffed a small laugh, and I could see he was having the same problem I was. He just needed a break from all the shit. "Yeah, sure. Can you paint?" "I can try," he countered with a chuckle and a shrug. I grabbed him a beer, the paints, and some small brushes, setting him up to start painting while I worked on the roof. I still had walls, doors, windows, and shutters to put on, so we both just...worked. We barely talked, except when someone would come to the shop to see what we were doing, but for the most part, everyone left us alone. I knew Emmett was probably with Caleb and Rose, and that Eleazar and his crew had given some of the patrolling Feds a break around the property. My Dad, Benny, and Wes were in Gravity's office, but Esme had finally decided to take advantage of Bella's offer to sleep in our room. I wasn't tired by the time Alice came to get Jasper. She was barely keeping her eyes open, complaining of a headache from all the computer work she'd done. She said she just needed to close her eyes for a moment and was staking claim to the sofa in the living room. I cleaned up my shop after he left, storing the dollhouse back in its corner with its tarp covering it. Once I'd closed the shop doors, I went in search of Bella. My first thought was that she'd fallen asleep in Bethy's room like she'd done the very first night and I wasn't unaware that she wouldn't let anyone near our daughter's room but as I crossed the yard, I discovered differently. A soft glow shone down from the tree house, casting strange shadows across the lawn. I slowly climbed the steps, reminded of the time I'd first met Bella. We were just kids, but we'd hung out for most of a day in her own tree house at her father's house. And much like then, she was using this fort as an escape. The radio was playing softly when I quietly creaked open the door. My Bella had fallen asleep in the beanbag chair under the ceiling fan, a book open in her hands. Mr. Bunny wasn't far from her reach. She'd been reading by the small lamp, her dark hair spread about her like a halo, but it was the wrinkle to her brow and the frown on her face that I was drawn to. Even in her sleep, a tear slipped slowly down her cheek. Guilt wracked my frame, causing me to physically quake, before I closed the door and crawled to her. I should've been able to save Bethy, and I should never have taken everything out on my wife. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry," I sighed softly as I lightly brushed a hair from her head. I didn't blame her for anything especially her reaction to Lilith years ago. Knowing Bella like I did, it was understandable for her to be upset. And even before Bethy was taken, my wife had shown nothing but remorse concerning her actions. She regretted her temper, regretted deliberately hurting someone when she was hurting herself. No, this shit was not my girl's fault. Warm, brown eyes blinked open, gazing up at me as I laid down beside her. It wasn't easy fitting my long frame onto a beanbag, but she scooted over to let me in. "Hey, sweetness," I whispered, kissing her lips softly. "I didn't mean to wake you, but you should sleep in Bethy's room, baby." "I like it out here," she said softly, cupping my face. "I just needed...a break from all these people." I nodded, because I'd done the same thing by going out to my shop. I tucked her hair back behind her ear, leaning into her touch. "How's the dollhouse coming?" she asked, a small smile curling up on her face. I snickered. "Jasper painted it for me. The roof's done." "I'm sure it's beautiful, Edward," she stated, wriggling a bit and laying her head down, still facing me. "Well, when my girls finish decorating it," I chuckled, kissing her nose and mirroring her position, "it'll be even better."

We spoke quietly about a few things, but I was just reveling in her arms. I needed her touch, for reasons I couldn't even articulate. I told her about my dad and the money, and about the discussion she'd missed concerning Kurt Vernon. Neither topic surprised her. "A family of sparrows moved into the birdhouse today," she whispered as I placed my hand on her waist and pulled her closer. "Really?" I snickered. "Yeah," she said, smiling and biting her lip. "I hear babies in there." I'd told her my mother's story ages ago. My mom had loved local legends and one that she'd passed on to me was about sparrows and how they chose to live in pine trees. Before my mother died, she said she'd always watch over me with the sparrows. Bella had loved the story, loved even more the birdhouses I'd built throughout the years, so I'd placed one in the pine tree by our front porch. "Good," I told her. "Maybe that's a good sign, yeah?" She nodded, but didn't say anything for a few minutes. "I'm sorry, Edward. For everything..." "Don't, baby," I said, stopping her with a soft kiss. "It's not your fault. I swear I didn't mean anything I said. God, I love you. I just was going crazy, love." I ran my fingers through her hair, bringing her forehead to mine. "How's that bump?" Her nose wrinkled adorably, but she nodded, pulling back to study me. "It's better. How's your face?" she asked with a touch of amusement in her smile and her voice as she trailed her finger lightly down my nose. I chuckled softly. "I'll live." She sat up, causing the beanbag to shift, but she crawled on top of me, straddling my lap. She pulled me up into a sitting position, only to wrap herself around me in a strong, warm hug. She snuggled her face into the crook of my neck, clinging to me like a limpet. "I miss her, Edward," she mumbled against my skin, and I held her tighter, placing random kisses to the side of her head, her ear, her cheek, and her neck. "I feel like a part of me is just...missing." "The waiting is killing me," I admitted softly, pulling back and placing my hands on either side of her neck, rubbing her cheekbones gently with my thumbs. "We'll get her back, love." She was so fucking beautiful as all she did was nod. Her eyes flickered with flecks of gold in the soft glow of the tree house as I brushed her hair from her face. She was the essence of pain and sorrow, but also of love and home, and I just wanted to...fucking fix it. And that last sentiment exploded from me. "God, I fucking wish I could just...go get her!" I gushed, pulling her forehead back to mine. "I wish I hadn't let her go...and that I'd run faster. I wish I'd followed you guys to the bathroom. I wish I'd shot the son of a bitch that dared put a fucking gun to her head..." I gasped, trying to get myself under control, but I wasn't embarrassed, because I could be me with her. When I had to maintain in front of our crew, she was the only person on this fucking planet that just got me. "I-I w-wish wwe'd n-never gone to that f-fucking f-farm..." Tears slipped down her face as she placed her hands on either side of my face. "Shh," she whispered against my mouth to stop my emotional rant. "It's not your fault, baby." She sniffled, kissing my lips roughly. Her mouth was warm, her lips soft from her crying, and she tasted salty from her tears. "We didn't know, Edward. We thought both of us being there was enough..." My fingers wove themselves into her hair, mindful of her injury, but I needed her to know one thing. "You and Bethy...you're fucking everything to me. You know that, right? I love you both more than my own life. Tell me you fucking know that!" "I know!" she sobbed, nodding against me. "I knew it even when you were mad at me." "I was never mad, baby," I vowed, kissing her lips and practically panting. "I love you." "I love you, too," she whispered, nipping at my bottom lip, and then my top. What started out as soothing, comforting kisses, suddenly turned into something completely different. It was anger and hurt; it was desperate and needy. It was tears and tongues, gasps and whimpers as my mouth welcomed her with a moan I couldn't stop. I turned her head slightly, claiming her, plundering her mouth with my tongue, using lips and teeth along her bottom lip. I kissed her until I thought I'd go mad with the want of her. I kissed her because she always made everything okay. I finally pulled back from her, panting from want and need and something altogether different pure fear. "Bella?" I breathed, looking to her for the answer, because I wasn't sure where this was going. "Edward, I need you," she ground out through gritted teeth, gripping the bottom of my t-shirt. With one swift tug, she swept

it off over my head. "For just a moment, I need to feel something...other than pain. I need you to love me." I had my answer, because apparently, I wasn't alone. I wasn't sure if it was the waiting on some word, any word, the fight we'd had, or just the emptiness that seemed to fill my chest, but fuck, if I didn't need her, too. I kept her on my lap, gathering up the bottom of her shirt and tugging it off over her head. Underneath, I was met with sweet pink and cotton and all things girly and sexy and just Bella. It reminded me of when we'd first started out, all simple and good and healing. I tossed her shirt away, moaning when her hips wouldn't be still. Not that I wanted them to. I spread my fingers out, placing my palms flat on either side of her ribs, because I needed to feel as much of her as I could at one time. No words were spoken as I locked eyes with hers, begging for permission to remove her bra. When she nodded, I flicked open the back clasp, tossing it away, as well. My hands touched everywhere cupping her, bending her slightly back, arching her up to my mouth, so that I could consume every inch of her I could reach. We didn't need to say anything, because this was something we fucking knew. This was years of our bodies knowing exactly what they needed. This was years of love making that was almost instinctual. And this was years of how we healed ourselves of everything from fights between us, to burns and cuts from assholes that no longer existed. If nothing else, this was how we reconnected, how we let shit go if only for a moment. Bella's jeans rubbed against mine as her hips rolled wantonly over me. "Edward," she panted desperately as I switched from one nipple to the other, swirling my tongue over it, making it harder, more sensitive at the same time my fingers glided down her spine, only to grip her ass and pull it closer to me. She was so fucking sexy, so fucking beautiful, that I found myself slipping my hand down between her legs, just to hear her gasp, just to see her head fall back when I applied pressure over the seam at the exact place where I knew she needed it the most. I tugged open the fly of her jeans, slowly kissing up her neck as my hands slipped into the back of them, cupping her ass fully. I kneaded it, gripped it, used it to grind her against me. I tried to roll her over, but the beanbag just wasn't having it, so it spilled us out onto the floor, causing an adorable giggle to escape my wife as I landed on top of her, my chest to her back. I left a biting kiss to her shoulder, practically growling in want when her ass pressed against my cock in the most delicious of ways. Her beautiful back arched gracefully, her muscles rolling under soft, smooth skin. Her breath caught as I gripped her waist, pulling her ass up a bit more and grinding against her. "Yes...Edward. Fuck, yes...like that," she commanded, her forehead hitting the wood floor with a soft thump. "Yeah?" I verified, unbuckling my belt with one hand as I pulled her hair to one side. "You want me to fuck you from behind, baby?" "God, yes," she begged, and I saw her nod against the floor. "I just want to feel you all around me, baby," she stated, barely shoving her jeans down over that delicious ass of hers. "Now, Edward..." It was her look back over her shoulder that just about caused me to lose all control. It was heady to see her want me that much, to need my touch, my body. I barely got my own jeans down far enough to let my cock spring free. I fell forward, bracing my arms on either side of her, giving her neck and shoulder suckling kisses up to her ear. "Like this?" I asked, moaning shamelessly when her ass rose up off of the floor, causing my dick to slip through her wet folds. "Closer," she pleaded, and I let my chest press down onto her back. I rolled my hips, coating myself in her wetness, finally slipping just inside her entrance. "Bella," I gasped, my head falling to her shoulder. "I love you...so fucking much," I ground out, because it was all I could do not to just bury myself as deep inside of her as I could get. "Me, too," she said, looking over her shoulder again, but this time, she raised up slightly on her hands, sinking herself down onto me. A whimper escaped her, and it sounded like relief and a plea for just...more. My eyes locked with hers when my hips were flushed to her ass, and we both paused, letting that feeling of being one, of coming back to each other consume us. I let the need grow, let it swell between us, my fingers practically gouging the wood floor beneath me. I pulled slowly back, and she twisted just enough so that I could kiss the shit out of her when I thrust forward again. A soft cry escaped her, ghosting into my mouth as I did it again, this time swiveling my hips the way I knew she liked. I sat back on my heels just long enough to tug her jeans down a bit more, in order to wrench her leg out to the side. I needed more, deeper, harder, and the jeans were in the way, but I took what I could get. I fell back over her, holding her leg with one hand and using the other to brace at her shoulder. Sweat beaded on my forehead, falling down my nose and dropping down onto her back. Her hips met mine over and over, until I could feel the deep burn start to boil in the pit of my stomach, but I could feel her fighting it, holding back.

"Oh, sweetness," I begged, placing a biting kiss to her shoulder blade. "Come for me, baby. Let it go..." Her hand snaked underneath her, and I moaned as I watched her touch herself. "Yeah, love...just like that. Let it go... Come," I finally commanded, because I was so fucking close. The feel of her, the sight of her, even the sounds she was making, were pushing me closer and closer, and when she finally clenched down around me, my name breathlessly bursting forth from her mouth, I smiled against the skin of her back. "That's my girl," I crooned, licking up her now sweaty neck and sucking the salty-sweet skin just below her ear. She clamped down again around my dick, and I gasped in her ear. "Fuck, baby...I'm gonna come..." My mouth gaped as I buried myself as deep as I could go, spilling inside of her. My arms shook as my head fell to her shoulder again, and I let go of her leg. "Come here," I panted heavily, finally ridding us of our God forsaken jeans, leaving my underwear on. Bella tugged her panties up, but pulled my t-shirt on over her head. I settled somewhat into the beanbag, and she curled sweetly in against my side, laying her head on my chest as her small finger traced my tattoo like she did most times after we made love. She took a deep breath, looking up at me, and I kissed her forehead as I played with her hair. She didn't need to say a word, because I could read her face like a book. She felt better, more relaxed, but her sadness was like a heavy blanket. It would be there, laying over us, until we found Bethy. I nodded, swallowing thickly, because I felt the exact same way. "I know, love. Me, too." I rolled to my side, wrapping her up and holding her as close as I could get her. The sounds of the night echoed through the little open windows and the ticking of the ceiling fan lulled me into a light sleep. It felt like I'd just closed my eyes, when we both were jerked awake. "Edward! Bells!" my dad called from somewhere outside. "Front and center!" Bella groaned, rolling her eyes. "He did that shit when you were a kid, didn't he?" "Not like that," I stated, helping her stand up. "Something's up..." We tugged on our jeans, and Bella tossed her sex and sleep ravaged hair up into a pony tail. We rumbled quickly down the tree house steps and practically ran across the yard. If he thought our sleeping in the tree house was strange, he didn't say a word about it. He only grabbed Bella by the shoulders. "You've got an email, sweetheart," he said carefully, glancing up at me. "Shit," I hissed, running a hand through my hair. "What's she say?" My dad grimaced, shaking his head slowly. "She's finally given her demands, son. And this...this shit won't be easy."

A/N... So a little makeup time, in the tree house no less... That's something I've been dying to write for ages...the tree house. If you check out my blog, you'll see the picspiration for that...and it's quite naughty, just FYI. www(dot)drotuno(dot)blogspot(dot)com Lots of info in this one, and a slight cliffie that doesn't come close to others I've left you with. So Lilith is...damaged. Severely. Like I said, I'm not an expert, but her illness isn't as important as her actions. Trust me. And Poppy is pissed! Using his own money, setting up his own agenda to get his granddaughter back. Hmm... Coming up, you'll see the email demands. You see a plan start to form. And you'll see how everyone will start to work together, though for different reasons. And you'll find out what Wes discovers concerning Walter Bridges. Our hurting parents will cope better, but they are still in pain, so you'll see how they find some sort of coping mechanism. Okay, thanks to JenRar for beta'ing this. Thanks to Goober_Lou for helping me with the little details. And MedusaInNY and les16... I love you both with a sickness. Thanks for being there this week. Seriously. I send you both lots of hugs and smooches. :) I'm pretty sure the next posting will be Sunday. All my chaps are being beta'd, so when she sends them to me, they're yours. That being said, let me hear from you. I read them all...so let me hear you. How did I do with Bethy? So until Sunday... Later.

*Chapter 7*: Chapter 7

A/N...I'm so glad you liked Bethy's POV, because there's another one in this chapter. Like I said, it will rarely happen, so enjoy. Okay...fight's over... it's time to get down to business. I know you're all wondering what's in that email. This chapter is full of info, so go on with it... I'll see you at the bottom...
CHAPTER 7

EDWARD
"I was wrong," Benny stated angrily when we rushed into Gravity's office. "I totally expected a phone call, but she emailed Gravity's office account," he huffed, typing furiously on the computer. Alice was right beside him, working just as hard, and from what I could tell, she was tracking the origin of the email, whereas he was researching what looked like a bus or train station. I looked around the room, and though no one was saying anything, the room was slowly filling with people. Alec, Sam, and Emmett took seats around the conference table. A bleary eyed Jasper was standing next to Makenna, both stirring cups of coffee. Eleazar leaned against the wall in the back of the room. The only one I didn't see was Wes, and for a moment, I wondered if he had already left to go talk to Walter Bridges' parents. "Benny, please!" Bella begged in a whisper. "Give us the email..." "Here," my dad said softly, pulling a page from the printer. He looked to me, his gaze fierce, pointing to the paper. "I want you in the air for this." That being said, I was nervous when I sat in a chair, tugging Bella to my lap so that we could read Lilith's email together.

Oh Bella, I know that being the spoiled rich bitch that you are, the ten million I'm asking for isn't much, so I've decided I need something else. You. I think it's high time that we saw each other again, because there's so much I'd like to say to you. If you want to see these two girls ever again, you'll follow the steps below to the fucking letter, or I'll personally see to it that these kids end up in a shallow grave. Now that I have your attention, you have two days. 1. Come to the train station in San Francisco at noon on Wednesday. 2. Come alone no Feds, no cops, no handsome husband. Alone. The first sign of someone with you, and I'll put a bullet in the closest girl's head. 3. Bring the ten million in unmarked bills, placed in an inconspicuous bag, with you. No tricks! 4. No weapons! 5. Leave your cell phone behind. 6. Sit down at the north end of the waiting area and wait until someone approaches you. 7. Come quietly, or the two girls will not be released from a different location inside the train terminal. If you follow these simple rules, the two kids will be left at the train station to be found by the authorities, because that Amber Alert is still in full effect. Deviate even once from this plan, and not only will you live to regret it, but those two kids will pay the price...along with everyone at that train station. I will destroy the entire building and all that's in it if you don't follow my rules. Don't bother searching for a bomb. You won't find one. Bella, you will pay for what you've done. Email back once you've received this notice. Don't bother tracing the IP address. You won't find anything. Good luck.
Bella took a deep breath, but looked to Benny, holding up the paper. "This isn't Lilith." He turned around to look at her. "What makes you say that?" "Because... She's not this smart and organized. And not once did this email say anything about the past only that I'd pay. Lilith would have thrown details in my face," she stated, looking back to the letter, and then up at me. "Carlisle's right. You

have to fly for this," she whispered, her brow furrowing. "You have to be close, whether Lilith knows it or not. She'll know you have a pilot license, but not your own means of flying." My first instinct was to protest, because I wanted to be by Bella's side, but she had a point; my chopper was registered like my house was: for privacy. "You might be right," Benny stated with a shrug. "About it not being Lilith. Someone else may have written it for her." He spun to Alice. "Any luck with the IP address?" "No," she sighed, shaking her head. "They were right. It bounces and bounces all over the place, only to end up at a free email account set up in a net cafe. Could be anyone, anywhere." "The chopper is a for sure thing, Ed," Benny said, giving me a pointed look. "If this drop goes smoothly, we can move in on the whole crew and take them down..." "No!" Bella and I interrupted. "No," I groaned this time, shaking my head. "Fuck. They'll spot your men, Benny!" "And they'll spot all my girls," Bella groaned, getting up from my lap and beginning to pace. "Rose, Alice, Mack...Lilith will know them all, because they were all present at the time of her arrest." "She'll know me, but she won't know the boys and Mickey," I added, looking up at her as I leaned my elbows on my knees. "We could plant Mickey in that train station." "The whole wedding party was in the paper, Edward," she reminded me, her nose wrinkling. "It wouldn't take much to remember someone like Emmett, and a Fed can be spotted a mile away, especially by people who are used to running from the cops." I looked to Benny, raising an eyebrow at him, because she was totally right. "Me in the air is fine, because I can land to get the girls. I could have Jasper and Alec with me, but I can't get the girls and follow Bella," I pointed out, looking up at my dad. "I will have a crew there," Benny snapped, "because we can catch these fuckers! I can't have a fucking terrorist threat on a public building, Edward." I sighed, sitting back in my chair and running a hand through my hair. I shook my head, looking up at Bella, whose face had gone dark and angry. "This..." she huffed, shaking her head. "This could go so wrong," she mumbled as she studied the email. "I just have a really bad feeling about this. She picked a public place for a fucking reason." "Bellsy...what about..." Alice spun in her chair, her eyes wide, but Bella stopped her with a single shake of her head and a furrow of her brow. I was just about to ask both of them what the fuck that was all about, but Benny jumped up from his chair. "Here," Benny said, pulling several sheets of paper off of the printer and walking to the conference table. He sorted them in a specific order, and suddenly, the plans for the train station terminal appeared before our eyes. "This...is the north end of the station. This is where you're suppose to wait. Here and here," he noted, pointing to two different spots on the plans. "Those are two employee entrances. I could plant men there. This is the garage. Carlisle, you could be there with Emmett, Eleazar, Felix, and Eric in different levels. Depending on which escape route they take to get away, we could be prepared." He looked around the room, his eyes landing on me. "Ed, you're right. If you take Jasper with you, he could spot them from the air, using his scope." His eyes finally landed on my father. "I'll call the San Fran office, get them in there now, so that they won't stick out like a sore thumb. I'll have bomb dogs do a sweep of the whole area. They'll wear employee uniforms, blend in. They'll already be there when everyone shows up." "So we're just going to do everything the exact opposite as what they're telling us to, with my wife's and daughter's lives in the balance? With innocent civilians' lives at stake?" I seethed, standing slowly up from my chair. "Benny..." Bella's hand landed gently on my chest, and she stepped in front of me. "Wait," she muttered, giving me a warning glance, before turning her beautiful, but stern face to the room. "I'm okay... I mean, I can handle Lilith taking me. I just want those kids in Edward's possession. Finding me can be later. I think we can...come up with a way around these rules...these steps, without having the entire FBI show up at the train station." "Jesus, Bella!" I snapped, shaking my head. I wanted to fucking grab her and shake her. My hands were in claws in order not to steal her away from the room. My heart couldn't wrap around my wife and daughter walking into this fucking bullshit. My dad held up his hand, his face sympathetic, but he turned his attention to Bella. "What do you suggest, sweetheart?" he asked, leaning against the table and folding his arms across his chest.

"The email said no cell phone, so I'll wear a radio earpiece; something I can dump if I had to," she stated with a shrug. "Alice has a few ideas that will allow us to mark the money and will load me up with some things that can be hidden on my person. I want to prepare for this going completely wrong. I need to assume that all of hell opens up at that train station, and I can't...I won't allow Bethy and Abby to get caught in the middle." Her breath hitched when she said that last sentence, and I couldn't help but reach out and wrap an arm around her, kissing the back of her head. She was so very brave and strong in many, many ways, but I knew this was hard for her. She was basically suggesting walking in there and handing herself over to this bitch in order to get the girls back in order to get our daughter back. The whole room froze in anticipation, but my dad stood up straight, biting the inside of his cheek before he spoke. "I'd like Eleazar in the chopper with Edward and Jasper, because he's just as good behind a sniper rifle. I think Bella is right," he sighed, turning his gaze to Benny. "This is a trap. Lilith wants Bella, the money, and total control. Have we found the drunk driver yet?" "Nope, Christopher Douglas is still missing," Alice piped up. "So we have to ask ourselves, where the fuck is he? Because it's not coincidence that the other person that has offended Lilith in some fucking fashion would go missing at the same time an attack on Bella starts." My dad shoved his hands into his pockets, studying the plans for the train station again, taking a deep breath. "They are way too fucking comfortable in thinking that they can just...take Bella. They've got some place that will hide them all..." he muttered, rubbing his mouth with his fingertips. The room was silent with that last statement, but Eleazar spoke softly from the back of the room. "You can't send a bomb squad, or even the dogs, Ben. We have to step outside of the legal box that you're stuck in. We need to treat this with military precision. A black-op, if you will." Benny started to protest, but El held up his hand and walked slowly to the front of the room. He pinned the train station plans to the board so everyone could get a good view of it. "You've got to consider the absolute worse case scenario here," he sighed, facing the room. "There's an unstable woman out for revenge. She's killed before, and I have no fucking doubt she'll kill again. You've got two ex-cons solely out for money." He pointed to the pictures of Kenny and Rusty. "And a young man that may be in this without a choice," he continued with a sigh, pointing to the picture of Kurt Vernon. "Last, but definitely not least... the unknown player in this game... Walter Bridges." He turned to Benny. "Son, you don't know what that man's motivation is yet. That's our problem. Yes, Lilith wants Bella...or even Bethy, too, but Walter may have ulterior motives, another fucking agenda, using Lilith as the driving vehicle, and I can't see any other way but to treat this like...a crash and grab." "Or we wait to see what Wes comes back with," Alice suggested. "There's no time for waiting," Alec stated gruffly. "We've got two fucking days to figure out how we want to approach this, get to San Francisco, and set the whole thing up." Bella spun in one spot, her gaze landing on Alice as she bit a her bottom lip. Her eyes were glazed, but she finally blinked. "Alice...do another search on the Bridges. Dig deeper. Maybe there's some connection between Twi Tech or my father or something. See if Walter has a juvenile record... There's more there than meets the eye. There's got to be a damned good reason parents just up and disown their son." "On it, on it, on it," Alice sang, pulling two keyboards to her and using them both to type furiously. "Mack," she called over her shoulder. "Come tell me who we see..." Makenna said nothing, but launched up from the chair she'd been silently sitting in, taking her place at Alice's side, their conversation now hushed and focused. "We have to make this plan contingent on what Wes finds out," my dad said, narrowing his eyes on the bulletin board. "Ben, the arrest is yours if you have someone to arrest but the operation is mine." "Shit, Carlisle," Benny groaned, shaking his head. "I need this as legal as possible. I've got two missing minors, a ransom, and five suspects in a fucking kidnapping! It was a fucking miracle that Royce King's trial was legit, after all the shit we did." "I'll cover for it," Eleazar said, not even looking at the room, waving a hand over his shoulder. "This shit..." He suddenly turned around. "I'm telling you, there's more to this shit than we're seeing." "El," Ben sighed, almost whining, because truly, his ass was on the line if this went horribly wrong. "If we fuck up," Eleazar growled, his gaze turning fierce, "I'll take responsibility, Ben. I have more...leeway than you do. I have more resources to cover shit up, and I can do it without the public ever knowing." My eyebrows rose high at that statement. Eleazar's position at the CIA made him a strong fucking ally to have, but his time spent as a Navy Seal made him fucking deadly. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking, what he could be planning, but I could see that he was already setting shit in motion in his mind. It was written all over his intense face.

Bella snorted, rolling her eyes up to mine. "Don't we have any normal friends?" "Normal friends won't go to war for us," I snickered, pulling her to me. "Normal people are boring, sweetness," I teased in her ear, loving the small light feeling for just the moment. As Eleazar sent Emmett to go get Eric and Felix to start the planning, Bella's forehead hit my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, kissing the crown of her head, because I knew she was scared and sick with worry. "I want to do this so you don't get taken, Bella," I said, my voice only meant for her. She nodded against my chest, pulling back to look up at me. "For Bethy, I can do this..." "I'm worried at what it will do to you!" I hissed, shaking my head and running my hand through my hair. "It seems like you just now got better from Miller, baby." Bella cupped my face, forcing my gaze to hers. "There's nothing that could be worse than what he did, Edward. Nothing. So I can face this, if it happens. We need Bethy home." "I know..." I groaned, but she grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the office. A few paces away from everyone, I unleashed my fear. "I can't let them take you! I just can't! If I lose you both..." "Do you trust me?" she asked in a barely there whisper. "Of course!" I hissed back. "It's everyone else, baby! If this shit goes wrong, and I can't follow you..." "Please, just trust me," she urged, still whispering. "If I've got to do this, Edward, then I need you to really trust me to assess my situation on the fly, and not panic if I deviate. I need to be able to trust that you'll follow through with the plans they're making in there, so that we can do what we need to in order to get Bethy home. We have to put our faith in everyone in that room." "What are you planning, Bella? I saw that look you gave Alice. Tell me!" "I want to see what Carlisle and Eleazar plan first," she said, whispering when one of the Feds walked by. "Bella, please!" I begged, tugging her closer to me. "Tell me now!" "It's not a plan, but precautions," she admitted, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. "I just think maybe there are some steps I can take just in case I do get taken, in case they double cross us, or if the threat of innocent people at that train station becomes too great." "Please," I whispered, slipping my hands into her hair and pulling her forehead to mine. "I trust you explicitly, but there's a part of me that thinks you're going to put yourself in danger to prove some point, Bella. None of this shit was your fault. I know I said..." "Stop," she breathed against my lips. "Just stop, Edward." She pulled back, eying me intensely. "I just want Bethy back," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Whatever it takes to do that, I'm in." "Me, too," I said, surrendering, because in so many fucking ways, she was right. If the roles were reversed and it was me that was the focus of this bitch's revenge, I'd throw myself in front of the oncoming train that seemed to be barreling straight for us. However, there was a nagging feeling in my stomach that was telling me that my thoughtless words I'd spat at Bella had created a monster. She now felt the need for penitence. "B-but w-why d-does it f-feel l-like I'm b-being ppunished?" I muttered, looking across my lawn and shoving my hands into my pockets before I grabbed her too hard. "I won't survive losing you both, Bella. I just won't." "Sit," she ordered, pointing to the steps of the tree house. She stood between my legs and grabbed my face more roughly than usual. "Edward Cullen, look at me," she huffed, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "If I know anything, I know that you can find me. That you'll fucking fight for me. Don't you dare give up on Bethy and me. Don't you dare!" I pulled her to my lap when she released a heartbreaking sob. She nuzzled into my neck, gripping my shirt as I kissed her forehead over and over. "Why are you keeping this shit quiet, sweetness?" I asked her, because it seemed that she was only telling me and Alice. "Because I don't want Benny to rely on anything. He's out for justice. Carlisle's out for revenge. None of that makes a fucking difference to me...I just want those girls safe at home. And I have a really, really bad feeling about this drop off, Edward," she whispered. "Eleazar is right...we know nothing about this Walter Bridges. That note..." She sniffled, sitting up to look me in the eye. "That note was written like a political threat. The focus was my wealth...not personal revenge. To Lilith, this would be personal. Don't you think?" "Is that why you ordered Alice to dig deeper?" She nodded, sniffling again, and swallowed thickly. "We have to do what they say, because we have to try, but there's

something else at stake here. Something feels...bigger than Lilith. We may get outmaneuvered at that train station. If I'm wrong, then great, but I'm telling you, my gut feels a shit storm coming." She cupped the side of my face. "We have to...set our emotions aside, baby, and I'm having a really hard time doing that, so you have to help me." I ran one hand through my hair and pulled her closer with the other, because my girl's gut was rarely wrong. Armed with that knowledge, I was scared for her, for me, for Bethy, and for our crew. Bella was tough, smart, innovative in tight situations, and I trusted that gut feeling of hers. And there was a part of me that had to figure out how to turn off the personal feelings backing my decisions and focus on the logical way to tackle this shit. Thinking emotionally in this would only cause us to make terrible mistakes that would have devastating fucking consequences. With one shaky breath and a nervous nod, I tried my fucking best to help her. "You will wear a earpiece," I stated firmly, but softly. "The small one that you can toss if you need to. I want to hear you the entire fucking time I'm in the air. I assume that Alice has some sort of...idea as to how to help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Yes," she answered simply with a nod. I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the next words. "I'm with Eleazar on this," I sighed, shaking my head. "Military style operation, civilian clothes, heavily armed. A crash and grab. I'll be in the air with him and Jasper, monitoring all movement with that new camera Alice installed," I said, pointing to where my chopper was under a tarp, but it was the new plexiglass bubble underneath that I was referring to. Alice wanted to be able to see what I saw when I was in the air, and the idea was intriguing. It took a hideous amount of research to find exactly what we both wanted. The damn thing was expensive as all fuck, but well worth it, because it could zoom in on someone's fucking nostril hair, if we wanted. It also had night-vision and infrared, and it was all connected to Alice's computer equipment. The little fucking genius could zoom in on someone, record them, or run them through a database, all while I was still fucking flying. Bella nodded, brushing my hair from my forehead. "Doing that...going against what they say... Edward, we could get innocent people killed in that train station." "They aren't my concern," I growled, shaking my head, because despite the fact that it was the truth, it made me feel like an asshole for saying it out loud. "You and those girls are my priority. Let Benny, Wes, and Eleazar worry about civilians. Okay?" With reluctance, Bella nodded. "Okay," she sighed. "Umm, guys?" Makenna called softly just a few paces away from us, and we both looked up at her. "Alice told me to get you both, and that she needs what you're going to wear the day of the drop off, Bells." "Got it," Bella said, getting up from my lap and tugging me up with her. "Go start planning. I'll be right there." I pulled her to me, grasping her face in both of my hands. "I love you. Please don't do anything dangerous just because you think you owe it to anyone especially me. Just...be smart, get those girls out." A small smile ghosted across her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm counting on my flyboy to help me. I'm pretty sure he'd fly to the sun for me..." With that said, she walked away toward the house. With one more nervous hand through my hair, I walked back into Gravity's office to start planning the most important mission I'd ever take part in. ~oOo~ I unlocked the cable that tied the tarps over my chopper, yanking it hard so that it zipped through the eyes threading them together. The two pieces fell in a soft swish down onto the helipad. I needed to run through my checklist, fuel her up, and load up all the supplies Jasper and Eleazar would need for this flight to San Francisco. We were leaving in twenty-four hours, and I'd never been more nervous about a mission in all my life, because my reasons for living were in the center of it all. Everyone was still planning, except for Wes, who said he'd be back in time to leave and that he had huge news. "Want some help?" I heard behind me, and I turned to see Emmett standing just off the slab of concrete. "Yeah, sure," I said with a nod. "Grab the tarps, store them behind the wood shed." "Okay," he agreed, starting to roll up the large piece of covering. "You kinda shot out of the office, bro. You all right?" "I don't need to go over and over the same thing. I've never needed that fucking shit," I grunted, sliding open the cabin doors. "You know that. To me, it just makes shit worse, makes the crew nervous about making mistakes." "Captain Fletcher from Saudi Arabia," he chuckled, shaking his head. "That asshole must've thought we were all imbeciles." "He was good in a fight," I laughed with him, "but damn... repeat, repeat, repeat."

"That day you snapped on him was priceless," Emmett snorted as he dropped the first tarp to the ground behind my work shop. He turned around and started on the second. "Jazz and I were convinced that you'd get Court Marshaled for calling the guy 'Captain Fucking Memorex.'" I grinned, shaking my head. "KP duty in the Mess Tent for a month was my punishment," I chuckled. "Not to mention he made me transport prisoners to Abu Grahib, no matter what pilot was available. It was a threat..." Emmett snorted and nodded. "You're just lucky your Dad knew him from basic," he pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "Fletch was an asshole," we heard behind us, and I looked up to see my dad leaning against the closest tree. "He was an asshole at basic and stayed that way all the way up until his term was over." "He was that," I agreed, "but he could really fucking fly. One of the best Apache pilots I'd ever seen." "And he knew it," Emmett added with a laugh. "Pompous bastard." I opened the pilot door, pulling myself up into the seat and starting my check list. Emmett tossed the next tarp on top of the other one and began refueling her for me. He knew as much about my chopper as I did; he just didn't fly. My dad joined in, setting the sniper equipment that Jasper had gotten ready into the cabin. We worked in silence as we got her ready. By the time I had started her up and shut her back down, my wife was standing just off of the helipad. "Hey," she said, waving me down. "Come eat something." "Yes, ma'am," I told her, jumping down from the pilot seat and slamming the doors. I walked to Bella, kissing her forehead. "She ready?" "She is, but I don't know if I am," I admitted to her. "What did you make, sweetness?" I asked, sniffing the air, because something smelled fucking amazing. She giggled slightly, grabbing my hand. "Charlie's barbecue chicken," she said, tugging me along. "Cooking in mass quantities was proving daunting. The grill was the only way to go. Alec and Esme helped. Come on." After an amazing dinner eaten outside, of course and another round of "what if" scenarios tossed around the dinner table, I found myself helping Rose with clean up. "You okay?" she asked, glancing up as Emmett breezed through the kitchen with a happy, gurgling Caleb in his arms. "Yeah," I sighed, putting away as she washed and rinsed, though it was only the big shit, because we'd used as many disposable plates as we could to keep clean up to a fucking minimum. "I wish I could go with you," she said softly, looking behind her to make sure we were alone. "I never blamed Bella for her hatred for Lilith. That bitch stepped up in my face the day we found her and Ashley." I snickered, looking over at a woman that most men would consider a beauty queen, but she was tough and smart deceptively so. "Smack her down, did you?" "Oh, I wanted to," she huffed, rolling her eyes and shutting off the water. "I'll be in the computer room with Alice and Mack, but I need you to do something for me, Edward." "What's that?" I asked, putting a large pot away in the bottom cabinet. "Make sure my Caleb's father comes home to me," she whispered, her worry practically palpable. "He's determined to help you, because he gets it... Hell, we all get it. But he's looking for a fight. I just need him to stick to the plan and..." "We all feel that way, and he'll be with my dad, Rose," I said, leaning against the counter and folding my arms across my chest. "He's in the best of hands, I swear it. My dad hasn't lost a man since Uncle Garrett, and that was a health issue, not a lack of safety." Rose nodded, pulling me into a hug. "I'm glad you and Bells are better. I was worried for a moment, because you two need each other more than you think. Good luck tomorrow," she whispered, stepping back. "She's asleep in Bethy's room." A small, but sad smile played on her face. "Go...be together before we all scatter tomorrow. She says she sleeps better when you're with her, and she'll need all the rest she can get." I nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Thanks, Rose," I whispered, gripping her shoulder before heading down my hallway. I crept into Bethy's room, shutting the door behind me. Bella was curled up in a little ball on our daughter's bed, sound asleep. I kicked off my shoes and socks, tugging my t-shirt off over my head. There wasn't a lot of room, but I managed to crawl in between Bella and the wall.

She whimpered in her sleep, her body automatically snuggling closer to mine. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back to my chest, and her hand immediately sought out mine, linking our fingers together. Tucking my hand under her cheek, my girl sighed the sweetest, deepest, most contented sigh I'd heard from her since all this shit started. I closed my eyes, inhaling the flowery scent of her still damp from the shower hair. As just her nearness calmed me, I silently prayed to God or Whoever was listening to keep us all safe, to bring my girls home, and to give me the strength to keep my emotions in check and my mind sharp. All our lives depended on it. ~oOo~

BELLA
"Here, love," Edward muttered, handing me one of his black bags at the same time Wes and Alice exploded from the computer room. "Guys! Get in here!" Wes called. He'd just gotten back, but hadn't said a word except to Alice, who he'd pulled away from us to do some research. It was so damned early that the sun wasn't even up yet, but the house, the yard, and the office were frantic with movement, hushed conversations, and the sounds of weapons being checked. I shoved some clothes, my gun, and my cell phone into the bag and zipped it up. I grabbed the another bag just like it and slid it to Makenna. "Put the money in this," I ordered softly. "But Carlisle's already got it in a bag," she countered, looking at me like I was crazy. "Humor me," I huffed, leaving her to it and joining them in front of Alice's screens. "We have a few issues," Wes said, turning his back to the computers and leaning on the desk to face everyone in the room. "First thing... I have zero doubt in my mind that Walter Bridges is in charge of this shit. Second... There's a reason they picked the train station." A collective groan rumbled through the group of us as we waited for him to continue. "Walter Bridges' parents have enough money to have his record cleared," he started, pointing to the screen. "While Walter was in college, he became associated with a small, on-the-fringe militant group known as the D.O.A. or Disciples of America. They aren't big and don't seem to have any real manifesto. Instead, they focus on whatever hot topic is in the news at the time. They're anarchists that like stirring up trouble, but hold themselves away from the rest of the country. And they don't do anything really violent, but will occasionally show up at events and bully people around." "A cult?" Emmett asked. "Like Jim Jones?" "I suppose you could call them that, but they don't have any real beliefs that they follow. From what I can tell, they're basically a group of antisocial people that have removed themselves away from society," he explained. "Like I said, they're small, so they weren't even a blip on the FBI's radar. They like their guns, they like disruption of people's lives, and they like living away from large cities. "Walter was arrested for drunk and disorderly, disturbing the peace, and assault just prior to his graduation. His father made it go away, but it was then that his parents cut him off from their support. He was an embarrassment to them." Wes pointed to the screen again. "Walter Sr. told us that his son has access to a piece of property that he can't control, because his son inherited it from his grandparents. It's a rather large cabin set up in the mountains of Northern California, just the other side of Oregon." "Look," Alice stated, pointing to the large screen above. "It's not just for camping. It's a compound. What was a farm, kind of like Aunt Kate's, is now set up like Army barracks." "Walter's father thinks his son has taken charge. Even worse, that his son was using his position at Shady Glen to recruit new members...which may explain young Kurt. But that's just a guess," Wes said with a shrug. "However, there's a reason he's using Lilith as the vehicle to this shit," he sighed, his eyes landing warily on me, and then Edward. "They've asked for ten million dollars and Bella in trade for those two girls, but I'm willing to bet that the next amount he asks for will be more in exchange for Bella back." "Why?" Edward snapped, taking my hand and gripping it. "Because Walter has mouths to feed, followers to take care of, and a shit-ton of taxes to pay on that rather large piece of property, or he loses it. His father thinks he wants to expand up there, but the price of land is steep, and he's repeatedly told his son no." "That's where he's heading to," Carlisle muttered, almost to himself, but Wes nodded in agreement. "If they get away today, that's where they'll head. It's where he'll feel comfortable and where he'll have backup."

Eleazar took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving the satellite image of the mountain compound. "And the second issue we have today?" "Senator Ruiz is speaking right across the street from the train station," Wes stated, raising an eyebrow. "You know, the one that's hiking property taxes throughout the state..." "Oh damn," Jasper huffed. "So the angry little bullies have their target today..." "Exactly," Wes grunted, folding his arms across his chest. "There's more at stake here than we thought." Eleazar's sharp, keen eyes landed on Benny, who looked beyond pissed. "Outside the legal box, Ben," he stated gruffly. "Tell me now..." Benny sighed, shaking his head as he glanced around the room. "The plan stays the same. Nothing changes. Carlisle..." he said, gesturing to my godfather in a sign of surrender. Carlisle walked a few paces, standing at my side, and placed an arm around my shoulders. "Emmett, Eric, Felix, and Alec...you're with me on the perimeter and the garage. Mickey and Sam, you're shadowing Bella from a distance. Edward...the air is yours with Jasper and Eleazar. Benny, you and your men can set up across the street to protect the attendees of this...political thing, but I need you low profile inside that damn station. The arrest is yours...if this goes smoothly." Alice spun to Edward. "I have to set you up as media again, Edward. You won't be the only chopper in the air, so watch yourself, okay?" "Thank you, Alice," he said softly, his thumb rubbing a circular pattern over my knuckles. She stood up, walked to her little work table that she used for small electronic projects. "Bells," she called, turning to hand me a few things. "Here. This is ready, and so is this," she said, handing me Mr. Bunny and my earpiece as everyone around us broke away to load cars and the chopper. "Thanks, pixie," I whispered, tucking Mr. Bunny under my arm and placing the earpiece in my ear. I held up the stuffed rabbit, asking, "Calibrated?" "Calibrated, but not activated. You do that when you're ready...same with the one in your boot. Squeeze them 'til you feel it click," she whispered back. "Why two?" she asked. "Call it a hunch, Alice," I sighed, shaking my head. "Can you tell the difference between them?" "Yup, yup, yup," she chanted, but her brow furrowed. "Please be careful," she begged, wrapping me in a hug. "I will," I breathed, kissing the side of her head. "Stay sharp and do your thing, Alice." With hugs to Rose and Makenna, I left my office after shoving Mr. Bunny into my bag. I stepped out into my yard to a shit load of activity. Feds were loading up in black sedans and SUVs. Carlisle was having one last word with Benny and Wes. And Edward was giving the chopper one last check. I walked to my Mustang, where the trunk was already open and the bag of infernal money was already there. I dropped my personal bag on top of it and slammed the lid. I was to drive alone, followed by...well, everyone else, not to mention the angel in the air over me. Warm, strong arms wrapped around me from behind, and I turned in Edward's arms. He was already wearing his black baseball cap backwards, but his eyes were guarded, fierce. "You be so safe, sweetness," he ordered, swallowing thickly. "I will, I promise," I vowed, leaning up to kiss him. "You focus, Edward. Please." "I don't know what I'll do if something goes wrong today," he groaned, his head falling back with his stress. "You'll find me like you did the first time," I stated cryptically, raising an eyebrow at him. His gaze snapped sharply to mine, his mouth gaping just a bit. "You didn't," he gasped. "I did...or Alice did," I whispered to him. "If something goes wrong...you get with Alice, but stay close. Got me?" I asked, using his same command. He smirked, nodding, and took a deep breath. "Yes, ma'am." "I love you, Edward," I breathed against his lips. "So fucking much." "I love you, too, baby," he said, capturing my mouth with his. "And we'll get her back, love."

I nodded, trying my damnedest not to let my heart run things. We both turned when Carlisle called our names. "Let's go! Load up!" One more kiss, and I let Edward go, watching him walk gracefully to his chopper. Once the purr and whine of his engine and blades started, I fell into my driver's seat, cranking up my car. ~oOo~ The whole lot of us sped towards our destination, unhindered by the fear of getting caught for speeding. I was pretty sure that the caravan behind me containing the FBI and the CIA wouldn't allow it anyway. Occasionally along the way, I caught sight of Edward's chopper off to my side, and I was pretty sure that he was doing it on purpose speeding ahead, only to fall back to keep an eye on me. My radio was filled with activity in my ear, communication with each other, with Edward, and with the local police to let them know we were coming through. By the time I pulled into the parking garage at the San Francisco train station, the sun was up and I had about forty-five minutes to be in the waiting area. I listened intently as everyone called in with their locations, stated their observations, and Alice and Makenna played eye in the sky with Edward. The three of them lived for that fucking camera mounted underneath his chopper. "I've got a fairly large crowd gathering across the street, but most of them are making their way towards the stage that's been set up in the park," Alice stated. "The train yard looks convoluted. How the hell does anyone know where they're all going? It just looks like chaos..." "Mack, anything?" Edward called over the radio. "Let me zoom in on the faces around the entrance and the atrium of the station, Edward," she answered him. "Give me a few." That was what I was waiting on. I wanted to see if Mack recognized Lilith, Walter, or any of the others that were working with them. What I really wanted to know was if she spotted Bethy and Abby. I was parked on the roof of the garage and watched as Edward slowly drifted by several yards in the air. I stood up out of driver's side, slamming the door behind me. "Carlisle?" I called, looking up when he stepped lightly from the steps that led to the next level down. "Waiting on Mack," I told him, and he stopped, giving me a brusque nod. "On it, Bells," she sang softly in my ear. "I've got Benny and Wes...north entrance. I've got Mickey and Sam stepping through the food court. I've got you and Poppy on the top shelf of the garage," she snickered, which caused Carlisle to shoot a wink my way from across the parking lot. "And Emmett on the first level of the garage." She paused as Edward swung her around one more pass, though this time, it was along the short term parking lot along across the street, followed by the drop off lane outside along the front entrance. "There it is!" she squealed. "The minivan that was stolen in Olympia. Tan ugly thing pulling up to the entrance now." "Inside, Mack," I growled, losing my patience and time before I had to have my ass seated in the north end waiting area. "Who's inside?" "I've got Lilith stepping out, along with...Rusty and Walter. The driver looks like it may be Kurt, but... Shit!" she hissed. "No girls...no Bethy, no Abby. What now?" "Fuck," I snapped, pushing away from my car where I'd been leaning and walked back to my trunk. "I fucking knew she'd fuck me over..." I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. "Alice!" I snapped, slamming the trunk. "Yeah," she answered sharply. "Check every hotel that would be en route between here and that fucking compound of Walter's. They've stashed the girls...most likely with Kenny the statutory rapist, but it would have to be close by. Do it now!" I ordered, spinning on my heel to walk toward Carlisle, whose face was fierce as I tossed him the keys to my car. "What are you..." he started, catching the keys deftly. "You might want to drive that home. Your money is in it," I sneered, pissed off to no end, beyond reason, because my maternal instincts were saying I was going to kill this bitch to get my daughter back, but the PI in me wanted to fight fire with fire. "If she's going to double cross me, then turnabout's fair play," I grumbled, taking the steps downstairs at practically a run. "Bella, no!" Edward hissed in my ear. "Bella," Carlisle said, catching up to me and pulling me to a stop on the next landing. "Are you sure this is the way you want to go? They could follow through with this bomb threat... or...or take you!"

"No matter what they fucking do, they're going to do it without that money," I stated, pointing a thumb behind me. "That still leaves me and the girls as a bargaining chip. From what Wes said...this ridiculous D.O.A. group isn't high violence, but they need this fucking money..." "Bella...Jesus Christ," Edward groaned. "Baby, don't do this..." I sighed, trying not to hear the sheer anger and terror in his voice because he couldn't be down on the ground with me. "What do you suggest, Edward?" I countered. "Anyone? Because if we capture them, let Benny arrest them, then we have no fucking clue where Bethy is, and they'll hold out that bit of information. And just what will we have them on? Anyone?" I asked again, but the radio stayed silent in my ear. "Right...nothing. So, let's see what they say when they ask for payment for the girls they didn't bring and I don't have it to give them." I looked up at Carlisle, who seemed to be running every scenario in his head, but was coming to the same fucking conclusion that I had. "You're chipped," he stated, giving me an approved once over as I nodded. "Those girls will need me," I urged, silently begging him to let me go. "They'll take me, but at least I'll be with Bethy and Abby..." I paused, closing my eyes. "Edward...you know what to do..." My godfather's free hand clenched and released at his side, just like his son's did when he was pissed off and stressed out, but he released my arm. "Go, Bella...your time is drawing close..." "Bella," Edward called one more time over the radio. "Be safe, love." "I will," I whispered, squeezing my eyes closed, before grabbing the door that lead into the train station. ~oOo~

BETHY
Abby scooted closer to me when Kenny jumped up from his chair. He walked back and forth by the window of the hotel over and over. He would look at his phone, let out a big breath, and then sit back down again. We didn't want to be left with Kenny. We liked Kurt, but the mean lady and the new man, who told us to call him Walter, took Kurt with them. Kenny was grumpy and said mean things to us. He'd take away our food if we cried, complained, or spoke out loud at all, but at least he left the TV on. I missed my mommy and daddy. I wanted to go home. I wanted my Poppy and Gamma, my tree house, and my room. I wanted movies on the couch with Mommy, where she brushed my hair and braided it. I wanted to help Daddy cook, because he let me try it before it was dinner time. And I wanted my own bed, because I couldn't sleep without goodnight kisses from Daddy, without him telling me to have good dreams. I jumped when Kenny's phone rang and he slammed the door to the next room over. "Did Kurt mean it?" Abby whispered, keeping an eye on the door. "I hope so," I whispered back. "He said he was going to get my mommy before we went to the last place." Kurt had been angry when the lady wanted him to go with her. He wanted to stay with us, but I really thought it was because he didn't like Kenny. At all. They fought all the time. "I have to potty," I told Abby, scooting down the bed. "Don't leave me!" she squeaked, grabbing my hand and following me into the bathroom. We tiptoed to the bathroom, remembering to leave the door open, because the last time we shut it, Kenny got really mad. I went first, and then Abby went, and we both washed our hands. Something slammed behind us, and we turned around to see the window in the shower bang against the wall. It was loose, and the wind outside was slamming it over and over. This was the scariest place we had been so far. The rooms were icky and old. They smelled funny, like smoke and the cleaner that Mommy used to mop the floors. The beds were covered in an ugly blanket with funny looking yellow and orange flowers on it. And the bed was lumpy. When we walked back into the room, Kenny did, too. "What did I fucking tell you about getting up?" he yelled, and we ran back to the bed. Abby started to cry, but I shushed her. "Don't cry...it makes him yell more," I whispered to her, and then looked at Kenny. "We had t-to p-potty," I told him.

"I d-don't c-care," he said back, making fun of my voice. "I said don't move and just watch the fucking TV. You little runts make me nervous. Be still and stay the fuck quiet." "I want my mommy," I told him, trying not to cry. "We all want your mommy," he sighed, falling into the chair again and looking at his phone. "Soon, you little shit. Soon."

A/N... First thing...the DOA and that train station are completely fictitious...they are all from my rather disturbed brain. So there's no real group out there that I'm writing about...it's all from my imagination. Just wanted ya'll to know that... Now...there's nothing more dangerous than a pissed off mom... I just gotta tell ya. It's the mother bear thing. So Bella's hell bent on getting Bethy back. I can't say that I blame her, and there's not a protective mother on this earth that wouldn't do the same thing she's about to do, especially with the resources and backup that she has behind her. Coming up is the ransom drop off...minus the ransom. But you know me...these things never go smoothly, now do they? LOL :) I need to thank JenRar for her beta'ing this story. Thanks to GooberLou for pre-reading it. And to MedusaInNY for all things blog-ish. Heehee And extra loud I love you to MedusaInNY and les16 for love and all the hugs sent my way. I'm getting there, I promise! ;) Phone communication is open, so that makes things better. Mm'kay? O_o We're back on schedule for Wed posting. Let me know what you think, how you think it will go down, and I'll see you Wednesday. Until then...Later.

*Chapter 8*: Chapter 8

A/N...Oh, boy... so most of you agreed with me over an angry Mama... And Bella is as pissed off as they come. I know some of you are worried, and I do need to give you fair warning for this chapter. It is rated M for violence...Mercward and his crew does not go easy on some of these people. Just wanted to give you a heads up. So let's see what Bella does, shall we? Oh Yeah...and there may be cause for a TISSUE WARNING at the end. Just saying...
CHAPTER 8

BELLA
The station was packed with people. Some looked like they were heading off to work, some looked like vacationing families, and the rest seemed to be making their way out through the front doors toward the gathering for Senator Ruiz's speech. In my ear, my location, my every step, along with Lilith and Walter's position were rattled off one by one. I shifted my bag higher onto my shoulder, taking a sweeping glance around the station. To my left sat Mickey and Sam in the small food court area. Up top along the balcony that surrounded the main atrium were a few of Benny's men. Through the large glass front doors, I could see Wes standing by the drop off lane, scanning the crowd across the street and glancing inside every now and then. I walked slowly towards the waiting area just outside a small bar. The carpet was an ugly shade of maroon, the chairs all attached together and black vinyl. Small flatscreen TVs were mounted up in the corners so that everyone could see them, playing the local news or sports depending on which one you were watching. A small family of three sat by the windows, a businessman typed away on his laptop at the edge closest to the train platforms, but it was the last set of people my eyes finally fell on. Walter and Lilith were sitting together, but I wasn't stupid enough to think that Rusty wasn't near. I glanced around again, finding him sitting at the bar, a bottle of beer in front of him. However, his gaze was trained behind me, back towards the food court. I turned around, noticing a young man leaning against the wall by a book shop, a small duffle bag by his feet. "They aren't alone," I muttered in my earpiece. "I've got a suspicious looking guy by the employee entrance. Camo jacket, concert tee, and an iPod." "On it," one of the Feds stated, and the gentleman at the far end of the balcony started making his way down the stairs. "Camo seems to be their signature," Benny stated, "because I've got about six men making their way into the park. Two on the west side of the stage, two on the east, and the rest spreading throughout the crowd. My men...shadow them. The first sign of trouble, take them down...quietly...and get them out of the crowd." "I've got the minivan making another pass through the drop off zone," Edward stated. "It seems he's waiting for a command." As I closed in on Lilith and Walter, I said, "Here we go." I dropped my bag in a seat and sat down across from them. My eyes met Lilith's, and I saw...pure hatred, no empathy, and a small wicked smile curling the edges of her mouth. "Isabella," she sighed, sitting forward. "Where are the girls, Lilith?" I asked, not having the patience for niceties. "In due time," Walter said, crossing one leg over the other at the ankle. "And you are?" I asked, giving him a raised eyebrow, because letting him think we were ignorant was better than spooking him. If he had any clue that we knew everything about him, he'd panic, and we couldn't have him make some rash decision, especially with those girls' lives at stake. "I'm just helping Lilith get what's coming to her," he answered smoothly, his eyes landing on the black bag at my side. "You'll need more than money for that," I countered snidely. "You'll need a cage and muzzle...possibly a stun gun..." I muttered, rolling my eyes at the string of profanities that left her mouth. "Listen, bitch..." Lilith started to lunge for me, but Walter stopped her. "Show us the money, and we'll bring the kids in," he offered, pushing Lilith back in her seat so hard that she grunted. He

obviously knew how to handle her, though he looked like it wasn't out of any sort of caring emotion, but like a trainer with a dog. I was shaking my head no before he even finished. "It so doesn't work that way with me," I stated, my voice low. "I need to...see what I'm paying for, or this meeting is over. You can take your chances with other...people." "I'm not fucking stupid, Isabella," Walter snapped, now starting to show his temper. "I know this place is fucking surrounded." "Then let's fucking cut the shit!" I growled back, my hands in fists in my lap, and I was glad that someone was blaring a baseball game inside the bar to cover my raised voice. "I've got what you want, and you've got what I want. I want to see the girls...now!" "Yes, but what you don't seem to realize is that you're coming with us," Walter chuckled. "Consider it...insurance on getting out of here," he snorted, waving his hand toward the balcony and the front door. He lifted the front of his shirt, where a revolver was seated in the waistband of his jeans. "Are we clear?" "I'm not fucking going anywhere until you release my daughter and her friend inside this fucking station," I countered, knowing for a fact that he couldn't do it, but I was surrounded by the best of the fucking best, so my confidence level was really high. Walter smiled, looked over his shoulder toward the bar, and Rusty nodded, pulling out a cell phone and walking away. "You're coming," he stated, standing up and pulling me up with him. He buried the muzzle of the gun in my ribs. "Grab that fucking bag, shut your fucking mouth, and walk." The problem wasn't doing what he was telling me, or even not knowing where he was taking me; it was the chaos that ensued throughout the building and outside. Fire alarms started to wail as billowing smoke began to fill the balcony, the atrium, and the loading platforms outside. The front doors slammed open with civilians pushing their way outside, at the same time the small radio in my ear began buzzing with activity. The sound of gunfire outside the front doors and in the park across the street met my ears, and I knew then that Walter had just started his distraction. It was chaos in front of a political arena the perfect way to get Federal officers to jump. It was harmless smoke bombs inside the station, but a fire alarm would always scare innocent people. "I've guns in the park!" Benny yelled. "Take them down! Take them down! Someone get to Ruiz, now! Don't let him get caught up in this shit..." "I've got an asshole making their way through the crowd, Benny," Jasper warned. "He's heading straight for that senator." "Take him down...shoot to wound only, J," Eleazar ordered. "I've got that minivan pulling up front!" "Leave it," I hissed as I bent down to grab my black bag a bag that was filled only with clothes for myself and the girls, not to mention Mr. Bunny and my gun. Not one dime was going with us. "I'm off the radio," I breathed, pulling it from my ear like I was scratching it and standing up straight, because this was going to be tricky enough without the money, so I couldn't see adding fuel to that fire by being wired. The last thing I heard before I pulled the earpiece out was, "Bella, no!" from Edward. The crowd outside started to scream and run from the activity. I felt, rather than heard, Edward's chopper blades as he swooped closer for Jasper and Eleazar. I could see Wes trying to guide innocent people out through the front doors as we got closer and closer to the exit, which was getting tougher to see with all the smoke inside the station. I walked calmly out the doors, Walter's gun still at my side, and I gave Wes a minute shake of my head when he flinched at the sight of me. I needed them to let me go. I needed to get to Bethy, even if it was being held against my will. And I needed to face the wrath of Walter and Lilith when they finally realized that they didn't have a fucking dime. Wes' face held worry and anger, but it also held a vow that he would find me. His head spun when screeching tires pulled to a halt in front of the three of us. The side door of the old tan minivan slammed open, and Walter rushed me inside to the backseat. "Get in and get down," he ordered, looking over his shoulder as Rusty barreled his way out the front doors and dove in the van. Edward's chopper swung low and dangerous over the scattering crowd that was heading away from fire alarms and gunshots, the side doors open, with Eleazar hanging out one side and Jasper another. Both were aiming in different directions. His blades stirred up dust, debris, and tree leaves, causing it all to swirl around everyone and just adding to the chaos. He should have been higher, but I had a feeling Eleazar was calling his movements. A woman screamed in the middle of the street when a camo wearing man wrapped her hair around his hand and pointed a gun to her temple, yelling something at a nearby Fed. The D.O.A. member never stood a chance, because Jasper never missed. One resounding pop, and the man's head snapped back. He hit the asphalt, causing the woman to stumble

forward. "Who the fuck are they?" Lilith gasped, her mouth hanging wide as she dove into the car beside me. "Doesn't matter," Walter growled, slamming the minivan's side door. "Go, Kurt... Drive! They won't shoot while this bitch is in this car. She's worth too much." The van lurched forward in another squealing of tires, and we bucked over a curb to avoid hitting a few Feds, as well as a small, crying child. The last face I saw was Carlisle, who bolted from the garage, giving the van a face filled with hatred and worry. Lilith shifted to the very back seat with Rusty, allowing Walter to sit next to me. He grabbed my ponytail, jerking it roughly and practically spitting in my face. "You'll pay for this shit, Isabella," he sneered, holding up a syringe. "You just couldn't do as you were told, could you?" he asked, slamming the needle into my arm and depressing the plunger. My world blurred completely out of focus into nothingness. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Edward, don't even fucking think about it," Eleazar warned as the van that contained my Bella sped away from the shit down below. "I get it...I really do, but if you follow them, they may kill her. She's strong as fucking shit. Let her go for now." "Goddamn son of a bitch!" I growled, wanting to fucking punch someone or something. Anything. "She knew they'd fuck us over. She just fucking offered herself up!" "Ed, she needs to get to the girls, and you know it. Now, your dad said land," Jasper said, pointing over to the garage where Bella's car was parked along the far wall. "Set this thing down over there. Benny is giving you clearance." "Alice!" I barked over the radio. "As soon as I see her turn them on, I'll tell you, Edward," she answered immediately. "Those GPS chips are off, per her request. She wanted to get to Bethy first, okay?" "Ten-four," I sighed in fucking utter defeat, setting the chopper down. I powered her down as Eleazar and Jasper piled out of her to run to my dad, who had just emerged from the stairwell. Once she was off, I scrambled down to join them. "Fucking smoke bombs," he hissed, shaking his head. "Every last one of them was a diversion tactic! Nothing but fucking smoke!" "Casualties?" Eleazar asked him and everyone on the radio. The calls back were two D.O.A. men dead, several civilians injured from trampling and assaults, and two D.O.A. men injured and in Benny's custody. "Alec, Sam, and Mickey...get your asses to the top level of the garage, ASAP," my dad ordered into the radio, and they all grunted with acknowledgment. He pointed his finger to me. "As soon as they get here, you'll stay close, wait for Alice's word, and you can pounce when she says so. There's a small industrial airfield not far from here. You can store the chopper there for now. Take the SUV that Emmett drove, stay low, stay connected." He pointed to Eleazar and Jasper. "El...Benny's going to have to explain this shit, so you'll help him. Jasper, you'll come with me to question those two men that survived." My dad grabbed my arm, pulling me close. "She didn't take the fucking money, and she won't turn those GPS chips on until she's ready for you. My guess is they'll head to that compound, but it's several hours drive. Edward, they knocked her out as they drove past me, so they'll need a place to cool off before the last leg." "Fuck," I hissed, shaking my head as I ran a hand roughly through my hair. "Knocked her out...how?" "Something in a needle. Now...I think your best bet is to start north, lag back a bit, but be fucking ready for whatever Bella does, okay?" "Sir," I sighed with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, glancing up at Alec, Mickey, and Sam as they double timed it across the parking lot. I had planned to wait for her, because the thought of going home without either of my girls made me fucking sick. So it was time to get to work. "Sam, take the keys to the SUV from my dad and meet us at the industrial airstrip just across town. Mickey, Alec...you're with me. We're hanging low in town until we hear from Alice. Load up," I ordered. "Sir," they all grunted. Alec and Mickey jogged to the chopper, and Sam took the keys from my dad.

"Son..." My dad stopped me one more time with a grip to my shoulder. "She's tough. Give her a chance, okay?" he asked, and I nodded as he spun on his heel, barking into the radio, with Jasper on his trail. "Benny, I want those two suspects in a room, now! I have questions!" I looked up at Sam, who was waiting for me. "Let's go," I muttered, going back to my chopper. "I'll guide you into the airfield." "Sure, Eddie," he answered, his voice subdued, but I knew he was worried. I listened intently over the radio as different men checked in, calling an all clear. Emmett called the garage safe, Wes called that the inside of the station was now clear of smoke, but all trains and people were being routed elsewhere, and Benny stated that the senator was now safely away and in the custody of his own security. I could already see the story they were going with: an attempted assassination on a political figure by an unstable militant group. It was easy, and certainly not far from the fucking truth, though I was pretty sure the D.O.A.'s intention wasn't to kill Ruiz, considering they'd used smoke bombs, instead of explosives. I lifted smoothly off the garage, turning away from the train station and calling into the local airstrip. I used the call sign that Alice had assigned my flight, acting like the media. They granted my access, and Alec spoke to Sam to let him know where to follow me. The hurry up and fucking wait feel of things made me uneasy. The loss of my wife made me feel empty. I wanted to storm the asshole's compound right then, taking the lives of anyone that had played just the minimal part in this shit. "Easy, pretty boy," Mickey soothed from the co-pilot seat. "She'll let us know something soon. You know that." "I know," I stated firmly. Of all the things I knew, I had faith that my Bella would fight to give us something. Her determination to get to and protect Bethy was almost deadly. It was all that was keeping her from losing it. And that I completely understood. ~oOo~

BELLA
My tongue felt thick and dry, my head fuzzy. I could hear muffled voices nearby, and I slowly without trying to look awake tried to take a physical inventory on my body. I didn't open my eyes as I tried to move, but I seemed to be sitting up in a hard seat, my arms bound behind my back, my feet to the legs of the fairly wobbly chair. I felt okay, just groggy from whatever Walter had injected into me, but my head was quickly clearing. I peeked an eye open, taking a quick glance around at what seemed to be a very old, very cheap hotel room. It stunk, like old cigarette smoke and cheap cleaner, like stale sheets and spilled beer and pretty recent pizza. From where I was, I couldn't see anything other than the window that was covered by old, heavy curtains, but I could at least tell that the sun was about to set. I closed my eyes again when voices rang in from the other room, because apparently, there was dissension among Walter's little clan. "Damn it to hell, Kenny," a male voice hissed. "What the fuck did you give them?" "Just some night time cold medicine. They wouldn't sit the fuck still!" Kenny yelled back. "Lilith said I could... Hell, they weren't sleeping well at night anyway." "Shut up," Lilith snapped, "the both of you. Kurt, take them in there with that bitch. Put them to bed." I waited, holding my breath, because I knew that they were talking about Bethy and Abby, and my heart was about to pound out of my chest. I was going to at least be able to lay eyes on my baby. But a loud, long string of profanities and the sound of something smashing against the wall of the next hotel room caused me to snap my eyes open completely. Fuck the ruse of being asleep; Walter and Lilith had just discovered what was in my bag. The door between the two rooms was yanked open, and a fuming Lilith stormed into the room. "You stupid fucking bitch!" she snarled, and I braced myself, because her hand was raised before she was even close enough to me to strike. The hit was open handed and stung my cheek, my head snapping to the left. I grimaced, feeling my chair rock on its legs briefly. "What is this shit?" she screamed, holding up clothes and Mr. Bunny. "Well," I started calmly, taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter, because I knew there would be more hits, "I knew you were a piss poor mother with your own children, so I assumed those girls would need all the help they could get. Am I right?" I asked her, glaring at her with pure hatred. God, I really just fucking hated that bitch, and there was no way for me to even try to attempt to hide it.

She threw the clothes and the stuffed animal on the closest bed and swung on me again; this time, the fist was closed. The legs of my chair gave an eerie creak, I was happy to note. I grunted, feeling the sting of a split lip and the warmth of the blood seeping from it running down my chin. I sat up straight again and said, "Hit me again, and I'll kick your ass while I'm still cuffed and in this fucking chair." I was really, really hoping she'd hit me again, because I was going to use the momentum in my favor. I wasn't disappointed, because she came at me full force this time, despite the fact that three men were trying to stop her. Her foot landed in the middle of my chest, and I pushed back at the same time, using gravity and my weight to fall to the floor. My chair gave a satisfying crack, collapsing underneath me, the back giving way to allow my handcuffs to slip off. The legs never stood a chance, and I was rolling across the floor backwards, tucking my feet and legs through and bringing my hands to my front. Launching myself up, I dove for her, driving my shoulder into her stomach and landing on her with a grunt from me and a cry out from her. Using my cuffed hands, I braced myself over her, straddling her stomach. I swung both hands at once, left to right, catching her mouth in a loud and really rewarding smack. I was just about to swing again, when I found myself yanked away from her. "Enough!" Walter growled, gripping my hair, but it was the soft click of the hammer of his gun that stopped me from fighting everyone in the fucking room. He pressed it to my temple, his breathing heavy. "Where's the fucking money, Isabella?" he asked, his voice low and menacing. "No idea," I snickered, spitting blood to the floor. "With my husband? His father? The FBI? No clue." I smirked, looking at him over my shoulder. "Could be with any of them." I shrugged a shoulder in an insolent manner, just to piss him off. "You're the Twi Tech heiress," he pointed out, his eyes dark with his anger. "Couldn't you fucking spare it?" "Maybe," I said with a smile. "Who double crossed whom, Walter?" I asked. "You didn't show with the girls." "Well...now your family will pay double," he growled, throwing me to the bed and reaching into his pocket. "I'm pretty sure that the goddaughter-slash-daughter-in-law of the CEO of a multi-million dollar company will bring a higher price than that little brat in the other room, but both of you...I'm pretty sure Carlisle Cullen won't be able to resist." I chuckled, shaking my head. "You really have no idea what you've done, do you?" I asked, looking up at his now confused face. "Go ahead...call Carlisle. Call my husband. Let them know what you're asking." "Oh, we will, Isabella," he told me, holding up another syringe. "But why don't we save that for tomorrow? You need your rest, and we'll be traveling tomorrow." His voice was snide and sarcastic, and without any hesitation, he sank the needle into my neck, once again plunging my world into darkness. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Thanks, kid. I was starving," Alec grunted as he took an enormous bite of a fast food burger. "You might as well park back here for now," he mumbled with his mouth full. I nodded, parking in the back shaded area of the restaurant's parking lot. It faced the two lane highway we'd been traveling on, but once the sun had started to set, everyone in the car complained about empty fucking stomachs. "Eat, pretty boy," Mickey piped up from the back seat. "You're gonna need it, Ed." "Fine," I sighed, taking the burger she was handing me. What I wanted was a stiff drink, something to take the edge off, but I couldn't do that. I needed to stay sharp, stay alert. I wanted Alice to call and tell me Bella had activated the GPS trackers. I wanted to find both my girls and go the fuck home. And if no, when either of those things happened, I needed to be sober and ready. We'd dropped off my chopper a few hours prior, making sure we had everything we needed out of it before leaving it. Once we'd checked back in with Alice, she told us to start north. Apparently, Bella had yet to turn on either of the GPS chips. "I fucking hate this waiting shit," Sam muttered, wadding up his burger wrapper and taking a long drink from his cup. "I'd rather just...fucking fight." I snorted, turning toward the back seat to look at him. "No shit," I huffed. "You should've seen my dad and me when we were looking for Bella the first time. Stuck at a rest area for hours. Something went wrong with the GPS chip then." "Damn, you don't think..." he gasped, his eyes wide.

"No, definitely not this time," I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Bella and Alice have tested those damn things so many times that they're fucking experts." "Tracked her ass to the damn grocery store," Alec laughed, his head falling back to the headrest of the front seat. "Tracked her ass to the mall...the movie theater...the woods...you name it. Those two have put those chips to the test, along with the rest of us." I grinned over at him, remembering it well. The girls were determined never to let history repeat itself when it came to an emergency. It was like a statewide game of hide and seek around the time Bethy was a year old, which had resulted in Alice becoming damn good at narrowing down location, direction, and even satellite image. I sighed deeply again, taking a sip of soda. "No...this is just...waiting." The phone rang, breaking the silence that had settled over all of us. I hit speakerphone, answering, "Talk to me, Alice." "What road are you on?" "That county road you told us to stick to. Why?" I asked her, taking another bite of burger that I wasn't even fucking tasting. "Good, good, good," she chanted, sounding worn out and frustrated. "Stay on that. As you get farther north, you'll see some hotels. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling they stopped around there. They're old, nasty, cheap things from the looks of it, but they serve a purpose to truckers and shit." "What have you heard from Carlisle?" Alec asked her. "Not much," she stated. "He called to check in just after he interrogated those D.O.A. boys. They both were loyal to Walter Bridges, but when they were threatened with being charged with acts of terrorism by Eleazar and Benny, they opened up a bit." There were a few chuckles in the car, but I asked, "Anything useful?" "Same shit we assumed," she answered. "Walter's wealth had earned him a high spot in the D.O.A., but when his parents cut the purse strings, that's when shit started to go to hell. They needed a place to live, and he provided it. Now...the taxes on the place have piled up, and about thirty people may lose their home." Mickey coughed from the backseat. "What? Thirty people? Are you fucking kidding me?" "Yes, yes, yes," Alice chortled. "Thirty misguided, angry, antisocial gunslingers that follow Walter around like Mary's little lamb. It's ridiculous. And the place seems to run like a little village or cult or...or..." "Commune?" I suggested, thinking she was starting to stutter like me. Before this was all over, poor Alice would have a nervous breakdown. She barely slept, barely looked away from those computers of hers, and I knew it was because she adored Bethy. Adding Bella into the mix may just send her over the edge. "Exactly! A commune," she huffed exasperatedly. "I've had the satellite on them since you guys finished at the train station. They live in little huts, though there is a main house. There's a barn, what looks like vegetable fields, a water well, and some livestock. In all reality, I'd be willing to bet that they don't need...town." I took my baseball cap off, running my fingers through my hair, only to put the hat back on. "What's the access look like up there?" "Bleak," she stated. "One scraggly little dirt road to get up there. Are you asking from an...invasion standpoint?" she asked, giving a little giggle. I grinned, because Alice and I worked really well together; it had been that way since the first time I'd spoken to her on the phone. "Yeah, something like that, pixie." "It would take your chopper, ATVs, and some tough fucking hiking to reach it. It's set deep in the woods and pretty high up on the mountain," she replied. "It would be a bitch to go in." "Thank you, Alice," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Edward?" she called. "Yeah." "From what I can tell...they're heavily armed and fortified up there. It would be a fucking battle," she said, her voice sounding nervous. "Okay, thanks again. Call me when you know something," I told her, and she ended the call. I shook my head, looking over at Alec. "We'd better hope that Bella doesn't get taken to that cabin." He nodded, wadding up his french fry container and tossing it into the bag with the rest of the garbage. "That won't stop

us, kid," he chuckled, gripping my shoulder. "Hell, I'm not even sure it would slow you and Carlisle down." "No shit," Sam and Mickey muttered from the backseat. I smirked and nodded. "No... No, it wouldn't stop us." ~oOo~

BELLA
I woke up feeling the hits that Lilith had put to my face, but at least Walter had left me on the bed. My hands were still cuffed, but he hadn't bothered to readjust them to my back, so they were still cuffed in front of me. A quick glance around the room gave me a little relief. It was late, and everyone seemed to be quiet for now. Asleep in a chair, his head back and mouth open, was the young man I recognized as Kurt Vernon. His legs were stretched out in front of him, with his feet propped up in the chair on the other side of the table. He was young, rather handsome, and a little thin. A gun was sticking up out of his waistband, and his hair was short and almost black, his jaw strong, with a touch of stubble. He snored softly, and I relaxed a bit. I rolled over to look at the other side of the room, and my heart soared. Cuddled around each other were Bethy and Abby. They were sound asleep, a little messy, but completely unharmed, from what I could see. They weren't even tied or restrained in any way. They were still completely dressed, down to their shoes, in the same clothes they'd been wearing since the Lafayette's farm. Lilith's stupid ass hadn't even bothered to bathe them. Another look to Kurt, and I sat up in bed as silently as I could. There were doors leading to neighboring hotel rooms, but they were barely cracked open. The light from the TV flickered through the room, and the bathroom light gleamed brightly. I looked down at myself, grimacing that my boots were missing. "Fuck," I hissed to myself, just barely letting the sound out, because the GPS chip was in the top portion of the right shoe. At least I still had Mr. Bunny, who had been left by Lilith after her temper tantrum. Feeling along the hem of my pants, I found what I was looking for and worked a long, thin metal strip from the material. Alice had hidden several things like that in the cargo pants I was wearing. In less than thirty seconds, I had the cuffs off of my wrists and the metal strip stored back where I had got it. I really needed to thank Mickey for showing me a few of her tricks. I inched off of the bed, giving a snoring Kurt a wary glance before I walked to the other bed. I needed to see my daughter, touch her. I needed to make sure she was really there, because I'd dreamed this type of shit more times than I could count since she'd been taken from me. She was on the outside of the bed, her face buried in her pillow, with Abby's hand twitching at her shoulder. I knelt beside her, reaching up and lightly brushing her hair away from her face. Her face relaxed in her sleep with a beautiful pout on her lips, much like her father's when he slept. Her braids had been taken down, but her hair was a tangled mess. There were smudges of dirt on her nose, chin, and cheek, and her little fingernails were filthy, but otherwise, she was perfect. She sighed contentedly, but suddenly, I was looking into sweet, green eyes. "Mom..." she almost squealed, but I placed a finger to her lips and pointed to Kurt. She nodded quietly, reaching for me and I pulled her down into my lap, wrapping myself around her. She hugged me just as tightly as I was hugging her, and I reveled in the feel, the smell of her. I wanted to talk to her, make sure she was okay, so with one more look Kurt's way, I scooped her up and carried her in the bathroom, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet with her firmly in my lap. "Pretty girl," I whispered, unable to stop my tears. "You have to be so quiet, okay?" She nodded, planting kisses to my face, her little face beaming. She reached up to wipe away my tears, giving me another kiss to my cheek. "I m-missed y-you, M-mommy," she sputtered quietly, but sweetly. "Oh, Bethy," I groaned, holding her closer and allowing more tears to fall. "We missed you so very much!" I cupped her face, kissing her forehead, her nose, and finally, her adorably puckered lips. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" "No, Mommy," she whispered back. "But they aren't very nice...except Kurt." "That one?" I verified, pointing back towards the room. "Yeah," she answered with a nod, and I was proud my girl could stay quiet. "Kurt gives us doughnuts for breakfast and keeps the mean man away. Kenny hates us." "What does Kenny do, baby?"

"Yells, calls us names, takes away our food if we make him mad," she rambled, playing with my hair. "What about Lilith?" "The lady?" she asked, and I nodded. "She doesn't like us, either, but she stays in the other room." I snorted, shaking my head. That sounded like Lilith ignoring children she was supposed to be taking care of. "But no one's hit you, touched you?" I asked her, and it was the most important question I needed answered. "No," she huffed, shaking her head. "I told them not to." "Good, pretty girl. Really good," I sighed in relief, kissing her forehead again and trying not to squeeze her too tightly. I jumped when a slamming sound came from my left, and I looked up at the window. "It's just the loose window, Mommy," Bethy soothed, pointing to the window. "It bangs when the wind blows." "Really?" I asked, setting her on her feet and climbing into the tub. I pulled the screen away, setting it by my feet, and pushed open the window. It was only a few feet to a planter below, and then down to the ground. I studied the thing, thinking I would never fit, but Bethy and Abby could. But I wasn't sure just how brave my girl could be and for how much longer. I took a deep breath, stepping out of the tub and kneeling before her. "I need you to be so brave for me," I said, my voice catching, because despite how much I wanted her with me, I needed her to get away. I needed her safe with Edward. "Okay, M-Mommy," she whispered, her little brow furrowing as she tilted her head at me. "Stay here, and don't move," I ordered her. She sat down on the edge of the tub as I backed away. I snuck back into the room, thankful that apparently, Kurt was the deepest of sleepers. I grabbed Mr. Bunny and the clothes that I'd thought to bring. I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, jotting down a quick note, and tucked everything under my arm, kneeling beside Abby, who had rolled to the edge of the bed in Bethy's absence. With soft caresses to her face, deep, dark brown eyes opened up to me. "Shh," I told her, smirking at her little smile and bending to her ear. "Bathroom, go," I whispered. She clambered off of the bed and tiptoed into the bathroom, with me following behind her. "I told you they'd come," Bethy whispered, and I couldn't help but snicker at my little girl. She was so much like me and Edward, it was scary. I set the clothes on the lid of the toilet, picking up two little sweatshirts. "Arms up, both of you," I told them, tugging the hoodies over their heads. Both girls had ridiculously long hair, so with a quick twist, I pulled their hair up so that it wouldn't catch on anything. The last thing I did was pick up Mr. Bunny, feeling around in his ear. With a firm click, I activated the GPS tracker. A small, red, LED light glowed dimly through the material. "Bethy, look at me. You're going to get Daddy, okay? But I need you to do exactly what I tell you." I waited until she nodded before I continued. "I'm going to lower you both down outside. You take Mr. Bunny, Abby's hand, and don't let go of either, understand me?" "Yes, Mommy," she sniffled, because she'd just realized what was happening. "Come wif us," she urged, big tears filling her eyes. "I can't fit, Bethy," I told her. "You have to go help Daddy, okay? He needs you to help come get me." She nodded solemnly, but looked up at the window and back at me. "Once you're outside, I need you to run, baby," I told her. "Can you both do that for me?" "Yeah," they both said, nodding slowly. "You hold Mr. Bunny, hold each other's hand, and run. Got me?" I verified, before standing up. "Where do we run to?" Abby whispered, wide eyed and scared. "Doesn't matter. Just run. If one of these people follows you, I want you to hide," I told them, stepping into the tub. I reached for Abby. "Be brave, and Mr. Edward will get you home to your Mom, okay?" I asked her, and she nodded. "Okay, stiff legs, and I'm going to shoot you out the window. Hold my hands." I held her tight until she was just mere inches from the planter, and then I let her drop. She wobbled a bit, but held steady,

looking up at me. After telling her to stay there, I scooped Bethy up, who was now full on crying. "I wanna stay wif you," she sniffled, gripping my shirt in two tight fists. "Shh, baby," I soothed her, rocking her a bit. "I really need you to be brave, pretty girl. Please?" I begged, wiping her tears away. "Mr. Bunny will help you find Daddy, okay? So don't let go of him, and don't lose Abby." I kissed her cheek, wiping at more tears. "You have to do this for me, Bethy. Now...tell me," I urged softly, trying not to cry with her. "D-Don't l-lose Mr. Bunny, h-hold Abby's hand. R-Run. Hide if s-someone ch-chases us," she rattled off to me perfectly, still sniffling. Finally, she whispered, "Go find Daddy." I knew that the second I'd activated Mr. Bunny's GPS, Alice was on it. I also knew that Carlisle would never have taken everyone back to mine and Edward's house; he would have left someone close. And if I knew my godfather and my husband, it was Edward out there waiting. I took the note I'd written and tucked it into Bethy's hoodie pocket, whispering, "For Daddy, okay?" I asked her. "A love note, Mommy?" she snickered softly. "Yup," I said with a grin. "Make sure he gets it. Now..." "I love you, and be safe," she sang in a whisper. "You, too, Bethy," I sighed, kissing her one last time, before easing her out the window. I poked my head out, point to my right. "Love you. Go!" I hissed. Once the girls were out of sight, disappearing into the darkness, I pulled myself back in and replaced the screen in the window. I stepped out of the tub, gasping when I realized Kurt was leaning in the doorway. "They gone?" he asked, but I didn't answer him. "Seriously, did you get them the fuck out of here?" I nodded, unsure of what he'd do. Bethy had said he was nice, and everything we'd pulled up on him indicated that he was not a real bad guy, but still, I was in his captivity, and I could see the gun in his waistband. My gun. "Come here," he sighed, holding up the handcuffs. "We gotta make this shit look good," he whispered, grabbing my wrist. "I never understood why Lilith wanted those kids. It's not like she spent any time with them," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "In rehab, she came this shy of saying she didn't miss the ones she had." He put the cuffs around my wrists, but I noticed that he'd left them fairly loose. I smirked up at him. "You're done with her shit," I guessed. "Like weeks ago," he snorted. "But I have to protect my dad... These pieces of shit aren't exactly trustworthy." "Your dad was caught, Kurt," I told him, wincing at his shocked face. "He's been helping us, though." "How much trouble is he in?" "I'm not sure, but...I'm sure we can work something out, since he's been cooperative." "Okay," he sighed, looking like a huge weight was lifted from him. "Now...let's make this shit look like you tried to get away. As soon as we do this, they'll move you to the mountain cabin. They'll try to find those girls first, but we have to send them on a wild goose chase, because you're really who they wanted. Ready?" He smirked, giving me a wink, and I nodded, liking him instantly. "Okay...hit me!" ~oOo~

EDWARD
My knee bounced in the booth of the all-night diner. I'd had way too much fucking coffee and way too much time to think. Mickey and Alec were in the next booth over, babbling to each other over the merits of a good piece of pie, which only made shit worse for me. My Bella made the best fucking apple pie on the goddamn planet. I yanked my baseball cap off, slamming it down onto the table and running a nervous hand through my hair. "Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked, suddenly appearing at my side. Her innuendo was hard to miss, and I found myself trying damned hard not to roll my eyes at her. She was young, with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. I'd put her somewhere between twenty and twenty-five, though I'd gotten really bad at nailing down ages on women, because I just fucking didn't look. I didn't need to. Bella was everything to me. This girl didn't hold a candle next to my wife.

Her name tag said Harley, I noted as I pushed my coffee cup toward her, but said nothing as she refilled it. Sam, who was sitting in the booth with me, did the same, but it was Alec that saved me. "Ah, amore," he crooned, causing her to blush almost redder than her hair. "I was wondering if you could please get me another piece of your...cherry pie," he said, leaning on the word cherry. I grinned into my coffee cup, shaking my head. Who knew I needed a wing man to avoid getting hit on? "Are you Italian?" she asked in a flirtatious manner. "S, rosso, sono italiano ... tutto il senso alla mia anima," he answered her, and I'd known him long enough to know that he'd just called her "Red" and that he'd said he was Italian to his very soul. I wasn't fluent, but when you knew Alec, you picked up his bullshit. He spoke it flawlessly bullshit, that is. She squeaked and turned away from him, even more flustered than before, walking around the counter to get his dessert. "You have no shame," Mickey laughed, putting her face in her hands. "Jesus, Alec, did you teach Eddie that shit years ago? 'Cause damn, he used to be able to do that everywhere we fucking went!" I barked a laugh, looking up at her, and then him. Back in the day, he was fucking fantastic to go out with, especially for a barely in his twenties man. The women flocked to him, loving his sense of humor, just like Emmett, but he was smooth really fucking smooth. "Look at the kid's face," Alec chuckled. "I didn't need to teach him anything when he's walking around with a mug like that. A little guidance on the art of conversation, some sweet compliments, and a girl is putty in your hands...right, kid?" I sighed, rolling my eyes and smirking at him. "Whatever, Alec. However, you are smoother than Emmett ever was, that's for sure." "Aw, Em's a clown...but it worked for him," he chuckled, shaking his head. "And Jazz has that Southern charm shit going for him..." Mickey rubbed her hands together, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, damn, I can't wait to tell Bells this shit!" Sam's impassive face finally broke into a smirk. "Miss Bella owns this man...heart, body, and balls," he chuckled, punching my arm as I snorted at the truth of that statement. "I have a feeling she's well aware of what Little Eddie here is capable of." I nodded, my smile falling, because Bella did own me. I was just about to go crazy with worry for her. It wasn't that she couldn't take care of herself, because she could. It was the worry about what she could be put through. Miller had really messed her up a long time ago, and even though it had brought us together, I'd never fucking forget the fear that would fill her face over simple things like touching. I worried about what she'd find when it came to our daughter, and...fuck, I was just really worried. I didn't know if it was strength and bravery that caused her to decide to go with Walter and Lilith, or fucking insanity over the loss of Bethy. I couldn't judge her, though. At all. Harley, who actually had Harley Davidson ink on her leg, reappeared and dropped off Alec's pie with a smile, a giggle, and another blush, before she had to go greet another patron that was just walking in. "Easy, Ed," Sam said softly from across the table. "We'll get them. If we have to fucking climb that mountain, we'll fucking get them." I swallowed thickly, nodding a bit. "I know...but fuck if I didn't try to shelter them from shit like this," I sighed, sitting back in the booth. "Not your fault, kid. And it's not Bellissima's, either," Alec said, turning in his seat to face me. "Time, man...time." My phone rang and vibrated across the table, and I snatched it up when I saw that it was Alice. The four of us froze. "Please, God..." I breathed, squeezing my eyes closed before answering it. "Talk to me, Alice..." "Holy fucking shit," Alice sqeaked over the phone, "Mr. Bunny just came online." I stood up, tossed way too many bills down onto the table to cover our tab, pulled my cap back on, and said, "Where? Tell me!" Sam, Alec, and Mickey slid out quickly from their seats and followed me out to the SUV. We piled in, and I started the engine. "Take a right out onto the road," she said, and I could hear her typing away furiously at her computer. "You're not far...less than five miles. Go until I tell you to stop, because Mr. Bunny is on the move. Slowly, but moving, nonetheless," she stated. "God, Alice, you're gorgeous," I breathed into the phone, smiling at her giggle. "And no more bullshit about facial grids.

You still haven't convinced me that science knows what's pretty or not." "You were a nine-point-eight, you jackass!" she huffed, and I could almost see her rolling her eyes. "No woman has scored that high. No wonder Mick calls you pretty boy." "I did that shit to shut you up!" I snorted, rolling my eyes at Mickey's laughter. "Talk to me, Alice...I'm closing in on five miles." "Stop the car," she ordered. "You're right on top of the signal. What's around you?" I pulled the SUV into a parking lot of a boarded up gas station. "I've got an old, closed up gas station, woods...lots of woods on either side of me, and like a mile ahead, there are like three signs for motels." I scanned the area, deciding to get out. "Everyone out! Keep your eyes peeled," I ordered, and the car emptied of everyone in it. "Weapons at the ready. Don't take any chances," I commanded, motioning for them to spread out. "Hang on, Edward," Alice said, typing away. "I'm going to use your cell signal and narrow it down for you." "Okay," I breathed, my eyes scanning the darkness. "Got it, got it, got it," she sang. "Go forward about two yards, on your right. The signal is still moving." "Ten-four," I huffed, breaking into a run, stopping when she told me to. I pulled the phone away from my ear so that I could hear what was around me and not Alice's furious typing skills. It was then that I heard the snap of a twig, the hushed whisper, and the pounding of footsteps on my right. I spun to look, and my heart stopped. "Bethy?" I called as I unceremoniously ended the call, and the girls screamed. "Come here, it's just me," I told them, and they burst out of the darkness of the forest, their little legs running as fast ast they could. "D-Daddy!" my daughter gushed, flying into my arms. She was holding Abby's hand and didn't look like she was about to let it go, and Mr. Bunny was firmly tucked under her arm like a running back with a football. "Jesus, Bethy," I groaned, wrapping my arms all the way around her, because it seemed like ages since I'd seen her last. I pulled her back from my neck to look at her. "Are you girls okay?" I asked, pulling little Abby to me, because she looked lost and tired and like she could use a hug. "Yes, Daddy," Bethy said as Abby just nodded. "You sure? Abby, sweetheart, you okay?" I asked her, setting a girl on each of my knees. "I want to go home, Mr. Edward," Abby whispered, clinging to me fiercely. "Okay, sweetie," I sighed, kissing both of their foreheads. "Where's your mom, little sweetness?" I asked. "Back there," she said, pointing towards the motels. I nodded and started to stand up with a girl in each arm, but Mickey suddenly appeared, offering her help. "Come here, Miss Abby," she crooned. "I'm Bethy's Aunt Mickey," she said, introducing herself, but before Abby would move, she looked to Bethy, who was nodding. Sam whistled from across the road, pointing towards the motels. "We've got company," he stated, and I could see his worry, because the damned road had been dead since just after one in the morning and that car was pulling out of a motel up the way. "Get them in the car! Now!" I snapped to Mickey, and we turned to run. Mickey opened up the back door and ushered Abby into the SUV, turning to take Bethy from me. "Girls, get down onto the floor, and don't move, okay?" I said, waiting until both little bodies were huddled behind the driver's side seat. "Good girls," I breathed, pulling my weapon from the small of my back. "Alec," I called. "Got you, Ed," he stated, bolting from behind the SUV to the other side of the road, because a beat up sedan was rumbling to a stop. We had the vehicle surrounded, though I wasn't sure they knew it. I could barely see from the shine of the SUV's headlights combined with the shine of the sedan's. When a bullet pinged off the asphalt at my feet, I dove behind the gas station's old rusty sign pole. Glancing around, I saw that Mickey was well hidden on the other side of the SUV's fender. I could see her face; they'd have to get past her to get back those girls. I heard another gunfire pop loud in the quiet night and the sound of breaking glass. However, it was the sound of a man's scream that made me smile. I took a chance and stepped away from my hiding spot, motioning for Mickey to stay put and

for Alec and Sam to approach with caution and weapons up. When I got to the shot out driver's side window, I couldn't help but sneer. It was the fucker that had dared put a gun to Abby's temple, the one that told me he'd throw the two girls out on the highway going sixty. It was Rusty fucking Carnes, and he was holding his shoulder as it bled beautifully down his arm. "Oh hell," Alec sighed, once he realized who was driving. "Walking dead man," he muttered to Sam, who only shrugged. Using the butt of my gun, I cleared away the rest of the glass from the window and smashed it into the motherfucker's face. "Don't move," I growled low. "Shit," he spat, not able to hold his arm and his busted face at the same time. A quick scan of his car told me that when Alec had shot him, he'd been unable to hold his weapon. It was lying on the floorboard on the passenger side, among fast food bags and dirty clothes. "Gun," I muttered to Sam, who smashed the passenger side window and grabbed Rusty's weapon. "What did I tell you when you took these girls?" I asked Rusty, gripping his shirt and smacking his face hard. He groaned and shook his head. "Tell me!" I snapped, slamming him into the steering wheel. "Th-That I was dead, okay? Fuck, stop smashing my fucking face!" he cried out. "That's right...dead," I said, looking over at Alec. "Find me a stick, man. About the length of a broomstick," I told him, and he smiled, running off to the edge of the woods. "Did you think I was lying, Rusty?" I asked, and his head snapped around to meet my gaze. The look of shock that I knew who he was was written all over his face. "Oh, I know you," I crooned, smiling evilly at him. "Rusty Carnes...stupid enough to have a child with a fucked up bitch same bitch that killed her, too, if I'm not mistaken. Ex-con...did four years for narcotics possession, attempted robbery, and assault on a police officer. Tsk, tsk," I chuckled. "Tell me, Rusty," I continued, smacking the lump that was forming on his forehead from the butt of my gun. "Did you think I wouldn't follow through? Did you think I was just some...regular dad? Look around you, man. No one will know what happened to you. No one. From the smell of you, your past record, and the fact that there's not a soul out here to see it, they'll think you were just another piece of shit drunk driver." Alec appeared at my side, chuckling down at the man in front of me. "Any last words?" he asked Rusty as he handed me a stick. "You won't find her," he sputtered, spitting blood out the window, just barely missing me. "They've checked out already," he snickered, trying to jerk his thumb behind him toward the motel. "Boy, oh boy, were they ever pissed she set those girls free..." I smiled again, saying, "Oh, I bet they were. But guess what... I know where they're going, asshole. And by the time I get my wife back, Walter's little Boy Scout cabin on the mountain will be ash." His eyes widened again, and his mouth gaped like a fish out of water at what I knew about him. If I didn't have the answer before, I certainly had it now. From the look on his face, I was spot on with where they were headed. "Say goodbye, Rusty," Alec sang like a child, waving at him. Sam appeared at my side, holding his hand out. "Let me," he grunted, his face dark and almost scary. He jerked a chin toward the SUV and said, "Don't let them see you do this. Let me, okay? Pick me up on your way back." I looked up at him, and then at two little faces peering around Mickey through the SUV's windows. I nodded back at him, handing the stick over. "Come on, Alec," I sighed, walking away from the fucker that had dared point a fucking gun at two little girls at my little girl. It felt like unfinished business, but I knew he was right. "You drive," I said, tossing him the keys. I pulled out my phone, calling Alice, but it was my father that answered. "Son?" "Hey, I've got the girls," I said, crawling into the back seat with them. Bethy immediately clambered up in my lap. "And Bella?" "We're going to check, but the...guy we just questioned said that they're gone," I told him, having to watch my language again. "I'll call you back." "Sure, Edward," he muttered, and we ended the call. Alec drove quickly up the street, but slowed down. "Bambina, which one, sweetheart?"

"That one, Unca Alec," she answered. "Rooms two, three, and four." "Smart girl," I chuckled, kissing her temple and vowing to myself that Alice deserved a medal for that computer game she'd written for Bethy. It really fucking worked, because my three year old knew her numbers. When we pulled in, all three doors were open, and what looked like a motel employee was wandering around. She was an elderly woman, who looked up when we parked the car. "Are you the cops?" she growled as we piled out of the SUV. "Stay here, ladies," I told the girls, and they nodded, clinging to each other at the sight of the motel. "Not exactly," Alec answered the old woman, pointing to the rooms. "Empty?" he asked, and she nodded. "Hell, yes, empty," she huffed. "Empty, with broken lamps, non payment for the last night, and they made a helluva lot of noise when they bolted out of here like bats out of hell." I grimaced, shaking my head. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet. "Here, ma'am," I sighed, handing her more than enough to cover the three rooms and the damage. Hell, from the look of the place, the amount I'd just given her could have rented me a room for a fucking month. "No need for the police. That should take care of it." Slightly placated, she sniffed, taking the money, and looked up at me. "Thanks," she said, smiling a toothless smile and walking away. "Search the rooms anyway," I told Alec and Mickey. "I need to tell Bethy..." I walked to the back door of the SUV, waving my daughter forward. "Little sweetness, are you about ready to go home?" I asked her, trying to put this shit off or cushion the blow... I wasn't sure which. "Not wifout Mommy," she huffed, looking at the motel rooms and back up to me. "M-Mommy s-said that I w-was suhposed to help you c-come g-get her," she stated, but my little girl wasn't stupid; she could read me like a book just like her mother. "She's not here, baby," I told her, catching her before she could storm inside the room. "No, Daddy!" she cried, fighting me and reaching toward the motel. "She said to bring you back. She said, Daddy... She told me to be brave and to go get you!" "And you were brave, Bethy. You did just what she told you to," I told her, kissing her temple, because my girl was just about to lose it. "We'll find Mommy, I promise." "But I want her now," she said, finally losing her composure. "I want Mommy!" she screamed through hiccuping sobs and heartbreaking tears. Bethy never really pitched tantrums, and this wasn't one of those anyway. This was pure heartbreak, and probably a touch of exhaustion thrown in on top of it all. This was huge tears and a trembling chin, and more sadness than I could help her with. "I want Mommy, too, little sweetness, but we have to find her first," I whispered to her, trying not to cry with her, because she was fucking killing me. In all fucking honesty, I wanted Bella back just as much as she did. I wished I could emotionally break down with her. "Daddy...no," she sobbed, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face in my neck. "You hafta get her for me..." I looked up when Mickey and Alec emerged from their search, and both of them looked wrecked as they watch Bethy completely shatter. It wasn't something that happened very often, because she was such a happy-go-lucky kid. "I'm sorry, Bethy," I whispered, kissing the top her head and rubbing her back as she cried. "I promise to find her, baby. I promise," I vowed to her over and over. I jerked my chin toward the SUV. It was time to go. I crawled into the very back seat, keeping a still crying Bethy in my arms. Mickey took the seat next to Abby and helped her strap in. Alec cranked the SUV and pulled back out on the highway, just as a large fireball loomed in the distance. "Pick up Sam," Mickey muttered wryly. "Guess that stick to the gas pedal worked, huh?" "Yeah," I sighed, slouching down in the seat so that I shifted Bethy onto my chest, because she was crying herself to sleep. "Call my dad, Alec. Tell him we're heading home." With one last glance at the motel, I sighed and shook my head. Once again, I had half my family, and despite how grateful I was, I wanted it whole. I closed my eyes, inhaling my sad little girl's hair and sending up a silent message to Bella.

I love you and be safe. A/N...I know, I know... This was a true roller coaster of a chapter. But the girls are safe. Bella is holding her own, and took quick advantage of a golden opportunity. Still with me? Still chanting HEA? ;) Coming up, you'll get to see where Bella ends up. You'll see Edward deal with Bethy being home. And a little more info. I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing everything I've sent her. Thanks to GooberLou, who helped me plan the ransom drop gone wrong. And to MedusaInNY for all things that have to do with my blog...and her big love sent my way just about every day. Everything I've written is beta'd...so we're on track for Sunday posting. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one. You were quite supportive of Bella in the last chapter. Are you still? ;) Okay...until Sunday... Later.

*Chapter 9*: Chapter 9

A/N...Your response to the last chapter was amazing. I'm certainly glad I thought to add a tissue warning at the last minute, because you guys needed it apparently. You won't need one for this chapter, I don't think. I do think the cuteness level between Mercward and his Little Sweetness is at an all time high though, so just prepare for that. LOL But I know it's Bella that you're worried about, so let's get back to her and Kurt...and see what his motivations are...
CHAPTER 9

BELLA
"Hit me!" Kurt said. His grin was infectious. I huffed an incredulous laugh, shaking my head, and brought both my hands up. "Are you sure?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Yes, hurry!" he hissed, looking back into the room, and then back to me. "Make it good, and then we're going to pretend I caught you outside, okay?" I gave him a warning with my eyes before swinging on him. I made sure to clip the spot by his brow, causing the skin to split and bleed. "Shit," he hissed, doubling over. When he stood back up, he looked in the bathroom's mirror and fucking grinned. "Perfect. Let's go." He grabbed my wrist and tugged me out behind him, quietly opening the motel room door that led out to the parking lot. He urged me to the end of the property, and then turned me around. My bare feet slapped the pavement, and that was the only sound that could be heard in the darkness. "Now, fight me...and be loud about it," he snorted. I stopped him, just for a moment. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" I asked him, and surprisingly, he met my gaze. "Adults can fuck with each other all they want, but it pissed me the fuck off when Rusty and Kenny showed up with two babies," he grunted, rolling his eyes. "I have a little sister. That shit would not be cool if it was her, you know?" "Bethy said you were nice to her," I told him. He smiled, fondly I noted, and said, "She's something else. Brave little thing. Wouldn't let no one touch her without permission, and even then, it was limited picking her up, putting her in a car. Kept reminding me not to talk with my mouth full," he chuckled. "The other one was scared to death. That shit wasn't right." He paused and sighed. "Besides, I hate Lilith...and Dr...fuck that. Walter is just an asshole. I'd let you go, but they'll kill my mom and little sister. Without me there, they have no protection. I saw the people that were working with you. I can't wait until you take them down for what they did to me, to you, to my dad." I studied his face for a split second, and then nodded. "Okay...let's do this." He turned me around and grabbed my hair. "Go," he whispered. "Get the fuck off of me!" I yelled, reaching back and pretending to fight his grasp. "Let me go!" "Maybe if you hadn't run on me, bitch," he countered loudly. Suddenly, two motel room doors slammed open. "What the fuck are you doing?" Walter hissed, looking up at one end of the motel to the other. "What the fuck happened?" "Bitch ran on me, Walt. Damn. What the hell does it look like?" Kurt snapped back. "She set those kids free. I barely caught this one. Look what she did to my eye, man!" "Rusty!" Walter yelled, and a scruffy looking, rather smelly man came forward. "Go track down those kids they can't be far and then follow us to the mountain." He pointed a finger at Kurt. "Get her shit and get her in the fucking van. Tie her down if you have to, and if she gives you any more shit, gag her. It's time to go." "Are you gonna give me shit?" Kurt asked, barely keeping his smile at bay once Walter had stormed back into his room. "Are you gonna give me my fucking shoes back?" I countered with a real question, but I laced it with a venomous tone.

"We'll see," he whispered, guiding me into the room. "Get your stuff." I grabbed my jacket and followed Kurt back out to the van as he held my gun. In seconds, Kenny, Lilith, and Walter piled in with me. We pulled out without any lights on, and I swore I heard two gunshots behind me. Spinning around to look out the back window, I could barely make out two sets of headlights in the middle of the street. "Think they made it?" Kurt whispered from the seat next to me. "If they did, then your pal Rusty didn't," I breathed back, looking up as he smirked. It was a good thing we were facing the wrong way. "Good," he sighed with a nod. "This next part will be...unpleasant, Bella. I'll do my best to protect you," he said, taking advantage of the fact that Kenny had turned on the radio. I nodded, swallowing thickly. "Okay." There wasn't much more to say than that. I was now on my own, and once again...I was someone's prisoner. ~oOo~

EDWARD
I don't think I'd ever been as grateful for Esme as I was by the time I landed the chopper at home. Sam had opted to drive the SUV back, so he wouldn't arrive for several hours. However, Mickey and Alec rode with me, taking care of the girls as I flew us home. It had been a quiet flight, because both girls pretty much slept the whole time, and Alec and Mickey didn't want to disturb them. Benny and Wes immediately whisked Abby off to her mother, despite the early morning hour. I had no fucking clue what story they were going to give Mrs. Carmichael, but I was sure it pretty much didn't matter. The woman had her little girl back. Esme took a quiet and wrung out Bethy from me, saying a bath and some clean clothes would do her a world of good. "Maybe even some breakfast, huh?" she asked her as Bethy lay her head on Esme's shoulder. Bethy picked up her head and looked at me. "Pancakes, D-Daddy," she muttered. "Yeah?" I chuckled, just happy to see she wasn't crying anymore. "I think we can do something about that, little sweetness," I told her, kissing her temple and whispering a thank you to Esme. "Go get a bath and come see me about a stack of pancakes, baby." "Okay, Daddy," she sighed, clinging to her grandmother as they walked down my hall. By the time Esme had her in a warm bath filled to the brim with toys and bubbles, Bethy's spirits started to lift. She babbled about doughnuts and cartoons, but when she mentioned Kurt, my dad and I froze in the living room. "Kurt was nice," she chirped, and I could hear splashing in the tub. "How was that, sweet one?" Esme urged softly, though at this point, I'd be willing to bet she was in full doctor mode. "He wouldn't let the mean man yell at us or take our food," she stated. "He let us watch all the cartoons we wanted." "And who's the mean man, Bethy?" "Kenny. I didn't like him. He made Abby cry and pointed a gun like Daddy's at us." "I'm gonna kill a motherfucker," I muttered, shaking my head. My hands fisted at my sides as my temper practically made me shake. My dad smirked, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Relax. When Benny gets back, we'll talk about that mountain cabin." "What about the lady?" Esme continued. "She wasn't nice, either, but she didn't stay in the room wif us. I don't think she likes kids," Bethy whispered conspiratorially. "And what happened when you saw Mommy?" "Mommy woke me up," Bethy said, and her demeanor changed to really excited. "I gave her kisses on her bruises." "What bruises?" I breathed at the same time Esme asked her the same thing, and my pacing started from the living room to the end of the hallway. "They were on her cheek," Bethy answered. "Then she woke Abby. She put us in sweatshirts, and...Oh!" she gasped. "Mommy gave Daddy a love note! D-Daddy!"

"Oh shit," I groaned, looking to my father before walking to the bathroom. "Where, little sweetness?" "My front pouch," she said, pointing to the pile of dirty clothes on the floor next to Esme. My little one was covered in suds, and so was Esme, for the most part. "I forgot, D-Daddy." I fumbled around with her clothes, finding the folded piece of paper all crinkled and nestled in the corner of her hoodie's pocket. I pulled it out, recognizing my wife's neat script. "It's okay, baby," I told her, bending down to kiss her nose the only place that didn't have suds on it. "You missed a spot," I chuckled, scooping up a handful of bubbles and plopping them on her nose and the top of her head. "Daddy!" she squealed into an adorable giggle. I was just barely able to avoid her splashes as I left the bathroom. I opened the note and began reading, as my dad followed along over my shoulder.

Edward, I'm sending the girls to you. I couldn't get them and myself out. I'm sorry...I didn't have a choice. They will most likely move me tomorrow, but they've taken my boots from me, so I can't set off the other chip yet. They will ask for double the amount and will call you or Carlisle. Try not to give in. Try not to give them any indication how much info we have on them. Baby, I don't know what that place will be like, but please know I can tough it out as long as it takes for you to come get me. I love you so very much. Be safe. Bella
"Damn," my father sighed, shaking his head and giving my shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry about the money, son. I'll take care of it," he stated, making sure I was listening. "We'll get her back." "I know," I sighed with pure nerves and worry. I ran a hand through my hair, holding up the note. "She sounds...in control here," I told him. "Like she's okay. She's reassuring me." "I'm sure she is," he agreed, "because she knows what your fear is when it comes to this. The fact that she doesn't have access to that chip worries me, but her statement about not giving away anything to Walter makes me think he has no clue as to what we know." "They don't," I grunted, looking over at him. "That Rusty guy was completely shocked that I knew who he was and where Walter was heading." I paused for a moment, skimming over Bella's letter again. "Maybe Benny's right," I said with a shrug. "They have no idea what's coming their way, because our...identities aren't completely factual." My father smiled, and it was evil, wry, and completely smug. I couldn't help but chuckle at him. "Oh, son, I'm betting on that," he snickered, looking over my shoulder as we read the letter one more time. "They'll never underestimate anyone again. Not that they'll live through this..." As we finished, a squeaky clean Bethy in bright purple pajamas came running into the living room. Her hair was still damp, but at least brushed out, and her skin practically gleamed. "Pancakes," she ordered, wrapping her arms around my leg. "Yes, ma'am," I said, pocketing Bella's note. "Blueberry or chocolate chip?" I asked, walking with her still attached to my leg. "Boo-berry!" ~oOo~

BELLA
It was a long, agonizingly boring drive up the mountain, but just as we neared the top, things became interesting. The road was dirt and bumpy. It was crooked and winding, but it was also guarded at the very top. Two heavy metal gates met at the center of the road, chained and secured with a padlock. Two men stood sentry on either side, automatic weapons slung over their shoulders. But they looked...amateurish. They looked like criminals and ruffians Jasper would call them rednecks. Or maybe it was because I was used to rock solid, disciplined, no-nonsense, professional soldiers. I was used to perfect postures, steely glances, and faces that screamed do not fuck with me. I was used to real military garb, not plaid shirts, dirty tees, and ratty old jeans. I smiled to myself, shaking my head, because I missed my husband and my family and crew, but I could almost

see their faces at the sight of this place. Despite the fact that I was held captive, I wasn't as nervous as I'd expected to be. Walter wasn't driven to sexual dominance like Miller was. He wasn't a sadist. He was an asshole that was money hungry. I could handle being locked up, and I took solace in the fact that this guy had shown no inclination to fucking touch me. I could survive anything but that. The gates were unlocked, and we were waved through. The road wound around a clump of trees, and we came out onto a really large piece of property. Alice had brought up the images, but it didn't really show the sheer size of the place until I was actually on it. There was an extremely large three story home that was the focal point of it all, but spreading over the entire piece of land were small hut-like buildings. They looked to be the size of the average hotel room, with a small front porch included. From where I sat in the back of the van, there were about twenty five of them spread out. At my far right was a building that looked like it had once been a horse paddock. It was red with white trim, and the main doors were propped open. I could see that this place was once a home or at least a vacation home but now, it was a compound. "Let's go!" Walter growled, waving his gun at me as he stepped from the van. I nodded and crawled my way out of the back of the van, hissing when my bare feet hit cold rock. "It's fucking freezing up here. Can I at least have my shoes?" I asked him, unable to hide my disdain. "We'll see," he said with an irritating smirk that I'd have liked to smack the fuck off of his face. "Fine, jackass. Wait, then. When I die of pneumonia, there won't be any money to be had," I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes at him. "Yes, but maybe a little suffering will knock that spoiled rich girl out of your system," Lilith added with a laugh. "Bitch, I can show you spoiled..." I growled, taking a step toward her, but Kenny and Walter stopped me. What was satisfying was her fearful step back from me. Handcuffed or not, I could add another bruise to her face. And she knew it. "I've never been spoiled," I snapped. I pointed at her. "Lilith, one day, you won't have these guys to protect you..." I warned her with a raised eyebrow. I heard Kurt snicker quietly, but he said nothing. He couldn't really say anything, because he needed to act his part, if only to protect his sister and mother. I understood what he'd meant when he said he couldn't let me go. Walter could order a hit on his family, especially with as many men that he had under him. And now that Kurt's father was under arrest, there would be nothing Kurt could do. There would be no way for him to get to his mother and sister quickly enough. "Let's go!" Walter stated, losing his patience with the whole situation. He grabbed my arm roughly, shoving me so that I would start to walk. "Kenny," he grunted, "show Isabella where she'll be staying." "Gladly," Kenny chuckled, gripping my shoulder and marching me toward the side of the barn. "You'll love this," he snorted, and I could see where he was leading me. It looked like a storm shelter, or a bomb shelter from the fifties. Steps led down to what was once a door and was now a steel barred gate. It was a fucking jail cell underground. I remembered a time when I couldn't even step near a basement or anything underground thanks to Miller but I eventually overcame that last fear just before Bethy was born. Kenny unlocked the gate and shoved me inside. "Yo, asshole! I brought you company!" he yelled into the darkness of the cell. He flicked on a dim light, wearing a shit eating grin. "Hey...Humpty Dumpty!" Inside were three more cells, all wrapped in steel bars. They were just barely big enough for the cots, the toilets, and the sinks that filled them. In fact, it looked like the jail from an old western movie, where the town drunk went to sleep it off for the night. I caught movement in the dim light provided by a low watt bare bulb that hung from the ceiling. As Kenny led me into the cell on the far left, I looked over at the one on the far right and sighed. Christopher Douglas the drunk driver who had killed the Greenes and Lilith's daughter, Ashley was staring, ashen faced and nervous. I shook my head as Kenny slammed and locked my cell. It didn't make sense why he was here, unless Lilith really was out for revenge. I had thrown that theory to the wayside when we figured out Walter's part in all of this. Christopher had no real money that I knew of. In fact, his criminal record was proving difficult for him to find a job not to mention he was still an alcoholic. I looked back to Kenny, who was staring me down. I could remember with complete clarity my daughter's instant dislike of him, and for just a moment, I saw what she did: a lack of compassion, an evil smirk, and a love for watching others' fear. "What?" I sneered. "You look like you know chubby-fat ass over there," he stated, tilting his head at me. "I do," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Christopher Douglas from Seattle," I started, looking over at a rather shocked Kenny,

and an even more shocked Christopher. "Thirty-two years old. Five-foot-ten. Two-seventy-five...give or take. Arrested a few years ago for drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. Killed a family of three and a semi truck driver. He's currently living with his mother and working part time at a local fast food restaurant. Disappeared about two weeks ago, but I guess we've found him..." Kenny huffed a laugh. "I guess we did." He walked to Christopher's cell and rattled the door. "She sounds like she hates you just as much as Lilith there, Tubbo. Not exactly popular with the ladies, are you, bud?" "Go away, Kenny," Christopher whined, sitting down on his cot, which gave a creak under the weight of him. Kenny laughed, his head falling back as he left us, locking the main gate on his way out. I heard his steps ascend up, only to fade away once he hit the grass. Thankfully, he left the light on. "Do I know you?" Christopher asked, standing up and walking to the side of his cell. He gripped the bars as he stared through the empty cell between us. "Yeah, you probably do," I sighed, looking up at him. "You killed my friends." ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Who are the babies, Daddy?" Bethy asked as I carried her through the house. She was pointing to the group of pictures on the wall in our living room. I just needed the contact with her. She had been gone too long, and she smelled sweet and clean. She seemed to only really want to talk to me, so I humored her, and it helped that she looked so much like Bella when she tilted her curious head at me that it was comforting. After she took a quick nap and I sat in on my father and Eleazar's discussion concerning the next steps, I hadn't been able to put her down. "You know who that is," I chuckled, kissing her temple as she gripped my shoulders. "Tell me." "That's you and Mommy!" she giggled, continuing to stare at the picture that Charlie had left Bella in an album. It showed the two of us the day that Bella was born, all curled up together in the same bassinet. Our parents loomed proudly around us. "That's my girl," I crooned, kissing her temple again. I was trying to find the courage to leave her with Esme, because they needed me to run a reconnaissance flight in the chopper. Alice had studied the satellite images until she said she was going blind, but she wanted zoomed in shots, thermal shots, and a full picture of what we had to deal with. Benny and Wes hadn't returned from their trip to Mrs. Carmichael's, so we weren't sure where we stood with them. However, my father and Eleazar weren't really waiting. They wanted to start a plan, and soon. My father was even contemplating calling in some old buddies to help us. But they needed detailed photos in order to do anything. "And that's you and Mommy," she stated, pointing to mine and Bella's mothers on the front steps of Aunt Kate's. She was specifically pointing to the two rather large bellies. I chuckled again. "Yes, ma'am," I said, unable not to smile, because those pictures meant the world to me and Bella. Bethy studied a picture of our wedding day, my wife's belly huge with Bethy. "That's me," she whispered, turning to look at me. "Oh yeah," I said with a grin. "You made Mommy crave tacos and bananas the weirdest thing I've ever seen someone eat at the same time, and I've seen men eat scorpions in the desert." "Ew!" she giggled, her little nose wrinkling so adorably that I couldn't help but rub my own against it. "You aren't suh-posed to eat bugs!" I laughed and shrugged. "I didn't. But they say scorpions taste like peanuts." "Y-Yucky," she huffed, reaching up to touch the picture. "Little sweetness, I have to go to work," I started softly. "I need you to stay with Gamma." "No, no," she countered, shaking her head. "No, D-Daddy! I come wif you!" "I won't be long...just a few hours," I told her, but I never should've tried to reason with a three year old. "No, p-please, D-Daddy," she begged, grabbing both sides of my face as big tears filled her eyes. "You'll leave, like Mommy!" I sighed, walking her to the sofa and sitting down with her in my lap. "Elizabeth Renee, listen to me. Your mommy didn't

leave you, baby. She was taken. She wouldn't leave you in a million years and for all the money in the world. Do you understand me?" I verified, and she nodded. "She loves you more than anything." "P-Please?" she begged again, scooting closer on my lap. "I'll be good. I promise. Mommy told me to help you!" I heard chuckles from the doorway, and I looked up to see my father and Esme watching us. Alec was leaning against the wall in the background, because he was supposed to fly with me. It was the big, sad, green eyes looking up at me through really long, dark eyelashes that just fucking killed me. It was the slight tilt to her head, but most of all, it was the tenacious grip on my t-shirt that finally had me giving in. "Not without a jacket, little sweetness," I sighed in defeat, because I just fucking couldn't tell her no. "But listen to me," I told her before she got down from my lap. "There will be a point where you can't go, baby. And I need you to be strong for that, okay?" She nodded, kissing my cheek, muttering, "J-Jacket!" She scuttled off down the hallway, and I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Shit," I hissed softly, shaking my head. Esme sat next to me, putting a comforting arm around my shoulders. "You're doing the best you can, sweetheart," she soothed. "It's safe for her to go, yes?" "Yeah," I sighed, looking up at her with a nod. "We'll be pretty high up, so no one will get a good look at us. One pass just before sunset, and another after dark. We'll be right back." "Well, then take her, son," my dad urged, wearing a sympathetic smile. "She obviously needs you." "She's handling this remarkably well, Edward," Esme stated softly. "So far...no nightmares during that nap, no lashing out...just..." "Clinging," I finished for her, looking down at my hands. "I'm worrying about when I have to leave her for this...next phase." I glanced up at my father, and then Esme. "You're seriously underestimating my grandmother magic," Esme huffed, rolling her eyes. "I can handle it, son." My dad and I laughed, and I raised my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay," I chuckled, opening my arms when Bethy came back into the living room. "Ready, little sweetness?" "Yup," she chirped, turning to the coffee table and picking up my baseball cap. She reached up and put it on my head backwards, like I always wore it when I flew. "Now mine, D-Daddy," she commanded. God, she was cute. She handed me her own little pink baseball cap and a hoodie. She was wearing her hair half up, jeans, and a pink camo t-shirt. As much as Bella tried to dress her girly, sometimes, she was all tomboy. "Arms up!" I ordered, and her little arms shot in the air. I tugged the tiny, gray Air Force sweatshirt over her head, pulling her long hair out and straightening the hood. "Ponytail through the cap?" I asked, but she shook her head no. If someone told me just five years ago that my life would revolve around two beautiful brunettes, ponytails, and pink camo, I'd have laughed out loud and most likely cursed their asses out, but damn, if it wasn't the truth. I fucking loved it, too. I always envisioned a son, but Bethy was more than I'd ever dreamed of, so bring on skirts and tights, ponytails, and hair thingys. I could live with dolls and play makeup, because she was the best thing I'd ever accomplished, and just looking at her made me miss my wife with an all consuming ache. "Nope, like yours," she said with an eye roll, and I swear to God, she looked identical to Bella when she would accuse me of being an idiot. Her grandparents saw it instantly, trying their damnedest not to laugh out loud. I grinned, pulling her hat on backwards and scooping her up in my arms. "Kiss Poppy and Gamma, 'cause we gotta get going, okay?" She reached out, hugging and kissing them both. "Love you," she sang sweetly. "Bambina," Alec chortled, shaking his head at the whole thing he'd just witnessed. "Come with me while your dad gets the chopper ready. I'll strap you in." "I'm D-Daddy's co-pilot," she stated with authority and a thumb to her chest as she went to him willingly. My dad laughed, shaking his head. "Co-pilot, assistant chef, carpenter's apprentice...the list is endless," he muttered wryly. I grinned over at him and shrugged. It was true. There wasn't much I did that Bethy didn't just...help. She loved to just be with me and Bella, no matter what we were up to. She could play quietly with dolls or draw pictures while her mother

worked on the computer, and she would bring me whatever I asked for if I was in my wood shop or cooking, so we allowed her to just hang out with us. But flying with me was one of her favorite things, because I'd been taking her up for as long as she could remember. "Yes, yes," Alec laughed as she went to him. "Don't I know it. You'll be flying soon, mark my words," he told her as we walked out the screen door. Mickey and Emmett, just about the only two people I would trust with my pre-flight checks and fueling, were just finishing up as we walked out, but it was Rose that my eyes landed on as she walked out of Gravity's office with Caleb in her arms. She looked tired, but determined. "We have a problem," she stated, her face unreadable as she looked to me, and then my father. "Wes and Benny just called. They can't get any authorization to go into Walter's compound. How we obtained the information wasn't exactly legal. Despite the fact that Benny called it an anonymous threat on Ruiz, the information regarding Walter's compound was achieved illegally. Wes had no reason to speak to Walter Sr., so they can't get a warrant." "But they have my wife," I growled low, not wanting Bethy to hear me. "Doesn't matter," my dad grunted. "We'll go without them." "That's what Eleazar said," Rose countered with a nod. "Right now, he's on the phone with his own office...so we'll see..." She looked to me, her eyes a touch sad. "Alice says you're good to go. The camera is calibrated, and your radio is set to some obscure channel. Encrypted, if I'm not mistaken, because she doesn't want to take any chances." "Thanks, Rose," I told her, sliding open the chopper's cabin door and watching as Emmett climbed on in. "What?" he asked, his eyes serious. "I'm fucking going with you. I need to see this shit for myself." "Language," Rose hissed, her eyes darting to Bethy, who was thankfully preoccupied with her Uncle Alec on the other side of the chopper. "My bad. I'll pay the swear jar," he sighed, looking sheepish, and I chuckled at him. "But seriously. I wanna go." "Then go," I told him, waving him on. "Close the door and strap in, then." I knew Emmett was going stir crazy. He'd been like that when I met him in Afghanistan. All we'd ever needed to do was tell him who the enemy was, put a weapon in his hands, and point him the right fucking direction. He was a strong, fighting, noble soldier, but he'd rather go in with guns blazing than to plan. I understood it, but I'd prefer a plan to stick to this time around. At least if he went, he felt like he was doing something. I pulled myself up into the pilot's seat, putting on my headset. I reached over and opened a door where Bethy's headset was stored. Where Bella had found a small pair, I'd never know, but at least they didn't swallow her head whole like a regular pair would. And they were, of course, pink. Once Alec and Emmett were strapped in and the doors shut, I waved to everyone and called in my flight. I was a simple "sight seeing trip," as far as my manifest was concerned. Flipping switches and checking gauges, I started her up. I turned to Bethy, who was playing with the strings on her hoodie. "Ready, little sweetness?" I asked her through the headset. She nodded, her little feet kicking a bit. "Good girl," I told her, and lifted off slowly from my yard. ~oOo~

BELLA
The cells were dank and cold, and my feet had started to ache with the chill as the night fell around us. I wrapped my jacket around them as I lay on my cot, glancing over at my neighbor. Christopher had fallen asleep after he realized who I was. He fumbled with an embarrassed apology for what he'd done to the Greenes and the truck driver, and then gone quiet on me. I imagined that his guilt was more than he could bear, because he looked like he relived the shit every-fucking-day. There was a part of me that still hated him for it, but so much time had passed that I probably had let it go long before I realized it. Besides, there were bigger problems than my feelings about something that had happened several years ago. Crickets chirped loudly through the main locked gate at the top of the stairs. It had been a long fucking few hours, and my short nap was filled with dreams that were both scary and erotic. I dreamed of dungeons, of sadistic men that couldn't keep their hands to themselves, and I dreamed of long, slow kisses and murmurs of naughty things coming from a velvet voice. Dreams of strong arms and groping, calloused hands had woken me up with a need for Edward so large, it had brought tears to my eyes. I wanted his warmth wrapped around me, and I wanted to breathe in that perfect smell of him fresh cut wood and clean soap. I needed him to tell me that he was there, that he would never let anyone touch me again.

Walter ran hurriedly down the stairs, a worried Kurt following behind him. I didn't see Lilith, but I did see Kenny walking in with fast food bags, tossing one through Christopher's bars so that it landed on his rather large belly, which woke him up instantly, before he tossed a bag to me. From the look on Walter's face, I was pretty sure Rusty had never made it with the girls. I kept my face unreadable as I glanced up at him from my dinner. "Something wrong?" I asked, and Kurt smirked sightly, shaking his head at me. "How'd you do it?" he seethed, his temper barely under control. "How'd you get those girls away?" "No idea what you're talking about," I muttered around a bite of sandwich. I shrugged and blinked innocently up at him. It was Kenny that moved first, slamming his hands against the bars of my cell. "Rusty's fucking dead, bitch." "Oh?" I huffed in false surprise around another bite. "Sorry about that. Suicide?" Kurt had to rub his face in order to hide his smile. "No, it wasn't fucking suicide," Walter sneered from behind a still panting Kenny. "They found his car wrapped around a tree!" "Drunk driving?" I asked, shooting a glance over to Christopher, who snorted softly, as he watched everything with rapt attention. Both Kenny and Walter shook their heads. "I take it the girls weren't in this car," I stated, not even bothering to give them my full attention. "No, he was alone," Walter answered. "Tell me how you did it." "You let them get away," I accused, pointing a French fry at them. "Hell, they may still be wandering in the woods." "Oh no," Walter chuckled, pointing a finger at me. "I'm not fucking stupid... I know for a fact that you wouldn't just set two three-year-olds loose in the woods. No fucking way. You were meeting someone." "How could I meet anyone, Walter?" I sighed, rolling my eyes up at him. "No one knew where you took me. No one followed us. You said so yourself." "Who were those people at the station, Isabella?" he yelled. "Friends...family...FBI..." I took another bite, looking up at them all, but my gaze fell to a very frustrated Walter. "Have you asked for the money yet? I'm curious as to what they say." "Funny you should ask," he said, pulling out a cell phone. "I was just about to make the call. Wanna listen in?" "Sure," I sputtered around the last bite of my sandwich. "Tell them hello." My nonchalance was killing Kenny. In fact, Walter stopped him from opening my cell door. "What's the matter, Kenny? Miss your...cellmate?" I sneered as he called me every name in the book. They all froze like deer in headlights as they stared at me. Kurt bit the inside of his cheek as he leaned against the wall behind Kenny and Walter, who were gaping like fish out of water. "You know, you can blame Lilith," I sighed, scooting up on my cot so that I could lean against the wall, crossing one leg over the other. "Showing up at the wedding was a huge mistake. Huge. I'm a P.I., so I checked on everyone she knows." "She's lying," Kenny yelled, turning to Walter. "There's more to it than that. Rusty didn't run into a tree by accident... I'm telling you, Walt!" "Shut up!" Walter snapped at him. "I'm calling now." I wasn't sure who he was calling, Carlisle or Edward, but I did hope they'd play along, that Bethy had gotten my note to her father. Walter put the phone on speaker, and we all held our breath as it rang. "Cullen," Edward snapped on the phone, and I couldn't help but smile, because he sounded beautiful and frustrated, tired and angry all things that were the epitome of sexy to me. And all coming through the phone with one word said. I totally swooned over my own husband. "Hey, baby!" I called out, wearing a smile ten miles wide, because it pissed Walter off something fierce. "Shut her up," he growled, and Kenny dove into action, opening my cell and yanking me up to press a hand to my mouth. "Bella?" "Well, now you have proof of life, asshole," he said over the phone. "She fucked up, Cullen," he told him. "She was

supposed to come alone." "And you were supposed to bring those girls," Edward countered, "but...you didn't." He said the last three words in a singing sigh, and at that point, I knew he'd gotten my note. He was totally playing these guys. "I assume you've got them now," Walter growled, rolling his eyes. "Oh, I do," my husband said, "and I have a message for Kenny." "What's that, motherfucker?" Kenny yelled, like his voice wouldn't carry, like we were talking on two tin cans and fucking piece of string. My ear rang as he fucking did that right at my head. Idiot. "I will personally see to it that you die," Edward stated, his voice menacing, and I knew he meant every word. "Rusty cried like a bitch when I was through with him." "Who the fuck are you?" Walter asked, shaking his head. "Someone you should have never fucked with," he replied. "Now, give me your demands for the return of my wife, and I'll think it over."

Good boy! I mentally fist punched the air, because that was exactly what I'd wanted him to do. Walter thought he was in control, thought he was surrounded by protection, but he didn't know protection. And he damn well didn't know control.
"Twenty million," Walter demanded, looking a little nervous, but he maintained his composure. "Twenty million, and you'll get her back." Edward sniffed over the phone, like he was thinking about it. "We'll see...but know this... If one hair is out of place on her head, if there is one bruise on her, if she has a fucking paper cut, I will see to it that you suffer, motherfucker. It will be long, slow, and very, very fucking painful. I shit you not." I swooned again and giggled a bit behind Kenny's hand, because I already had a bruise, and Walter's wide eyed glance at my face showed it. "Call me back in twenty-four hours with the time and place, and you'll have your answer," Edward ordered over the speaker. "And one day, Bella...I'll do it again. I did it when we met, and I'll fucking do it again. Warn them if you want, sweetness. It won't fucking matter." With that said, he ended the call. Kenny let me go, and I sat down on my cot as he left my cell and locked me back in. "What the fuck did that mean?" Walter asked me, and I looked up at him. I knew exactly what that meant. Edward had just told me that he was coming for me, that he would save me. Again. He was coming in one day, and I was pretty sure he would be bringing all the demons of hell with him. But on top of all that, he just gave me permission to tell Walter what was about to happen. I shrugged, sitting back against the wall again. "A bit cryptic for me," I lied smoothly, because I didn't want to tell him just yet. Walter eyed me for a moment, but I didn't break eye contact with him. He turned to Kurt. "Give her back her shoes," he ordered, and then left the building. Kurt nodded, but waited until Kenny and Walter were far enough away before he spoke. "I'll get you your boots, but give me a few. They're at the main house." "Okay," I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. "Who is your husband?" Kurt asked, tilting his head at me. I smiled, not opening my eyes yet. I took a deep breath, letting myself relax, if only for a few seconds. "He's...my hero." ~oOo~

EDWARD
I set the phone down, bracing my arms on the conference table in Gravity's office. Hearing Bella's voice just about broke me. I had to channel all my anger, all my frustration toward the man that held her life in his hands. I meant what I'd told her; I was coming for her, and I could give two shits if she decided to tell them. Nothing could fucking stop me. "Twenty million?" Makenna asked no one in particular. "Damn." "He won't see a dime," my dad answered her, placing a hand on my shoulder as I hung my head. "She sounded okay, son," he soothed softly. "Tomorrow night," he stated, turning to the room filled with fucking people. "By the time this asshole calls again, we'll be on his front doorstep."

"I can't help you...legally, this time," Benny stated, his voice sounding nervous. "The case has been taken over, and I don't know by who..." "By me," Eleazar admitted as he came in from the computer room, slapping a file down. "This is now a Homeland Security problem," he said, a wry grin spreading over his features. "It's now my case, my problem, my mission." I stood up straight and leaned on the table, my arms crossed over my chest. "I'm still going," I said, pointing a finger at him. "We're all going," Eleazar snickered. "Hell, I need all of you. And then some..." he sighed, looking over at my dad. "Call them in, Carlisle. I've got some retired men coming in myself." "I already have," my father answered. "They'll be here in the morning. What I'd like to go over is what Edward just brought back." "I'm on it, I'm on it, I'm on it!" Alice sighed exasperatedly. "God, gimme a sec. I've been printing since he started back!" We all snickered at her, because she came out with a large stack of photos in her arms, slapping them down in front of her on the conference table. We all gathered around her so we could see as she spread them out for us. "Okay, first thing," Alice started, laying out one section of the entire property in order. "This is what we're dealing with," she said, pointing to an aerial view of the mountain itself, including the woods, a small stream, and the winding road up the side. "This," she huffed, pulling the one picture away, only to replace it with several photos that, when placed together, not only took up the entire table, but showed the complete compound in high definition color. "This is Walter's place. As you can see, it was once a vacation home for his grandparents. The smaller buildings have recently been added throughout the property, but the original buildings still stand the main house, the stables, and interestingly enough...a bomb shelter." "What?" I growled, looking up at her. "Yeah, I thought that, too," she groaned, her face filling with a combination of sadness and anger at the mere idea that Bella could be underground again. "It's really a bomb shelter. The grandparents were a product of the cold war threat, so they installed an underground shelter. It's on the original plans." "Can you tell that's where Bella is, Alice?" Jasper asked, pointing to the structure not far from the barn. "No," she stated firmly with a shake of her head. "I can't, but I'll show you why." Makenna quickly taped the overview of the compound together, pinning it to an open space on the wall as Alice spread out another view. It was the thermal shots. "This shows every warm body on that property. I count about thirty-two, give or take one or two, but I'm not far off," she said, gesturing to the house. "There's activity in the house, the barn, the small cottages or huts, and in the fields. But see this?" she asked, looking to me and my dad, and we nodded at where her finger was pointing. "When you were flying over, I watched activity there. People go in, people come out, but I can't see them once they're inside." "It's lead lined?" Eleazar asked, bending closer to the picture. "It would make sense," Emmett piped up. "Some of those old bomb shelters were built like that, because back then, people were told that lead protected you from radiation, never mind that thermonuclear blast that hits you so fast and hot that you're ash before you blink," he said wryly, rolling his eyes. "It's expensive as hell to do, but it looks like Gramps could afford it." "I hope not," Alice groaned, shaking her head, "because even if Bella activates that last GPS chip, I don't have a clue whether or not it will transmit through lead." Makenna taped that set of shots together as well, putting it on the wall next to the other one so that Alice could toss out a few more pictures. "Lastly, some zoomed in shots. You guys will love this," she stated, rolling her eyes. "They've got weapons hidden all over the place. Someone among them used to be military, because they've got an old machine gun here," she said, pointing to just in front of the main house. "They've got razor wire around the entire property, and they've got a cache of a bunch of shit inside that barn," she stated, looking up at me. "You flew over just right, so I was able to zoom in through the open barn doors. They've got it all...grenades, RPGs, automatic weapons, and plenty of fucking ammo." "I thought these guys were non-violent," Mickey huffed as she pulled the shot of the barn closer. "I thought they were just some riff-raff group." "They're stocking up for something," Benny muttered, rubbing his chin. "Yeah, but what?" Eleazar asked no one in particular. "They have no mission, as far as I can tell." "Maybe they're those survival guys," Jasper suggested. "You know...a country boy can survive type shit. Grow your own

food, live your own way, no need for government or police, or even society." "They look it," I sighed, picking up a picture of the guarded front gate. "They don't exactly look...organized." "Maybe not," Eleazar mused, glancing up at the pictures on the wall, and then the ones on the table again, "but we're not giving them any time to find out just how organized they could be." He looked up at me. "Ed, this is Bella we're talking about, so we need to decide exactly how you want to go in." "I don't want to fly in," I stated, shaking my head and tossing the photos in my hand onto the table. "They'll hear us coming, and I don't want that." Eleazar studied my face, but I could tell he was mulling this shit over. Finally, he nodded. "Stealth, commando, a ground assault?" I nodded, running a hand through my hair and walking to the main layout on the wall. "Look how fucking close that bomb shelter is to all those weapons, all that ammunition in the barn. I can't take a chance that someone will blow it, or set some shit off. It's too close, and it could collapse if blown right. No. I'd rather walk in." "How many are going with us?" Jasper asked, tracing his finger over the winding road up to the guard gate. "Well," Eleazar sighed, looking to Benny, "I'd like to think fourteen. That's all of us," he said, gesturing around the room, which included himself, Eric, Felix, Alec, Emmett, Jasper, Mickey, Sam, my father, and myself. "Carlisle, you've got two coming, yes?" "Yes," Dad stated with a nod. "I've called in Ned Cauldwell and his brother, Harry." "No shit?" I asked, my eyebrows raising up high. "Don't they run..." "A hunting shop in West Virginia, yes," my dad replied. "And they've offered to help us out with some extra weapons and ammo, not to mention the truck they're driving. They just happened to be nearby in Nevada at a gun expo. They're coming straight from there." "Very fucking cool," Jasper said with a grin. "Ned and Harry are great." "Perfect," Eleazar whispered to himself. "I've got two retired agents coming in...some old Navy buddies of mine...Spike Devlin and Elam Hart. Both are excellent shots and military trained." He turned to Benny. "I'd like you on information feed with Alice. Her here, you with us. Will you do it?" Benny and Wes were already nodding. "Definitely, because I think Alice and I can rig a few of you with cameras, so we can monitor your progress. With Mack's and Rose's help, we should be able to get you anything you need." "Sweet Jesus!" Emmett sang, clapping his hands together one time. "Well, let's get to fucking work!" It took almost three hours well into the night for us to form a basic plan. Right around three in the morning, we all started getting punchy and drunk with weariness, so Eleazar sent everyone off for a few hours' sleep, at least until the four extra men arrived in the morning. I walked into my house, pulling my baseball cap off and tossing it on the coffee table as I fell tiredly onto my sofa. There was a part of me that knew I'd sleep better in my bed funnily enough that voice sounded like Bella's but I just couldn't find the heart to sleep alone in a bed that I shared with my wife. The mere idea made a hole crack open in my chest. I heard a shuffle of feet from the hallway, and I glanced up to see Bethy standing there in an oversized t-shirt that came down to her knees, Mr. Bunny firmly clutched in her arm. Her hair was down and hung in messy waves over her shoulders. "Pretty girl, what are you doing up so late?" I asked softly, opening my arms when she ran to me. "I miss Mommy," she mumbled, crawling up into my lap. I sat back in the sofa and pulled her face up so that I could see it. "Me, too," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "But she wouldn't want us upset, little sweetness." She frowned down at me, reaching up to touch my face. "Gamma says you're going to find her." "I'm going to try," I said, trying not to promise anything, because I was trying my damnedest not to get my own hopes up, not to mention my daughter's. "In fact, I need you to be brave and stay with Gamma tomorrow." "I want to go wif you, D-Daddy," she stated, setting Mr. Bunny on my chest between us. "You can't, baby," I groaned, cupping her face. "I need your help here." Her eyes widened as she tilted her head at me. "Wif what?" "You have to keep Gamma company, because Poppy is going, too," I explained. "So she'll be very worried, and you have

to take care of her. Can you do that for me?" She frowned again, her little brow wrinkling, but she studied Mr. Bunny. Finally, she nodded. "Okay." "Okay," I sighed with a nod. "Good girl," I praised softly, giving her little nose a kiss. "You should be in bed." "I'm not sleepy," she said, as a large yawn erupted from her. "Hmm, I see that," I snickered, reaching over to grab the remote for the TV. "You want to stay with me?" She nodded, bleary eyed and silent. "Okay, but you have to lay down," I told her, turning her around so that she was facing the TV, her head on a pillow by the arm of the sofa. "Lay wif me?" "Sure, baby." I lay behind her, and she pulled my arm up, just like her mother did, setting her chin on my knuckles, so I was basically cuddling with her and Mr. Bunny. I placed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing deep the clean scent of her hair, as I flipped through the channels. Old sitcoms seemed to catch both of our interest, so I left it there with the sound pretty low. At one point, she rolled to face me. "Will you tell Mommy th-that I-I d-did wh-what sh-she said?" I smiled down at her and nodded, because despite the fact that her little stutter was starting to fade, it still showed up full force every now and then, just like my own. "Little sweetness, that'll be the first thing I tell her." She rolled back over, sighing contentedly, and fell asleep almost instantly. I wasn't far behind her.

A/N...Okay, so more information, Bella is holding her own, and Bethy has become a touch clingy, though that last thing is completely understandable. Plans are already underway for getting Bella back, so you know what that means... a fight. Coming up we'll see how Bella is holding up, how the plan gets set in motion and who runs the operation. We'll also get to see a little bit more of Lilith's personality. I need to thank JenRar who beta's this for me and who said she just loved Pilot/Daddyward. Heehee... I also need to thank GooberLou for so much more than pre-reading. You wouldn't believe what she's willing to research! LMAO And MedusaInNY...for all things blog-ish, and for just having a willing listening ear! Flove you all. Wednesday will be the next posting. So let me know what you think. I know Daddyward is melting you right now. He makes me a gooey too. LOL So until Wed... Later! :)

*Chapter 10*: Chapter 10

A/N... Wow, are you guys ever ready for some action! Heh. Well, in that case, I don't need to warn you about violence or foul language. You seem pretty prepared, so we'll just let that warning go unsaid. Okay? I will remind you that this is a military style operation, that these men kill for a living. So just let that stick in your mind... And Lilith rears her ugly head...so watch out for that. I'll let you read. See you at the bottom.
CHAPTER 10

BELLA
I couldn't fucking sleep. When I did nod off, my dreams were horrific. I was just fucking glad daylight had finally dawned.

Tell me who could have found you, bitch?

I squeezed my eyes closed at the memory of Miller's voice, letting out a long, slow, calming breath and glancing over when Christopher snorted in his deep slumber. Maybe it was being underground, maybe it was the waiting, or maybe it was just being away from home, away from Edward and Bethy. I never felt more powerful and in control than with Edward there to back me up. Without him and when I was alone with my thoughts, I felt a little vulnerable. I debated and debated telling Walter what he had coming for him. I wasn't kidding when I'd told him once that he had absolutely no idea what he'd done. He had no clue as to what he'd set in motion, because my husband's and his father's identities never really existed. Walter had pissed off the one group of people that could literally level this compound in the blink of an eye, barely breaking a sweat. I'd decided to wait, or maybe not tell Walter at all, because he could panic and take me elsewhere. Where I was sitting was the best place, because I knew at that moment, there was an angry group of men and women studying this place up one side and down the other. I had to put my faith in them. Kurt had eventually brought me my shoes, tossing them and my socks through the bars of my cage. Once I had them on and he'd left me, I'd activated the GPS chip. I'd thought about the tools on me, about using them to escape, but I wasn't stupid. I'd seen what I would face trying to just get outside the compound, much less down the fucking mountain. Footsteps constantly walked by the top of the stairs, there were guards at just about every point on the grounds, and the fences were not just topped with razor wire... It went from top to bottom. I didn't have tools to cut that shit, and there would be nowhere to hide if I did get out of my cell. Then there was the matter of Christopher, who snored again and rolled over in his sleep. He wasn't my new best friend, but he was being held against his will. He was verbally abused at just about every turn, and I was starting to feel sorry for the poor bastard. He'd paid his debt to society concerning the drunk driving incident, but holding him hostage here was just Lilith's sick addition to this game. The main cell door creaked open, and I glanced up, rolling my eyes. "Speak of the devil," I muttered to myself as Lilith strolled in alone. "You should be on a leash," I told her. "Walter should chain you to a tree to make sure you stay out of trouble or don't wander where you shouldn't." "Bitch," she sneered, shaking her head. "If we didn't need that money, I'd have kicked your ass already." "You could try," I chuckled, shaking my head and sitting up on my cot. "I doubt very much that you'd succeed." "Christopher," she sang, keeping her eyes on me. "Tell her I'm not a bad person." I didn't even realized he'd woken up, but his eyebrows shot up high on his forehead. "I'm in a cage," he snorted, looking at her like she was insane. "What's nice about that?" "It's her fault that you're here," Lilith pouted dramatically, pointing in my direction. "She's the one that told me what you did to my baby." I couldn't fight my snort if I tried. "Is that the game you're playing, Lilith? You want to set him against me? Well, fine," I snapped, standing up and grasping two bars facing the empty cell between mine and Christopher's. "Yeah...it was all my fucking fault. Lilith here had two beautiful little girls, Chris. Two." I held up two fingers, raising an eyebrow at Lilith when she started to interrupt me. "Her youngest was Bree. Two years old, slipping around in a bathtub full of bubbles. Instead of watching her child, she walked away. Guess what happened next..." I sang, looking between them. "Bree slipped and hit her head on the ceramic soap dish. She was unconscious when she hit the water. She could have been saved, but apparently, the phone call Lilith took was more important." "It was about a job!" Lilith yelled. "It was about a crack deal, bitch," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I worm information out of people all fucking day. I read your phone records. I spoke to Sharky, your dealer. Crack...don't even try to spin it any other way." I turned back to Christopher.

"Bree had an older sister Ashley. She was four at the time. At four, she was smarter than her mother and tried to pull her baby sister out of the water of course, failing miserably. So instead, a four year old little girl bolted out of the apartment, down the hall, and pounded on an old man's door; an old man that gave her and her sister paper flowers and airplanes as presents. "The cops were called, the Department of Children's Services was called, and Lilith was arrested. Ashley was then placed in the foster care system," I continued, rolling my eyes. "Lilith pleaded substance abuse." Lilith shrugged, like it wasn't important, but at least she was quiet. "Jason and Amber Greene were the foster parents that took Ashley in," I told Christopher. "They worked with Ashley, worked with Lilith's doctors, but Lilith pulled the wool over everyone's eyes. She pretended to get better. She skated through rehab, and the very first fucking opportunity she got to see her daughter, she snatched her up." Lilith smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was slow and evil. "She was my daughter!" "That you forgot about the minute you took the first hit of heroin," I countered, looking back to Christopher. "Do you see where this is going yet, Chris?" I asked him, and he nodded slowly. "I'm a private investigator, and when Ashley disappeared, a friend of mine from a law firm told me about an associate of his someone he went to college with. He asked me for a favor, to help find Ashley. So I did. And it wasn't hard," I added, glaring at Lilith, who looked more concerned with her dirty fingernails. "I found Ashley wandering around the parking lot of a ratty ass drug hotel. She was filthy, hungry, and crying. Once I got her back to the Greenes, Lilith here after a lot of persuasion from everyone finally gave up custody," I growled the last three words. "The Greenes and I became friends, Chris," I sighed, tilting my head at him. "I was so mad at you for killing them, at myself for getting too close, and at Lilith for starting the shit in the first place." I sighed again, leaning my forehead against the bars. "So...yeah. It's my fault you're here. The day of the Greenes' funeral, I paid a visit to Lilith at the mental hospital." "Oh, God," Christopher groaned. "I told her all of it," I whispered, looking up at him and avoiding her angry glare. "I blamed everything on her...on you..." Christopher stood up and studied my face. "I can't say that I blame you," he sighed with a shrug. "I've attended enough meetings, heard enough stories to know that what I did was devastating... for everyone." He turned to Lilith, his face cold and angry as he stepped toward her. "You, on the other hand, have no room to talk," he stated firmly, looking at Lilith. "Those kids were your responsibility. I understand addiction fuck, I live it but you should have gotten help...and now, you don't have anyone. You're all alone." My mouth fell open as he stood up to her. He'd only shown a meek personality since I'd been trapped in that bunker with him. "I'm not alone," she said through gritted teeth. "I have Walter." I smirked, my brow wrinkling, because I saw that she was lying. Whether she didn't didn't actually need Walter, or she didn't believe her own words, I wasn't sure. But whatever it was, she knew Chris was right. She was all alone. "I'm pretty sure Walter just recognized my name when you told him the story," I chuckled. "All he sees is dollar signs." "So why am I here?" Chris asked, his voice a touch whiny as he rolled his eyes. "I have no money, and I can't bring back the dead..." "Come here, and I'll tell you," Lilith smirked, and I was shaking my head no before he took his first step. "Don't do it, Chris," I warned, but Lilith moved quicker than I'd expected her to. She grabbed his shirt through the bars, pulling him off balance. When he fell into the steel, a flash and a loud gunshot echoed through the small room, causing my ears to ring. Christopher fell in a heap on the floor, holding his large stomach. The gate at the top of the stairs flew open, and Walter, Kenny, and Kurt darted into the room, their eyes quickly assessing the situation with drawn weapons in their hands. "Christ, Lilith," Walter sighed exasperatedly. "You couldn't wait? I said you could have them both once we had the money." "He was spewing lies!" she yelled, and I finally saw for the first time what Dr. Vernon was talking about in his medical file on Lilith. She had absolutely no conscience, and everything she said or did was done with precise calculation. I narrowed my eyes at her and wondered not for the first time if she really hadn't killed Bree herself. It wouldn't be improbable when it came to this woman. "Lilith, get the fuck out of here," Walter sighed, shaking his head as she stomped up the stairs. I rounded on Walter. "Have them both once you had the money?" I repeated to him, my mouth hanging open. "You double

cross them this time, and you won't live to see another day," I growled, gripping the bars in front of me. "You guys keep saying that," Walter chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I just don't see that happening." I grinned up at him. "You obviously found out who I was, so go look up my husband, my father-in-law. Then come back and tell me what you found. Maybe I can...fill in the blanks for you." Walter smirked and nodded his head. "Fine, Isabella, I'll humor you," he stated, turning around to Kenny. "Get his fat ass up off the floor and see if you can stop his bleeding." "He needs a doctor!" I growled. "Well, that's tough shit, princess," Kenny sneered, shrugging one shoulder, before opening Christopher's cell door. "There's a storm rolling in, and no one is going anywhere. The road won't allow it." I absorbed that piece of information like a sponge soaking up water. My eyebrows shot up as I looked from Kenny to Kurt, the latter of whom was nodding apologetically. If the road was closed, then Walter couldn't take me anywhere. A rainstorm wouldn't stop Edward and my crew, and it damn well wouldn't stop Carlisle or Eleazar. Hell, Eleazar was a former Navy Seal, so a little rain wouldn't even phase him. I watched Kenny struggle with Christopher, never missing an opportunity to berate and insult him. Once he had the large man on his cot, he made a half-assed attempt at placing a blanket over his wound. From what I could see, Lilith had caught him in his side, but I couldn't tell just how badly he was injured. "Hey," Kurt called from my cell door. "I'll try and sneak you some food. Okay?" "You need to get him something to put pressure on that wound, or he'll bleed out," I whispered in a hiss. "I'll see what I can do, but give me a few," he replied, turning on his heel. I shook my head, sighed, and fell down on my cot. My head fell back as they left me with a moaning, possibly fatally injured man. This situation was getting more and more fucked up as time ticked on. oOo~

EDWARD
I lifted the door of my wood shop, taking my keys out of my pocket. Along the far back wall was a line of double locked cabinets cabinets that had nothing to do with my woodworking hobby. "Okay, load up," I ordered, stepping away from my own personal cache of weapons, kevlar vests, and ammunition. "Excellent," Emmett hissed, dodging past me to start handing out equipment to everyone. I grabbed my own things, including an automatic rifle, ammunition, and a long, sharp bowie knife. I tossed my keys to Emmett, telling him to lock it back when he was done. I walked back into Gravity's office, setting my shit down on the conference table. I was pulling my Glock out of the safe when Benny piped up. "We have a problem," he stated, spinning around from his computer. "Well, two problems." "What's that?" I asked, glancing up at my father and Eleazar, who were readying their own personal weapons, but we all gave Benny our attention. "We've got a storm moving in on that area," he said, pointing to his screen. "Heavy rainfall, very little wind, possible hail. It'll make traversing that mountain difficult." "So we get wet," Eleazar grunted, shrugging a shoulder and strapping on his shoulder harness. "What's the second problem?" "Still no sign of Bella's GPS chip," he sighed, looking rather forlorn. "I don't know if it's because she hasn't activated it yet, or if the signal isn't coming through the lead of that bomb shelter." "Is there still activity around it?" I asked, tucking my black cargo pants into my boots and lacing them tight. "Yes!" Alice called over her shoulder from the computer room. "I really think she's in there, Edward." I nodded, lacing up my other boot, and stood up straight. "I trust you, Alice. It's mine and Emmett's number one destination. Jasper, Mickey, and Alec are taking the barn." "El, Eric, and Spike will start at the huts on the west end of the property," my dad said, pointing to the aerial shot on the wall. "Sam, Elam, and Felix will handle the guard shack and the gate, and Ned, Harry, and myself will take the main house."

"We'll be coming in from all sides," Eleazar explained. "You girls need to know this, so you understand what you're watching on these night vision cameras you've rigged on a member of each team." Makenna, Alice, and Rose, all came into the main area to listen to him. "We'll be coming in from all sides of the property," he said again. "Alice, you'll cut the power and communication on our signal. Benny, you'll be monitoring our communication with each other, making sure we don't stumble over each other." Once Alice and Benny nodded, he went on. "We're going in as quietly as we can. As soon as the power goes, they may react." By now, the whole office was filled with men dressed in long sleeve black tees, black cargo pants, and black military grade boots. Some had already donned their vests, some were strapping on knives or grenades, and others were just listening. "This is my mission, so you'll warn them, tell them to drop their weapon, but if they don't, then you have my permission to defend yourself. Spike," he called, and a rather large, rugged gentleman with a bald head about El's age stepped forward. "Careful with those huts, because there may be more inside. Sam, that guard shack may be where the alarm is activated, so if you...take out the guards, then so be it." He turned to my dad. "That goes the same for you, Carlisle. The house may have a trigger, as well, so do what you have to." He sighed, glancing around the room. "If for some reason, an alarm is triggered, we will be at war." We all nodded, because we all knew from experience that shit could go all sorts of fucking wrong on missions such as this one. "The primary goal here is to get Bella out of there," El continued, gesturing to me and Emmett. "The secondary goal is the capture and arrest of Lilith Laray, Walter Bridges, Kenny Porter, and Kurt Vernon," he stated, pointing to the pictures along the wall. "Though I won't shed a tear if one of them happens to become a casualty." Once more, he glanced up at the group of us. "Those of you that aren't under my legitimate command, this never happened. Those of you that are," he said, looking at Felix and Eric, "Well...you know how this shit works. Do your job and keep your mouth shut about everything else." He clapped his hands once. "We need to go..." The office door slammed open, and Bethy dodged black clad legs left and right in order to get to me. "D-Daddy," she huffed, and I caught her up in my arms as she ran full force at me. "You can't l-leave yet," she panted, and I guessed she'd run all the way from the house. "I have to go, little sweetness," I told her, kissing her palm, which was on the side of my face. "You forgot your hat," she said, holding it up with her other hand. I grinned, ignoring the chuckles from around the room. "By all means, pretty girl," I said, letting her put it on my head. Backwards, of course. "Thank you," I whispered, giving her a wink. "Now can I go?" "Yes," she grunted, nodding her head once. "Tell me you love me," I commanded, tilting my head at her. "Love you," she sang, dragging out the last word and kissing my cheek. "Be safe." "I love you, too, Bethy," I whispered against her forehead, watching my dad walk to us. "Come here, baby girl," he chuckled, holding his hands out for her. "Give me hugs and kisses." She went willingly with a giggle, and soon, my daughter was getting love from all her "uncles." Emmett scooped her up and flipped her over, grinning when she squealed into hysterics. "I'm just makin' sure you're my good luck charm, that's all," he chuckled, turning her back over so he could look her into her now very red face. "How can you tell?" she asked him. "It's stamped on the back of your knee," he answered, tickling the shit out of her leg until she was writhing mess. I watched as the men that didn't know her found themselves smiling at her, but the ones that loved her absolutely had to hug her before they left the room. Her last conversation was with Alec. "Bambina," he chuckled when she ran to him. "A kiss for good luck, yeah?" he asked, pointing to his cheek, grinning like a fool when it was loud and sloppy. "You'll be so busy while we're gone, you know." "Wif what?" she asked, playing with the velcro on his kevlar vest. "You have to watch over baby Caleb, your Gamma, and you have to keep good thoughts in your mind the whole time we're gone," he told her. "Can you do that? All of that?" "Yup!" she said with a grin.

"Good girl," he said, kissing her fingers before handing her back to me. "Come on, baby," I chuckled, shaking my head and picking up my gear. "Let's find Gamma. Does she know you left the house?" "She told me to bring you your hat," she answered. "See, there she is," she said, pointing to the back of the truck we were all to ride in the old school military truck that Ned and Harry had driven. Esme was cupping my father's face, and he nodded solemnly at whatever she was telling him. She turned to Bethy and me as we approached. "Come on, Bethy," she said, holding her arms out. "D-Daddy?" she whimpered, clinging to me. "Go with her, baby," I soothed. "I'll be back before you can miss me, okay?" She frowned, but went to Esme. Her eyes grew wide when her Poppy and I climbed into the back of the truck. "We gotta go, or she's gonna lose it," I muttered to my dad, who nodded and banged on the back of the cab. "Ned, get moving," he ordered, and the truck rumbled into life as I sat down beside Jasper. I gave Bethy one more wave, before tugging on my vest and watching Esme soothe her. I heard one more cry of "Daddy!" before we pulled out. "Fuck," I hissed, rubbing my face. "She'll be fine," Jasper said. "She'll be bakin' cookies before the night is over." I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I hope so," I sighed, leaning back. A deep rumbling chuckle met my ears, and I looked up to see Spike shaking his bald head. "Goddamn, I do not envy the first boyfriend that girl brings home. This fucking lot will scare the shit out of anyone." "No shit," Alec snorted. "No, it's fine," I said nonchalantly, "because she's not allow to date til she's thirty." The truck erupted into laughter, my dad kicking my shoe. "Yeah...good luck with that, son." ~oOo~

BELLA
Christopher was not going to make it. I looked over at him, feeling helpless that I couldn't at least comfort him. He was complaining about being cold, yet I could see sweat pouring down his face. The fact that he was a big man might have been helping him, because I'd asked him to show me his belly, show me where he was hit. Kurt had told me Lilith had used a twenty-two, so the small caliber bullet went in on the left side of his stomach at an angle, and if I was guessing, then I'd have said it lodged somewhere on his right side. That just seemed to be the case, because of the way that he held himself. Kurt came in with food for me and a first aid kit for Christopher, cleaning the man up as best he could. All day, I'd listened to Chris, talked to him, but his pain was overwhelming for him. He'd stopped answering my questions about an hour ago, and my heart broke that the end was near for him. It also pissed me the fuck off, because Lilith hadn't shot to kill on purpose. More than once did she come to the cell door, just to watch him, with some evil fascination plastered on her face. My hands shook with the desire to just knock her the fuck out. I knew for a fact that if they hadn't needed the money, I would be next. I started pacing about sundown, because Christopher started whimpering, his breathing shallow, until he finally called for me. "Bella?" he rasped, trying to look my way. "Yes, Chris," I said, using a calm voice that reflected nothing close to what was going on inside of me. "I'm sorry about your friends," he whispered. "It was my birthday...I should never have driven home." I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning my forehead against the bars of my cell. "I forgave you a long time ago, Chris. You have to forgive yourself." "You'll tell my mom, right?" he asked. He tried to take a deep breath, but seemed to fail, causing a wracking cough to erupt from him. "Tell her that I didn't just...leave her."

My nose wrinkled, and I squeezed my eyes shut. "I promise, sweetie." "Good, because...she was the only one that...supported me," he wheezed. "She deserves to not have to..." "Wonder," I finished for him. "Yeah," he sighed, and it was the last breath he took. A tear fell down my face at the waste of life that just left the room. He wasn't a bad guy; he'd just made a mistake. He had seemed fairly sweet and somewhat sarcastic. In another time and place, we might have been friends. He'd told me he had plans to go back to school computers or something and move him and his mom from Seattle to Olympia. No one checked in on us for fucking hours, a fact that just made my temper rise to the surface. By the time they all traipsed their happy asses down the stairs, I was practically a pacing lioness in my cage. "You wretched whore!" I snapped at Lilith. "You fucking killed him. And for what?" "Because I could." Her answer was smooth, without remorse. In fact, she barely gave Christopher's body a second glance once Kenny pronounced him dead. "With you...I'll take my time." "Good luck with that," I warned her with a raised eyebrow. "You seriously underestimate me." "We're going to call your husband back and tell him where to meet us," Walter stated, pulling out a cell phone from his pocket. Once again, he turned on the speakerphone. "Cullen," Edward answered sharply, and for a split second, I heard people in the background. "Tomorrow, Cullen. Olympia Mall...two o'clock," Walter stated, his eyes never leaving mine. "Those terms aren't good for me, because I'm not going to walk into a trap. My money, my terms," Edward replied, his voice calm, smooth, but I could hear an underlying anger seething just below the surface. "Portland...bus station...noon," he countered. Walter closed his eyes, letting a hissing breath out in a rush. "Fine, but you'd better bring that money, or I'll shoot Isabella in the head on the fucking street corner." "No, you won't," Edward stated. "But you can try." "If you bring someone other than yourself, Cullen, she won't make it out of the car," Walter countered. Edward laughed. Laughed. It made me smile and raise an eyebrow at my captor. "I'm not particularly concerned," Edward snickered. "I'm pretty sure she can fight you and win. Hell, I'd be willing to bet more than one of you is sporting a bruise from her." Oh damn. My eyebrows shot up, because he couldn't possibly know that. He had to be guessing...or he just knew me that fucking well. Walter laughed. "As a matter of fact... they are," he snorted, glancing at Lilith and Kurt, though Walter didn't know that Kurt's was by request. "Before I do shit, I want to hear her voice," Edward stated, and Walter waved to me. "Edward," I sighed, just happy to be able to say his name. "Sweetness, hang in there for me. It won't be long now. The hour is drawing near," he said cryptically, but he leaned on the word "hour," just like he had leaned on the words "one day" during the last phone call. Edward was fucking here. He was so close that I would see him in an hour. My heart soared with elation, but pounded with worry, because this would be a true fight. "Love you," I told him. "Be safe." "You, too, Bella," he crooned, but his voice changed back to forceful when he addressed Walter. "Tomorrow...Portland." With that, he ended the call, and Walter smirked, stepping closer to me. A stack of pages landed on my lap. Walter had thrown them at me through the bars. "Nothing," he stated. "Your husband and his father are nothing but business men." I huffed a laugh, not even bothering to look at the pages. I let them drop to the floor, except for one that caught my attention. My husband's background. I gripped it, walked to the bars, and thrust it into Walter's face. "See that span of time between his dismissal from the Air Force to the day he married me? Do you fucking see it?" I

yelled, waiting until they all nodded. "Carlisle has an even longer span of time than that. Doesn't that even concern you? Or are you too pompous to think outside the fucking box?" They didn't answer, not one of them. "They were ghosts, Walter," I told him, keeping my voice calm. "They lived under the radar, but they never, ever stopped being soldiers." They stayed quiet, so I finally decided to let them know what was coming. "You won't hear them, you know...when they come. It'll be silent when they walk up in here. They'll cut your power, your communication, and probably the throats of the guards at the gate, not to mention that razor wire. They'll go hunting, seeking out every individual that ever had a part to play in this shit. Every man will be punished for just having known you, Walter. They are experts in stealth, guns, explosives, and torture. They carry with them an intense sense of family, of loyalty. If you think you've gotten away, that's when the sniper gets you, or when the man hidden in the brush puts a knife to your throat. They are fast, smart, and extremely deadly. They have zero problem killing, because it's what they do. They were Navy Seals, Black-Ops Specialists, and Apache pilots. They are the FBI, the CIA, and they are coming for me. I'm not fucking kidding you. And you can prepare all you want, but you won't stop them. They'll know the layout of this place inside and out. They'll know exactly what they're looking for, and the rain won't even slow them down." Kenny shifted on his feet as the spatter of raindrops smacked against the concrete stairs, but Walter stood his ground in front of me. Kurt shook his head, looking slightly sick, and I needed to make sure that he stayed alive, because he'd helped me when he didn't have to. Lilith smirked, rolled her eyes, and glanced up at Walter. Without taking his eyes from me, he said, "Kenny, go wake the reinforcements. Have them at the ready. If she's lying, then it's no great loss, but if she's not, then these...soldiers will have to fight their way in. And get someone in here for this...shit." He gestured toward Christopher, giving Lilith a sideways glance. I laughed softly and humorlessly, rolling my eyes and shrugging. "Kenny, wake them all. It'll make it easier for them to be found." I pointed to Walter. "My husband wasn't shitting you, Walter. He will make this personal." ~oOo~

EDWARD Edward.
I ran a hand through my hair as we approached our destination. We'd had to pull over when Walter called, shutting down all noise from the engine of the truck. My name had never sounded so sweet, yet so scary, coming from Bella. Ever. She sounded exhausted and scared. She sounded pissed off and just fucking over it. Most of all, she sounded like she needed me. A hand landed on my shoulder, and I looked up to see my dad handing over the face paint. We were going in as quietly as possible, traveling through a fair amount of forest, so I had no alternative but to slap black, green, and brown on my face. It was thick and greasy feeling, adding to the sweat that was already beading on my forehead and upper lip, but I smeared it on anyway. "Do you remember stealing mine when you were little?" Dad asked, chuckling a little. "You were about Bethy's age." I grinned, nodded, and looked over at him. "Yeah, I do. Mom said it took an entire tub of her face cream to get the shit off." He laughed, as did Jasper and Emmett, who were sitting closest to us. "You used all of it, that's why!" my dad snickered, still shaking his head at the memory. "She sent me a picture." I nodded and looked in the mirror Emmett was holding up. I made sure that my neck, around my eyes, and my ears were covered. "She couldn't even punish me, because she was laughing too hard." I looked up at Jazz and Em and said, "He had this whole stash of the coolest shit in the back of their closet. I was looking for my birthday present, but found his gear, instead. I came out of her room wearing Dad's boots, jacket, and an entire tube of face paint. I had that shit everywhere...including the walls of the closet and her clothes." Emmett and Jasper cracked the fuck up. "Oh, please tell me you still have a picture of that," Jasper begged. My dad chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I just found it again the other day. I've been meaning to show it to Bethy and Bella. I think they'd like it." I groaned, shaking my head. "Oh, I'm sure they would. Where was it?" "In a box at the Forks house," he chuckled. "I hung that picture in every locker I've ever had. It traveled more than any other picture your mother ever sent me. It saw several tours and more countries than I could count." I smiled over at him, thinking Bella and Bethy had softened the old man, because a few years ago, he'd never have told

me that shit. I knew he loved me, that he was proud of me, but it wasn't something he showed when I was younger. After my mother died, he had to retire from the Air Force to be with me, and we became close in our grief, in our feelings of loss. He'd taught me guns, and I'd taught myself how to cook, in order to avoid fast food and pizza everyday. He taught me a love for cars, helicopters, and he fed my passion for building things, telling me that every man needed a hobby to get away from shit. He would say, "I'm proud of you, son," quicker than he'd say, "I love you," but I knew they meant the same. And he would squeeze my shoulder instead of giving me a hug. We had a good relationship, and I knew him well enough to see what he was doing. He was trying to take my mind off of Bella, focus it on something else. But one look at his face, and I could tell he was doing this just as much for himself as he was for me. "Oh, I bet the baby girl would love to see Dad at her own age," Jasper mused, a small smile playing on his face. Now that thought made me laugh, turning to my dad. "Yeah...bring that shit over," I told him. "She'll love that." Dad grinned, but it fell quickly when the truck came to a bumpy stop. Alec lifted the back tarp of the truck, and we were fuck deep in the woods, but fairly far up on the mountain. We all piled out as Benny and Wes pulled their communications van up behind us, the rain flickering off of their head lights. Ned slammed the driver's side door, gesturing around him. "This looked like the best spot," he said, his Southern accent thicker than Jasper's ever thought about being. "We're off the main road, so even if someone comes looking, they won't see." Everyone took a deep, collective breath and let it out as Eleazar stood in front of us. "I want constant communication," he stated, letting his eyes travel over us as we all put our earpieces in. "Those of you that Alice rigged with a camera, turn it on and make sure she can see you before heading out." One member of each small team had been designated to wear a camera. Emmett turned his on as Spike, Sam, and my father followed suit. The radio beeped in our ears. "Hello, boys," Alice sang, and we couldn't help but say it back to her. "Carlisle, I need you to adjust yours, please, Poppy," she told him, and he hitched it up higher, smiling like a loon at the nickname that we'd all given him the very minute Bella announced she was pregnant. "Perfect. Emmett, yours is foggy. Spike, yours is perfect. Sam, I need you to lower yours." Once everyone had obeyed her without question, she thanked us. Harry opened the tool box on the back of the truck, saying, "We're going to need these." He passed out wire cutters a member of each team. "Who's the demolitions expert?" "Em is," Mickey piped up, the smallest among us, but she, like Bella, used that to their advantage. To them, smaller meant mightier. Harry handed Emmett four sticks of TNT, saying, "Just in case." He stowed it in his backpack without even batting an eye. "Are we planning on blowing this joint?" he asked, looking up to my dad for the answer. "We're not sure, Em," he answered. "Alice has looked at this place up one side and down the other and says that there's no other way off the mountain other than that road, but we're not taking any chances." "Got it," Emmett said, nodding once. Eleazar checked his watch. "The witching hour is almost here, boys," he stated, meaning it was almost three o'clock in the morning, a time that was perfect to attack, because no one expects it. He unrolled the map of the place that each of us was carrying and gathered us around him. "You know where you're headed. The four sides of this place. Edward, Em...the very second you catch sight of Bella, I want to know about it. That goes the same for Bridges, Laray, Porter, and Vernon. Okay?" "Sir," we all grunted, picking up weapons, strapping on knifes and gun holsters, and tightening vests. I slid my knife into the top of my boot, stood up straight, and came face to face with Mickey. "If you need me, let me know. If she's somewhere you need broken into, just yell, pretty boy. I'm not kidding," she stated, her eyes flickering to my dad and Eleazar. "Don't fucking blow it up!" she snapped, pointing a finger to Emmett. "You could fucking hurt her." He grinned, holding his hands up in surrender, but he would never put any of us, especially Bella, in danger. "What's she do?" Spike asked in a whisper as he watched her check her gear. "That girl can break into any-fucking-thing," I chuckled. "There's not a lock or safe she can't crack." "No shit?" he snickered. "Can she fight? I mean, she's so...small."

"And can take down men bigger than Emmett and El," I added. "Don't let her fool you. Meaner than sin, aren't you, wild child?" I asked, shooting her a wink. "And then some," she laughed, shoving me. "Come on, I'm missing my bud." We all shut up at those words, because it brought home the reality of why we were standing in the middle of the fucking woods on a rainy night. Emmett slapped the back of his hand across my chest. "Let's go, Eddie. We have the longest run, because we're cracking open the opposite side of the fence from here." "Radio checks. Sound off," Benny commanded as we all split into the forest at a silent, but fast pace. As we all checked in, the terrain became steeper. The trees were large and grew close together. An owl hooted somewhere overhead, his call an eerie sound in the dead of night. A deer bolted at the sight of us, taking off into the rain soaked forest. After that, the only sounds we heard were the sounds of our own breathing and the spatter of rain falling around us. ~oOo~

BELLA
I sneered at the two guards that now stood sentry at the main gate of the prison I was in. Their backs were to me, but their conversation was loud and clear. They were talking about football, baseball, and women the latter of topics going on way too long for my liking, though I think they were doing it on purpose. If they said the word "pussy" one more time, I was going to dismantle my cot and throw it at them. It was one thing when Edward whispered it, his voice dripping with sexiness and dirty ideas. It was a completely different thing when it was actually used to describe women, objectifying them. Pigs. They were dressed just like everyone else I'd seen plaid shirts, jeans, hiking boots, and ratty tees, and they really had no discipline, because they truly weren't paying attention. One was young, maybe late teens, and the other was old enough to be his father. Neither would have passed an IQ test. At all. I could've opened my cell and choked them from behind, and they would never have heard me coming, as loud as they were talking. They were paying attention to their cell phones and each other, but not their surroundings. As much as I wanted to get rid of them, I needed to wait until the right time. I glanced over at Christopher's body and sighed. They still hadn't removed him, and the sight of him made me nervous and sad. Nervous, because I wasn't sure what Lilith and Walter planned to do to me, and sad, because he'd gotten wrapped up in something that he should never have been close to. He'd been trying to move on with his life. "I'm gonna take a piss," the older one said, walking up the steps, the puddles of rain splashing under his heavy foot. I felt around the pocket of my cargo pants, finding what I was looking for just behind the metal clasp. I pulled out one of Mickey's lock picks, giving Mr. Teenage Hormones a quick glance, before reaching around through the bars of my cell. It was harder to do when I couldn't see, and I damn well wasn't as good at it was Mickey was, but it wasn't long before the lock clicked back. My eyes shot up to the main cell door, but the kid was too busy picking his nose to pay attention to what I was doing. Carefully, centimeter by centimeter, I opened the door. I didn't want it to creak in any way. I tiptoed up behind the kid, reaching slowly through the bars, and grabbed the back of his shirt. With one hard and fast yank, I pulled him back against the steel bars, knocking his ass out cold. He fell to the concrete with a soft thump. I reached through the bars to open the next lock, trying to hurry, because Piss Boy would be back soon. The lock clicked louder on the second one, echoing up the stairwell, and I froze, waiting to see if someone up top had heard. When no one came running, I carefully and slowly tugged open the gate. I climbed the stairs, keeping my eyes peeled and my ears straining to hear anything from above me. I plastered myself on the right side of the wall, peering out over the grounds. There was an exceptional amount of activity for how late it was. Men milled around the grounds, weapons shouldered. I turned to the left, and my path was blocked, but when I peeked around to the right, it was all clear. I waited until the closest set of men turned around, and then I pushed myself out of the stairwell, darting around the corner of the shelter. I was aiming for the barn wall more specifically, the haystack next to it when a cry rang out. "Hey!" I heard behind me, along with thumping and splashing boots through the rain soaked grass. "Son of a bitch! Stop her!" I was tackled to the ground, and the two of us slid through the wet grass several feet, before coming to a stop. The rain was fucking cold, and I was saturated instantly. Rough hands gripped me, trying to hold me down, but I turned over, bringing my knee up to Piss Boy's groin and causing him to release his hold on me. With another boot to his face, I

scooted away from him, only for my back to come into contact with someone's legs. "Shit," I hissed, when the sound of an automatic rifle was engaged in my ear. "Don't do it, princess," Kenny growled, gripping my hair and yanking me up. "Get up." He marched me back to the top of the stairwell, only to shove me down. I fell with a grunt, landing right beside the young boy I'd knocked out. "Fuck!" I snapped, glaring up at Kenny as he casually descended the stairs. "Get your ass up," he said, turning toward the opening. "Yo, Lewis! Get me something that will keep this bitch in her cell." Kenny picked me up, half shoving, half dragging me back to my cage. He shoved me hard, securing the lock again, but when Lewis showed up, I sighed and sat down hard on my cot. Lewis was a large man, his arms bulging as he lifted a long, metal bar and a tool box. He attached a hook on the wall across from my door, wedging the metal bar against it. He then took out a padlock, locking it all in place, so that even if I picked my cell door again, there would be no way to reach the lock on the far wall that was holding my cage door closed. I was trapped. Kenny laughed as I flipped him off, but everyone froze when the power shut off, drowning us in darkness. "Go check the breakers," Kenny ordered Lewis. "It's probably just the rain short circuiting something..." His voice trailed off when rapid gunfire sounded in the distance. "It's not the rain," I chuckled. "And it damn well isn't the breakers." Kenny and Lewis bolted out of there when an alarm started to sound. ~oOo~

EDWARD
I could see the compound through the trees. It was well lit, with a shit-ton of activity going on. There were men stationed at various points on the grounds, and some were walking the same path over and over. They were heavily armed, I noted, as Emmett and I crouched down a few yards away. I pulled out my binoculars, reporting what I could see. "I've got visual on what looks like...forty men...maybe. Looks like the entire place is on patrol, but I can't see past the house from our location." "Good," Benny stated over the radio. "How 'bout anyone else? You see forty?" "I'm on point," Sam called out. "I'm counting about that many. They're awfully busy tonight." "Won't matter," my dad countered. "We're going on my signal. Wait for it." I glanced over to my left, making sure that Jasper, Mickey, and Alec were getting set to take the barn. They were crouched down just inside the line of trees, where the shadows fell on them. If you didn't know to look for them, you wouldn't know they were even there. A beeping alarm sounded not from the compound, but through my earpiece. "What the hell..." both Benny and Rose muttered. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Alice gasped, and I could hear her typing. "Oh, fuck... Bella's chip just popped online!" "Easy, Alice," my dad soothed her. "Tell us what you see. Where exactly is she?" "Um...from what I can tell, right between the barn and the bomb shel..." Alice groaned, stopping in mid-sentence. It was all I could do to not snap at her. "Okay, okay, okay...she must've tried to make a run for it, but the signal cut off again." "Well, that just means we were right," Eleazar soothed us all. "We'll be going in on Carlisle's mark..." "If you have a clear path, get to the fence line. Go ahead and cut your opening," my dad ordered, and Jasper's team moved. Emmett and I had a light pole casting a glow on the spot where we should've been cutting our way in. "We'd be in the open," Emmett stated. "We're going in with J." "Ten-four," my dad acknowledged. "Sam, you and your team get ready to take that guard shack. Alice, I need you to kill the power and communications on my mark!"

"On it," she answered him. Emmett and I ran low just inside the woods as we made our way to Jasper's position. Mickey was already through the razor wire and working on the chain link fence. When she was just about finished, we rushed to her, falling flat onto our stomachs. "Alice...now!" Dad ordered, and the place went dark with a dull thump. "No one move yet..." he warned. "Sam, you've got someone heading your way," Wes warned, most likely seeing it from the camera. "I've got a gate," Mickey announced, pocketing the wire cutters. "We're through," Eleazar said. "Our opening is cut," Dad added. "Sam, how's your company?" Silence was the only answer we received, but Wes could see. "The guard is taking a piss so close to Elam that he could tell his religion," he announced. I shook my head, because that was dangerous as shit. One right glimmer of light, one heavy breath, and the guy could see you. Elam had to have been holding his breath at this point. My crew's heads snapped up when two men walked to the back of the barn. "Kenny's fucking crazy. It's not fucking raining hard enough for it to kill the breakers. It's not even fucking lightning!" One was a rather large younger man, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt. The other man was older I'd say late fifties dressed similarly. "We've got company, too," Jasper muttered as we all lay perfectly still along the fence line. "Hold the line!" Dad snapped in a hiss. "How'd that bitch get free?" the younger man asked. "I don't know, but Bobby will be feeling that fucking headache a week from now. Knocked his ass into next week, she did," the older man snorted. "All I did was take a leak. Next thing I know, she's makin' a run for it." "Well, she can't get out now," the younger one sighed, shaking his head, "which is a shame, 'cause I'd tap that hard before Walt turns her over to Lilith." My anger flashed a deep crimson red, and my whole body tensed. Alec reached out a hand to steady me, gripping my shoulder so hard, it was almost painful, as he shook his head no. He put a finger to his lips, and then reached down to slowly and silently pull out his knife. He gestured for me to do the same, because we were going to take out these guys before they ever had a chance to report back what the electrical problem was. I reached down to my boot, pulling mine out. The two men held a flashlight up to open the breaker box, casting a singular circle of light on the backside of the barn. No one else was around them, no one else would hear them, and they'd never fucking see us coming. "Go, go, go!" Dad commanded into the radio. Alec and I were first through the fence and behind our two targets before they even had a chance to blink. The flashlight hit the ground as I grabbed the younger man, while Alec controlled the older. We held their mouths as our knives gleamed against their throats. "Where is she?" Alec hissed in the man's ear, nicking his skin when he didn't answer. "Tell me, and I'll let you live. Is she in the bomb shelter?" he asked, smiling when the man tried to nod under his heavy grip. "Good," he said, locking eyes with me. With a nod, knives sliced, and the men were no more, their bodies thumping to the ground. Emmett and Jasper hid them behind the barn, but so much for silence, because gunshots and an alarm rang out into the air. "Oh fuck," Wes groaned. "The motherfucker lit a cigarette, and that's all she wrote. Elam's been spotted." "Elam's down! Elam's down!" Sam grunted. "We were spotted. The fucker shot him, but his pal hit the alarm." "Shoot to maim, shoot to kill, but leave Bridges and Laray alive," Eleazar ordered. "And watch that machine gun." "Jasper, get in that barn loft. We need you on high," my dad ordered. "We'll get you in that barn, and then I'm getting to Bella," I told the group around me, before pointing to Jasper. "You can cover us, once you're up top."

He nodded, pulling out his handgun. Shots rang out from the guard gate area, yells and cries hit the night, but we were pretty fucking clear to sneak into the barn. I gestured for Jasper and Alec to take the far door, so that Emmett, Mickey, and I could take the closest end. "Lock and load," I snapped, and we all engaged our rifles. I was pressed into the barn's back wall and peeked around the side to make sure we were still in the clear. We weren't, but with two quick shots, I led us through the barn doors. I plastered myself just inside the doors, giving a sweeping glance around the barn for movement, but there was none. "J, you're clear." "Holy fucking shit," Emmett breathed as he studied something in one of the stalls. "Do not fucking fire near here!" he growled, spinning to look at me. "There's enough TNT here to blow this mountain top off! And it's fucking rigged." "Shit," Mickey hissed at the sight of boxes and boxes of dynamite stacked alongside a strange contraption, with what looked to be a timer. We all turned when shots rang closer to us on the other side of the barn wall. "Can you dismantle it?" I asked Emmett, gesturing for Jasper to get into position. He darted up the closest ladder of the hayloft. "Yeah, it looks simple enough..." he answered distractedly as he walked around it. "Mick, you stay with him," I commanded. "Jasper, tell me when you're ready. Alec, you're with me." "Shit!" Benny hissed. "Ed...that leaves me no camera on you, man!" "Tough shit. It's the way that it has to be. I can't have that shit going off until I get to Bella," I growled, running to the barn doors that Jasper had entered in. "You're just sad you can see my pretty face," I teased him, grinning at his snort. "You're ugly, dude. I still don't know what Bella sees in you," he snapped back with a laugh. "Now, that...I can agree with you," I grunted, slamming my back against the barn door with Alec by my side. "I don't know what she sees in me, either." Alec chuckled softly, checking our path to the bomb shelter. I could hear everything that was being communicated throughout the grounds, but I had to filter through it to catch the progress of individuals. My dad almost had his team on the front steps and back porch of the house. Sam had successfully removed every guard from the front gates and was taking his team minus Elam down to help Eleazar with the living quarters. There were more than we had seen with my recon mission not to mention men hiding in them. At a direct angle from the bomb shelter was the machine gun, and two men were manning it. "J, that fifty cal!" I snapped, just as shots chewed up everything on the front porch. They were aiming for my dad. "On it, Ed," he said calmly. How he never panicked was beyond me, but he was fucking good at his job, with a steady hand and the eye of a damn eagle. The gun swung around, chasing the footsteps of Sam and Felix, only to swing toward me and Alec. We dove to the ground, just behind a haystack, but the gunfire stopped just as quickly as it started. "Done, Ed. That nest is empty," Jasper stated, "but we've got issues on the top floor of that house and coming in from the woods." "Stay on it, J," I ordered. "Cover us. We're going down into that bunker." Alec and I bolted across the small distance between the haystack and the side wall of the shelter. I could hear the loading of a gun and a man's voice. "I said, shut up!" he snapped, and I swore I could hear a weapon engaging. I dropped to the ground, crawling to the edge to peer down the stairs. Standing in front of what looked like an iron bar gate was a young man practically shaking with fear. Fuck, he couldn't have been any older than nineteen. From what I could see, he was the only one down there. Using silent signals, I told Alec there was one man, one gate, one automatic weapon, but Alec decided to fuck with the kid.

"You're outnumbered, pal," he sang so that it echoed down the stairs. "Come out, and we won't hurt you." Ten rapid shots zinged past my head, and I rolled my eyes up at Alec, who was grinning. "Maybe he'll run out of ammo." "I'll kill her!" the kid yelled back. "I don't care what that bitch and Walter say!" "Oh now," I growled, shaking my head. "If you go and do that, I'll make sure you're sitting at Satan's dinner table in less than thirty seconds." "Edward!" I heard my wife's voice echo up from the blackness of the shelter. "Baby, get low. Get under something if you can," I commanded, reaching into my bag for a little extra help. "'Kay!" she called back. "Son, we're giving you one last chance," Alec warned, eying my hand as I got ready. "I'm not your son! My dad was an ass!" he countered, and I rolled my eyes. "I suppose that's something for your therapist, but considering he's just as fucked up as you are," Alec chuckled, shaking his head, "you're shit out of luck, buddy." I grinned, because Bella's sweet giggle could just barely be heard. I turned the disk over in my hand. It was a simple, but fucking fantastic, weapon. A little bigger than a half dollar, it was a small flash bomb. It had a delayed trigger, and only enough oomph to catch a person off guard. It could burn someone, but mainly, it just blinded a person temporarily. I pressed my thumb down on the button, engaging it. I rolled it down the steps, hearing the plink, plunk, plink down each step. "Bella, brace yourself!" I yelled, pulling Alec back. A bright flash and a loud pop burst out of the opening, and Alec and I launched ourselves down the stairs, aiming for the sounds of the moaning kid. "Baby, you okay?" I called, making sure that Alec had the kid under control. "Yeah," she said, her voice a little muffled. I could see that he and I were thinking along the same lines, that the kid was just misguided and fucking scared. With quick, nimble fingers, Alec had zip tied the boy's hands and feet, sitting him down on the lowest step. I reached into my bag and pulled out a handful of glow sticks, cracking them into dull green life. The shelter was pitch fucking black, and I needed to see Bella. I tossed them in and finally saw the outline of her. "Shit, Bella...are you okay?" I asked again, gripping the bars. "Yeah," she said, stumbling over something in order to get as close as she could. "I'd give you my lock pick, but I sort of lost it in the mud outside," she mumbled, sounding sheepish, but I nodded in understanding, because she really had tried to escape. "Check the kid for the key," I told Alec, but the guy was already shaking his head no. "You don't have the fucking key?" I asked him, but he was still shaking his head no. "Well, fuck," I growled, turning around. "Mick! I need you!" "On my way," she stated, but I heard her ask Emmett if he was all right before she started running. She appeared at the top of the steps, pulling out her kit. She knelt in front of an old ass lock, making quick work of it. Alec and Mickey added a few more glow sticks to the room, giving us a better look at what we were dealing with. A bar was locked and braced against Bella's cell door, but with a hard kick from me and Alec, it clanged to the concrete floor. Mickey worked her magic on the next lock, swinging it open so that Bella could run to me. "Edward," she sighed, wrapping herself around me. I lifted her up as she buried her face in my neck. "You swear you're fucking okay? They didn't touch you?" I verified in a rushed whisper. "No, I'm fine," she sighed, pulling back to look at me. "That's a new look for you," she teased, kissing my lips quickly. "Hush, sweetness," I snorted, looking up when Alec cursed. "What the fuck happened to this guy?" he asked, pointing to the very first cell, where a large body was heaped on a cot. "Lilith," Bella sneered, shaking her head. "That's Christopher Douglas...the drunk driver that killed the Greenes..." I grimaced, looking at the man, but it was the one single tear gliding down my wife's cheek that caught my attention. I

wiped it away and set her down. "Here," I said, pulling out an earpiece from my pocket. From my bag, I handed her a kevlar vest and a forty-five. "You'll need this shit. We still have to get you out of here. I'm sure we could use the extra help." Bella put on the earpiece as I tightened the vest around her. She checked the chamber of the gun, released the safety, and looked up at me for the next command. Into the radio, my girl asked, "Did you guys miss me?" I grinned when several voices rang out with, "Bells!" "Welcome back, sweetheart," my dad chuckled. "Good job, son." We were just about to tell him thank you, when Eleazar's voice ripped through all of our ears. "We've got another wave! I don't know where they're comin' from, but they're spreading out!" With a deep breath, I looked around at Alec, Mickey, and Bella. "Ready?" I asked them. When they nodded, I said, "Okay...let's do this..."

A/N...Whew! Okay, so we've at least got Bella back, but they've got to clear the compound. So as you guessed it, there's more action to come. Yes, Lilith killed Christopher Douglas without shame and without remorse. And Walter allowed it to occur... Hmmm. Bella has a theory on the death of Lilith's daughter Bree now. Ohhh...and how hot are our face paint wearing, forest trekking, automatic weapon carrying mercs? Hmm? Just... GAH! :) Coming up is pretty much all hell breaking loose, and some interesting discoveries about that compound. I'm sure you're concerned with Kurt, what's happening on El's side of the compound, and what Carlisle finds in that house. I need to thank JenRar for her help with beta'ing this story for me. Thanks to GooberLou, who pre-reads it and lets me pick her rather disturbing, but nonetheless brilliant violent mind. And to MedusInNY for all my blog stuff... but for much, much more than that! LOVE YOU! The next post is looking like Sunday. So let's hear what you've got to say about plans, plots, face paint, evil bitches, and cult leaders. Heh... I am totally interested in what you've got to say about it. So until next time... Later. :)

*Chapter 11*: Chapter 11

A/N... You guys do love the action... well, you'll get your wish for more. They still have to clear that mountain top cabin and the surrounding grounds. I think you'll like this chapter. It has a bit of everything. In fact, I'll say no more and just let you read. See you at the bottom...
CHAPTER 11

BELLA
God, Edward had never looked so good...or sexy, in spite of the paint that was all over his face. He looked straight out of a movie, all jagged stripes of black, green, and brown across his face, like a giant claw had swiped them there. Maybe it was because I'd missed him terribly, or maybe it was due to the commanding aura that he was exuding, but as we climbed up out of my cell, I couldn't help but kiss his cheek. I didn't give a shit if I got paint on me or not at this point, because no matter the reason, he was saving me. Again. "Thank you," I whispered, when his head snapped around to meet my gaze. "Don't thank me yet, sweetness" he said, giving me that perfectly sweet, crooked grin of his. "It sounds like we have to fight our way outta here." "And Bethy?" "Oh, she's perfect, love," he whispered with an almost reverent sound to his voice, tugging me up the steps to the very edge so he and Alec could glance around each corner. "She told me to tell you that she did everything you told her to." I smiled, tears filling my eyes, but I swiped at them. I could be proud of my girl later, but concentration was most important at the moment. We had to get through this shit in order to get back to her. "Aw, fuck," Carlisle growled over the radio. "Alice!" he barked. "Go ahead," she answered him. "I need some sort of current thermal on this house and the surrounding area. Can you do that?" he asked. "Give me two minutes," she replied, and I could hear her muttering orders to Rose and Makenna. "Edward, get Bella and your team to the house with me. Sam, Spike...stick with Eleazar," he ordered. "We've got a fucking tunnel running out of the basement and into the goddamn mountain!" "What do you want done about this bomb? And where do you want me?" Jasper asked. "Bomb?" I mouthed to Mickey, who was nodding with wide eyes. "J, you stay high," he stated, and seemed to falter when it came to the other question. "Em, can you take it apart?" "Almost there," he grunted. "Christ," I heard in my ear, and I'd be willing to bet it was Rose. "Keep me posted, then," he replied. Edward turned in front of us, his face serious, but he was aiming his instructions more to me. "Jazz is in the hayloft. He'll cover us when we run. El and his team are at the back of the property, and as you can hear, he ran into some trouble." I nodded, because rapid fire from automatic weapons sounded off faintly. "You will be by mine or Alec's side, no matter what. Got me?" "Yes," I answered, trusting them both explicitly. Without looking away from us, he called, "Jazz, how's my path to the front door?" "Crystal clear," the answer came back, "but I'll cover you anyway." Alec turned toward the opening of the bomb shelter, scanning the front yard. "I say we do this in stages, kid. Aim for the water well, then the machine gun nest, and then finally, the house." Edward nodded once in agreement as we listened to Sam's and Eleazar's teams struggle over the radio. He held up his hand, hissing, "Now!"

Edward took lead, while Alec took the back, which put me and Mickey in the middle. We moved quickly at a crouched run a few yards, kneeling behind the bricks of the water well. We did the exact same thing as we dove behind sandbags, which were piled up around a machine gun. My eyes fell on two men that had obviously met the wrong end of Jasper's sniper, but the smell of gunpowder that hung heavily around the large weapon gave me a good indication as to why they had died. And it explained the extremely loud gun fire I'd heard just moments before Edward and Alec had come to get me. "That's too far," Alec mused, looking to Edward and back across the lawn. "I vote that clump of trees first," he said, pointing to a thick part of the forest that had been allowed to stay on the property, just to the right of the front porch. "There's a heat source in those trees," Alice piped up. "If you go, I'd surround it first..." "Thank you, pixie," I muttered, looking up at Edward. "Surround it, it is," he sighed wearily, gesturing for Alec and Mickey to take the right. He and I would take the left. "Carlisle?" Alice called as we approached the trees with caution. "Um, there are...several heat sources underground. Like...a lot. It seems there is more than one tunnel under there." "Shit," Carlisle hissed, and I could just imagine him shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Edward, I need you..." "On our way, Dad," he answered in a whisper, his head snapping around when bullets zinged past us into the shrubbery. "Down!" he grunted, taking me with him. We dove behind two trees, staying low to the ground. "Jazz, I've got company." "Waiting for it..." he sang low over the radio, humming what sounded to be Amazing Grace. One single pop, followed by a grunt, and he said, "You're all clear. All the assholes are out of my sight." I laughed once, rolling my eyes as Edward grinned over at me. "Just like old times, huh, sweetness?" he whispered. "So much for harmless detective work," he snickered, dodging my punch to his arm. A twig snapped, along with a rustle of leaves, to our right, and we both stopped, slid up the trunks of our trees into a standing position, weapons at the ready. Edward gestured for me to take the back so that he could take the lead. "About a yard away, Edward," Alice warned low in our ears. "Forty-five degree angle, behind what looks to be...a large pine." My eyebrows shot up, because she had to have been looking at two screens in order to tell those kinds of details. Edward adjusted his aim to the direction she mentioned, his voice ringing deep and commanding, the sound muted due to the greenery surrounding us. "Come out, or I'll toss a grenade in there, sure as shit!" We took a few more tentative steps, before a man popped up out of the bushes, his hands raised. From every angle, four guns aimed his way three automatic rifles and one handgun but I lowered my weapon instantly. "Don't shoot!" I ordered, stepping forward. "Fuck, Kurt...what the hell?" "Jesus Christ, you weren't kidding!" he gasped, looking around him. "Hell, no, I wasn't kidding," I sighed, shaking my head. Both Edward and Alec shifted uneasily on their feet, but I held a hand up. "Wait," I told them. "He's not...what you think..." "Bella," Edward warned. "He's got your gun." "Fuck! Take it back... I didn't want it to begin with," Kurt stated, pointing to his waistband with his hands still raised. I chuckled, taking back my nine mil. I checked the chamber, the clip, and made sure the safety was on, before stowing it in the small of my back. I turned to face Edward, making sure I was between the two men. "I'll explain details later, but I will vouch for him, Edward." My husband didn't look placated with that statement. At all. "Fuck, baby... Without him, I'd never have gotten the girls to you!" I urged in a whisper. "He's protected me from the get go. He protected Bethy." Kurt was nodding fervently, but stayed quiet. "Fine," Edward conceded with a sigh, only to point his gun at Kurt one more time. "You fucking stay with us. Don't get twitchy, or I may just change my mind. Understood?"

Kurt paled, his mouth falling open. Sweat poured down the poor boy's brow as he stood there, scared to fucking death. "I'd answer him, kid," Alec chuckled, nudging him with the muzzle of his gun. "He's not always that...giving." Mickey smirked, shook her head, and rolled her eyes, but she came to stand on the other side of Kurt. "Say something, dude," she snickered. "Y-Yeah...whatever... just don't kill me!" Kurt finally spat in a rush. Edward sighed, rolling his eyes, but finally dragged his gaze away from Kurt toward the house. He turned back. "Alec, take the back. And you," he grunted at Kurt, "stay between the girls." Kurt swallowed nervously and nodded. We took off at a run, bolting up the front porch steps and into the house. Several guns raised in several different directions, but we quickly lowered them back down. I didn't recognize the two men that were standing guard just inside the front door. "The house is clear, Ed," one of them said, with the thickest Southern accent I'd ever heard. "But your pop didn't want to chance those tunnels alone," the other one said, finishing the first one's sentence. They were obviously related, because they looked way too much alike not to be. They were average looking men, and if I had to guess, I'd say they were about Eleazar's age. But it was the man coming up out of a basement that caught my attention. "Bella," he sighed with relief at the sight of me, and he swung his weapon to his back as I launched myself into his arms. "Sweetheart, you okay?" "Yes," I said, kissing his painted cheek. "I'm fine." "Good," he sighed again, letting me go, but gestured to the two men. "Ned and Harry Cauldwell...meet Isabella Cullen." "Ma'am," they both crooned, taking off their hats and bowing dramatically. "Morons," Edward chuckled, shaking his head as Mickey and I giggled at them. "Who's this?" Carlisle asked, pointing to Kurt, who had been hanging to the back of the room in silence. "This is Kurt," I said, introducing them to my godfather. "Yes, Bella has offered him...asylum," Edward said with an eye roll. "Ah, Kurt with the doughnuts...the same one?" Carlisle asked with a wry smile. "He helped me," I whispered, frowning at the fact that Carlisle's smile did not reach his eyes, which meant I had to plead Kurt's case again. "He's...trapped in this situation, Carlisle." "We'll see. For now, he's with us...but don't fuck up," he warned him, just like Edward had. He turned to his son, saying, "We've got what looks to be fucking miles of tunnels down there." "They're old mining tunnels, Carlisle," Alice piped up. "I just pulled the history on that mountain. Apparently, it was used to mine gold in the early eighteen hundreds. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that's how Walter's family got their money. It's very old money." "Well, that would explain the dynamite," Alec mused, looking out the window. "But not the bomb," Mickey added. "Which reminds me...Em, you okay, big guy?" "Yup, the timer is dismantled. It's just a pile of TNT now," he stated proudly. "Good," Carlisle said. "You and Jasper get your asses to the house. We're searching these tunnels." "And Alice," I added. "Is there any map that you can find?" "I'll look," she answered. "And Bells...it's nice to have you back." I smiled, feeling Edward's fingers link with mine. "Thanks, pixie," I muttered, looking to Carlisle. "Whenever you're ready..." ~oOo~

EDWARD
"How do you want to do this?" I asked, looking between a split in the tunnel.

Both ways were lit by dim bulbs every few yards, from what I could see. It left spaces filled with shadows. One path descended and then veered off to the left, while the other went straight into darkness. It was the fucking unknown either way. "Carlisle?" Benny piped in on the radio. "If you split up, make sure that at least one person on each team has a camera on them. I want to be able to see what you're seeing." "That's me and Em," Dad mused, turning to me. "You take Emmett, Alec, Mickey, and Bella. I'll take Ned, Harry, and Jasper. Alice, any luck on some sort of map?" "Yes, coming through on your phones now," she stated. "Keep in mind that this is the original mining layout. I'm not sure what the current situation is." "That's fine, Alice," he said, pulling out his phone. We all followed suit. "Let me see," Bella muttered softly, looking over my shoulder as I opened the file. I leaned over and kissed the top of her head, because fuck...I'd missed her like crazy. Just having her by my side made me calmer, more at ease, like none of the rest of this shit mattered. She leaned into it, a ghost of a smile flickering across her features, but she said nothing as she wrapped an arm around my waist. "It looks like there's an opening about a mile from here," she muttered, tracing a path from where we were, to what looked like Eleazar's position with her finger. "El, check in," I stated over the radio. Sam's team was down Elam, who had been shot by a guard at the front gate, so he and Felix had joined Eleazar, Spike, and Eric as they struggled on the edge of the property. A new wave of Walter's men had popped up out of nowhere as my team was making our way to the house. "I've got three prisoners back at those shacks, four dead," he stated, "and right now, we're tracking a trail to where they came from. I sent Felix to guard the barn, just in case." My dad's eyebrows shot up. "Are you about a mile out from the main gate?" "Yeah," he replied. "I got that map. I'm hoping to find the end of the mining shaft on this end... There it is," he sighed in relief. "I'd like to work our way to each other; that will reduce any risk of anymore attacks." "Fine," my dad stated with a nod. "On this map, there's no split. Alice, where's the biggest concentration of thermal activity?" "Facing the entrance of the mine...to the right...which would be a northeast direction," she replied. "I'd count about ten more warm bodies, but don't hold me to it. It's underground, so I may not be picking up everything down there. Keep in mind that there could be interference from underground water sources, ore, and just the fact that it's too damn far under there..." "Ten-four," he sighed, looking to me. "You take that shaft, then, son," he ordered, pointing to the left. "Carlisle," Bella interrupted. "This is a guess, but...I had a couple of guards on me. They were talking about women, kids... That may be who's down here. They may have put them down here for their safety." "That's my guess, too," Kurt piped up from behind us all, and he flinched when we spun to look at him. He'd been so fucking quiet that I'd forgotten all about him. He looked nervous, but there was something about the kid that seemed to scream...harmless. Yeah, I'd warned him, and so had my dad, but Bella's vouching for him, not to mention Bethy's statement of how he'd treated her, meant something to me. I was willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. "You don't know?" Bella asked. "This is my first time here," he said softly with a shrug. "I'm telling you, Bella... I was only with Walter to make sure he stayed away from my dad, mother, and sister. Lilith is...unstable. And for some reason, Walter allows her...leeway. I couldn't risk them going back on their word. As long as I went along, my family was safe." There it was. I'd been wondering exactly what had kept him with such foul people, especially when he'd been kind enough to help my girls. "Unstable? No shit, Sherlock," Bella muttered, rolling her eyes, and Mickey chuckled. "Okay, so I think maybe...if it's women and kids down that way," she said, pointing to the tunnel on the right, "that maybe me and Mickey should go..." "I'm not a Neanderthal, Bells," my dad laughed. "Speak for yourself," Ned said with a chuckle, giving the girls a wink. "We're cavemen, all the way down to our crotch

scratching in front of the TV." "Nice," Emmett praised with a grin. "No wonder you two never married," Jasper muttered wryly, rolling his eyes. Harry grinned, but only shrugged. "Let me guess," Mickey snickered. "You turn your underwear inside out to wear again another day." "Now you're catching on!" Harry beamed when both girls groaned and giggled at the same time. "On that note," Dad snorted, pointing to the right side tunnel. "It's yours, but be-fucking-careful!" he urged, raising an eyebrow up at her. "El, we're going in. We may lose radio signal down here, so just keep your eyes peeled." "Ten-four," Eleazar replied back. "Kurt," I barked, and he jumped, looking up at me. "You're with me. Come on." I turned to the rest of my crew. "My team...weapons out. We're going to take this nice and fucking easy...slow. Alec, you've got the back. Emmett, take the lead, since you're..." I waved a hand at him. "Camera boy..." "Jealous?" he asked, feigning a haughty attitude, but he still pulled his weapon from his back to lock and load it. "Get your ass in there," I growled, rolling my eyes. "Move out," I ordered, keeping Bella at my side and Kurt in front of us. My dad's theory was correct; the farther we went into the tunnel, the worse our radio reception was. We lost all communication once we reached a quarter mile in, and at that point, I had no idea if the camera mounted on Emmett's chest was working. We took the tunnel at a slow pace, careful of niches and long spans of darkness. Our path was up and down, and it wound left and right. The walls were jagged, rough stone, with large timbers mounted in archways every few feet. They looked old, but still doing their job of holding up the mountain over our heads. However, there was the occasional side tunnel that had collapsed, like they'd tried to split off again, only for it not to hold. As we turned another corner about a half a mile in, a wailing baby's cry echoed down the tunnel, only to be hushed immediately. "Oh, hell," I sighed, shaking my head. "Em, take this easy," I told him. "Be cautious, but don't get trigger happy. Sounds like Bella was right." The tunnel opened up to a wider area. My heart sank at the sight before me. Lining every inch of the place were makeshift cots, bedrolls, and small fires. I looked up to see an opening in the mountain, almost like it had formed with a cave that way. Alice was right. There were ten to twelve women and children in there. And our appearance was scaring the shit out of them. Women pulled toddlers closer, older children ran to their beds, elderly women flinched, and one woman scooped up an infant, trying to make a run for it, but coming in on the other side was Eleazar and his team. "Alice, can you read me?" I asked, thinking that the opening overhead would reinstate our communication. "Yeah, and we see you, too," she stated. "Damn, they look...scared." "They are," Bella sighed, looking to Eleazar when he took control over the small crowd. "I need you all to please calm down. We're here to help you. We'll get you out of here shortly," he stated, commanding the attention of everyone in the small space. "Where's Walter?" one woman asked, standing up slowly from her bed roll. "Which way did he go?" El countered, stepping closer to her. She pointed toward the way he had come in. "Shit," he hissed, shaking his head. "He escaped the same time that second wave came at me, I'd guarantee it." "Was Lilith with him?" Bella asked, her face dark with the anger that she could barely contain. The woman nodded slowly, her eyes wide. Eleazar walked to me, his face grim. "I want them out of here, but I need to talk to them. Any word from your dad?" "No," I said with a shake to my head. "We lost him about a quarter mile back. We think this is the original tunnel. There's no telling how deep his goes." He nodded, swallowed, and turned back to the group, as Mickey, Bella, and Eric checked the well being of everyone. "Oh shit," I heard over the radio in a hiss from Makenna. "Tell me, Mack," I ordered, because she didn't normally say anything unless she recognized someone.

"Em, turn slightly to your left. Sam...you turn to the right ninety degrees," she stated, and both men did as she asked. "See the old woman against the wall in front of Emmett?" she asked. "Yeah," I said warily, walking to stand next to Emmett. "Don't you recognize her, Edward?" she asked incredulously. "That's the old homeless lady from that coffee shop in Seattle the one we use when we go see Carlisle. She was right around the corner from Twi Tech. She'd been there for months. Remember? The last time we saw her, she gave Bethy a little bouquet of wildflowers?" I tilted my head at the old woman, my eyebrows raising up. "Oh yeah! And who is Sam looking at, Makenna?" I asked, walking to his position. "Carla Danvers and her son, Malcolm," she stated, like I was supposed to know who that was. "They've been missing for days out of Portland! Her husband's been on TV, asking for information. These are missing and homeless people, Edward!" As I skimmed over the lot of them, I saw what she was saying. They were dirty and scared, they were actually comfortable down here, and they seemed to have no idea that living like they were was wrong. "Aw, you've got to be kidding me," Eleazar groaned, rubbing his face roughly. "This is some sort of cult, then," he said softly to himself, only to turn to Eric. "Once you make sure they can all move, I want them out of here. Now! We'll get them back up to the house and make them comfortable, until I can get a medical team up this fucking wet ass mountain." "Sir," Eric grunted with a nod. "And Benny," he barked, probably more out of exasperation than anything, "get on the horn with Portland. Tell them we may have found their missing woman and kid. Find out the details on that shit." "Wes is calling them now," Benny replied, and I knew the man well enough to know that he was shocked at what he was seeing on camera. "Great," he stated wryly. "Let's...move them out. I hate being in a fucking groundhog burrow. The shit's making me nervous." ~oOo~ The sun had risen to a bright day, and we'd basically taken over Walter's compound temporarily. We'd moved the women and children into spare rooms, allowing them to clean up a little. Alec had raided the kitchen, and though there wasn't much, he started making spaghetti to feed them all. However, the fact that his sauce was coming from a jar was offending the Italian in him to no end. Wes and Benny hiked up to us, because when they tried to drive, their van wouldn't make it. The road was too slick, to unstable for them to drive it. They were currently talking to some of the women. From what we could gather, most of the people in the tunnel knew Walter, or were seeing him professionally at Shady Glen with the exception of Carla Danvers. She was merely at the wrong place, at the wrong time. She'd been filling up at a gas station when Kenny and Rusty had pulled in with Abby and Bethy. The Amber Alert had just gone out over the radio, and she had tried to call it in, but they'd stopped her, taking her and her son right then and there. She'd been passed over to someone else along the way and had been a prisoner ever since. That conversation resulted in Bella's inability to hear another word, and she left the house in a rage. Walter had been recruiting. It was homeless single mothers or as close to it as they could get and it was women with harmless mental problems, like extremely low self esteem or uneducated, so that they were easily manipulated. Walter told them he had a place for them away from judgmental society. And some of the women were spouses of the men that had attacked us. They said their husbands had been duped by Walter, because he played into a love of guns, hunting, and a hatred for government. Those women had been forced to go by their significant others, with a promise of a better life or better yet...a job. All told, there were fourteen women and six children. It was fucking ridiculous. I lowered my head into one of the bathroom sinks, wetting my hair and finally washing the face paint off. I scrubbed hard, making sure to get all of it, and dried my face on a spare shirt from my bag. I looked up to see my dad standing in the doorway. "My turn," he grunted, starting to do the same. "El put out an APB on Lilith and Walter. We're not sure if they're on foot, or if they've acquired a car by now." I nodded, sighing with relief when I could finally rip open the velcro of my kevlar vest. "El and Benny seem to think he's not done. That he'll come for us again," I said, keeping my voice low. "He may be right." He shrugged, leaning a hip against the bathroom sink. "I was going to continue to help him. I wanted to

ask if you were in." I grimaced, looking down the hall as six-year-old Malcolm Danvers sat on the floor with a race car in his hand, but I nodded. "I'll talk to Bella," I told him. "But the answer is probably yes, if only to capture Lilith." He nodded, like he'd suspected as much, pushing away from the sink. "Where's El now?" "Rounding up every prisoner." "How many were there?" "Alec and I had one down in the bomb shelter, El's team caught three, and I think there was an injured man at the guard shack," I reported as we walked down the stairs to the living room. "What's he doing about Kurt?" he asked. "He's treating him as a witness, for now, though Rose spoke to his father, who's out on bail," I explained. "The kid wasn't lying. Walter had threatened the whole family, once he discovered that Dr. Vernon was on the take at Shady Glen. He went as far as killing the family dog, just to prove he could get to them. So Kurt played along. I'd have done the same thing...just to make sure the asshole didn't touch my family." He nodded once, relaxing a bit at that news, and sighed. "Okay, well, we're stuck here for a few more hours, at least until that road dries up, so settle in for a bit." We stepped out onto the front porch, and he pulled out his phone, most likely to call Esme. "Tell her hello." I chuckled at his wry smile, making my way down the steps. I wanted to find Bella. "Oh," I said, turning back to him. "What's the story here?" I asked, waving my hand around. "Waco gone terribly wrong," he replied. "With Walter's escape and the return of Carla and Malcolm Danvers, it won't take long to pair it up with the train station fiasco, so this will be a media frenzy. We won't be mentioned," he stated, "but El is bringing in a clean up team. They'll make false statements, but what really happened...the world will never know." I huffed a laugh and shook my head. "Does he know who shot JFK?" My dad chuckled. "Yeah, probably," he snorted. "But if he told us, he'd have to kill us." I grinned, holding my hands up in surrender. "Right...got it." I found Bella in the barn, leaning in the doorway, her gaze sweeping over the cache of weapons, but more importantly, the stack of TNT. I walked up behind her, swirling her ponytail around my hand and placing a kiss to the back of her neck. "You okay?" I asked for the umpteenth time. She nodded, humming, "Mmhm." She leaned back against me, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. "This was above me the entire time?" I grimaced, because that same thought had gone through my mind the second I saw it. "Yes, love." "Was the timer on?" she asked, pointing to the bomb that Emmett had disengaged. "No, sweetness," I assured her. "It looked like it was waiting to be put to use." She nodded, finally turning to face me, a smile lighting up her face. "Ah, there's the face I love," she giggled, reaching up to cup my jaw. "The face paint was hot, in a rugged, dirty sort of way, but I love this," she said with a grin, biting her bottom lip and squishing my face. I chuckled, leaning in to kiss her lips lightly smooshed face and all. "And I love you. God, I m-missed y-you," I sighed, pressing my forehead to hers and pulling her flush to me. "I w-was s-so w-worried, baby." "I know," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, Edward." "Don't be," I told her, kissing her nose. "However much I hated it, it got us our girl back." She swallowed thickly, nodding a bit. "It was so fucking hard letting her go," she breathed. "But I knew you guys were waiting." "We were, baby. She was fine...they were both fine. She did just what you told her to..." I was about to tell her that when we went to get her at the hotel, poor Bethy fell apart, but loud voices from the other end of the barn cut me off. We turned to see Eleazar walking his four prisoners at gunpoint. Sam and Felix were walking with them. A skinny fucker tried to run, but made the mistake of picking Sam's side to turn to. A large, unsympathetic fist caught him in the face, knocking his ass flat on the ground, where he writhed in pain.

"Not so fast, Kenny," Sam rumbled with his deep voice. My eyebrows shot up, and I walked away from Bella, picking the motherfucker up off of the ground by his neck and slamming him into the nearest pole. "Kenny," I sneered, pointing my Glock to his temple. "I'm sure Rusty misses you. Ready to be his cellmate in hell?" I asked him. Several pairs of hands pulled at me, but I held my ground, staring at the asshole in my grip. All I could see was Bethy with a gun pointed to her forehead, and this motherfucker's hand attached to the other end. I'd made sure that Rusty had paid for the same sin for Abby. But the same crime against my daughter would not go fucking unpunished. Kenny tried to laugh, but his airway was suddenly cut off. He couldn't even fight against my grip, because his hands were zip tied behind his back, but his feet kicked out, trying to make purchase against me. His lips moved, but no sound came out. "What was that?" I asked, letting up just a bit. "I said...whatever," he rasped, trying to swallow. "Walter's gone, man." "Not for long," I chuckled with a shrug. "Hey, Ed," Eleazar said, coming to stand by my side. "I get it, but I need to ask him some questions. Feel free to join in on the...interrogation." He gave me a raised eyebrow, and I knew that El would be using whatever means necessary to get this guy to talk. "He keeps singing about how we won't find Walter, but he hasn't met your dad yet." I smiled, dragging my tongue along my bottom lip. My dad was deadly when it came to interrogations. He would slowly, methodically torture information out of men men more dangerous than the little thief I had in my hands. I nodded and let go, snickering in amusement when Kenny grunted with his hard fall. He landed awkwardly due to his bound hands and rolled to a sitting position. "Hey, Dad!" he called mockingly. "Has she asked about me? Does Bethy miss me?" Bella started for him, but my fist flew before I could think. I caught him directly in the temple, and he sagged to the dusty floor of the barn. "No, asshole," I told him, though he was out cold. Sam sighed, tilting his head over at me with a sarcastic look plastered on his face. "Thanks, Eddie. Now I have to carry his sorry ass." "Sorry," I muttered, still glaring at the man at my feet. "No biggie," he chuckled, hefting Kenny onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes with ease. "I was just saying..." I huffed a laugh at him as he walked away with Eleazar and the rest of their prisoners. "I'll let you know when we're ready to begin," El called over his shoulder. The radio crackled in my ear as Bella and I sat down on a bale of hay. It had been quiet since we'd secured the compound, so I'd assumed the girls had been getting some much needed rest. They'd been up all night with us well before we had exited the truck about halfway down the mountain. "Alice," I sighed, pulling Bella to my side during a rare quiet moment. "You're gonna go blind if you stay on those computers any longer, pixie." Alice chuckled. "I think I may need glasses," she laughed softly. "I've worn out my eyeballs the last few weeks. But I'm merely on here to relay a message." "Okay," I groaned wearily, smiling into the top of Bella's head when she snickered into my chest. "Morning, Daddy!" Bethy chirped over the radio, sounding like sunshine and all things perfect and happy. Bella gasped, sitting up, her hands covering her mouth, and I realized that she hadn't talked to our little girl since she'd had to let the girls go at the hotel. It had to have been the single hardest thing she'd ever done, and I was still in awe of her. The pure fucking blind faith it must have taken to just set the girls free was still something I couldn't wrap my head around. "Hey, little sweetness," I said, unable to keep the smile off of my face. "Did you take care of Gamma for me and Poppy?" I asked, wanting to surprise Bethy with her mother. "I did!" she squeaked. "We watched movies, made pock-corn, and she let me play dress up. And we kept only happy thoughts...just like Unca Alec told me. Did it work, Daddy?"

I grinned, reaching up to wipe away the happy tears that were spilling down Bella's face and tucking a stray hair behind her ear that had escaped her ponytail. "You tell me, baby. Someone wants to say hi." "Hey, pretty girl," Bella sniffled. "Mommy!" Bethy practically screamed into the radio, causing us both to flinch, but chuckle at the same time. "Daddy found you?" "He did, baby," she laughed and sniffled at the same time, leaning into me as I wrapped an arm around her. "He always does." "Good. You can come home now," she stated, much like an order, and I laughed, because she sounded just like me. "Soon, Bethy," I told her. "Not long. Keep taking care of Gamma for Poppy, okay?" "Okay, but I want to see you," she said, her voice dropping to a sad tone. "Hurry?" "We're doing the best we can, okay, baby?" Bella soothed softly. "How 'bout we call you every now and then to check in, huh?" "Promise?" "Promise," we both vowed at the same time. "Okay, love you...be safe," she sang, and her voice was replaced with Alice's again. "Love you, too," we called back. "I thought you two could use that," she giggled. "Yeah," Bella sighed, a smile playing on her face, but tears welled up in her eyes at the same time. I smiled, pulling Bella to my lap, because she looked like she was about to lose it. "Yeah, thanks, Alice." ~oOo~

BELLA
I sat on the water well, bringing my knees up to my chin. It was late afternoon, and the road up to the compound had dried enough that vehicles could now get in. The place was chaos. Ambulances, coroners, and more of Eleazar's men had arrived and were now in the process of cleaning up the place, checking the people that we'd found in the tunnels, and removing the bodies of Walter's men. Carla and Malcolm Danvers' reappearance had brought the media to the bottom of the mountain, and they were now being held back by Wes and Benny not to mention a few local police. Mr. Danvers was being brought in at that moment. Anyone that wasn't CIA was being kept hidden, because Eleazar needed to keep some parts of this operation secret, and that included Edward's and Carlisle's participation, not to mention the rest of our crew. My eyes fell on the men that were pulling Christopher Douglas out of the bomb shelter, and I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to try and keep my composure, but the tears came anyway. I owed it to him to tell his mother. He didn't want her to go the rest of her life wondering what happened. "Hey, what's this?" Edward whispered, suddenly at my side. Kneeling beside me, he cupped my face to wipe away my tears. "Lilith just killed him, Edward," I breathed, gesturing to the gurney that two men were struggling with over the rough terrain and the weight of Chris' body. "She just...pulled the trigger..." I sniffled, shaking my head. "She wanted him to suffer. And he did...for hours." Edward turned me, pulled my legs down so that they were on either side of him, and looked up at me as he rubbed my thigh gently with one hand and continued to caress my face with the other. His touch was soothing, just as it always had been from the beginning, even when my tolerance for it was limited, and I unleashed emotionally on him. "He...He made me promise to tell his mom," I hiccuped, playing with Edward's fingers on my leg until he just linked our fingers together. "He didn't want... He wasn't a bad guy, Edward. He just was young and made a stupid...a horrible..." "Mistake," he finished softly for me, and I nodded frantically. "Yes," I sobbed, nodding again. "I tried to stay...confident and strong, but that... She was so fucking callous!" I growled, practically shaking as I balled up my fists. "There was no remorse. None. And when we explained to Chris why he was there...when we talked about her girls... this...this look came over her face, like maybe Bree hadn't been an accident, you know?"

Edward stayed quiet like he always did when I lost it like this. He brushed my hair from my face softly, his eyes locked on my face. They were sincere and as green as the forest surrounding us, and they showed an ancient worry that I hadn't seen since Riley Miller was after me. He was afraid for me, that my captivity was too much. Maybe it was, or maybe just Edward's presence was like a soothing balm on a burn that allowed me to relax just a little. "You were strong, sweetness," he soothed, ghosting his fingers along my cheek and under my chin. "It's hard watching a man die like that, especially when it's pointless. We'll go see his mother, if that's what you want," he stated, rubbing my hand until it relaxed, and then he kissed each finger. "I promised him," I urged. "Okay, baby," he said with a nod, placing another kiss to the middle of my palm. "Then we'll go." I nodded, reaching out to cup his face. He was all things strong and noble, soft and comforting. And his face was fucking beautiful as he gazed up worriedly at me. I knew there was a part of him that was probably raging inside, because he couldn't fix whatever had hurt me, but he tamped it down in order to treat me like fragile glass, and at that moment, I felt a little bit like that. "I love you. I'm sorry," I breathed, bringing his lips to mine. "Don't be sorry, love," he whispered, kissing me once, before pulling back to look at me. "I know it wasn't easy down there." I shrugged, sniffling at the same time, but allowed my forehead to fall to his. "Sweetness," he started tentatively, "who gave you the bruise?" I pulled back, and he traced a finger around the side of my eye and across my cheek. "Lilith, right after they discovered that my bag didn't have the money...and just before I kicked her ass with my hands still cuffed." He grinned beautifully crooked, shook his head once, and leaned up to kiss my bruise with a feather light touch. "That's my girl," he chuckled. I couldn't help but smile with him, because I was willing to bet he'd been tossing that question around in his head since he laid eyes on me. I probably needed to lay his fears to rest. "Walter didn't touch me," I stated firmly. "No one did, except for that. I promise, baby." He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Good." Two large SUVs with dark tinted windows pulled onto the property at the same time that Eleazar and Carlisle came out of the house and walked toward us. "We're being kicked off the mountain," Carlisle snickered, giving both of us a wry smile. "Just until morning," Eleazar countered. "There's an inn down the mountain in a small town. I've taken it over. Take your crew, get some rest, and come back up here in the morning." "What about questioning Porter?" Edward asked, his brow furrowing. "Tomorrow," Eleazar urged, and then pointed to me. "She's shattered, Edward. And you guys need to be off this property for the rest of the clean up. I will need you tomorrow, though." I would've argued to stay, but he was right. I was exhausted and in terrible need of a shower, so I stood slowly and took Edward's hand. "Tomorrow," I conceded, pulling him up, just as our whole crew exited the house. I looked up to Edward. "It'll be fine. Let's go." ~oOo~ "Hi, Mommy," my pretty girl said with a yawn over the phone. "Gamma says you'll be home soon." "We will, baby," I sighed, stretching my legs out on the bed in our hotel room and straightening the robe I'd put on after my very much needed shower. "I'm not sure when, but we're trying really hard to finish up. Are you getting in bed?" I asked, missing the little routine we used to have before all the shit started. Normally, Edward or I would read to her until she nodded off. His "little soldier" commands were her favorite of the night. And there were always lots of hugs and kisses before he'd fly her into her bed, tucking the covers around her. "Yes." She audibly yawned again, fighting sleep, and I looked up as Edward came out of the bathroom after his shower. I bit back a swoon and a groan at the sight of him in just a towel wrapped low on his hips. Water still glistened on his shoulders and arms, and his hair was a tumbled wet, sexy mess. The two day stubble on his face, the dark green of his eyes as he scanned through his phone and set his clothes on a chair, and the flexing and rolling of every muscle as he

innocently moved about the room was just killing me. Sometimes, he reminded me of that beautiful, untouchable man that I first saw making me breakfast in just a pair of basketball shorts after rescuing me from Miller unknowingly sexy. And then there were times he was the thirteen year old that I'd first met, that I'd hung out with all day in my tree house in Seattle, because when he heard his baby's voice over the phone, he smiled sweetly, crookedly, and lovingly, holding his hand out for the phone. "Night-night, pretty girl," I told her, nodding to him. "Be good for Gamma, okay? I love you." "Okay, Mommy. Love you, too," she muttered wearily on the other end of the line. I handed over the phone to Edward, who immediately started with, "Is it lights out, little soldier?" He grinned when she snapped, "Yes, sir!" I giggled, shaking my head and padding into the bathroom to brush my teeth as he commanded her to only have good dreams. By the time I came back in the room, he was sitting on the side of the bed, setting the hotel phone back in its cradle. "She sounds like...this shit didn't affect her," I stated softly, walking to him to stand between his legs. His hands immediately landed on my waist, and he looked up at me, his brow furrowing just a touch. "She kinda freaked out on me when you weren't at the motel room," he sighed with a grimace, "but she calmed down once I got her home. Esme says she's dealing with it perfectly. She's a little...clingy." I took a deep breath and let it out. My worst fear for Bethy was that there would be irreparable damage from her kidnapping. I knew what it was like, though her experience came nowhere near what I'd gone through with Miller. Thank God. I never wanted my baby to have fears of basements or touch. It had taken me a very long time to work through my fears. It had been painful, scary, and downright nerve wracking. Without Edward there for every single fucking step, I'm not sure I'd be as comfortable in my own skin. I ran my fingers through his soft, damp hair, sighing softly with contentment. "Clingy, I can handle. I might be a little clingy right back when we get home. I need girl time with my baby. Maybe even a pajama picnic in the living room," I said with a grin and a bite to my bottom lip. Edward chuckled, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me flush to him. He set his chin on my stomach and gazed up at me. "Sounds like fun. I may have to crash that pajama party." "Should I sneak you in?" I teased him. "Want me to come in through a window, sweetness?" he snickered, his hands starting to travel over my back, over my bottom, giving it a squeeze, and down the backs of my legs. "Why does that sound like something you've done before?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him when his cheeks tinged pink. "Edward Cullen!" I gasped in false shock, my mouth hanging open. He huffed an embarrassed laugh. "Once, okay? But I almost got caught by the girl's father. Scared the shit out of me, because he had quite the extensive gun collection..." I giggled, because I couldn't help it. His past was no secret to me when it came to women, but he was mine now. I didn't doubt it. In fact, I trusted his love for me completely. It was a crutch I leaned on in order to make it through life. Without it, I wasn't sure I'd have made it through my most recent captivity. I sighed, brushing his hair from his forehead so that I could place a long, slow kiss there. "God, I missed you," I moaned, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and another around his head when he buried his face into my stomach, just holding me. "I had dreams about you when I was gone, and it just made shit so much worse," I admitted softly into his hair. His hands skimmed down my backside again only this time, they traveled underneath the edge of my robe. As he slowly brought them up to cup my ass, he pulled his head from my torso. "Tell me about them," he commanded in a smooth, velvet voice, his eyes darkening when he discovered that I was bare underneath. "You were kissing me," I whispered, already reacting to his touch. "Touching me." "You had dirty dreams, baby?" he asked, a naughty crooked smile curling up on his lips. "Mmhm," I said with a nod. "I did," I breathed, when he tugged the knot open on my robe. "Did it make you wet for me?" he asked, his voice like liquid sin and warm honey, dripping with want and sex and carnal knowledge. "It made me cry for you," I whispered the truth and nodded at the same time, which only caused his eyes to darken even more. The green was almost nonexistent at this point.

He dropped the terrycloth belt to the floor and gently opened my robe, letting it hang loosely on my shoulders. With a flat hand, he pressed it to my stomach and ghosted it up between my breasts to my neck and back down. He was taking his time on purpose, teasing me. He wasn't even kissing me yet, and I was aching for him to the point my legs were almost shaking. "Did you come in your dream?" he asked, and my stomach tingled and clenched at the way that sounded, but I shook my head no. "So..." he sighed dramatically as his brow furrowed in concentration, using both hands to glide up my upper body, purposefully skimming his palms over my hard nipples, to push my robe off of my shoulders. It pooled silently at my feet. "Do you want to come, love?" "Yes," I breathed, a sound barely escaping me, because I needed to feel him, needed to reaffirm my aching love for him. "Please..." He leaned in to drag his nose over my skin from my bellybutton, around each nipple, and up my neck to my ear, where he finally opened his mouth. A long, deep moan rumbled from him when he laved his tongue over the soft spot behind my ear, sucking lightly. My fingers gripped his shoulder and wove themselves into his hair to hold him there. "I couldn't sleep in our bed without you," he admitted in a whisper, his breath pushing softly against the wetness he'd just left on my flesh, causing me to shiver. "It seemed...wrong, baby." "Edward..." "Shh," he chided gently, shaking his head, because he didn't want to have that conversation. From the look on his face, he only wanted me. "I want to finish that dream for you," he added in a rasping whisper, switching to the other side of my neck and leaving another long, slow kiss. "Then you really need to kiss me," I panted, tugging his hair so that he would look up at me. "Really kiss me." Long, talented fingers traced up my spine, almost tickling me from the small of my back, all the way up to my shoulder blades. Edward's other hand slipped into my hair at the base of my neck, weaving firmly and pulling me closer. My forehead thumped to his, our eyes locked. There was need and want, relief, and a glimmer of relaxation that shifted between us, before I nipped at his top lip, and then the bottom. Teeth and tongues slid lightly over skin, as I dragged my fingers slowly down his chest, caressing each pec, each ab, and each vee just above the towel he was still in. Tugging at the terrycloth, I finally exposed him, only to crawl into his lap, straddling his thighs as he covered my mouth with his own. Edward pulled me closer, trapping his arousal between us, and a deep, breathtakingly erotic moan rumbled from his chest. He turned my head, moving us farther up on the bed and deepening the kiss. Our tongues swirled together as I loomed over him, pushing at him to lay back, but he had other ideas in mind, and he pulled me down with him. Sliding his flattened hands down my back, he gripped my ass, grinding me against him, only to finally break away from my mouth to gaze up at me with pure heat in his eyes. "Bring that sweet pussy to me, baby," he purred, his voice almost hypnotizing in its carnal sound. I grinned, remembering the guards outside my cell, and my thoughts of how different the word pussy sounded when it was said the right the way and Edward always said it the right fucking way. He shifted under me, bringing his legs up behind me as slipped me up his chest so that I was straddling him, with my knees on either side of his head. "What?" he asked, caressing the outside of my thighs, only to place a kiss just shy of where I needed his mouth the most. "Nothing," I groaned, unable to keep my hips still as I writhed to get closer to him. "Tell me, love," he teased, trailing his tongue where my thigh creased. "What was that smile?" he asked, giving me a long, slow lick on the outside of my folds. My eyes rolled back, and so did my head, at the same time I breathed, "The word pussy, Edward. It sounds so good the way you say it." He moaned against my flesh this time, slipping his tongue just inside my folds to swirl the tip of it around my clit. His hands slipped under my ass to lift me, to bring me closer. "That's because it's such a beautiful pussy, baby. There's more than one reason I call you sweetness..." he crooned, with an open mouth kiss and a swirl around my entrance. "Now, open up for me, so I can see all of it, beautiful..." "Oh fuck," I hissed, losing myself in the sensation of his mouth on me, his tongue in me, his hands holding me open, his stubble rubbing against my skin just right,and the amazing sounds that vibrated up my body as he hummed against me. My climax started at my toes, causing a rolling wave to slither up my body, until I was grinding against his face and gripping the covers of the bed in two tight fists as I reclined back against his thighs. My stomach muscles clenched as he

sucked me hard into his mouth and slid two fingers deep inside of me, and my breath caught as my whole being shattered. I shuddered in post-coital bliss as Edward gently rolled me over, settling between my legs and bracing his elbows on either side of my head. He brushed my hair from my face, dropping sweet, nipping kisses on the corner of my mouth, my chin, down my neck. "Did that beat the dream, sweetness?" he whispered against my collarbone. I laughed weakly, nodding. "Yeah," I sighed, threading my fingers into his hair. "Most definitely." I pulled him closer, and he came willingly, giving me most of his weight and a long, breathtaking kiss. He tasted of me and a touch of mint. His hips shifted forward, causing my breath to catch when his cock brushed against my oversensitive clit as he slid through my slick heat. "God, Bella," he grunted, squeezing his eyes closed and pressing his forehead to mine. "Th-There was a p-part of m-me that th-thought... th-that w-was afraid of n-never having this again...of l-losing y-you." "Shh." It was my turn to shush him softly, shaking my head, because the pure honesty that came through in his stutter was sweet and scary and filled with a slight touch of sorrow. "I'm here. We're here, Edward. Make love to me, baby," I told him, gliding my hands over his strong shoulders and down his back, reveling in every sinewy muscle, finally reaching his ass and urging him to enter me. "Please, Edward..." His mouth covered mine, kissing me with an almost frantic feel behind it, but his hand traveled with a sweet, loving touch down my side to my leg, which he hitched up higher around him. With one beautiful roll of his hips, he slipped into me, and we both moaned at the feel of that perfect connection, that feeling of fulfillment. I couldn't imagine what Edward had gone through when both his wife and child had been taken from him. Even though it might have been less than a day, I knew it must've taken all that he had to maintain his sanity. He loved us and protected us with every fiber of his being. His very first concern in the morning and his last thought of the day was his family. Every job we took, he treated with utmost security. Even the food he cooked was done with us in mind what we wanted, what we might like, and what was good for us. To have that snatched away for even mere hours must've killed him. With every kiss, every gasp, every gripping hand, we reassured ourselves that we were okay. That our little family unit was safe, that our love was still fucking strong. The danger may not be over, but we would not make the same mistakes again. We would hold on stronger, fiercer, and with more determination to never let someone take what we had worked so hard to build. We fell apart together, coming hard, but somewhat subdued, clinging to each other fiercely. Despite how we were covered in sweat, we didn't let go, but held each other close way into the night. We spoke softly about Bethy, about how we were needed back at the compound the next day, about how Carlisle had asked for our help. We both agreed that Lilith and Walter should be stopped, because there was no telling what they would do next. I yawned widely sometime just after two in the morning, mumbling about not wanting to stop talking, because I'd missed it. Edward chuckled, kissing my forehead, and said, "Sleep, love. We'll pick up in the morning where we left off." I buried myself in his neck, closing my eyes, and I knew no more.

A/N... Ahhh, a little make up time. Okay, so Walter and Lilith got away, but there are still interrogations to do. I do want to warn you about those, because they will be...rough. Though, the way you feel about Kenny, I'm not sure it would be violent enough for you. LOL I know some of you are concerned with how long this story will be. I'm looking at about 23 chaps, give or take. So as you can tell, this story is far from over. :) I need to thank JenRar for all that she does. We've been throwing around all sorts of ideas at each other, and I've benefited greatly from it. MUWAH. I need to thank GooberLou for pre-reading this, because without her, I would plan such torturous things for the bad guys in all my stories. Hehe. And MedusaInNY... oh, I need you on so many levels! I just love you. Forget blogs and the pom-pom cheering that she does, it's just more. Okay, the next posting will be on Wed, BUT... there may be a little break from the Sunday post. It will depend on time and my writing skills. I need to catch up, but I will let you know by Wed. So, make this one and the next one count. Tell me what you think. I love all your theories. Much love...and until next time... Later. :D

*Chapter 12*: Chapter 12

A/N... Oh boy, aren't you guys just a touch violent? Hmm? :D Poor Kenny wouldn't know what hit him if I set you guys loose on him. Heh. You won't have to. Trust me. I need to warn some of you about this next chapter. It's M for violence. But those of you that have stuck with B&G from the beginning are pretty used to it. Interrogations can be pretty ugly, so I need to let you know. "Waterboarding" is real and is still used. "Dipping" is my own creation. And "Electrical Shock" is now illegal in some interrogations, as are some other things that were attempted here and not done. But these guys tend to write their own rule book. M is also for LEMON WARNING. Yes, yes, two chaps in a row, but this one SCREAMED at me to be written. Okay, on with it. See you at the bottom.
CHAPTER 12

BELLA
"Are you sure you want to be in there for this shit?" Edward asked, cupping my face as we stood just outside the barn. I nodded, but in truth, I wasn't really sure. There was a part of me that was aware of what my husband, his father, and their crew were capable of when it came to interrogation, and having been a victim of torture once before, I was a little nervous to watch, but the stronger part of me wanted to know what the men had to say. Sure, Edward could tell me after, but it wouldn't be the same. I looked past Edward to see all four prisoners handcuffed to chairs, while Alec and Sam stood with watchful eyes behind them. The injured man from the guard shack hadn't made it through the night. A table had been set up, and the only thing sitting on it was what looked like a black toolbox or maybe a tackle box. Eleazar and Carlisle were huddled together in deep conversation off to the side where the TNT had once been stored. It had been safely removed by some of Eleazar's men. Felix guarded one entrance to the barn, while Eric had the other. Mickey was sitting alone on a bale of hay, most likely waiting for me. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my clean jeans that Edward had been sweet enough to bring with him, showing he'd been more than hopeful when it came to rescuing me. I nodded up at Edward again. "Yeah...yes, I'm sure." "Sweetness," he sighed, and groaned at the same time. "Dad and I...we aren't exactly...kind when we do this shit." "Nor should you be," I huffed, taking a deep breath and glaring up at him. "I get it, baby. I do. But I want to hear what they have to say." Edward studied my face, pulling me to him as he shook his head no. "I don't know," he said, his grimace hard to miss. "This is...torture, love... something you've..." "Seen firsthand," I finished for him. I swallowed thickly, but met his handsome gaze. "I promise you, if it gets to be too much, I'll leave." His nose wrinkled, as did his brow, but I saw the second he gave in. He pressed his lips hard to mine. "This isn't me you're about to see, Bella. Please, please keep that in mind," he pleaded against my mouth. "Okay," I whispered back, stepping away from him. I watched as he practically morphed in front of me, from my sweet, worried husband, to a soldier without remorse. His face, his jaw, they became hard, rigid. His eyes took on a callous blackness, and his posture became straight, his shoulders broader. He shook his head one more time, before turning away from me. I followed him in, realizing he wasn't dressed that much differently than yesterday, minus the mud and the face paint. Black cargo pants hugged him in all the right places, and every muscle of his upper body was enhanced by a tight gray t-shirt that was topped off with a shoulder harness containing his Glock. His boots thumped heavily across the barn floor. He wanted to look big, menacing. And from a glance around at every other member of the team, they did, too. They were there to scare information out of four men. I took a seat on the bale of hay next to Mickey, who leaned in to whisper, "This shit ain't pretty, Bells. Brace yourself." I grimaced, looking over at her, because as long as I'd been with Edward, as long as I'd known Carlisle, I'd never seen them work a prisoner over, and now, there were four in front of us. Though, the main one that they wanted to interrogate was Kenny, who was sitting with a smug smirk on his face as he lounged back in the chair he was handcuffed to. I knew what they were worried about my past experience with Miller but this was different. This wasn't personally

happening to me, and the information we could possibly receive might possibly be used to stop Lilith and Walter from whatever they had planned next. I did scoot closer to her, but we both looked up when a loud scraping sound echoed through the barn. Edward snatched up a long folding table, only to slam it down in front of all four men. Three of them jumped; Kenny didn't. The first boy on the end was the guard from my cell that Alec and Edward had captured. He looked so young, so fucking nervous, that his shirt was completely drenched with sweat. The next two men couldn't decide who to keep their eyes on a pacing Carlisle, a calm, casual Eleazar, or Edward, who was nonchalantly setting the toolbox down on the table at the end near the cell guard. Kenny, on the other hand, knew who was out for him, so his eyes stayed locked on my husband, despite the belligerent smirk on his face. No one had said a fucking word yet, and that made me nervous, so I couldn't imagine what was going through the prisoners' minds. Carlisle stepped forward, taking position on the opposite side of the table. He slowly, deliberately pulled on black leather gloves, almost making a show of it. If I were to guess, I'd say he was picking out the weakest link, and that would be my guard from my cell. Edward opened the toolbox, pulling out four lengths of rope, setting each one directly in front of a prisoner as Sam and Alec stepped up behind the four men. Carlisle braced his hands on the table directly across from my cell guard. "I trust you slept well," he stated, using a low, but wry tone to his voice. Mickey snickered, leaning into my ear. "They didn't sleep at all. They were tied in a standing position all night, with their hands above their heads and their feet chained to the floor. If they even closed their eyes, someone would use a loud noise to wake them. It's the first tactic used to start to breaking a prisoner." My eyebrows shot up as I listened to her, but I kept my eyes on my godfather and Eleazar, the latter of whom pushed away from the pole he'd been leaning against. "None of you were wearing identification, so give up your names," Eleazar commanded in a no-nonsense tone. "What's your name?" Carlisle asked the youngest man at the table when no one said anything, but it was the other men that reacted. "Tell him nothing!" one hissed, trying to lean over to look. "Keep your mouth shut," the other growled. Carlisle stood up straight and gave Edward a pointed look. My husband pushed himself away from the table, snatching up one length of rope, and grabbed one man, while Sam picked up the other. They were roughly removed from the table chairs and all leaving a space between my former guard and Kenny. Edward and Sam dragged their prisoners toward the exit, but paused long enough to stash one in a horse stall, before taking the other outside. They made an obvious show of removing the man's cuffs, while replacing it with the length of rope, tossing the longer end over the well's pulley system. With two boots to the back of the man's chair, he fell with a splash into the water, and Sam secured a knot to the pole before he and Edward walked away. "That's called dipping," Mickey told me in a hushed whisper. "The chair pulls him under, but the rope holds him up. If he struggles against the rope and unties it, then he sinks under. If he stays perfectly fucking still, then his head will stay above water." I nodded in acknowledgment, turning my attention to Carlisle, who addressed my guard. "Name, son," he commanded. "B-Bobby," he sputtered, his eyes following Edward and Sam as they proceeded to set up some sort of makeshift tilted table. "Bobby Curtis..." Kenny scoffed, glaring at Bobby, but everyone's attention was drawn to the struggle at the end of the room. Sam and Edward secured their prisoner to the table with his head at the lower angle of the table, his feet well above his head. My fists clenched when two heavy straps were wrapped around his upper chest, including his arms, and his hips to hold them there. It was almost too much to watch, because being strapped to a table was something I was completely familiar with. "Waterboarding," Mickey muttered next to me. "Name," Edward commanded softly, holding a piece of cellophane over the man's face. "Now." The idiot shook his head profusely, refusing to say anything, so Edward's hands quickly slapped the plastic wrap down over his face, as Sam poured an entire bucket of water over him, causing the man to buck and scream. The man gasped when Edward pulled his hands back, gagging over the side of the table. "Name," he growled, holding the cellophane over his face again.

Mr. Anonymous continued to refuse, so down came the plastic again. Edward's whole body was flexed with the strength he was using in order to fight the guy when another entire bucket of water came splashing down. I knew the guy wasn't getting any actual water into his mouth or nose, but he was fighting it like he was. The way Edward and Sam were doing it had a severe psychological effect on him. "Sh-Shit," the guy sputtered, after wretching off the side of the table again. "Earl," he panted. "Earl Crawford." "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Edward asked snidely, patting the guy's chest, before turning to Carlisle. "Go get the last one's name, and we can really get started," Carlisle ordered, pointing toward the well. Dipping had to be one of the scariest things I'd ever witnessed. It wasn't unlike the Salem Witch Trials I'd read about. Edward asked the man his name, even going so far as to tell him that he was the only one that hadn't given up a name. When the man didn't answer, Sam let the rope slacken, and the guy sank into the water under the weight of the chair he was still strapped to. I didn't go watch up close, but I could hear the splashes, the struggle, and the sputtering and coughing when Sam pulled him back up. They dunked him three times like a giant teabag, before he finally gave up, "Roy Flowers," on a coughing groan. "Excellent," Carlisle stated, beaming with false excitement. "Now we all know each other. Right, Kenny?" "Fuck you," Kenny spat. I shook my head at the young man's false bravado, because I could see the sweat beading on his forehead and upper lip, and it wasn't that warm in the barn. Carlisle snickered humorlessly and walked to Kenny. He brought his hand back, smacking him hard across the face, knocking Kenny and his chair completely over. Alec immediately righted him. "This could go really smoothly, or could last for days. Mind your manners, Kenny, and it'll all be over soon," Carlisle chided, shaking his head as he walked back to the opposite end of the table to hover over Bobby. "What was the bomb for, Bobby?" Bobby didn't answer immediately, because Edward's presence was making him almost sick with nerves. My husband grabbed another piece of rope as Sam forced Bobby's arms up onto the table. Securing a loop around Bobby's wrists, Edward pulled the man's arms out straight, Bobby's chest hitting the edge of the table. Carlisle rummaged through the toolbox, pulling out a pair of pliers. "Bomb, Bobby," Carlisle ordered again, picking up the boy's pinky finger and starting to tug at the boy's fingernail. I could tell he wasn't actually removing it, but the illusion, the threat worked beautifully, because Bobby panicked. "No, no, no!" Bobby practically cried, and Carlisle pulled the pliers away. "A building downtown, okay? They didn't tell me which one! Look, you don't have to do this shit to me! I'll tell you what you want, what I know...just...don't!" "He's just a kid," Mickey whispered, shaking her head. "What the hell was he doing here to begin with?" she asked, like she was thinking out loud. Almost as if Bobby had heard her, he blurted out, "I just wanted out of the city, away from doctors and my parents... Walter didn't tell me about this shit. I didn't know what he was planning, I swear." "Let him go," Eleazar told Edward and Sam, who relaxed their grip on him. "Where would Walter go, Bob?" he asked him, using a calm, even tone of voice. "I don't know," he answered immediately, shaking his head. "I only stayed here at the camp. Hell, I've never even been inside the house," he gushed. "I know that they needed money," he continued, and his eyes looked up at me. "Don't look at her!" Edward snapped, bring his fist down onto the table, where it gave an eerie crack. His shoulders and arms seemed to expand with his hatred, his protection of me as he loomed over Bobby. Carlisle smiled, and it was evil and controlled. "Okay, Bobby, then who among you would know?" "Kenny," the kid answered, jerking his chin toward the other end of the table. "You stupid fucking bastard!" Kenny snapped, trying to lunge for him, but was caught in Alec's strong grip. "I'll fucking kill you!" he threatened, fighting against handcuffs and rough hands. "Oh no, you don't," Alec crooned, forcing Kenny back down. "Move again, and I'll hang you from that hook...right there." Alec pointed to a large bent metal hook that was high on the closest wooden post. "He's been with Walter since the beginning," Bobby stated, giving a sideways glance to Kenny before continuing. "He and Rusty were brought in by Lilith. Something about revenge for a dead kid or something. I'm not sure. I heard Rusty's dead, though..."

"He is," Carlisle admitted to him. "What was the money for?" "Us...everyone," he replied, shrugging. "We're broke. Most of these people didn't have jobs or houses. Some of them had been laid off at the local lumberyard. They'd lost homes and shit. We could hunt and grow food, but not much else. There was a rumor that we were about to lose this place." "So what did Walter have to do with a lumberyard?" Carlisle asked. "He was a therapist at Shady Glen...not a heavy laborer." "I met Walter at Shady Glen, but there were a few people in his group therapy that used to be employed at the mill..." "So let me guess," Mickey muttered ever so softly in my ear. "Walter has no agenda of his fucking own. He latches on to whatever sad sob story anyone tells him. Lilith with her kids...and you...and then this lumber mill closing. He wants to fix shit, but he's going about it all wrong. Instead of using therapy to help them, he promises to end the problem. This D.O.A shit has gone to his head." Carlisle heard her and studied her face for a moment, waving her off when she mouthed, "Sorry." He huffed once, but nodded. "You might be right. And he combined the two problems in order to obtain money. It's how he's using Lilith in the first place." "Interesting," Eleazar mused, rubbing his stubbly chin. "Bobby, you've been an outstanding help," he praised, and then turned to Sam. "Take him inside the house, get him something to eat, and have one of my men stand guard over him." Sam removed the restraints from Bobby's legs, allowing him to stand up slowly. With a large hand on the back of his neck, he guided him out of the barn and toward the house. "I'm gonna fucking kill him!" Kenny growled, shifting in his seat. "What did I tell you?" Alec asked smoothly, not yelling, but using the low, rumbling tone that was fucking scary. He pulled out a large, sharp knife and cut Kenny's leg restraints, yanking him up from the chair. "Arms up, asshole," he commanded, holding the knife to his throat. Alec lifted him effortlessly, catching Kenny's cuffs on the hook on the post. His feet dangled about six inches from the ground. "Now. Don't fucking move, or I'll gut you like a pig. Got me?" Edward's impassive face flickered with just a touch of evil amusement, but he said nothing as he waited for Carlisle's next step, which was the man strapped to the table. I suddenly understood the method that they were using; they were saving Kenny for last. It took several buckets of water on Earl to find out that he was fairly new, but he had been responsible for security down in the mine tunnels. Aside from the old homeless woman from Seattle and Carla and Malcolm Danvers, most of the women and children down there had been dragged along by members of the D.O.A. They were wives and children, which confirmed what they had told us already. It was a sad thought to know that they were widows now. All over a stupid decision to follow one man. When they were absolutely sure that he had no idea what building that bomb was going to be used on, they ceased their torture on him, moving on to Roy outside in the well. Roy knew even less, but he did give up the name of the lumberyard. With a quick text to Alice to research Bradlee Lumber Mill, I turned my attention to Kenny, who was hanging silently with his eyes locked onto the activity at the water well. I turned to Mickey. "Walter was using them all," I stated, just loudly enough so that I could block out the screams from out at the well, because I needed a break from it all, but also, I wanted to make sure that Kenny could hear me. "I'd be willing to bet that these people wouldn't have ever seen a dime of money. I bet he would have run off with every cent." Mickey hummed in approval, her eyebrows shooting up. "You might be right. He may still run on them, leaving whoever he thinks is left to this fucking mess. El's charging them with some sort of...terrorist shit. I'm not sure what. They'll lose their rights the second he gets them behind bars. They'll be sent to Cuba to live out the remainder of their lives. I heard Felix talking this morning..." I glanced up at Felix, who was still guarding the doorway of the barn, and he was nodding slowly. "Huh," I breathed with a nod. "Guantanamo Bay?" I verified, and they both nodded. "They're military prisoners now," Mickey added with a shrug. "A terrorist would be considered a threat to the country...no matter how personal the reasons are..." I glanced up at Kenny, and noted that he was listening with rapt attention. "This won't be Washington State Prison, Kenny or in this case, California," I told him, tilting my head at him. "Is Walter worthy of your loyalty? You won't see any money or him. Ever." Mickey snickered softly, shaking her head when he didn't answer me. "Honestly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "I don't think Kenny will make it out of this barn. The others, yes. Him...no."

"You might be right," I sighed, leaning back against the haystack behind me. "You didn't see Edward with Rusty," she stated, grimacing a bit. "And he was the guy that held the gun to Abby's head. This asshole was the one that pointed a gun to Bethy's." I sneered, fighting my own temper. "But it's not just that," Mickey continued, locking eyes with Kenny. "It's every word Bethy said against him once Edward got her home. Apparently, Kenny likes bullying little kids. He took their food away, made them stay quiet at all times, gave them cough medicine to knock them out when they bugged him. And Bethy said that one time, Kurt had to stop Kenny from shooting them when the girls wouldn't stop crying. She called him The Mean Man." "I really owe Kurt a thank you," I sighed, keeping my voice only for her, and she nodded in agreement. "I hope he can...stay out of this trouble." We both looked up when we saw that they had pulled Roy completely up out of the well. Carlisle even patted him on the back as Sam lead him away into the house, only to come right back out. A warm summer breeze blew through the barn, the smell of more impending rain heading our way, but from the looks of the clouds outside, it was hours before it would be on us. I shirked out of my hoodie as Mickey tugged off her jacket. She stood up and stretched, only to sit right back down next to me. Kenny's eyes watched her every move, as she sat by me in a black tank and blue jeans. "Come on, princess," Kenny chuckled, trying to shift around as he hung there. "You gonna give me a show, too? It's not like I haven't touched you, because that drug Walter gave you knocked you out cold." My temper flared to an all time high, and I was up and across the barn before he could take another breath. Felix moved, calling for the men outside, but I had already swung a fist across his face. Another punch to his stomach and I found myself restrained by strong arms that came with a velvet voice. "Easy, sweetness," Edward crooned in my ear. "You don't want to use a fist. You want to use an open hand. There's less chance of internal damage that way. What did he say to you, love?" I shook my head, shaking from head to toe as Edward held me back, but my glare at Kenny didn't waver as he coughed and groaned. I noted with complete satisfaction that I'd split the skin just above his eye. "Tell me, Bella," he whispered in my ear, "and he will be punished for it. I fucking swear." "He touched me...while I was knocked out. He said he fucking touched me!" I wheezed, shaking my head in denial. My husband's entire demeanor instantly changed completely. He was rigid with his anger, his hands practically shaking claws that were digging into my skin. Sam grunted, looking between me and Edward, and then finally looking to Kenny. "You just signed your death warrant, asshole," he stated, taking me from Edward with surprisingly gentle hands and holding me as Edward stepped away from us. Edward reached down to the top of his boot and pulled out a long fucking knife with notches in it. He spun it in his hand once, his face dark, beautiful, and determined. He looked like a dark knight, an avenging angel, and Death come knocking, all rolled into one extraordinarily gorgeous being, because he knew how I felt about being touched against my will. He knew what it would've done to me had I been awake for it. And he wasn't fucking having it. "Edward," Carlisle started, but his son held up a quick hand to shut him up. "Don't!" he growled, glaring at his father and shaking his head. "This asshole is mine!" Edward dragged the knife lightly around Kenny's face, across his neck, and down his torso, as his upper lip curled into a hateful sneer. When he reached the bottom of Kenny's t-shirt, he slid the knife under it. With one smooth, slow slice, Kenny's shirt lay open, revealing several homemade and professional tattoos. Some were grim, some were kind of pretty, but most were a continuous amount of ink spreading over his pecs and shoulders. Edward sliced again and again, and the shirt fell to the barn floor silently, just below Kenny's dangling feet. Taking the knife overhanded, Edward jabbed it swiftly into the wood right next to Kenny's face, causing him to flinch. He took one step back and turned to me. "Open handed," he stated, raising an eyebrow at me, just before bringing his hand across Kenny's face at full speed and strength. The smack that echoed in the barn made us all cringe, but Edward didn't stop. More slaps popped against Kenny's stomach, pecs, and once more across his face. "Fuck!" Kenny gasped, trying to catch his breath before another hit came. "Make him stop!" "Where's Walter?" Carlisle asked, looking resigned at the direction this interrogation was going now.

"I don't know!" he yelled, bracing himself when another three hits slashed across his body. "Where would he hide, Kenny?" Eleazar asked, taking a step closer. Kenny's skin was now a bright red, with perfect handprints across his pale stomach and face. His breathing was ragged, as his eyes flickered to Eleazar, and then back to Edward's raised hand. "I swear, I don't know!" he said through gritted teeth, wincing when another hit came to his chest. "Walter talked about a lot of places...places his parents owned..." Another slap blurred across his face, this time causing his lip to split and bleed, but I spun away from him to look at Carlisle. "We have that list," I muttered to him with a nod. "Though we could talk to Walter Sr. again. We didn't check out of the country." Carlisle placed a hand on his son's shoulder, halting his swinging arm. "Hold on, son," he said softly, turning back to me. "Get with Alice... have her check outside the U.S. Then, once we get back, we'll have another chat with Walter's parents." My godfather's eyes were dark, almost unfeeling, even though he was directing his attention to me. And I knew right then, I was being sent from the barn on purpose. I was not to see what would happen next to Kenny Porter. I glanced up at the grunting, groaning, wheezing man that was hanging like a piece of meat from a hook. I took a deep breath and let it out, finally looking up at my Edward but he wasn't...my Edward. He was the pure essence of hatred and revenge at the moment. His eyes were black, his hands opening and closing over and over, and every muscle he owned seemed to be pumped up with the poison that was filling him as he glared at the man hanging in front of him. If Kenny hadn't taken Bethy, if he hadn't scared my little girl, if he hadn't put a gun to her head more than once, if he hadn't taken food from her, or bullied her in any way, I would have been scared of Edward at that moment. But I knew the combination of all that Kenny did to Bethy, along with the fact that he'd admitted to touching me while I was knocked out, was too much for my husband. In fact, looking at him, I wasn't even sure he could be reached. "Okay," I finally said to Carlisle, my brow wrinkling as Sam pulled a battery from a tractor at the end of the barn. He snatched the cables that went with it, slamming it all down onto the table next to Kenny. Unrolling a piece of duct tape, he taped the black wire to the bare skin of Kenny's chest, keeping the red one in his hand. Fuck, if they weren't about to use electric shock on the guy for more information. Kenny seemed to come back to himself briefly, looking down at his chest and following the wire that was attached to the battery. His eyes widened, but his attention flickered from Carlisle, to Eleazar, to Edward, and then finally to me. And damn, if he didn't have a death wish with the next words that popped out of his mouth. "They're real, right?" he panted, a tired, but cocky smirk playing on his beaten face. I froze, afraid of where he was going with that question, but I had a pretty good idea. "Your tits...they're real, right? They felt real," he rasped a harsh laugh. It took four men to stop Edward as he lunged for the knife by Kenny's head, and they still called for Emmett, who happened to be walking in from outside. "You stupid motherfucker!" Edward snarled, straining against his father, Eleazar, Felix, and Alec, but Emmett was a force all on his own. He came around to Edward's front, wrapping his giant arms around my husband's middle to push him back. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!" my husband yelled, pointing a finger over Emmett's shoulder. "Not yet," Eleazar grunted, as Edward continued to try and fight them all. "I still need him, Ed." "Edward!" I snapped, grabbing his face and trying to force him to look at me. "Baby, look at me." I stood up on my toes to whisper in his ear. "I love you. Come back to me...for just a moment, Edward." I couldn't blame him, because I was completely disgusted that Kenny could've possibly touched me, but if we needed more from Kenny, then Edward needed to get himself under control. Edward still strained against everyone, but his eyes flickered to mine. His breathing came out in heavy pants, as every cord in his neck was taut with tension. I tugged at his face again, and he finally relented slightly. "Step away from him for just a moment, baby," I told him, using a calm voice. "If I wasn't awake, then it didn't count," I lied, but my husband didn't need to know that right then. I looked up at Emmett, saying, "Help me get him outside, Em. Please." Emmett nodded, practically picking Edward up as we forced him just outside the barn doors. He slammed him against the wall, holding his shoulders with all his strength. "Edward, look at me," I ordered again, popping up between him and Emmett. I reached up, snatching off his baseball cap

and dropping it to the grass. Threading my fingers into Edward's hair, I pulled his forehead to mine. "It's okay...I'm okay, baby." "Bella..." he rasped, squeezing his eyes closed tightly, before opening them back up to lock with mine. "He..." "I know," I whispered, nodding a bit against him. I continued to run my fingers through his hair. "They need more from him, Edward," I told him. "He fucking touched you," he grunted through gritted teeth, but I could feel the fight against me and Emmett leave him. His hands left the bracing hold he had on Em, and he reached for me. He grabbed me almost roughly at the waist and pulled me to him, and Emmett released us, taking a few steps back. "I fucking swore no one would ever touch you again, baby..." Edward's voice almost sounded like a sob, but it was probably anger and guilt and worry, all rolled into one overwhelming emotion. "Not your fault, Edward," I told him, kissing his jaw, and then his lips. "You weren't there...you couldn't know..." "I should've been," he breathed, wrapping me up so tightly that his arms crossed over my back and gripped my shoulders, and I couldn't help but bury my face in his neck, letting the amazing smell of him waft over me. "I'm sorry..." "We had to be apart for that," I consoled him, still keeping my fingers in his hair in a constant soothing motion. "You know I needed to get to our girl, baby." He nodded, his head finally falling to my shoulder. "I-I'm s-sorry he d-did th-that," he muttered against my neck. "Are you okay?" I nodded, hearing Emmett's footsteps as he walked away from us. I'm sure he was giving us our privacy now that Edward had calmed down. Emmett was never comfortable when it came to my experience with Miller. The big brother that he was to me just couldn't handle it. "I'm still yours, Edward," I explained to him. "That won't change. You can...claim me back later," I said with a slight huffing laugh. I grinned when I felt his lips lift into a smile against my neck. "Bella...it isn't funny," he sighed, pulling back from me to cup my face. He shook his head. "It's...just... Fuck, just swear to me you're all right," he commanded, but the green was returning to his beautiful gaze. "I'm not okay that he touched me," I admitted, grimacing a bit and shaking my head. "But I will be," I urged, raising an eyebrow at him until he nodded in acknowledgment. "He's just a creepy kid, and I wasn't awake for it. Am I grossed out? Oh yeah," I huffed, rolling my eyes. "Am I traumatized? No. It's mild in...comparison." Edward exhaled roughly, his brow furrowing, and he looked down at his feet. "You...y-you p-promise m-me?" he stuttered, finally looking into my eyes again, and I nodded slowly, because Edward took his protection of me and Bethy so very fucking seriously. "I promise," I vowed. "Let them ask their questions, Edward. Maybe you shouldn't touch him again, huh?" He grimaced, letting out a long, slow, calming breath, but he eventually nodded. "Yeah, probably not..." Jasper popped out the barn, eying us with a concerned look on his face. "Eddie, you okay?" Edward nodded, running a hand through his hair, but the other hand stayed on my waist. "Um...yeah, Jazz," he said, swallowing thickly. "Bells?" Jasper verified, raising an eyebrow at me. "We're okay," I sighed, practically singing the words to both him and Edward, but my eyes didn't leave my husband's face. "Right?" Edward smirked, and he suddenly looked weary. "Right, sweetness." "Good," I confirmed, kissing his cheek. "Now, can I trust you to please not kill him...at least until all the answers are heard?" I asked, grabbing his face and making him look at me again. "I have to talk to Alice." Edward gave me a tentative nod and a soft, "Yes, ma'am." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in and kissed him again. "I can't watch any more, baby," I admitted, "especially if they're going to shock him. Too much like...burning for my taste." Edward flinched, but nodded. "Okay, baby. I'll come find you in a bit." "You better," I warned him jokingly, and he grinned that perfect, sexy, crooked smile that was all mine. "We can check in with the boss when you're done, too," I added, which only made him smile all the wider.

He chuckled, low and sweet. "Yeah, I need to hear her..." I nodded in agreement, kissed him again, and finally stepped away from him. He seemed to shake just a moment, and then steeled himself, before bending down to grab his hat from the ground. He tugged it on backwards and pushed away from the barn wall, giving me one last look as he walked back inside. I tried not to look when I heard Carlisle ask, "Where's the bomb going, Kenny?" When the only answer he got was, "Fuck you," a scream tore through the barn doors and out into the forest. I shook my head and walked away. ~oOo~ "Edward?" Alice answered. "No, it's me," I sighed, plopping down on the bank of a small creek a few yards away from the house, the barn, and all the craziness going on. "My phone's lost, so I'm using his." "Oh, gotcha, gotcha, gotcha," she chanted in her usual manner. "Need me to get you a new one?" "Yeah, one less thing, I guess." I leaned back against a tree, feeling a little better. I'd taken an extremely hot shower after Kenny's confession of touching me. I'd scrubbed until my skin was raw, trying to shake the violated feelings that I'd been left with, but it gave me a chance to think about his personality. "I have work for you, pixie." "Well, I have answers for you about Bradlee Lumber Mill," she stated, almost groaning. "It was a division of Twi Tech." "Oh damn," I whined, shaking my head. "What happened? I can't imagine Carlisle selling it, just to send hundreds of people away jobless." "Environmentalists," she answered. "It was fruitless to keep it open, because almost all the forests around here are protected. But it's not like he didn't try to help them. He offered them placement just about anywhere. He transferred about seventy-five people out of the state and into new jobs. He even paid for moving them." "So stubbornness kept the rest here?" "Some," she replied, and I could hear her typing away. "I mean, some found jobs nearby...something different, but I guess the rest ended up following Walter." I grimaced, picking up a stone and tossing it into the creek. "Well, that's why I'm calling, Alice. I need you to delve into the Bridges property again. Only this time, search outside the country." "Sure, no prob," she muttered, already preoccupied with her task. "How's it going over there?" she asked, and I could almost see her all-knowing smirk. I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Don't ask. It's exhausting and foul. But I know they want to finish up here in order to find Walter and Lilith." "Yeah, Jazz called...said something about Edward losing his shit?" "That, my pixie, is an understatement." I laughed humorlessly, remembering Edward's show of pure ire. Though, I felt a touch of pride that I could bring him back to me. "He was truly going to snap." "So I heard," she chuckled a bit. "Can you blame him, Bells? I mean, really?" "No," I stated firmly, thinking of all the shit Kenny had done. "But they needed more from Kenny, and Edward needed to back off." Alice harrumphed, like it was a great disappointment that Kenny was still breathing, but she said nothing else, except, "I'll let you know what I find out about the Bridges, Bells." "Thanks, Alice. How's my baby?" A giggle chirped through the phone. "She's currently telling her Gamma that a nap is completely unnecessary." I grinned, a chuckle erupting from me. "Well, that's a battle in and of itself. I'll call back when the dust settles," I laughed. "Right?" Alice chortled. "I'm not sure who is more determined, actually." "Exactly. I'll talk to you later, Alice. Let me know what you come up with." "'Kay, bye!"

I ended the call, staring down at Edward's phone. His wallpaper was a photo of me and Bethy curled up in the hammock of the back yard. We were laughing wildly, and I could see the similarities between us. In fact, we looked like my mother all dark hair, laughing eyes, and wrinkled noses but Bethy had just the slightly crooked smile like her father. Add in her shining bright green eyes and a touch of reddish highlights, and she was a brilliant combination of the two of us a thought that made me smile, in spite of the fact that I was alone, surrounded by nothing but trees and slow, trickling water. I giggled a bit as to why Edward would have picked that particular picture, but I didn't care. He had plenty of them saved, but he loved that one. His girls. We'd been laughing at him at the time, because he'd tried to join us in the hammock, only the damn thing wouldn't cooperate. He'd almost fallen on his ass, but we'd been laughing so hard that he'd just stopped and stared at us, taking the picture when we weren't looking. A few more touches to the screen, and I was looking at the other pictures in his phone. Some were of just Bethy, and some of the two of us. There was even baby Caleb the day he was born, with all of us crowded around Rose's hospital bed. And then there was just me. Glimpses of my sleeping face, or a smile caught when I was on the phone, or even just sitting on Aunt Kate's front porch. The most beautiful one was of me sleeping, and he'd caught the morning sunlight gleaming across my bare back. My hair was a dark splash across my pillow as my hand reached out to his empty place in our bed. It was the mere hint of bare breast peeking out from underneath me, a bare leg that had snaked out from under the covers that was hitched up and searching for him just like my hand was, and it was the small, barely there love bite that was just above my right butt cheek. It was breathtaking and a touch embarrassing at the same time, because he saw me so differently than I saw myself sometimes. "You don't have to snoop," I heard behind me. "You won't find any...incriminating evidence," he chuckled, kneeling down beside me, but when he saw what I was looking at, he froze. "Oh..." I wanted to laugh at the pink that touched his cheeks, but his sexy ass crooked smile, along with the tilt of his head, stopped me. "You're beautiful, love," he said without apology, shrugging. "I couldn't help it. That was the morning after our last anniversary." I smiled, because we didn't celebrate the day we got married; we celebrated the day he came to get me from Riley Miller. That was our anniversary to us. I studied the picture again, shifting forward as he took a seat behind me against the tree. I remembered Bethy had spent the night with her Poppy and Gamma, giving us a free night out. I barely remembered dinner, or dancing, but I remembered not being able to stop touching Edward. We'd barely made it out of the car and inside the house before we lost ourselves. I huffed a laugh, but his hand reached out and touched the screen, bringing another picture up. And then another and another. They were all similar, taken of me in some sort of state of undress. Some I remember him taking, because I'd laughed at his pervertedness for wanting them, but some were just...perfectly secret. "Edward," I breathed, unable to speak much more than that, due to how much I could feel he loved me through each and every snapshot. "Just you, sweetness," he stated, kissing the back of my head. "It's always you." I turned in his lap, draping my legs over one of his and leaning back against the other. He reached up and brushed a stray hair from my face, leaning in to kiss my temple as his other hand landed softly on my thigh to hold me close. "I wasn't searching for evidence of other women, Edward," I teased him, handing his phone back over, and he set it down beside him. "I just saw your wallpaper and got curious." He chuckled. "Yeah, I love that one. My sweet girls..." I grinned, biting my bottom lip as I gazed up at his handsome face. He seemed calmer now, in more control, and his sweet smile was melting me. "Are you done back there?" I asked, reaching up to pull a leaf that had landed on his shoulder. "For now," he answered, his voice a little gruff, but his hands were gentle as one caressed my thigh, while the other ran over the top of my head and down my ponytail. "I didn't kill him, if that's what you're asking, Bella." I shook my head, twirling the leaf between my thumb and forefinger. "No, no...I wasn't. And I'm not sure that I care one way or the other," I muttered, shrugging one shoulder. Wrinkling my nose, I looked up at him. "He's an asshole, but if El takes him, he'll never be released, so that works for me." "He...put a gun...he fucking touched you!" The fact that he couldn't finish his sentences meant that his anger was still just under the surface. "I know," I rushed, shifting quickly so that I was kneeling between Edward's legs. I grasped either side of his face and kissed him roughly. "I know," I said again. "I was just simply telling you how I feel about it, baby. That's all."

I studied Edward's face, tracing his eyebrow, his jaw line and finally his bottom lip, and he slowly relaxed under my touch. "Did you stop to think that maybe he's lying about that? He seems to live for the negative reaction, Edward. He seems to like saying shit, just to set people off." Edward's brow furrowed as he absorbed what I was saying. "Do you believe that?" he asked, and I could hear it was an honest question, not a scoff coming from him. "I don't know," I said truthfully, "but I do know when I woke up the second time, it was Kurt in the room with me...not Kenny. I seemed to be in the same position as when I'd been knocked out. I can't tell you if he's telling the truth, but Kurt seems like the kind of person that wouldn't have allowed that sort of thing to happen. We could ask him..." Edward took a deep breath and let it out. "We could..." he mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I was completely dressed when I came to," I added with a shrug. "I've been replaying the shit over and over in my mind, Edward..." "He has a charge of rape on his fucking record, Bella," Edward snapped in barely controlled anger. I sighed, shaking my head. "Okay," I surrendered, holding my hands up. "I don't want to fight. I just don't know if it's true, baby. Maybe ignorance really is bliss..." I started to get up, but strong hands grabbed my waist. "Don't," he commanded, but it was filled with remorse as he tilted his head up at me. "I'm not fighting, sweetness," he murmured, his face almost in a pout. "I'm sorry... I just... I can't think of someone ever touching you against your will again, Bella. I just can't." He took another deep breath. "I need you happy, whole... blissfully ignorant, in this case," he said, breaking into a sexy smirk when I giggled. "See this?" I asked, gesturing between us, and he nodded. "This is the happy, the whole, Edward. You make me strong, baby. You remember what it was like for me before. It was the act of watching Miller touch me that was the worst part. If I didn't see this or experience it, does it count?" "It counts to me," he whispered, "but I understand what you're saying." "I'm offended that he may have touched me, Edward," I explained, "but I'm okay." I knew that's what bothered him the most the possibility that I might slip into some sort of relapse. I took solace in the fact that the people that held me were not sexually driven people. Even Alice said that Kenny's statutory rape charges were crap, because he'd been eighteen and his girlfriend had been sixteen. The guy was an ass, yes, but I believed he liked just getting a rise out of people no matter how dangerous those people might have been. The worry didn't leave his face, so I snatched up his phone. I scrolled through his contacts, hitting send, even though this person was just yards away. It rang once. "Edward?" "Carlisle, it's Bella," I huffed, rolling my eyes at Edward's fight for the phone. I smacked at his hands and shushed him. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" "Nothing. Is Kurt anywhere near you?" "Yeah, hold on," he said, and I could hear the shuffling of the phone. "It's Bella," he explained softly. "Hello?" "Kurt, I have a question for you. At any time, did Kenny touch me while I was unconscious?" "What? No! Kenny went to get the food while you were knocked out the first time. The second time, he was sleeping in the other room," he explained. "I would have kicked his ass, Bella. Why? Did he tell you that? 'Cause he's a fucking lying sack of shit if he did..." I grinned, liking Kurt more and more the longer he was around, but the best was the look of relief that flickered over Edward's face. "Thanks, Kurt," I said, meaning that for more than just his honesty, but his integrity that seemed deeply ingrained in him, even though he was only in his early twenties. It was rare to see, especially with all that he'd been through lately. I ended the call, setting the phone down right back where it was before and folding my arms across my chest. "See?" "He likes you, you know," Edward mumbled with a frown and a furrowed brow, trying to tug at my arms, but I wouldn't uncross them.

"You..." I growled, raising an eyebrow at him, "just need something to bitch about right now. You need something to be angry at..." He exhaled a light laugh, his eyebrows flicking up once as he shook his head. "Maybe..." "He's not my type, you know," I purred, knowing exactly what my husband needed. "Not...even...close," I crooned, gripping his t-shirt in my hands and pulling myself closer to him. My lips hovered barely over his as I whispered, "Did I thank you for coming to get me, Edward?" "Y-Yes," he breathed, his hands gliding over my jean clad thighs. "Hmm, I don't think I did it properly. Do you?" He hummed against my lips, but seemed to come back to reality just as quickly as he'd left it. Looking around and then back to me, he whispered, "Here?" I smiled, dragging my tongue across my bottom lip. "No one is out here, are they?" "N-No," he sputtered, giving another glance around, but I was already snaking my fingers under his t-shirt, pushing and tugging on it until he relented. Reaching behind him, he grasped a fistful of the material and swiftly pulled it off over his head. "Bella," he breathed, his hands gripping my ass and pressing me closer, but his voice sounded like relief, like this was what he needed to just let go. Nimble, knowing fingers released the top two buttons of my shirt, tugging at the collar and my bra strap until my shoulder was exposed. I couldn't help the wanton moan that erupted from me when Edward was not so gentle, not so sweet, using teeth roughly over my collarbone, the curve of my shoulder, and the sensitive skin where my neck and shoulder met. My hips rolled over his, the sensation dulled through my denim and his cargo pants, but I could still feel his want, his need for this for me. I whimpered when his actions stayed almost frantic. Fingers dug into my ass cheek, gripped my hair at the base of my neck and practically yanked my mouth to his. Edward's breathing was heavy against my cheek, our noses brushing as he turned his head the other way. His tongue claimed my mouth, delving deep with such an erotic swirl that I felt it everywhere. He broke away from my lips, dragging his tongue and teeth down my jaw and back to my neck, whispering, "He didn't touch you." It was a statement, an affirmation, not a question. "He didn't touch me," I told him, unable to to keep my hips still when he reached up to tug my bra cup down, exposing my hardened peaks through my barely buttoned shirt. He brushed his thumb across my nipple, his eyes dark and locked onto mine. Leaning forward, his tongue took over the job. "He didn't touch what was...mine." I panted and shook my head no, squeezing my eyes closed, because I realized that this was more than just anger Edward was dealing with. It was everything that he'd been through since Bethy had been taken. It was fighting, it was the loss of his family, the loss of his wife, and he couldn't be there to stop anything that had happened to either of us when out of his sight. It was Edward's loss of control. And Edward didn't like not being in control. He was about to take it all back. My back arched, offering myself to him, but really, I just couldn't help it. My thighs gripped his as I straddled him, bucking slightly when he tugged my other bra cup down. Slow, tantalizing circles around my nipples with his tongue brought them to tighter, more sensitive points, and I was panting as I watched his mouth on me. His eyes locked onto mine as he looked up through his long, dark eyelashes, with deep green eyes filled with such carnal promise that it made my heart sputter. I watched as a slight twitch quirked up the corner of his mouth when I cried out at the feel of his flattened tongue raking across my nipple. "Edward," I whimpered, gripping his shoulders as he shifted quickly, and I found myself on my back, laying on his discarded shirt. Leaves crunched under me, the water trickled just mere feet away, but all that was lost in the feel of my husband settling between my legs and bracing a hand by my head. Edward grabbed the front of my jeans, tugging me upwards and kissing me senseless, my body bowing to his will. "Fuck," he growled against my mouth, nipping at my bottom lip with his teeth. "Baby, I want... Christ, I just fucking want you," he gushed, his hand practically shaking as he lowered my hips back down. I said nothing, but slipped the fingers of one hand into his hair and trailed down his muscular back with another. I tried pulled him to me by a firm grip on his ass, but he suddenly launched back from me. Another sharp glance around, and he flicked open the fly of my jeans. I lifted my hips as he jerked them off of me, tossing them to the wayside, only to fall down back over me. I was only in my practically open shirt and my underwear out there in the woods, but I couldn't have cared less at that point, because Edward's hips bucked forward, causing me to call out his

name again against his smooth shoulder when he nipped at the flesh of my neck. His hard as hell arousal hit me perfectly through the thin fabric of my thong, and my whole body shuddered at the feel of him not holding back, of giving into whatever was guiding him. I pushed and shoved at him until he finally fell onto his back, pulling me with him. I straddled his stomach, pressing him into the leaves and just gazing at him as I caught my breath for just a moment. His face was intense and slightly put-off that I'd taken a touch of his control, but he used it to his advantage in order to ogle right back. Edward gritted his teeth, his brow furrowing just a little as he panted beneath me. Every muscle on his upper body was taut and large, like he'd been working out, but I pushed away the thoughts of what he'd been doing most of the morning, because he was gaping up at me with hungry, desperate eyes. "Bella," he groaned, reaching for me, but I grabbed his wrists and held him back. "What, Edward?" I asked, tilting my head at him. "Tell me what you want." "You," he grunted, his hips bucking under me as he brought his knees up behind me. "How?" I growled, leaning over him and pinning his hands in the grass. "Tell me!" "I need...to just...fuck you," he snapped, and I let go of his hands. He pushed himself up on one elbow, and with the other hand, he grasped my upper arm to hold me still. His kiss was searing, all consuming, and full of a need so deep that there may have been no stopping him. Not that I ever had any intention to put an end to what he was doing, because I was catching up to his fevered mood. Quickly. He fell back down, taking me with him, his hands gripping and grasping at my arms, my ass, even my shirt. His hips bucked under me again, and I inhaled sharply at the feel of his belt buckle. "Shit," he hissed, rolling us over again, so that my back was protected by his t-shirt. "Sorry, baby," he groaned, his forehead falling to mine. "Oh, God, Edward...don't stop," I pleaded, cupping either side of his face and kissing him stupid. Bracing one hand by my shoulder, his other traveled slowly, but firmly down my body, until he finally slid it between my legs. The sweet, deep moan that he let out in my mouth when he found me ready and wet for him caused my toes to curl. "I made you this wet," he stated, pulling back and glaring at me with a heated, almost feral look in in his eye. "Tell me it was me that did this..." "Sweet God, yes," I grunted, my hips meeting the delicious rhythm that he was setting over the fabric of my underwear. "Please, baby..." "I want to see you come," he crooned, licking his lips as his fingers slipped inside the crotch of my panties. "No, no," I panted, shaking my head profusely. "This," I begged, palming the outside of his now tented cargo pants. "Fuck, Edward... I need this..." I just wanted, neededhim inside of me. I needed to feel connected to him, feel him want me, unrestrained, unhindered, without anyone or anything around us to hear him. I wanted to watch him lose himself in me, because just the mere thought of it caused my center to clench and my stomach to tingle with anticipation of being taken over by him. I didn't give him a chance to argue or plan something else. My hands were on his belt, his button, and his zipper before he could say another word. He was so hard that the tip of him was almost to the waistband of his boxer briefs. He was hard, warm, smooth, and already leaking from the tip. I licked my lips as he held himself above me, finally locking gazes with him. As I shoved his pants and underwear down over his ass, his cock sprang free of its confines, leaving his pants to protect his knees from the foliage underneath us. "I want to come around this, Edward," I told him, wrapping my hand around him and giving him one good, long, firm stroke. "Fuck, Bella," he grunted, using his thumb to push my thong to the side, which in turn caused my breath to catch when he brushed roughly across my clit. "Move that hand, sweetness," he commanded, and a drop of his sweat fell from his brow, down to my chest. He hooked an arm under my leg, bringing it up between us and lining up with my entrance. Edward paused, locking eyes with me and giving me the sexiest, most panty-dropping smile, before sheathing himself completely. "Holy fucking hell!" I hissed through gritted teeth, my eyes rolling back into my head and my neck arching upward as I gripped his shoulders.

It was all I could do to just hang on, because his hips pulled back and pushed forward with a deep, swiveling rhythm. His forehead pressed to mine, but his eyes stayed locked onto my face. It seemed he was taking in and memorizing every whimper I released and every moan that escaped. He'd hold back, using shallow strokes, only to push deep inside to hit the spot that always caused my breathing to stop momentarily. He'd stroke up when he wanted to press his pelvic bone against my clit, making sure I came closer and closer to the edge. Licking across my lips, down my jaw to my neck, he started murmuring words that were my undoing. "You feel so fucking good, baby," he crooned, nipping at my flesh lightly enough that it didn't hurt, but with just enough pressure to cause my limbs to pull him in closer. "So tight, so wet, Bella. You make all the bad shit...so fucking good." The emotions that had been building inside of me welled up to an overflowing amount, and I came hard around him, biting down on his shoulder with just enough teeth to achieve the erotic moan I was searching for. He rode out my spasms, letting my leg go and slipping his arms underneath my back, gripping firmly onto my shoulders. His hips pounded against me, and the forest was filled with the sounds of skin slapping skin. Edward grunted when my legs wrapped high around his waist, my heels digging into his ass to bring him deeper, closer. I knew that if he were to let go of my shoulders, my back would be skinned from the leaves under me, despite the t-shirt I was on. Edward was losing himself in me, but his protection never ended. Even from himself. But even with all of that, I could tell he was holding back. That he was allowing all the shit he'd been through to surface. "Baby, let go," I urged, kissing up his shoulder to his ear. "It's okay, Edward. You can let it go now..." I gripped his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his head when he buried his face in my neck. His hips faltered in his rhythm, just before he came with a deep, groaning, "Bella, fuck..." Our bodies were sticky with perspiration, but I kept him close as he breathed heavily against my neck, placing random kisses here and there. "I-I w-wanted to k-kill him for t-touching you," he sputtered softly into my neck. I felt him shake his head and sigh deeply. "I know, baby," I soothed, dragging my fingers up and down his spine. "He didn't." Edward's non-committal sound made me smile against his jaw. I'm not sure if he'd ever change his over-protectiveness when it came to my past. And I'm not sure I'd ever want him to. "I love you," I whispered softly against his stubble, kissing his cheek and running my fingers through his hair over and over. "Oh, God, sweetness, I love you so much," he sighed, finally pulling back to allow me to see his handsome face. "You okay?" he asked for the millionth time since he'd removed me from my cell. I grinned up at him, biting my bottom lip. "Yeah. Perfect." He huffed a laugh, kissing my lips softly. "You know, I came out here to tell you we were leaving the mountain in a few hours..." I giggled, shaking my head. "Hmm... I like that I can distract you, Mr. Cullen." "Jesus," he chuckled, looking around us and then back to me. "You really have no idea, love." I giggled again, burying my face in his neck. He hugged me closer, laughing with me. "Come on, sweetness. Get your beautiful ass dressed. I want to go home," he ordered, popping his hand against my thigh lightly. "Oh!" I gasped, sitting up with him. "You mean we're leaving-leaving!" He laughed, cupping my face and kissing my lips quickly. "Yes. You would've known this, had you not seduced me in the woods." "Shut it," I snapped teasingly, now in a hurry to tug my jeans back on. "You loved it," I told him with authority, pointing a finger at him, before standing up to pull up my zipper. He grinned, pulling his shirt back over his head and grabbing my finger. He tugged, causing me to stumbled into him. "I did. And I'm pretty sure I wasn't complaining, love. Now..." he huffed, nodding once, "let's go see our girl."

A/N... Yeah that lemon was a surprise for me too. Sometimes, I just do what the characters tell me to do. LOL Okay, so lots of anger, info, and I'm totally aware of how much you guys are starting to love Kurt. It rivals your hatred of Kenny, who, by the way, isn't off the hook, yet. But the bomb and how Walter was recruiting became a little clearer.

Now, I need to let you guys know that there won't be a Sunday posting. I've been working on something different, so it took me away from Mercward. I will be getting back to work on him ASAP, but I need time to catch up. I'm looking at next Wednesday as the next posting, if all goes according to my evil plan. (Yeah, I sound like Alice... LOL) So gimme a break, my loves. I rarely fail you, but I do need a week. I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this, who offered to submit to Mercward to let him have his control back... probably the funniest note she's ever left me in her beta work. XD 'Cause, yeah, I totally get it. Thanks to GooberLou, who researched all those torture methods for me. Scarily enough, she really enjoyed it, though together we came up with "dipping." Go figure. And MedusaInNY for all blog goings on, for always checking on me, and just because she rocks! Thank you. Okay, so since it'll be a while before I hear from you, let me know what you think. They'll be heading home in the next chapter, so our little family will be reunited. Much love...until next time, later! :)

*Chapter 13*: Chapter 13

A/N... I'm sure that this has been a long week for you. Normally, I try to post 2 times a week, but I'd gotten a little behind. Not that I'm all caught up, mind you, but I've made progress. And now it seems the flu is kicking my ass. Anyway, there are no need for warnings for this chapter. This is pure fluff and family and Bethy. There are some touchy moments, but they're to be expected, I think. Otherwise, this is a fantastic break from killing and torture. I hope you agree. :) On with it...
CHAPTER 13

EDWARD
There wasn't much that could stop the breath of relief that came with pulling in my own fucking driveway, despite the FBI guards that let us in. The beautiful, fidgety woman at my side in the back seat of Eleazar's SUV couldn't wait, either. Bella was about to burst open at the seams, she needed to see Bethy so badly. I couldn't blame her, because the last time my wife had seen our daughter, she was setting her out a window in order to save her. The shit with Walter and Lilith was far from over. We still needed to find them, because we'd all promised Eleazar that we'd help. And Bella wanted to catch Lilith, simply to get her off the fucking streets. By now, there was no telling what that crazy bitch was capable of. Bella's new theory on Lilith was that she killed her youngest child, Bree. She was convinced that it wasn't an accident, that Ashley had simply found her little sister after the fact. Armed with this new line of thinking, Bella ordered Alice to dive into Lilith's life as deep as she could go, stating that in order to stop future issues, we needed to go back to the beginning. We needed to know what made Lilith fall off the deep end mentally. If Walter was using Lilith as a driving vehicle to this shit, then we needed to know everything. Eleazar was continuing to run the investigation, in cooperation with Benny and Wes. Our suspects Roy, Earl, Bobby, and Kenny were now being held in a military facility until further notice. El wanted every single person attached to this threat before he finished prosecuting them, because he wanted them all. I really think he moved Kenny to a military base to keep his ass alive and safe from me. As far as I was concerned, he deserved no less than what his buddy, Rusty, had received. Preferably at my own hand. But they wanted to keep him around to continue to ask him questions. I was pretty sure they were keeping him around to use as bait, but no one had confirmed that suspicion. Kurt, however, wasn't to leave Eleazar's side, at least until he was deemed safe from Walter; there were Feds already guarding his mother and sister, while his father, the good doctor, was awaiting trial. I slipped my hand over Bella's bouncing knee, and she looked up at me with a pleading face. "I know. I'm sorry," she giggled lightly. "Soon, love," I chuckled, leaning in to kiss her head. "In fact... I believe who you're looking for is leading the welcoming committee." Bella grinned, her head snapping around to look at the front of the house, as Alice, Makenna, Esme, Rose along with baby Caleb all waited patiently for us, with Bethy jumping up and down in front of them. I wasn't sure who shot out of the cars quicker Bella or Emmett but both were out and running. "Mommy!" Bethy squealed, breaking away from her Gamma to rush to Bella, who immediately scooped her up to smother her in tears and kisses. I felt my heart finally settle, finally heal closed at the sight of my girls back together. It was almost an overwhelming feeling, because it had been too long since Bethy had been taken from us, and then right after that, Bella. I shook my head. I needed them here. I needed them home. I needed them together. And I couldn't stop myself from joining them, despite some things that still needed to be discussed with Eleazar and my father. I stepped around a reunited Alice and Jasper, and Mack and Wes, aiming for Bella, who was forehead to forehead with our little girl. "Were you good for Gamma and Daddy while I was gone?" my wife sniffled, trying her damnedest to keep from just sobbing. "Yeah," Bethy breathed, nodding and grinning like a little ray of sunshine. "I helped Daddy wif a mission...and Gamma and I made cookies...and I took bubble baffs." "What mission?" Bella chuckled, kissing her nose.

"I was Daddy's co-pilot," she stated with a firm, authoritative nod. "A pilot's got to have someone he can depend on," I added, smiling when my baby squealed, reaching for me. "Daddy!" she giggled, as Bella handed her over. Two small hands rubbed my two day stubble as I whispered, "I missed you, little sweetness." "I missed you, too, Daddy," she whispered right back, tilting her head at me. "Have you gotten bigger?" I asked with a dramatic frown and wrinkle to my brow, grinning at Bella's laugh, because she knew what was coming. "No!" Bethy yelled, smiling and squirming in my arms. She pushed at my shoulders, trying to get away, but I wouldn't let her. "Nope, I'm pretty sure you've gotten bigger, but I have to check to make sure," I told her, bending her upside down so I could blow raspberries on her belly, which was exposed when her shirt drifted up a bit. I rubbed my scruffy face along her navel, just to hear her scream into hysterics. "D-Daddy, no!" she laughed, finally relenting her grip on my t-shirt and holding my face. When I straightened back up, I chuckled at her bright red face and panting breaths as she sagged in relief in my arms. "Yep! Definitely bigger," I confirmed, kissing her forehead. I turned to Bella, who was smirking at the two of us. "I want this...just this...tonight," I sighed. "No one else. Nothing else, baby." "Me, too," Bella agreed softly, locking eyes with me. She turned to Bethy and smiled. "How about a...living room picnic?" she asked. "Yes, yes, yes!" Bethy chanted, sounding like Alice and turning to me. "I want chilwi dogs, D-Daddy." "Your wish is my command," I chuckled, shaking my head at her pronunciation of chili. "Well, that means baths after dinner," Bella muttered wryly, rolling her eyes at my laugh and holding out her arms for Bethy. "Come with me, baby. Daddy's got some work before he sneaks into our pajama party," she said, jerking her chin toward Eleazar, who was pacing on the phone as everyone reunited around him. Bethy went to her mother happily, looking between us. She was all bright green eyes, her long hair half up and spilling around her shoulders. She looked so fucking content to have both of us in front of her that it was all I could do not to love on her some more. She'd been miserable without Bella home, as was I. "I know we have to leave security here," Bella said, using a soft tone and locking eyes with me. "But I also know that these people are tired, Edward. They've been working nonstop since...the beginning." Her careful choice of words on that last sentence reminded me of why we were all working together in the first place. She also didn't want to dredge up anything for Bethy if she didn't have to. I nodded, letting out a slow breath. "I'll see what I can do. Some of them won't want to stop," I warned her, "but you're right; they should take at least tonight as a breather." We both stopped our conversation as Bethy reached up and lightly touched the bruise on Bella's face. Her little brow dipped slightly as she asked, "Does it hurt, Mommy?" "No, baby," Bella said, pulling her curious fingers to her lips. "No. It looks worse than it feels." "Want me to kiss it?" she asked, shifting around so that she could lean forward, placing her lips to Bella's eye without waiting for an answer. "Better?" "Perfect, pretty girl," Bella giggled. I pulled them to me, kissing both their heads, because I couldn't not hold them and I wasn't sure it would ever be enough. "I love you both, so much. Do you know?" I whispered against Bella's forehead. "Love you, too," they both replied, just making me smile all the more. God, they were my fucking world, and it was truly just hitting me, now that they were back in my arms, just how fucking close I came to losing one or the both of them. The mere thought scared the shit out of me. "Go, Edward," Bella urged, kissing my chin. "Just...fill me in later, okay?" I nodded, swallowing thickly as they turned away from me. I heard Bella say, "Let's help Daddy start dinner, huh?" as she walked into the house.

"Son," my dad stated from my side, and I spun to look at him, his gaze softening at my expression. "I promise not to take you away from that too long, Edward, but we need to talk about the next steps. Give me...an hour?" I nodded. "Yeah, and then, don't you think everyone needs one night off?" "El's already told them that. We're to meet back here in twenty-four hours, but he wants to go over security with the teams now." "Okay," I sighed, knowing that at least I'd have one day to not think about Walter or Lilith or bomb threats. "Let's do this," I grunted, following him and the rest of the team, minus Esme, into Gravity's office. ~oOo~

BELLA
"Here, pretty girl," I said, setting Bethy on a stool in the kitchen so she could draw while I worked. "We'll start the chili for Daddy. He can come in and make it perfect, yeah?" "Yeah," my baby sighed, grinning at the mention of Edward. I turned to the fridge, tugging open the door to see it well stocked. "Esme," I sighed, shaking my head. "I figured one less worry, Bella," she chuckled from behind me, opening her arms when I ran to her. "You look like hell, sweetie," she whispered against my temple, "but at least you're in one piece." I laughed, truly laughed, for the first time in a few days. Leave it to my mother-in-law to point out the obvious and make it all okay. "Gee, thanks," I scoffed, rolling my eyes and pulling back to look at her. "My self esteem just plummeted." Esme grinned, waving me away with a smirk. "You know what I meant, silly," she stated, starting to help me in the kitchen. Edward liked to make some things his own way, but the basics could at least be started for him. Esme and I set about chopping onions, dicing tomatoes, and browning the meat for his chili. I knew Bethy would want macaroni salad, as well, and her big grin as she watched me pour the pasta into the boiling water was my confirmation. "How was she when she got home?" I asked Esme softly, making sure Bethy was absorbed in her coloring. "Not a scratch on her," she stated, stirring in the tomatoes. "She's strong, like you, but she clung to Edward like a second skin once he had her back here. Swore he would leave her like you did." I inhaled sharply, tears blurring my vision. "I had to get her away..." "She knows that. He explained it to her, Bella. But when she told him where he could find you, they'd already taken you. It was like you left. It's how she saw it." I nodded, roughly swiping at my tears. "I didn't care what they did to me, but I had to get those girls away from that hotel, Esme." "It was...the best decision, and one that I couldn't imagine making myself, sweetie," Esme soothed with a kiss to the side of my head. "How's Abby?" I asked, looking up at her after giving Bethy another glance. "Benny set it up so that I could observe her on a professional level," she started, pulling down spices from the rack over the sink. "Mrs. Carmichael brought Abby over the day before yesterday. A play date of sorts, but it really was for me to see if all three of them were handling things okay." "Are they? And what do they know now?" "They are, and everything," she stated with a shrug at my gasp. We'd tried so hard to keep Mrs. Carmichael out of the loop, because we didn't want her hurt or involved too closely. It really was for her safety. She was a single mother that worked in retail for a living, so it wasn't like she could handle any of this shit that came her way. "Wes had no choice but to tell her what really happened," Esme continued, "because Abby blurted out a lot of things once she was in the comfort of her own home. How you came to save her, how 'Mr. Edward' stopped a bad guy, how Kurt gave them doughnuts, but mostly, it was how Bethy kept her...protected. She told her mother that Bethy would stop the 'Mean Man' from bothering them, how she wouldn't let them get separated." "You got all that from a four year old?" I asked. "No," she chuckled. "I got it from listening to her mother, and then watching the interaction between Bethy and Abby. Bethy is the stronger of the two, more outgoing. You and Edward made her that way, just by being an example, and even Abby's

mother noticed it." "Mrs. Carmichael is pissed, huh?" "At first, she was. But Wes explained how you put yourself out there in harm's way to rectify the situation, and he elaborated that it's what you do for a living. When she found out that you had taken the girls' place, she was horrified and offered any help, like babysitting, if you needed it." I sighed, shaking my head. "Abby was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think they took them both because Kenny and Rusty were too stupid to tell the difference between the two." Esme chuckled softly, but her face sobered up just as quickly. "What about you, sweetie? Did they... I mean... are you?" I smiled and shook my head. "Oh no, I'm fine. I know what you're aiming at, and no... They didn't hurt me that way. They basically just locked me up." "But this?" she asked, touching my bruised eye and cheek gently. "Lilith," I sneered, focusing more on stirring my pasta than Esme's expression. "Let's just say that she and I aren't finished." "Fair enough," she conceded, making me look at her. "I actually wouldn't mind having a word with her myself." I chuckled, loving the slightly evil look in her eye. "You mean you want root around in her crazy head..." "Sure, Bells, if that's what you want to call it." She grinned wider when I giggled at her. "I'm having Alice pull Lilith's history, Esme. Would you take a look at it when she's put it together?" "Definitely. Now, have you got this? Because if so, I'm going to pack our things. As soon as that little meeting is done out there, I'm getting all of these people out of your house. At least for the night..." she said, giving Bethy a loving gaze. "She needs you two just you two tonight." "Yeah," I sighed contentedly, smiling at my little one, who was happily humming, kicking her feet, and coloring away. "Thanks, Esme." ~oOo~ The chili was simmering slowly, the hotdogs were ready to set on the flat grill, and the macaroni salad was chilling in the fridge when the front screen door opened and slammed back. "Where are my girls?" Edward growled, and Bethy and I giggled. "Shh," I told her, pulling the covers up and over our heads as we lay on the makeshift pallet we'd spread out on the living room floor while we were waiting for him to join us. Thudding boots thumped into the kitchen, and I could hear him check dinner, making him chuckle softly. "Well, they've been busy, anyway," he muttered in humor. I grinned at Bethy, who had both hands over her mouth to stop from laughing. "You won't like it if I have to hunt you two down," he warned teasingly. "I believe that's punishable by...tickling." Bethy squeaked, her eyes wide as she listened to more heavy footfalls. I couldn't help but love how she fell for everything he ever threw at her every taunt, tease, and innocent threat. She couldn't take it... the suspense. The hiding was killing her, so she threw back the covers, yelling, "Here, Daddy!" However, black military boots were right there when she exposed us, and she screamed, squirming off of me to get away. His amusement could barely be contained as he stepped over me to scoop her up. "Why were you hiding?" he growled into her neck, sitting down next to me and tickling her relentlessly. She squealed into hysterics, her little hands pushing at his hands to get him to stop. "Mommy said to!" she confessed breathlessly. "Oh ho!" Edward sang, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "Mommy, huh?" he asked, setting her on her feet, only to attack my sides. "Edward, stop!" I laughed, trying to get closer to him and away from him at the same time as I writhed under his fingers. He chuckled, pulling me closer as I breathed, "You're way too overdressed for a slumber party, Daddy. Go change, and I'll start the hotdogs. Then you can make sure your chili is up to scratch."

He smiled, kissing us both before standing up. "Yes, ma'am," he grunted like the soldier he was, and much to his daughter's amusement, he saluted me. I shook my head and turned to Bethy. "Go wash your hands, baby. We're going to eat soon." "Okay, Mommy," she chirped. The sound of little thumping footfalls followed behind heavy masculine ones down the hallway, and my heart just about exploded. My house had been too fucking quiet without her here. It had felt wrong and off-kilter. Bethy completed Edward and me like nothing ever could. We were really fucking good before, but with her, we were damned near perfect. Edward was silly and fun with her, beaming with pride at just about everything she did, and I could cater to them both, because the minute I'd found out I was pregnant with her, my heart had expanded to a whole other level of love. It was full and just more. I padded into the kitchen to check the chili and to warm up the flat grill. I could hear Edward tell Bethy to pick a movie, and "not the mermaid one again." I smiled when she debated the benefits of watching it again, but she finally settled for Finding Nemo. I didn't realize there were tears streaming down my face until Edward turned me around to face him in front of the stove. "Hey, what's this?" he asked, wiping them gently away with his thumbs as a sweet, loving expression took over his handsome face. "I just fucking missed her," I breathed, shaking my head. "Just all of it. Her chattering, her smell, her...just everything." I found myself pulled to him and wrapped in warm, strong arms as kisses were dropped to the top of my head. Edward had changed into pajama pants and a wife beater undershirt, and he smelled clean, like the detergent I used, combined with that completely different smell that was just...Edward. I melted into him, allowing his heartbeat next to my ear to settle my very soul. "The first day I brought her home," he started in a whisper, "I couldn't put her down. I carried her around for hours. And she let me." He chuckled once so very softly. "That 'mission' she told you about... I couldn't not take her with me, because she needed me just as much as I needed her. We flew over the compound to grab recon photos for Alice. Alec strapped her into the co-pilot seat." I grinned and sniffled at the same time, because I knew Bethy loved nothing more than flying with her daddy. She had to dress like him, wear a baseball cap like him, and I'd even found a little pink headset through Twi Tech for her to be able to hear him. "So the fact that I just want to squeeze her and kiss her to death isn't wrong?" I asked, sniffling a little more at his laugh. "Hardly," he said with a grin and a kiss to my forehead. "I feel that way about both of you right now." "Are you coming, or what?" we heard from the living room, and we both laughed, turning toward the stove. "No, sweetness," Edward said with a shake of his head, turning me around. "Go be with her. I'll bring this in." I stood up on my toes and kissed his lips softly, whispering, "I love you." "Love you, too, baby. Go!" he chuckled, patting my ass and shooing me from his kitchen. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Do it again, Mommy!" Bethy giggled, her happiness echoing out of the bathroom as I cleaned up the dinner dishes. My daughter, true to her nature, was a mess by the time she'd eaten one and a half chili dogs. She'd had chili everywhere on her face, her clothes, her hands. Once she'd stated she was full, Bella had scooped her up, practically setting her fully clothed into the bathtub. I could hear toys clunking against the side of the tub, my wife's chuckle, and my little girl's innocent chatter. I took a deep breath, letting it out as I braced my arms on the counter. This was how my house was supposed to sound. The excruciating days without one or both of them weren't such a faraway memory. It wouldn't fucking happen again. My only reason for continuing with Eleazar was to insure that Lilith or Walter or anyone else they may recruit would never fucking touch my family again or anyone else's. And my father was most likely thinking the same thing, because he adored my wife like his own daughter, and there wasn't a fucking thing Bethy could ask of him that he wouldn't give her. "Okay, silly girl, lean back so we can rinse your hair," Bella chuckled as I finished up with a wipe-down of the counter. I tossed the rag into the sink, wiped my hands on my pants, and quietly walked down the hall to lean in the doorway. I grinned, shaking my head. Bella's shirt was probably as wet as our slippery girl, as she wrapped Bethy in a big, fluffy pink

towel and proceeded to rub her head to get rid of the excess water from her hair. The room was damp, smelling of baby shampoo and soap and just clean little girl. "Hi, Daddy," she giggled, because she could barely stand up as her mother dried her hair roughly. "Oh, there you are!" I teased her, sighing with relief. "I couldn't find you under all that chili." Bella barked a laugh, giving me a wry glance over her shoulder. "Mommy said I ate l-like a p-pig," she sputtered, grinning with pride. "Well, next time, we'll just use a trough like Aunt Kate does," I told her with a shrug. "No!" she argued, laughing as Bella set her on the bath mat to dress her in her favorite pajamas the Air Force ones my father had bought her. Once she was dressed and teeth brushed, Bethy ran to me, and I scooped her up. "Better, Daddy? Can you see my face now?" "Yup," I confirmed with a nod, "including one new freckle!" "Nuh uh!" she argued, shaking her head. "Where?" "Right...here," I chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose. "It's brand new. Never seen it before." Bella snorted softly, rolling her eyes, and grabbed up towels and dirty clothes before slipping by me at the door. "Silly ass," she muttered low enough only I heard her, smacking my butt on her way by, but turned to Bethy, handing her a brush. "Take this in the living room, pretty girl. We'll brush you out in there." "Okay, Mommy," Bethy said, turning to me. "Fly me, Daddy!" I grinned. "Arms out!" I ordered, and she stuck both arms out to the side, one hand holding her hair brush in a tight little fist. "Back straight," I said, spinning her around, "and toes pointed." I swung her up above me so that her stomach was on my head, and then walked her back into the living room. "The landing zone has been spotted. Ready to jump?" "Yes, sir!" she giggled, because this was her favorite part. I flipped her over my head, causing her to do a somersault and landing her softly onto her back in the middle of the pile of sheets and blankets they'd laid out earlier. She laughed, "Do it again!" "No, not again," Bella sighed, coming into the room in a fresh, dry t-shirt, my boxers sitting low on her hips. "Bethy, do you want another movie or a story?" "Story!" she answered. "I figured," she said with a smirk, handing me a book to read. "Daddy can read to us, while I brush out your hair." Bella sat down, patting the space between her legs, and Bethy crawled to her and sat down with her back to her mother. I cracked open Wind in the Willows, a different book than the one we'd been reading when Bethy was taken. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to watch them, to watch Bella as she carefully picked up the ends of Bethy's hair, brushing out the tangles. She'd move up higher, and then a little higher with one section of hair, making sure that not one snag hurt Bethy's head. I started to read, losing myself in the story. Soon, hair was brushed and Bella settled onto her back, her head propped up on pillows. Bethy crawled up to settle onto her front, laying her head on Bella's chest, facing me, her legs on either side of Bella's hips. Stomach to stomach, they stayed quiet, tiny fingers playing with my wife's hair as Bella traced comforting fingers up and down Bethy's back. They'd been doing that since Bethy was born, laying that way. It was almost like Bethy was trying to crawl back inside her mother, or maybe it was just the sound of a familiar heartbeat, but I knew my daughter wasn't going to be awake for much longer. Another few pages, and I looked over to see they were both out cold. I closed the book and set it aside, just looking at them. It reminded me of the night of my dad's wedding, when I came upstairs to our hotel suite to see them both curled together on the bed. Two brunettes. One with the face of an angel, and the other was just stunningly beautiful. One with freckles, and the other with a face that could finally relax. I reached out, tucking a lock of hair behind Bethy's ear. Leaning over, I brushed the lightest of kisses to Bella's forehead. God, I fucking loved them both with a tenacity that was almost insane. When I'd rescued Bella from Miller's dungeon, I'd fallen for her instantly; I just didn't know how it would work. When we figured out what we were doing, even with all of Bella's healing that she had to do, I swore to myself that I'd spend the rest of my life taking care of her. I'd never, ever felt the way about anyone like I did my Bella. We just...fit.

I smiled down at my girls as Bethy shifted a bit and Bella encircled her with loving arms, even in sleep. I remembered when Bella told me she was pregnant; she'd been petrified more petrified than with any mission or client she'd ever taken, I'd have been willing to bet. She didn't know that I was ready for it all with her. She didn't know that my father and I had discussed wives and grandkids on the way to get her, that I'd already come to terms with quitting the soldier for hire business, even before I kissed her stupid in the stairwell of a law firm. I knew Bella's fear then. I hadn't exactly been on the straight and narrow when it came to women prior to her. I'd been a free and single soldier, only ever looking for the good time. That had all changed with her. So by the time she'd gotten pregnant with Bethy, I was so in. I wanted it all. I wanted love and family. I wanted the comfort that Bella brought that I hadn't felt since my mother was alive. As I looked down at the two of them and slipped down closer under the covers, I realized that I had it all. Everything, and then some. I'd lost it for a bit, but I was the most fucking grateful man that ever lived, because I had them back. ~oOo~ I sipped my coffee, turning the page of the newspaper as quietly as I could. I was sitting at the kitchen counter, always up before Bethy and Bella. Those two could really sleep. The sun was just peeking out on the other side of the woods, and I glanced up through the window as three of Eleazar's men grabbed themselves a cup of coffee I'd set out for them. They were guarding my property, my family; the least I could do is keep them fed and awake until their shift change if they even got a shift change. The news was filled with articles on the fiasco at the train station, the compound on the mountain, and the return of Carla and Malcolm Danvers. All those things were "supposedly linked to one man," but the identity of the suspects were being withheld from the media. There was no mention of the D.O.A., and miraculously, Eleazar had kept all of the ties of the mountain property to Walter Bridges out of the limelight. As of right now, the Danvers family was in protective custody until the unknown suspects were caught. Warm arms wrapped around my waist from the side, and a kiss met my bare upper arm. I smiled, turning to look at Bella, who had apparently been up long enough to toss her hair up into a ponytail and brush her teeth. "Morning, sweetness," I said, turning to face her. "Hmm, morning," she hummed against my lips, moving to stand between my legs on the bottom rung of the stool I was sitting on. "Sorry I fell asleep last night." "I'm not," I admitted, shaking my head and rubbing my hands down her back to her bottom. "You were exhausted, love. I'd blame my monotone reading voice, but I think it was just being home." She giggled softly, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Not monotone...comforting." I chuckled. Unable to resist her, I pulled her all the way onto my lap so that her legs straddled mine. "Glad you and Bethy think so. Where is she?" "Curled up on your pillow in the living room," Bella sighed, running her fingers through my hair. "You ran this morning?" she asked, noticing my freshly showered and still damp hair. "Mmhm," I breathed into her neck, and then opened my mouth to her delicious skin. "I ran, I finished the dollhouse, and I made coffee," I murmured against the soft spot behind her ear, smiling when she shivered. "It's true what they say then... You really do accomplish more before seven in the morning than most people do all day," she chuckled, gliding her hands soft over my bare chest and trailing her fingers around the waistband of my jeans. "That's the Army again, sweetness," I sighed dramatically. She laughed softly, her head falling back. "Oops, sorry!" "Though you're right the concept is the same," I said with a laugh, wrapping both my arms around her. "What are we doing today, love? We have until later this afternoon to ourselves." "And the three guards outside," she added with a smirk. "I don't care. We could stick around here. I have the furniture for that dollhouse already, if you want to give it to her." My eyebrows rose. "I thought we were taking her to the hobby shop downtown..." "Have you ever taken her in there?" my wife huffed, rolling her eyes at me when I shook my head no. "I can't get her out. Mr. McLendon may have adopted her as a grandchild! He shows her every new thing he can think of." I grinned, because the old man was damned cool. He could build the most detailed model train tracks I'd ever seen. He had an enormous display of radio controlled toys, from cars to helicopters, and his wife made the best brownies on earth. They were a really sweet old couple, and they'd been running that shop since before I'd moved to Forks with my dad.

"I had Mrs. McLendon pick out her favorite things for the dollhouse, and she set them aside for me. I picked them up a few weeks ago," Bella explained with a shrug. "Besides, it'll mean more that she can just...start playing with it. It's like getting a toy that needs batteries and there aren't any to be found." I wrinkled my nose. I hadn't thought about it like that. "Girl thing?" I verified. "No, little kid thing," Bella giggled, leaning in to kiss my lips. "A live-in-the-moment, no patience thing." "Ah, gotcha," I snickered, slipping my hands just inside the hem of her boxers. Bella reached over and picked up my coffee, taking a sip. I'd missed casual Sunday mornings like this. She'd steal my coffee, or if she had to be up early, she'd have one waiting for me after my morning run. We'd sit in the kitchen or in the porch swing until Bethy woke up. We'd talk about whatever case she was working on or just read the paper to each other. The sudden reappearance of that feeling of comfort made me lean in and kiss her cheek, her chin, and then her lips. She let out a contented sigh, holding the coffee mug with both hands between us. "Tell me what I missed in that meeting last night." "Not much," I stated with a shrug. "It was basically a rundown of security measures we were to follow from this point on. Everyone is to be armed at all times. Communication at all times. Keep your eyes open for anyone that might even resemble Walter or Lilith. We weren't getting into anything big until this afternoon. Eleazar just wanted us to get some rest, but be careful. He thanked everyone for their help, and gave anyone that didn't want to continue an out." "Did anyone quit?" "No, not a one. In fact, some may show up early, because they'll want this place as secure as possible," I stated, because Alec and Emmett had said that very thing. In fact, everyone had stayed damn close last night. Emmett and Rose were with Caleb at my father's house right around the corner; they hadn't wanted to go all the way back to their house in Seattle. Alec, Mickey, and Obie were there, too. Alice and Jasper had offered Sam their spare bedroom, and he'd gratefully taken it. Eleazar and his men were at a small inn just inside town. Wes and Makenna had a small apartment downtown, and they'd offered their couch to Benny. No one was taking chances with this place, Bella, or Bethy again. No one would say it, but I could tell that was why they were all sticking so fucking close. "And what happens if security is breached here?" she asked, taking another sip. I could tell by her tone and from the look on her face that she didn't believe it could happen, but it was a fair question. "Then I get you and Bethy to Aunt Kate's. Period. We'll re-group up there, or something. I won't...I can't take any chances this time around, sweetness." I nearly begged with that last sentence, because I could see that she was about to protest. "I need you with me on this, because you and Bethy could still be a target. I-I f-fucking c-can't go th-through th-that a-again," I sputtered, because the thought made me sick. "Okay, okay," she soothed, setting the coffee mug down and reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. "It was only a question, baby." I nodded, allowing her touch to calm me and pulling her closer. "Anyway," I sighed, gazing up at her sweet brown eyes, "I imagine the real work starts today." She nodded, leaning in to kiss my forehead, and said, "Yeah, I think I'll work the computers with Alice today. Knowing her, she's already set up some sort of alert for the first time Walter or Lilith use their names, but I want to research Lilith's past. I also want to know who started that ridiculous D.O.A." I smirked up at her, because she was damned smart and brave, and I couldn't imagine any other person that I'd rather have in my corner whether it was doing research or holding a fucking gun. Nothing kept my girl down for long. Nothing. She was tough and determined, and always willing to get back up, dust herself off, and start again. But all I said was... "Fuck, you're beautiful," I breathed, almost incompetent with my love for her. She smiled, slow and warm and sweet. "I love you, too, Edward." I chuckled softly, leaning in to kiss her, because she always knew what I meant, even when I didn't. I captured her bottom lip, and then her top, allowing my tongue the mere teasing taste of her. My hands slid farther into the legs of her boxers, gripping her ass fully. Bella's hands glided up my arms, over my shoulders, to my neck, holding me where she wanted me so that she could turn her head. Fuck, her kiss was deep and wet and all things that made me moan shamelessly. A little control left us when Bella's hips rolled ever so slowly and sensually over mine. My hands were over her t-shirt and under it, in her boxers and out, gripping them to pull her to me or stop her hips, I wasn't sure which. Finally, my fingers made purchase in that ponytail of hers, wrapping it around my hand in order to pull her head to the side. A soft, sexy whimper escaped her as my mouth assaulted her neck up to her ear, where I nipped teasingly at her earlobe. My other hand was up the back of her shirt, palm flat against the smooth skin between her shoulder blades. I wanted to be everywhere at once with her, but a chilling sound stopped us both cold.

"Mommy!" Bethy cried from the living room. Not just cried, but wailed. "Shit," Bella hissed, slipping hurriedly from my lap. "I didn't think about her waking up alone," she muttered, giving me an apologetic look for what, I didn't know. She never had to apologize for Bethy's well being coming first. Ever. My not so innocent desire left me instantly, and I followed her into the living room. Bethy was sitting in the middle of the pile of blankets, sheets, and pillows, tears streaming down her face, looking confused and heartbroken. "Hey, hey, pretty girl," Bella soothed, scooping her up. "I'm right here. What's this all about?" Bethy just shook her head, because a three year old couldn't exactly explain that they maybe thought the night before was really only a dream, because the way that my daughter was gripping my wife, I'd be willing to bet that was the case. Our daughter laid her head on Bella's shoulder as she rocked Bethy back and forth, her grip on Bella's shirt never letting up, but big, pitiful green eyes met mine as the last of her tears ebbed away. I couldn't resist reaching out and wiping them away, nor could I stop myself from dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Hey, baby, sit up and let me look at you," Bella told her. Bethy pulled back, tilting her head just a little. "Do you need to potty?" she asked, as she brushed sleep rumpled hair back from Bethy's face. Bethy nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes. I could see what Bella was doing; she was trying to get back to the normal morning routine. If the same question she asked every morning was asked now, then maybe Bethy would realize that things were okay. I worried when or if we had to leave her with Esme or Makenna again, because it was inevitable. I knew what that cry sounded like, and I hated the thought of hearing it again. "Well, let's go do that, get you dressed, and then we'll see what sort of trouble we can get your daddy in today, huh?" Bella chuckled, giving me a wink. Bethy cracked the merest hint of a smile my way when I groaned dramatically for her benefit. I pointed a finger at both of them. "No trouble until after breakfast!" I growled, smirking at Bella's laugh. Bethy sniffled a giggle at me, trying to catch my finger, but I pulled it away too quickly. "Cimmanon rolls, Daddy," she commanded in a voice raspy from sleep. I laughed, because I loved the way she said certain words. "Yeah, well, maybe a bite of eggs in there, too, huh?" I suggested, shaking my head at her wrinkled nose. "Go do your...girly stuff, and I'll see what I can find." Both of them laughed at that statement, and I watched them walk down the hallway, before turning toward the kitchen to see if I had anything close to "cimmanon rolls." ~oOo~

BELLA
I smiled, looking up from folding laundry. Bethy was babbling quietly as she lost herself to her own imagination on the front porch. She'd been playing with her dollhouse for hours. After Edward made us breakfast of cinnamon rolls, eggs, and sausage, he'd caved immediately, unable to hold back any longer from giving it to her. Whatever plans he might have had for the day flew out the window as soon as her big green eyes widened at the sight of it. Once he showed her how to open it and I'd given her the dolls and furniture, it was all over. Her fear, her slight ill temper, and her quiet demeanor that she'd woken up with had drifted away. It was a beautiful day outside, so Edward had set her up on the front porch. I was just inside doing laundry, but he was never far from her in the yard. If he wasn't talking with the security guys Eleazar had left, then he was doing yard work or messing with the chopper, an ever watchful eye on her from us both. But even more importantly, she could see us. She didn't always want us hovering when she played, but if she needed to see us, all she had to do was call for us, or look around her, and we were there. And Edward and I were just enjoying being home. It was teasing, laughing, and getting things done that may have slipped to the wayside since Bethy was taken. It was comfortable and comforting, and I think it made us all just a little more at ease. I stowed the last of the clean towels in the laundry basket, leaving it on the table. I eased out onto the front porch, smiling at her hum, her little feet kicking in the air behind her as she lay on the floor, and her constant moving of furniture and people

inside that dollhouse. I couldn't imagine what stories she was telling herself, or who those people were to her. As I sat down on the top step, leaning my back to the post, she peeked up at me. "Hi, Mommy," she whispered. "Hey, pretty girl. Why are we whispering?" I asked her with a giggle. "Shh!" she chided with a frown. "The baby's sleepin'." I leaned down just enough to see that there was a little baby in a crib, and then nodded at her. "Okay, sorry," I said in a hushed voice. "What's the baby's name?" "Caleb Edward," she said only, the middle name came out as "Ed-wurrd," which was about as adorable as I could take. "Oh," I giggled, shaking my head as Edward joined me on the steps. "Like Uncle Em and Aunt Rose's Caleb?" I asked. "Yup!" she chirped with a nod, but catching sight of her daddy, her little brow wrinkled, before asking, "Why does Caleb have your name, D-Daddy?" "Oh yeah, why is that?" I asked, because no one had ever told the whole story surrounding the naming of Caleb. Edward grinned, not just with amusement, but with utter hilarity. "You mean Rose hasn't told you?" "I don't think she knows. Only that you saved Emmett in Afghanistan." I shrugged, opening my arms for Bethy when she came to sit in my lap. "Oh, I saved him, all right," he laughed evilly, looking to Bethy. "You ask your Uncle Emmett to tell you why, little sweetness. They'll be here soon." "Okay," she said with a grin, going back to her dollhouse. She did just that when they arrived not long after. Emmett, Rose, and Caleb weren't out of their car and seated on the front porch for two minutes, before Bethy was tugging his sleeve. "Unca Em!" she said, tugging again as he sat down beside Edward, who could barely contain his low chuckle from his seat on the front steps. Rose and I had moved to the swing and were both cooing at Caleb. "What, baby girl?" he laughed, looking curiously at Edward. "Why does Caleb have my daddy's name?" she asked him, and I elbowed Rose to look at Edward's silent laughter. "Aw, Ed... Did you put her up to this?" Emmett groaned, shaking his head. "No!" Edward barked a laugh. "But why don't you tell her...tell them all, since you've kept it from even your wife." Rose snorted and looked at me as I shrugged at her. "Spill it, Em," Rose ordered. "Apparently, we're missing the joke." "Edward saved me in Afghanistan," Emmett muttered to Bethy, but now we were all too curious. "No way. More!" I laughed. Edward smirked, waving Bethy over. "Since your Uncle Emmett is too chicken to say, I'll tell you, little sweetness." He set her on his lap, kissing her head and giving one more glance to Emmett, who was looking ashen. "Your Uncle Em," he started, only speaking to Bethy. "Well, he had a lot of friends that were girls. And one day, he made the wrong one mad." "How?" she asked, and Rose and I chuckled, because I wasn't sure if the story was even appropriate for her, and I was pretty sure that both Emmett and Edward were about to dig their own graves. "He just...um, stopped being her friend one day, and she got very upset," my husband continued, using a tone of voice as if this were a fucking fairy tale, but it was Emmett's slumped shoulders and hanging head that you couldn't miss. "In fact, she got so upset, she told her older brother. And he decided to relieve your Uncle Emmett of some...very important body parts with a really big knife...and Uncle Emmett would have been forced to get married." "Oh Lord," I groaned. "Was she a local over there, Emmett?" "Yes," both Edward and Emmett answered, though the former was with much more enthusiasm than the latter. Rose laughed, her head falling back. "Only you, Em. I swear," she chortled.

"What body parts, Daddy?" Bethy chimed in. "It's not important," Edward rushed, his cheeks tinging a touch of pink. "What is important was that I had to swoop in and save the day by proving that this girl had more than one friend. Otherwise, your Uncle Emmett would have been a little bit lighter, but he would have had a fine heard of camels." Rose and I collapsed in a heap of laughter, causing baby Caleb to gurgle up at us. "So I promised to name my first born son after him, okay?" Emmett growled, unable to not smile, because it was hilarious. "Oh, wait, wait, wait," I sniffled, wiping the tears from my eyes and pointing to Edward. "Tell me, hero... How did you prove her...other friendships?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Edward grinned like the cat that swallowed the damned canary. "Mickey took pictures of all her friends. She liked her American soldiers...lots of them." "Nice!" Rose and I guffawed, leaning on each other. I shook my head, but we all looked up when several cars pulled in the driveway, the first being Carlisle and Esme. Soon, everyone was stepping out onto the lawn. "Unca Alec!" Bethy gushed, almost tripping down the steps to get to him. "Bambina," he crooned, kneeling down so that she could plant his favorite loud, wet smooches to his cheek, and then she was gone. It was funny to watch her with them all her "aunts" and "uncles." I think she assumed they were all there to see her, because every last one of them gave her hugs and kisses. "Little darlin'," Jasper greeted her, scooping her up. He whispered something in her ear, and she nodded like crazy, before he set her down so that she could rush to her grandfather. "Poppy, come look!" she gushed, tugging his hand. "Daddy made it!" Carlisle shot Edward a wink and a squeeze to his shoulder on his way by, but his main focus was his granddaughter. She showed him everything, and he indulged her just like he always did. Eleazar was the last car to pull in, and Eric and Felix piled out of the car when he parked it. As he walked up to the house, Esme appeared in front of me and Rose. "I'm on baby duty," she chuckled sweetly, holding her hands out for Caleb. I grimaced, giving Bethy a wary glance. "She's been...touchy today. If she gives you any trouble, bring her to me. I can keep her with me in the office, okay?" Esme nodded, like she'd expected no less, but we all turned our attention to Eleazar. He nodded to everyone, his face almost grim with seriousness. "Okay, people. We've got work to do."

A/N...Yeah, you know what that means. Lots of info in the next chapter. Tons of mom and dad fun in this chapter. I couldn't resist giving them and you guys a break. As crappy as I'm feeling right this second, it doesn't look like Sunday will be the next posting. Though, I promise you that I will try. Watch for the alert on FF and on Twitter. I need to thank JenRar for helping me beta this bad boy. And who wanted to eat Daddyward alive in this chapter. Thanks to GooberLou for just...being the voice that says... "No, no...don't do that!" LOL And to MedusaInNY, for all blog dealings and many, many other things. Okay, let me know what you're thinking. Oh and this story was nominated for the "Hot Potato Award" in the Tomato Soup Awards. (Shrugs, because I never which award is which, but thanks you anyway). Anyway, until next time... Later! :)

*Chapter 14*: Chapter 14

A/N... Oh my friends, thank you so much for the well wishes. They apparently worked, because I feel tons better. I slept and slept some more. So thank you to everyone that told me to feel better. Where were we before my own body betrayed me... Let's see... Oh yeah, research time. This chapter has a lot of information, and some things come together. Plus, a little reunion between Kurt and Bethy... So, I know you've missed the double updates. I'll get outta your way. :)
CHAPTER 14

BELLA
"Well, they'll have to fucking show themselves eventually," Carlisle sighed, leaning back in one of the conference chairs in Gravity's office. "Right," Jasper agreed, pointing to the board. "They have no money, and everyone they know is being monitored. Is Wes at Walter's parent's house now?" "Yeah, he left after he dropped Makenna off," Edward murmured, his eyes locked onto pictures of Walter and Lilith. "Mickey went with him to see for herself what they were like. She wants to know if he could be trusted." "Hey, pixie, did we ever find out if the Bridges have property outside the country?" Emmett asked, pulling down cleared aerial photos of properties that we'd had local police check into. "Not mine," she called out, typing furiously. I chuckled, because there was so much research going on in the computer room that I was afraid we'd blow the power and the internet. Alice was pulling everything she could legal or not concerning Lilith Laray, because we needed to know her complete history. Rose was doing the exact same for Walter Bridges, even though we thought we had everything already; we just wanted to be sure. I was tracing the history of the D.O.A., trying to find out if there were other communes like the one on the mountain top. "That's mine!" Mack called out, typing away and clearly frustrated. "And no. I haven't finished yet. You know, it's a big damn globe, guys!" Rose and I smirked at each other, especially when the boys apologized behind us and moved on to the next question. "Did we ever find out what building they were going to attack?" Alec asked as he paced a little behind us. "No," Eleazar answered. "I don't think Walter told them, to be honest, because not one of those guys have that answer. Not even Kenny. However, I'm going to ask Kurt again when he gets here." "Where is he?" Carlisle asked. "With one of my men. I allowed him a visit to his mother and sister today, because I'm pulling them into protective custody in about..."he paused, looking at his watch"five minutes." "And his dad?" I called out over my shoulder, getting to a stopping point on my screen in order to be able to turn around. "What about Dr. Vernon?" I asked Eleazar. "He's in solitary, Bella. He's safer there than anywhere, because Walter's not going to go anywhere near the police, a jail, or a Federal building right now. His face is everywhere." "Has anyone bothered to check on Shady Glen?" Rose piped up. "I mean, if I were...crazy," she said with a grin, "I'd want to blow up the place that kept me locked up." No one said anything, but Alice's head snapped up and looked around. "Really? None of you bothered to think it might be Shady Glen?" she gasped, spinning around in her chair. "Well, shit, shit, shit..." She turned back to her desk, pulling another keyboard to her, but we all stopped when a voice that rarely spoke out in these types of meetings rumbled softly. "I don't think it would be Shady Glen," Sam said, and we all turned to look at him. "I think it's Twi Towers." My eyebrows shot up, because he'd said the one building that I'd been afraid to think of. "If this Walter guy was seeking revenge for the closing of that lumber mill, then he'd want to go to the source, yeah?" he asked, and we all nodded a bit. "Twi Tech closed that mill. And despite the fact that you set up some sort of job relocation program," he urged, holding up his hand when Carlisle started to speak, "some of them didn't take so kindly to it. If I was a

betting man, I'd put my money there." Carlisle paled, and I didn't even have to ask why. There were hundreds of lives on the line in that building people he knew, people he liked, people that had worked there for years... even for my father. "Oh shit," I sighed, shaking my head. "Okay, okay, okay," Alice chanted in a soothing tone. "At least we dismantled the bomb, right? So we have time to figure it out." I opened my mouth to speak, but snapped it closed. "What, Bella?" Edward asked, stepping forward to lean against the table. "Whatever you've found, let's hear it, sweetness." I grimaced, pulling my laptop from the desk and setting it on the conference table. "I'm not sure, so don't take this shit as fact. I'm still following my line of thinking here. Okay?" I asked, making sure everyone was paying attention. "I wanted to know exactly where this group came from, but the problem I'm running into is...they aren't exactly technologically inclined. They don't post manifestos or goals or even any grievances online or in newspapers or anywhere, for that matter. So finding them has been difficult. "When Wes originally found out about them, we thought they were just some locals gathering together," I continued, pulling up a map of the continental U.S. "I think this group started in the South Texas, Georgia, and Florida, specifically. It's some leftover shit from the Civil War. You know, like it existed back then, and someone copied it now..." Jasper laughed, shaking his head and walking to stand behind me. "No way, Bells. Really?" "Like I said, I'm not sure," I told him with a shrug. "I'm still looking into it. But if I'm right, then this little sunshine club is meeting in three other states." I held up my hands when they all started talking at once. "Wait. Now, Walter wasn't the leader, if that's the case. There's a name that keeps popping up, no matter what state I'm looking in. John Dwight Ervin." I pulled up a screen where I'd run a background check. "There's not much on him. He was born in Georgia, was moved to Texas due to his father's military career, and was arrested in Florida for taking a minor across state lines. That's it on him. There's nothing else. It's like he completely disappeared. He doesn't file taxes, doesn't own a home, never got married, and I couldn't tell you what state he's in if I tried. He's so far off the grid that it's scary. He could be anywhere... if he's even still alive. But his name has popped up once or twice in some Texas police reports for having fundraisers without a permit or some shit. I'm still looking..." "And you think this guy is the leader?" Edward verified. "I don't know, but his name goes further back than anyone's when I search for D.O.A." I sighed, shaking my head. "He'd be in his sixties now. The most recent thing with his name on it was that Texas police report. I have a call into that officer, but he's not in tonight. I left a message for him to contact Eleazar." "Good, Bella," Eleazar praised. "You know," he chuckled humorlessly. "I've seen groups like this. Ervin could have started some protest group in college, but it most likely morphed into something he didn't recognize. People join anarchists, radicals, troublemakers and the groups splinter off into something unlike what the original person wanted it to stand for." "I know men like this guy," Sam added. "They don't trust anyone government, police, even grocery stores. They hole up someplace and live off the land. The don't send their kids to school, and you wouldn't know they had any, because they would have been birthed at home. They find remote locations to live, where it's difficult for anyone to find them. They're almost like squatters, because they don't own the land where they live, or they rent it from someone using cash, so nothing can be traced or recorded." Carlisle sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know those men, too. They're usually ex-military. They suffer from PTSD, but it goes untreated, causing them to live in a world of paranoia and fear. They create this blockade against the world." "This Ervin isn't military," I stated with a shrug. "But his father was," Edward added, pointing to the screen. "He could have been raised to be this way." I smirked when Carlisle scoffed at his son, who grinned back cockily. "Face facts, old man. You made me what I am!" he chuckled, laughing even harder when Carlisle flipped him off. "See? You're a terrible example for an impressionable mind." I giggled at the two of them, because despite their teasing of each other, they had a damn strong relationship. Carlisle shot me a wink, turning his attention to Eleazar. "Do you think our witnesses would know about this John Ervin?" "Maybe," he replied, pulling out his phone. "I'll have Kenny questioned about it."

"But how did this shit get from the South to Washington?" Emmett asked, pointing to the computer screen. "Like El said," Carlisle started with a shrug. "It could've started with one group, and then splintered off. Maybe someone got a job or changed colleges, but they brought their beliefs with them, gathering a new group of people." "People are sheep," Alec murmured, his eyes on the large aerial photo of Walter's compound. "They're either leaders, or they're followers. The followers need someone to tell them how to think, act, believe. The weaker the mind, the better the little soldier." "Well, hell," Rose stated, shaking her head. "That could explain Walter. He's a doctor paid to fucking sort out weak minds. He would be able to spot the perfect candidate instantly. And guess where he lived for a year when he was sixteen..." "Texas?" I asked. "Nope," she said, popping the "p" dramatically. "Georgia. Walter Sr. has a brother that lives there. Right in the middle of no-damn-where." "Hmm," Jasper mused, pulling my laptop to him. He pulled up a map of Georgia. "There are parts of that state that still have a full functioning, full fledged Klu Klux Klan order. There are parts where the movie Deliverance isn't that far from the fucking truth. I mean, you have Atlanta, Macon, Tipton, Savannah...those are all well known, well developed areas. But I've been through small towns that make Jerry Springer look like a debutante ball." We all laughed at that. "But Florida is no better," he stated, smirking up at us all. "Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami...those are the cities that come to mind when you think of that state. Tourist shit, beaches. But there are parts of Florida that still look like temporary fishing towns. There are areas that still look wild forests, swamps, trees, lakes. It's untouched, and someone could easily hide themselves there if they knew how to live off the land. "But Texas...it's fucking huge," Jasper continued, pulling up the state. "There are large expanses there. Small towns, open spaces. Big ranches aren't uncommon, and you could easily do what Walter did, which was house several families on one piece of property. No one would think anything of it, especially if it was a working ranch." "Okay, so I'll keep digging," I muttered, taking my laptop back to the desk. "I found the connection between Walter and Lilith!" Rose gasped, scooting her chair back so we could all see her screen. "Oh, nice feathered hair," Emmett muttered, his eyebrows raising up high at the sight of Walter and Lilith in their high school yearbook. "Okay," Eleazar practically sang with a nod. "Excellent. Now we know it was more than just a therapist-slash-patient thing. Good to know. Now if we could just find some sort of connection between them and Bradlee Lumber Mill." "I got that!" Alice yelled, spinning around. "And holy shit! It's all fucking connected!" Her eyes were wide with that last declaration. She turned to Carlisle. "Who did you buy Bradlee Lumber Mill from in the beginning?" "I didn't," Carlisle replied. "Charlie already had obtained it by the time I took over. It was losing money," he said, leaning back to the corner table and picking up a file folder. "I had Angela pull the file for me. Charlie stopped it from closing years ago. He liked trying to save local businesses, and it worked, until the surrounding forests became too depleted and the environmentalists wanted to close it." He sighed opening the folder. "Charlie bought it from a Shawn Bradlee." He looked up at Alice with an almost confused expression. "Mmhm!" she chirped, posting a birth certificate up on the large screen so everyone could see it. "Yuppers! Shawn Bradlee. Married to a Janet Thompson Bradlee. They gave birth to daughter Barbara first, and then...Lilith." "No fucking way!" Rose and I gasped, both of us gaping at the document on the screen. "It is all connected," I muttered, getting up and standing over Alice's shoulder. "Okay, so what happened to Lilith, because that right there was her turning point. Right?" "Right," Alice said, pulling up screen after screen of police reports. "Shawn Bradlee was an alcoholic, and when he drank...he beat everyone in the fucking house. Selling Bradlee Lumber Mill only allowed him to drink more, stay home, and kick his family's asses." "Oh, damn," Edward groaned from behind me. "He blew through every dime he made off of that sale, too. Look," he said, pointing to the financial report Alice was scrolling through. "He never did anything with it, other than fucking blow it. And he blew through half a million in less than...ten years!" "Exactly," Alice agreed with a nod. "Poor investments, loans to too many friends and family, a powerful addiction problem not to mention court costs for every time he was arrested, because Lilith and her older sister Barbara were removed from that house no less than six times. And he always got them back!"

"Fucking hell," I sighed, shaking my head. "No wonder she's fucked up. Well, where the hell is Barbara now?" "Willow Brooke Cemetery," Alice stated, and the words fell to a silent room. "And Janet Bradlee?" I asked almost in a whisper. "Right next to her, one plot over," Alice answered, looking up at me. "Janet was the one that always fought for the kids to come home, Bells. She would bring them right back into that violent house. Barbara died the day after she graduated from high school. Despite all that bullshit at home, she'd earned a full ride at UW." "Who killed her?" I asked. Alice shrugged. "They couldn't figure it out. They assumed that Shawn did, but everyone was home that night, and neither Janet nor Lilith would say a word. The case went cold, because Shawn claimed someone broke into his home, and the police couldn't prove otherwise." "Oh, shit," Makenna groaned, shaking her head. "What if Lilith started killing then? I mean, her sister was about to leave her with not so nice parents. What if she couldn't live with that?" I chuckled humorlessly, because that was a fucking amazing theory. "I wonder if Barbara tried to protect Lilith when they were young," I sighed, reading some of the police reports. "I've spoken to older siblings that come from abusive homes. They always tried to put the focus on themselves, not their younger brothers or sisters. Barbara's leaving would have caused Lilith to panic." "Or Janet," Edward added with a shrug. "Perhaps Mom was in on all of it, too." I turned to Carlisle. "I need Esme to look at this. Seriously. We're out of our league on this abuse shit. She'd know better." He nodded silently and got up from the table. Then he left the office, returning just a few minutes later with Esme, who was carrying Caleb in a carrier, sound asleep. And up on her Poppy's shoulders was a happy, babbling Bethy. "Mommy!" she squeaked, practically mauling her grandfather to put her down. "Hey, pretty girl," I chuckled, grateful for the break in such heavy conversation. We'd been working for hours, and the sun was just about ready to set. "What have you been doing?" I asked, pulling her onto my lap and tucking a loose hair behind her ear. "Helpin' Gamma wif...apple pie," she whispered the last two words conspiratorially, and I giggled at Edward's hum of approval, because I'd taught Esme ages ago how to make my Aunt Jane's apple pie that he loved so much. "And dinner," Esme added with a chuckle. "When you brainiacs are ready for a break, I've got enough food to feed you all." "Nice!" Emmett said with a grin, leaning over Caleb's carrier and popping his pacifier back into his mouth. Alice pulled a bunch of paperwork off of the printer and handed it over to Esme. "We need you to take a look at this. We think that maybe Lilith's problems started a long time ago." As Esme studied the file, I whispered to Bethy, "Do you want to color, baby?" "Uh uh," she replied with a shake of her head, before laying it on my shoulder. I kept her on my lap, turning back to my computer. She played quietly with my hair as I continued to try and track the D.O.A.'s origin. Esme and Alice spoke softly, Alice pulling up anything that Esme asked of her. But it was the sound of the door opening that had my daughter frozen. I looked up to see Kurt walking in, his guard nodding to Eleazar, but staying outside. I glanced down at Bethy. It wasn't Kurt she was staring at. She was looking behind him, looking everywhere around him. She was looking for Kenny and Lilith. "Bethy," I said, making her look at me. "Kurt's alone, pretty girl. The bad guys aren't with him." Edward's head snapped around as he stood on the other side of the room. He seemed to grow slightly as he walked to us. Kurt's face looked heartbroken at the sight of my daughter's fear. The last time he'd seen her had been in the hotel room, just before I set her free. He really liked her and had done everything in his power to keep her as safe as he could. I knew this was bugging him. Edward knelt beside us, cupping Bethy's face. "You okay, little sweetness?" "The mean man is here?" she asked him in a nervous whisper. "No, baby," he stated with a shake of his head. "He's someplace he can never get to you, Bethy. I promise."

The whole room came to a standstill, because they hadn't seen her reaction to anything that had happened to her. Esme had, and Edward and I had, but not her Poppy or her uncles. My girls were watching with carefully composed faces even Mickey, who had just walked in with Wes but I could see everyone's anger resurface with this blatant reminder of all that had happened. All eyes were flickering between Kurt and Bethy. "You're safe, baby," I whispered against her head, my eyes locking with Edward's. "Look around you, Bethy. Do you think anyone here would let something happen to you? Poppy? Daddy? Uncle Em? Uncle Jazz? Uncle Alec? Hmm?" She shook her head no slowly. "Good girl," Edward crooned to her, kissing her forehead. "Never, ever forget that, okay?" "Okay, Daddy," she sighed, and I could feel her relax a bit. She slipped down off of my lap, and Kurt knelt in front of her when he realized she was coming to him. Edward tensed, but I put my hand on his shoulder to soothe him. "Hey, Bethy," Kurt said, and it seemed to echo in the eerily silent room. "I don't have doughnuts this time. I'm sorry," he said with a chuckle. She smiled up at him. "Gamma made apple pie. It's better!" "Oh yeah? Save a piece for me?" he asked, and she nodded profusely. "Cool!" He grinned, shaking his head and reaching in his pocket. "I did bring you something, though. They told me I was coming to your house, so I thought I'd better." "What is it?" she gasped, her face lighting up like the brightest of mornings. "It was my little sister's, actually," he started with a one shoulder shrug. He pulled out a brightly colored, woven bracelet. "She said you'd probably like it. She made it for me a long time ago, and it never fit me, but I bet it'll fit you." It was all the colors of the rainbow, and I recognized it as a friendship bracelet we'd all made or worn at some point in our lives. Rose and I had worn matching ones back in school. Bethy squeaked happily, holding out her arm, and Kurt tied it on loosely. "What do you say, Bethy?" I giggled, leaning into Edward, who was a little more relaxed and fighting a smile. "Th-Thank y-you!" she sang, running back to show Edward. He picked up her arm, turning over her hand and planted a loud smooch on her palm, which caused another giggle to burst forth from her. The entire room let out a collective breath, it seemed. If anything proved that Kurt was trustworthy, it was that brief moment, because if Bethy trusted him, everyone else could. He'd proven himself while she was in his care, and he'd just proven it again. ~oOo~

EDWARD
Esme stood up, file in hand, her face almost stern after what had just taken place between my daughter and Kurt. "Dinner," she stated, holding up the file. "I'll look at this afterward." No one bothered to argue with her, because as I scooped up Bethy, everyone around us was just too fucking quiet. It was quite the slap back to reality, the reason why we were still looking for Lilith and Walter. To see Bethy's fear, not of Kurt, but of who might've been with Kurt, was like lighting a stick of dynamite and tossing it into a room. Everyone was pissed. Two small hands cupped my face, making me turn my head, and I chuckled at Bethy's sweet smile, because it was secretive and mischievous, looking much like my own when I wanted something. "Guess what, Daddy," she whispered, though it was more exaggerated than anything. "What, little sweetness?" "We got ice cream, too!" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. I chuckled, kissing her forehead, simply because there was a part of her that was like her mother nothing kept her down for long. "That's the only way to eat warm apple pie, baby," I growled into her neck as we crossed the yard. "Don't you know that?" She squealed into a peal of laughter, her head falling back as I rubbed my stubble against her soft skin. Bella giggled next to us, and I grinned over at her and shrugged, because I lived for that sound.

"Come here, silly girl," she snickered, taking Bethy from me. "Let's fix your plate, okay?" "Okay, Mommy," she chirped, going to her happily. "But Daddy will share his pie wif me." "Well, you're just about the only one on the planet, baby," Bella laughed, shooting a wink my way. "Did he tell you he ate whole pie all by himself?" Bethy gasped, her green eyes bright and wide as the looked up at me. "It's good pie!" I stated, ignoring their giggles at me as they skirted around several people once we were inside. "Is she okay?" I heard by my side as I watched Bethy and Bella get their plates ready. The house was now filling with chatter and debates and laughter. They were a little more relaxed now that they saw that Bethy was smiling and laughing. I glanced to my right to see Kurt with a worried expression on his face. "She will be," I sighed. "It wasn't you she was scared of. If that were the case, she wouldn't have gone anywhere near you. It was who she...associates with you." "Oh," he muttered, his brow wrinkling a bit. "I didn't mean to scare her, but I get it. I really did my damnedest to keep her and Abby out of the crazy zone." I huffed a humorless laugh, but gazed over at him. He wasn't a bad kid. I knew I made him nervous, so for him to even approach me about Bethy showed he wasn't a coward. From both my wife's and daughter's actions around him and the things they'd said about him, I knew that he'd just been trying to protect his family by going along with Walter and Lilith, but he didn't put up with dangerous, irresponsible, or unnecessary bullshit. And for that, he was all right with me. "She reminds me of Evie at that age. All happy and sweet." His voice was soft, almost sad. "Your sister?" I verified, smiling at his nod. "She's what? Thirteen now?" I asked, because I knew there was a seven year space between them. "Yeah, and still just as fun, only now we can have real conversations," he chuckled. "We used to go to the movies just about every week, until I went into Shady Glen." "And your dad put you there?" I asked, because we only knew what little research we had on Shady Glen. "Yeah, I was a wreck, but he finally got me on the right meds and with the right therapist," he snorted, rolling his eyes up to mine. "Not Walter." I laughed. "No. I can't imagine it was him." I pointed toward Esme. "You know my stepmother, Esme. She's a therapist. If you need to...you know, talk. She's great." "Oh, okay. Thanks," he sighed, almost in relief. "She's very...private," I murmured, raising an eyebrow at him, so he'd understand that despite the fact that he didn't know us that well, his confidences would still be kept with the utmost integrity. "Come on, I'll introduce you." He followed me around the kitchen table, dodging people with full plates as they headed outside to eat at the long tables that seemed to be perpetually in use since Bethy's disappearance. "Excuse me, Esme?" I said, not wanting to interrupt her conversation with my dad, but Kurt had yet to meet her, and she was someone that could help him. "This is Kurt Vernon..." Esme's eyebrows shot up, but a soft smile played on her face. "Esme Cullen," she said, shaking his hand. "Kurt with the doughnuts, Kurt?" she verified, and my dad laughed, nodding to her. Kurt chuckled, his face showing a touch of embarrassment. "I suppose Bethy would have been just as happy with with chips and soda for breakfast," he said with a grin. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen." "Call me Esme," she said, guiding him toward the enormous amounts of food she'd prepared. "You're thin, Kurt. Eat something. And you'll make me proud if you come back for seconds." She smirked over at him. "Look around you, son. These boys could eat a side of beef and still go back for the other half. They don't play around at dinner time." As if to emphasize a point, Emmett walked by with a plate almost stacked to his chin, and we all froze, staring at it. "What?" he mumbled around a dinner roll, where he'd just shoved the whole thing in at one time. "See?" I laughed. Kurt smirked, shaking his head, but he finally looked at me. "Why are you being so nice to me? I would think you would hate me for going along with..." I held up my hand to stop him and took a deep breath. "You did the best you could under circumstances that were out of

your control. But the way that you did it," I said, stopping him again, "was dangerous as hell. They could've killed you for letting those girls go, for protecting my wife." I shook my head slowly, my temper barely under control, until Esme's hand landed soothingly on my shoulder. "Well, let's just say... I owe you one, okay?" I asked, with a raising eyebrow and stiff one shouldered shrug. "So if feeding you, giving you someone to talk to, letting you into my home is being nice, then so be it." Kurt stayed quiet, but nodded solemnly, before taking a plate from Esme. "What's wrong?" Bella asked with a worried expression as she studied my face. She was walking by with a full plate for her and Bethy, my daughter holding a bowl of ice cream and pie. I shook my head, my brow wrinkling to let her know it wasn't the right time. "That better not be all the pie!" I growled dramatically at Bethy. She giggled and shook her head. "No, Daddy, this is our pie," she said, grinning and biting her bottom lip. I harrumphed, folding my arms across my chest, until she leaned over to kiss my cheek and whisper, "Mommy said we could have dessert first." I smiled, kissing them both. "Okay...I'll be right there. Save me a seat, ladies." ~oOo~ I bent down, placing a long kiss to Bethy's forehead. She'd lasted as long as she could after dinner, but a full tummy and boring adult conversation lulled her to sleep in my arms at the table. Bella said not to even bother with baths or pajamas just to take her socks and shoes off and tuck her in. I left on her night light, made sure that the door was slightly cracked, and headed down the hall. As soon as I'd gone to tuck her in, everyone had made their way back out to Gravity's office to get a little more work done. "She's asleep?" Rose asked from the rocking chair in the corner of the living room. She was feeding Caleb, taking the next babysitting shift inside the house so that Esme could sit in on the Lilith research. He gurgled as he gazed wide eyed around the room, shifting his chubby legs, and I couldn't help but smile down at him, because Bethy at that age had been just as happy, just as content. "Yeah, she's just...out," I snickered. "Anything I should know?" she asked, pointing toward the hallway. "She's better than I expected, but may wake up calling for Bella," I sighed, "so just come get us." The blue in Rose's eyes darkened with anger and a touch of sadness as she nodded. "You're right...it could be worse. What will you do when we have to go after these people?" I shook my head, because I just didn't fucking know. Bethy would be heartbroken to watch both of her parents leave. "Esme can handle her, but..." I shrugged and winced at the same time. "You saw her when I had to get on the truck. Bella will be a wreck if she sees that." Rose sighed, rocking Caleb slowly as she thought for a moment. "Bella wants to stop Lilith and Walter, for that matter but maybe we can let Bethy hear you over the radios or something. I'd be willing to bet that Alice can set up some sort of Mom-slash-Dad-slash-Bethy link." She grinned up at me, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her. "Or even better, those cameras were fantastic. We could see just about everything." "Food for thought, Rose," I said with a light laugh. "We'll figure something out, because these people have to be stopped." "Right." She nodded, watching me walk toward the door. "And a little revenge doesn't hurt, either," she called out behind me. "No... No, it doesn't," I sneered to myself as I walked across my yard. I opened the door to the office to an explosion of yelling voices. It seemed they were all arguing at once. "So where the fuck is this Shawn Bradlee now?" Emmett boomed. "Because if we're going to find out anything, it's going to start with him. What he did, for how long, and what he turned Lilith into," he stated, ticking off each point on his hand. Everyone quieted just a bit as I made my way to an empty chair beside Alec. He looked up at me and shook his head. "What he turned her into was a raging bitch," he murmured to me, which made me chuckle. "He turned her into a remorseless killer. Period." This time, everyone heard him and grunted in agreement. "Right, so is talking to her father that necessary?" Jasper asked, folding his arms across his chest. "I mean, shouldn't we

be looking for Walter?" "Okay, first things first," Esme started softly as she read the file in her had, but she demanded everyone's attention simply out of respect. "The last known whereabouts of Shawn Bradlee is in a state run assisted living facility. He's suffering from emphysema and liver problems, due to his...lifestyle. Years of not taking care of yourself..." "I'm pretty sure," Makenna interrupted with a scowl, "that he's not suffering enough." Bella grinned over at her, but then turned her attention back to Esme. "You think Lilith is the driving force behind Walter, don't you?" she surmised. "I do." Esme's no bullshit answer fell like a flat basketball onto a gym floor; it just sat there for a minute while everyone thought about it. "I think that Walter and Lilith knew each other from high school, maybe dated, maybe hung out with the same crowd, but I think Walter always had a thing for her. So, that being said, it may not have gone away. Seeing her at Shady Glen would have just opened all that up for him again. He's using his power with the D.O.A. to help what he feels is a damsel in distress." She stressed the last few words, showing what she really thought of the idea. She held up her hand when Eleazar started to ask something, and then continued. "On the other hand, you've got Lilith, who obviously is a sociopath, a seasoned killer, and is out for revenge." She turned to Bella, asking, "Didn't you say that Christopher Douglas accused her of being alone?" "He did," Bella answered with a nod. "She told him she wasn't, that she had Walter, but I got the impression that she didn't really need Walter...or that she was lying somehow. That was just before she killed him." Esme wrinkled her nose, took a deep breath, and let it out. "See that?" she pointed out, looking around the room. "One person points out her fault, and she...removes them from the equation." I sighed, shaking my head and looking over at Bella. "That's one idea, but Bella, didn't you say you constantly argued with her? Even fought with her?" "Yeah, but she needed me," Bella sighed, looking up when Esme nodded in agreement. "Okay, this all fine," my dad said, leaning back in his chair and pointing to Bella, "but I only have one question... If Lilith was the driving force behind Walter, then which one needed the money?" "All of them," I stated with a shrug, "but I'd be willing to fucking bet that those D.O.A. members would never have seen a dime." "Then which one needed it? Walter or Lilith?" Alec countered. "Lilith," Alice piped up from the computer room. "Lilith needs it. She may be clean, but she wasn't at one point, and according to her last arrest report, she was carrying a lot of fucking money. It's now evidence." "Oh," Bella gasped, her eyebrows rising high. "She was a drug mule..." "You know what neighborhood she was in, don't you?" Makenna asked, scooting her chair around until she could tug a map of Seattle down and slam it onto the table. Her finger landed on the paper, and she looked up at Bella. "Here. Preacher's neighborhood. The same neighborhood that her drug dealer Sharky runs with an iron fist." Bella let out a little giggle. "I liked Preacher." She smiled, looking up at me. "We should go talk to him again." I smiled back, because the big guy was damned cool. He was tough, but still held onto his faith, trying his best to clean up a neighborhood that didn't seem to want fixing. The people around him respected him, though their faith wasn't as strong. He only wanted a safe place for kids to hang out when home wasn't so safe. I respected him for that. "Well, we do need to see how that rec center is coming," I reasoned, shooting her a wink. "I bet he'd know all about Lilith, if that's the case," I stated, pointing to the map. "Good," Eleazar grunted, pointing to us. "You two will do that tomorrow." He spun to Wes, Mickey, and Makenna. "What did you guys find out about the Bridges?" "That there is another home...Canada," Mack stated, pointing to her computer screen. "It's pretty fucking north." "Does Walter Sr. think his son will use it?" Eleazar asked, eyeballing the map, and I could almost tell what he was thinking, because it wasn't far from Aunt Kate's. "He thinks so," Wes answered with a nod, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "It's the one property they don't really watch. It's an old cabin, and it's been on the market for years. No one cleans it or checks on it, because it's so damn deep in the woods. He said if Walter was going into hiding, that would be the place to go. No one would know it. He also said that Walter will eventually self destruct, that he'd forced his son to stay away from Lilith back in school. Mr. Bridges knew she was trouble then. It was how Walter got into trouble in the first place, requiring Dad to come to the rescue and seal the records."

That seemed to make a helluva lot of fucking sense, and it all seemed to be coming together as far as Walter and Lilith's history together. "Okay, so what about this bomb threat?" I asked, looking to Benny, who'd been damned quiet on his computer since he got here. He grimaced, looking up and around the room, finally landing his concerned gaze on my father. "They scoped out Twi Towers," he stated, spinning his laptop around and playing a video that clearly showed Walter and Lilith walking into the lobby from the parking garage. "Sam was right. This falls back to Bradlee Lumber Mill. She's going back to the beginning." "Hmm," Esme grunted. "She's seeking revenge for her childhood. In her mind, if Charlie hadn't bought out her father, if her father hadn't become an addict, then Shawn Bradlee would have never beaten his family. She's going back to the beginning. She failed at taking Bella, so she'll go even farther back than that to seek retribution." "Okay, so hold the fuck up," my wife growled, shaking her head. "You mean, I was just for the money? Bethy was just for fucking money? She doesn't care about Bree or Ashley, does she? This isn't for taking Ashley away from her; this all about her poor, pathetic life?" "Ooh-wee, Bellissima's feisty when she's pissed," Alec sang low, almost to himself. "You have no idea," I muttered, shaking my head, because as scary as Bella's temper could be, she was simply fucking stunning when she was angry. "From what I can tell...no," Esme sighed, looking over at Bella with sympathy. "Lilith didn't care about her kids!" Kurt suddenly stated from the corner of the room. "Not at all. She used the deaths of Bree and Ashley to get Kenny and Rusty to go along, because Rusty was the dad, but she didn't give a shit! She all but said it in group therapy," he grunted, shaking his head and folding his arms across his chest. "Rusty was an idiot to fall for it, first of all, because I'm pretty sure even she doesn't know who the father was of either of those kids. Second, the only reason she remembered you," he stated, pointing to Bella, "was she saw your picture in the paper. A wedding or some shit." "Oh sure," Emmett huffed, shaking his head, but a smile played on his face as he kicked my dad's chair. "You just had to have the big deal wedding, didn't you, Daddy Warbucks?" The tension in the air broke instantly, because there was nothing we could do about the wedding or the past. The whole room chuckled at my dad's red face, but even more at Esme's pride-filled smile. Eleazar smirked, pushing off the wall he'd been leaning against. "I guess what we need to do now is find out if Walter has the resources to re-group, to build another bomb. Edward, Bella, go talk to this preacher guy. Find out what you can. Hell, maybe they're holed up in that neighborhood somewhere, but I'm sure we're not that lucky. I still need more about this D.O.A. There might be another splinter group around here that we don't know about." He sighed, looking tired, but he finally turned to Benny. "Get to Twi Towers tomorrow. Up the security. Take Mickey, Jasper, and Sam with you to get them prepared. They'll need to know that there was a bomb threat, but not that there could possibly be another one. Carlisle, you should go, too. Maybe pull in a professional security team." "We are a professional security team," Alec, Jasper, and Emmett all countered, wearing the dumbest of smiles. "Fine, then all of you take your asses over there and show them how to limit access to unnecessary areas!" he snapped, rolling his eyes at them. "And remember," he said, stopping us as the meeting broke, "armed at all times, and keep your wits about you, okay?" "Sir!" we all grunted out of habit. ~oOo~

BELLA
"God, I could kiss Makenna," I groaned, once we were on the road heading into Seattle. "I thought it was Rose you like to make out with," Edward teased, shifting gears in his Challenger. "Once!" I laughed. "You'll never let that go, will you?" He laughed, but said nothing else. Makenna had taken Bethy aside that morning and started her on some art project. By the time Edward and I were ready to leave to go speak to Preacher, Bethy was so absorbed in whatever it was that she was making that our leaving didn't bother her. At all. I'd been so worried what both of us walking away would do to her, but Mack had been a lifesaver. Forests eventually gave way to the suburbs, the city drawing closer and closer. Soon, we were surrounded by tall buildings

and tons of traffic. It didn't take long to navigate the streets, before we pulled to a stop just outside Preacher's church, and I smiled up at Edward. "Looks like it's much further along than last time," I chuckled. Edward grinned, turning the car off. "Weapons, love," he ordered softly, and I reached under the seat to grab his Glock and my nine mil. "It seems wrong to take a gun this close to a church," I muttered, shaking my head. "Maybe, but it's for the street between here and there that we've got them, Bella," Edward reminded me, and I looked around. Despite Preacher's obvious hard work on the two buildings he worked in, there was no change to the neighborhood from the last time we were there. Broken down cars, shabby looking stores, and boarded up and abandoned homes lined each side of the street for as far as I could see. People looked tired, wearing accepting expressions on their faces, almost like they knew this would be all they'd see for the rest of their lives. It was tough to see, because struggling on a day to day basis wore down people's souls. I could see it in the blank, unfeeling expressions on the faces of the young boys on the corner, the older man that was sitting on a milk crate in front of a closed store front, and the young woman that didn't look more than twenty that I was sure was "working" the street. I just shook my head, because Preacher's efforts, while extremely noble, seemed fruitless, like a salmon swimming upstream. I looked up at Edward, the calm in my storm. He was checking his gun, popping the chamber and clip, only to snap it all back together expertly. He stowed it in the small of his back, as I did the same with mine. Beautiful green eyes locked with mine, and Edward reached out and cupped my face. "What's this?" he asked, rubbing the dip that had appeared between my eyebrows. "Do you think..." I sighed, shaking my head and not knowing exactly what I was about to ask. "Do you think society makes these people hard and desperate?" He wrinkled his nose, looked around at the street, and then back to me. "I don't know, sweetness," he said softly with a shrug. "I've seen a lot of shit in my life, and I do know when there's no money, there's desperation. People will do anything to take care of what's theirs lie, cheat, steal. Even kill. It happens everywhere, baby. It's the animal in people, I think the instinct to fight for survival. At least, that's what one of my commanding officers explained once when I was laid up in the infirmary after I got through that rundown village. He was trying to explain...why." I looked around us again, thinking he was right. The neighborhood we were currently sitting in could be anywhere. Any country, any place. Suddenly, I was grateful that my husband no longer had to travel to such places anymore. I wasn't sure I'd make a good military wife, because I'd wouldn't trust a fucking soul but myself to watch his back. I leaned over and pressed my lips to his. "I bet you made a hellacious patient. All cute and grumpy..." Edward smiled against my lips. "Come on, silly, let's go see Preacher." We exited the car, and he immediately set the alarm and waited until I joined him, before we crossed the street. "The center first, you think?" Edward asked as we stepped onto the sidewalk. "Yeah, might as well," I sighed, taking Edward's hand when the "working girl" eyed him like a piece of meat as we walked by her. As we passed, I realized that she was just as young as I'd made her out to be, but her eyes were dark, lifeless. Ignoring her, Edward tugged open the door of the rec center, and we were met with laughter, taunting, and happy chatter. The place was filled with kids of every race and age, playing basketball, ping pong, and working on the computers. There was even a small corner filled with comfy chairs and sofas, where a few kids were reading. The place looked amazing. "Whoa," Edward chuckled low, giving the place the once over. "Edward, Isabella!" Preacher boomed, standing up from his front row seat on the bleachers. His smile was wide and proud as he walked across the large place to greet us. Shaking both of our hands, he asked, "It's good to see you. Are you here to see the place?" "You, too, Preacher," Edward said with a smile as he glanced around. "Yes and no. I was wondering if we could talk again." "Well, let me give you the dime tour, and then I'm all yours," he chuckled, placing a large warm hand on my shoulder. I could see the pride, the happiness in Preacher's face as he pointed out all the new things the rec center had to offer. He was interrupted a few times by excited kids asking questions, telling on someone, or just showing off some project they'd been working on. I could see the respect and love that they had for him, but the kids showed much more spark and light in

their eyes than the adults we passed on our way in. It was good to see, and it was good to watch someone's dream come to fruition. It gave me hope for the neighborhood that not ten minutes prior had me questioning Edward. "I want to thank you again for Hannah," Preacher said as we made our way out of the center and across the parking lot to his office in the church. "She's been...amazing." I smiled, because Hannah was a busy, busy bee. She worked, set up, and negotiated with every charity that Twi Tech contributed to. She was an organized force to be reckoned with, but it was her sweet, "no problem" attitude that people fell in love with. And usually her ideas were fan-fucking-tastic. "Hannah's great," I agreed with him. "Did she come in and throw ideas at you like a tornado?" Preacher laughed, and it sounded like a booming rumble. "Yes, as a matter of fact, she did. Her ideas beat mine ten fold, and I'm not sure she's done. She wants to hold a fundraiser here when everything is totally finished," he said, holding the door open to his office. He gestured to the two seats Edward and I had sat in before and sat down in his desk chair. "What can I do for you two? You aren't still looking into Ricky's death, are you?" "No, we solved that case," Edward stated, giving Preacher the short story of how Rick had been killed by accident by his boyfriend, Jeff. "We're here on a more personal investigation. This neighborhood... How long have you been here?" "Well, I grew up right around the corner. The only time I wasn't here was when I went off to seminary school," he explained. "And that was only for two years. My mother still lives in the same house, though I put bars on her windows years ago." Edward reached into his jacket and pulled out a few photos, lining them up on the desk. "Do you know any of these people?" he asked. Preacher leaned forward to glance over the pictures of Walter, Lilith, Kenny, and Rusty. "I've seen them all, I think," he mused, studying the photos hard, but he pulled the picture of Lilith to him. "Her...I definitely know. Terrible reputation around here. Into all sorts of illegal stuff. Laura...Layla..." "Lilith," Edward and I said at the same time. "Yeah, yeah! That's it. Lilith," he said with a nod, gazing back up at us. "Laray, right?" he verified, and we both nodded. "She was a mess. Drugs, prostitution, battery...and if I'm not mistaken, she lost two kids. One died, and the other was taken from her..." "They both died," I sighed, shaking my head, but Edward slipped his hand in mine, rubbing his thumb soothingly over my knuckles. "It's a long story, Preacher, but I need to know if she's been around here lately. If you've seen or heard about her being back." "Hmm," he mused, rubbing his chin. "I haven't, but I bet who has..." He stood up abruptly, saying, "Follow me. We'll need to go see Miss Geneva." Edward gathered up the pictures, and we followed Preacher through the church, coming out through the front doors. Instead of taking a left to head to the parking lot, he took a right, walking a few blocks until we came to a small alleyway. He approached the doorway of a boarded up shop, kneeling in front of what looked like a pile of discarded blankets. "Miss Geneva," he sang in his deep tone. "Wake up, sweetie. I need to talk to you." The blankets moved, and the sleepy face of an old, African American woman appeared at the top. She blinked rapidly at the sunlight in her eyes, but her face beamed at the sight of Preacher. She was small, toothless, and already chuckling sweetly at him. "Moses!" she said, reaching up to hug him, which he did, willingly and lovingly. "Miss Geneva, you look gorgeous, as ever," he told her softly. "Did you eat last night?" "Oh, I had a bite," she hedged, trying to wave him off, but he wouldn't have it. "Well, when you're up and about, come see me. I hate eating lunch alone, now you know that and Bonnie's at work," he said with a sweet smile that reminded me of Emmett's. One second, he's all tough and big, and the next thing you know, there's a boyish smile you can't help but mirror. "What we havin'?" she asked, sitting up straighter, now more awake, and her eyes glinted with a touch of childlike mischief. "Well, if you're good, then fried chicken leftovers from last night's dinner, mashed potatoes, and corn," he said with a smirk, because he knew he had her hook, line, and sinker. She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and tsked at him. "If you insist..." I couldn't help but giggle. She was utterly adorable. Even Edward chuckled quietly next to me.

Miss Geneva spotted us over Preacher's shoulder, and she frowned. "They're here to take me away? I'm not going, Moses! You can't put me in a home! They do things to me!" "I'm not, sweetie," he said soothingly. "I promised you that I'd never do that again, but you promised to eat for me. I told you to come to me if you couldn't find something somewhere else." He picked up her hand and rubbed the top of it. "These are friends of mine. They're looking for someone. And I'd be willing to bet you've seen them." "What'choo say that for?" she grumped, obviously still mistrusting him. Edward apparently couldn't take it, so he knelt down in front of her. "Miss Geneva, my name's Edward, and this is my wife, Bella. We're looking for a woman. She's...well, she's done some bad things, and we need to find her before someone gets hurt," he explained, using the tone of voice that usually had women melting in the palm of his hand. It totally worked on Miss Geneva. Her gaze softened as she looked up at him, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Who you lookin' for?" Edward held up the picture, stating, "Lilith Laray." She grimaced, looking away from the picture, practically pushing Edward's hand away. "Crazy woman," she scoffed. "Thought the neighborhood was rid of her, I did. Heard she went into the nuthouse," she said, pulling her blankets away. She was wearing a football jersey that was two sizes too big for her and some jeans that had seen better days. "But she showed up a couple of days ago, looking for Sharky." My mouth hung open, and my eyebrows shot up. "Her dealer?" "Oh, honey, he don't deal no more," she stated, waving me off. "He been taken over by Reggie...Sharky's been missin' ever since." Edward turned to look at me, his face serious and his eyes dark. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I sighed, shaking my head and looking around the alleyway, before locking gazes with him again. "If you're thinking that Lilith just snatched someone else that wronged her, then yeah..." First, it was Christopher Douglas, then myself, and now, it was Sharky, Lilith's dealer, who she owed a shit-ton of money to. Add all of that to Twi Tech and the Bradlee Lumber Mill issue... Lilith truly was out to get revenge on everyone that ever wronged her. "She owed Sharky a lot of money," I stated to Edward, but it was Preacher that replied. "Not anymore," he chuckled darkly. "Reggie took over this neighborhood last year, so all deals, all debts, and all payoffs go to him now. He bought Sharky out." "Damn," Edward sighed, shaking his head, but he turned back to Miss Geneva. "Do you think she's still here?" he asked her softly. She mulled it over, and then shrugged. "If she is, then she'd be down at the old warehouse two blocks over." Preacher nodded, looking up at me, and then Edward. "That would be the old shipping warehouse she's talking about. Lots of people use that place to crash, come down from highs, or to hook up with prostitutes." Edward huffed a humorless laugh, finally standing up. "You mean the warehouse Walter Bridges Senior owns?" he asked me, and I groaned. "Ah hell," I sighed, pulling out my phone. "We're going to need more than just the two of us for this, because that place is enormous." I looked down at the little old lady that was being helped to her feet by both Edward and Preacher. "Thank you for your help, Miss Geneva." She giggled like a girl, gesturing to Edward. "Oh, now... Have you ever turned down that face?" I laughed, shaking my head no. "No, ma'am. I haven't," I chuckled, patting Edward's pink tinged cheeks. "Well, there you go," she chortled, and then gazed lovingly up at Preacher. "Now, about that fried chicken..." As they walked a few steps away, I got Alice on the line. "Pixie, I need whoever is available. Edward and I have a warehouse to check out..."

A/N... Okay, first things first... My brother lives in Georgia, and he tells me some of the craziest stories about the backwoods of that state, and the fact that the KKK is still around bothers me to no end. And I LIVE in Florida, so I know it like the back of my hand...born and raised (I honestly don't know if that's a good thing or not. LOL) Anyway, there is no offense to anyone from either of those states...it's just fiction, Okay? But know that I do

research some shit. :) And in all reality, I'm thinking Florida might be the Jerry Springer capital of the world. Just sayin'...'cause you haven't met my neighbors... LMAO Now, I loved me some Preacher when I wrote him the last time, and it was nice to see him again, though Miss Geneva is just as fun. She's actually based on someone I've seen. She's hilarious. Anyway, like I said, tons of info in this one. Walter and Lilith go WAY back, and she's always made trouble for him, it seems. There will be more on Lilith's background, too, just so you know, but first the warehouse... I need to thank JenRar for more than beta'ing this...for coaxing it out of my sick mind for a week! :) Thanks to GooberLou, who was kind enough to tell me to post early (which I'm doing) and to let me text her at all times to pick her poor, poor brain. LOL And to MedusaInNY...I love you...period. You and I have had rough weeks, I think. It's time to relax, don't you? ;) For those of you that don't know, I wrote a o/s for the Squeeze My Lemon folks, and it should post tomorrow (Wed the 17th). You'll be able to find the link at www(dot)dirtycheekymonkeys(dot)blogspot(dot)com, and it will also go up on my profile on FF, so if you want to see it, then Auth Alert me, because it will post as a separate story. I've brought back a well-loved, really missed old friend... Angelward makes a rare reappearance. And GOD, have I missed him. It's sort of a future take on The Angel Series, but for those of you that haven't read it, it will stand alone, so you can get a glimpse of what he's like. He's so very special to me. I hope I did him justice. Okay, back to Mercward ('Cause he gets jealous as shit). I'm all better now, so I'm hoping that I can get back to my normal posting schedule, so as of right now, Sunday is lookin' GOOD. :D With that being said, then I'll see you all next time... Later. :)

*Chapter 15*: Chapter 15

A/N... Ah, a Sunday post again. And I almost feel normal. LOL I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. And thank you to all of you that were shocked I could do it sick. It was a lot of info, and I took advantage of every lucid moment in order to get it done. ;) This chapter will surprise you, I think. And I'm pretty sure the way I left it will get shit thrown at me, but I never know with you people. Some times I underestimate you. So...we'll see. I'll let you get on with it.
CHAPTER 15

EDWARD
"Easy, sweetness," I whispered, catching Bella as we neared the corner. "Wait for Emmett and Alec, okay? They were just leaving Twi Towers." Her face was pure unadulterated hate, and it was all aimed toward Lilith as she pulled her gun from the small of her back. "Who else is coming?" she asked, glaring up at me. "Who else have we got to wait for?" I grinned at her anger, because I knew it wasn't directed at me. "Listen, you sexy thing," I growled in her ear, leaving a biting kiss to the soft spot there. "I am not the enemy. And Sam and Mickey are headed this way. I can't risk just the two of us in a building that size, Bella. It's dangerous as fuck." She relaxed minutely in front of me, leaning back against my chest. "Sorry," she murmured, and I kissed her neck again. "I just want this done, Edward," she sighed deeply. I winced, because I knew that as long as Lilith and Walter were still free, still alive, there were endless possibilities as to what could happen. They could take another victim like Bella, Chris Douglas, and now Sharky. They could re-group with the D.O.A. and build another bomb. There was no telling at this point what their agenda was, because we always seemed to be one fucking step behind them. And as long as those two assholes were out there, Bethy and Bella were still in danger, as far as I was concerned. "I know, baby," I said softly, keeping an eye on the loosened board that Miss Geneva had said was the only way in. We watched a few people come and go, but no one of interest, including the young prostitute I'd seen outside the rec center. Though, this time, she wasn't alone. A man about her own age was with her, and it didn't take a genius like Alice to figure out what was going down there. Bella yawned widely, leaning back against me some more, and I chuckled softly. "Am I boring you, love?" She giggled a little, shaking her head. "No, I'm just exhausted. I can't seem to get enough sleep lately," she murmured through another yawn. I ran my hand over the top of her head and down her ponytail, knowing she was right. It seemed that when my girl stopped long enough to relax, she was out like a light. The prime example was the first night we were all back as a family, and she fell asleep while we were reading to Bethy. I leaned in, kissed her forehead, and wished this was all over so we could go back to normal. "Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, Bellsy," Emmett teased over the radio. "We'll try to kick ass quickly so you can get back to it." Bella and I both laughed, looking around the corner to see that he and Alec were in place on the opposite side of the block. "Stand down," I ordered, still smiling. "We need Sam and Mick to get here. She's going to crack open that locked door on the south side of the building." "Are we getting official back up for all the fun and frolic we're about to uncover in here? Because I can imagine this entire building would be a judge's wet dream," Emmett queried with another deep chuckle. "Official? No," I stated, shaking my head and pulling out my phone to check for updates. "But El's got a team at the ready if this turns out...bigger than we expected. Technically, this is trespassing on our part. We have no right to be here, but neither do the people that are inside, so everybody's breaking rules right now." We waited just long enough for the young prostitute and her client to come back out of the building. They parted ways, the man heading toward the better part of town, and the girl in the direction of the church. "That was fast," Bella muttered wryly. I chuckled, reaching up and turning both our radios off for just a moment, and leaned in to her ear. "Not everyone likes to

take their time, sweetness," I crooned low, placing a long, slow kiss to her neck. "Not every man likes to...hmm, savor every sound, taste, and feeling, Bella. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a quick, fun fuck," I teased her, licking up the shell of her ear, "but it's better to take it slow and deep and hard, seeing just how many times I can make you call my name when you come." Bella's head fell forward as she fought her smile, her dark chocolate gaze finally looking back over her shoulder. "I love you," she giggled, shaking her head at me. "But you're an ass for teasing right now!" I grinned, kissing her cheek loudly. "Love you, too, baby," I laughed, turning our ear pieces back on. God, I loved that part of our relationship the teasing, the flirting, the sexual tension that never died. I liked that we nurtured it and fucking fed it all the time, because it cut the stress of nasty situations. It kept me at her feet, begging for kisses and then some. And I fucking loved that it had always been there from the beginning from the re-introduction of Aunt Jane's apple pie, to fiery kisses in law office stairwells. It was just...us. It wasn't long before Sam's and Mickey's radios came into range, as they were nearing the south side of the building. "I'm on it, pretty boy," Mickey stated, "so get into position, because we can all go in at once." Bella touched her earpiece and spoke softly. "Alice, I need as much info as you can give me on this building, pixie. Please." "Okay, okay, okay," she chanted, her furious fingers working away over the airwaves. "Satellite imagery shows little activity except for you six around the surrounding area. It's a dead end in that neighborhood. Gimme a sec, and I'll have thermal up." "Perfect, thank you," I said, giving Emmett and Alec a silent signal to approach the loose board. The four of us were going in the mainly used entryway, while Sam and Mickey would use the old main doors. "Mick?" I asked, as Em and Bella planted themselves on one side of the door. Alec and I peered through a small opening, but there wasn't much to see in the shadows. "Twenty seconds..." she grunted. "It's an old, rusty padlock and an old, rusty double door deadbolt." The slight clang of metal echoed over the radio, and I glanced around us to make sure that the area was still clear. "Alice, you watching our backs from these streets?" "No, I thought I'd let the gang members get you," she snapped back snidely, and we all chuckled. "Of course. You're still clear." "Done, Ed," Mickey called over the radio. "On your word, pretty boy." I took a deep breath, looking at Bella, Emmett, and Alec, but I spoke to everyone with me. "We go in soft. We're only looking for our two targets. I want weapons out, eyes sharp, and do not fucking shoot first. This is recon only, unless the targets are spotted. Got me?" "Sir," they all answered back, including my Bella, which always made me roll my eyes, because she did that shit to put me back in my place. She followed my orders because she trusted me, not because she answered to me. It was a clash of personalities from the moment we met, and again, it was just...us. "There's no telling what we'll find in here, but we don't need to level the fucking building. I just want to find this bitch and go home," I added, waiting for my answer, and then I pulled the board aside, saying, "Go, go, go," softly in my earpiece. ~oOo~

BELLA
The stench of urine and sweat and dankness hit me like a ton of bricks once we stepped through the warehouse's opening. It was so close to the smell of Miller's basement that my whole body shivered with the memory. In fact, I froze for just a second in order to focus, because the sounds of rats scurrying along the walls and dripping water somewhere in the distance had my mind reeling. "Bella?" Edward asked softly, placing a warm, soothing hand on my shoulder, but I just shook my head and waved him off. "I'm okay," I told him. In all honesty, I was but sometimes, memories were attached to smells and sounds that just never went away. "Alice?" "That's a damn full building, guys," she warned over the headset. "I mean it. I don't have numbers, and I don't have much movement, either." A snore echoed through the large building from somewhere to our right, and we all spun.

"This is a home for some people," Alec muttered with a deep, sympathetic sigh. "We'll have to be fucking careful up in here." Edward, whose hand hadn't left my shoulder yet, took a long, slow look around. There wasn't much to see in the small hallway where we were standing, but at the end, I could see that it opened up into a much bigger space that seemed too crowded, filled with old equipment, boxes, and makeshift walls. "Sam, what's your location?" he asked over the radio, motioning for us to at least head toward the main part of the warehouse. "South side of the building, coming through some old offices. They were locked, so they're all clear," Sam's voice rumbled softly. "We're looking out at what looks to be the main space." "Same here, but our visual is blocked to the west. You?" he countered, trying to keep his voice low, because the sound of coughing met our ears. Alice was right; it sounded like the place had a fair amount of people in it. "That far end has some heavy equipment, some metal stairs up to some sort of control panel type shit, and a couple of closed doors," Mickey replied. "But right in front of us, there's...well, shit, Eddie... There are homes made out of fucking boxes and shit." My husband's nose wrinkled as he took a deep breath and let it out. "Fuck it," he groaned, shaking his head. "Again...go in soft. Stay in pairs, but spread out. Emmett, Alec, you take the center. Sam, Mick, stay on the south wall. Bella, you're with me, and we're taking this north wall all the way to the west end. Everyone, on me?" "Sir," they all answered, except me. "Yeah," I sighed, looking up at him. "I'll take the back. You lead. Are we asking these people if they've seen Lilith?" "Yeah," he said, finally reaching to his back for his Glock. "Open radios, people. Let's go." Edward waited until Alec and Emmett had disappeared around a large stack of boxes and Sam checked back in, before guiding us down the north side wall. I kept Edward's broad, strong shoulders in my peripheral vision with every step that I took, occasionally spinning to my back. Lining each side of the aisle that we were trekking down were small makeshift homes. There were old mattresses, cardboard boxes, blankets, and tarps making up these areas. Their belongings surrounded them, whether in piles, crates, or homemade shelves, and I even saw a few grocery carts stacked with just...shit. Some people were sleeping, but I felt eyes on me everywhere, which caused me to falter just a bit. "You da cops?" we heard in a raspy voice down at our feet. Edward stopped, and we both looked down at a man that we could barely see. He was filthy and surrounded by piles of junk, but blinked up at us bravely through really thick, round glasses in plastic frames. The man was thin, older, and a little shaky, but he didn't even flinch when Edward knelt down before him. "Nah, man, not the cops," he said, holding up a picture. "Have you seen her?" The man pulled out a magnifying glass and pressed it to the lens of his already thick glasses. My eyebrows rose up, and I wondered if perhaps this was a bad example of a "witness." As if he could hear my thoughts, the guy looked up at me, locking gazes with me perfectly. "I can see you...there," he grunted, but pointed to the picture. "I can't see this." He turned to Edward. "Yeah, I seen her. She was back that way. Downstairs. Been seein' her in this neighborhood for years." "What's down there?" Edward asked, tilting his head at him. "The old boiler room. Nothin' on down there, but someone rigged some power," he answered with a shrug. "She's not alone, or wasn't... What she do?" "Lots of shit, man," Edward huffed, standing up straight. "What's your name?" "Albert," he rasped, swallowing nervously at the sight of our guns. Edward reached into his pocket, tossing a couple of folded bills down at the guy. "That's for the help, Albert. Get outta here for a bit. Take some people with you." I grimaced, because that meant Edward had a bad feeling about something and he wanted to clear out whoever he could. Albert held his magnifying glass up to two one hundred dollar bills, and his eyes widened. "Okay," he gushed, standing up as quickly as he was able. "Take as many as you can, Albert," I told him softly, making sure he nodded in acquiescence, before continuing on behind

Edward, who I was now swooning over a bit for helping out someone in need. I'd always joked that he was my hero, but at that moment, he truly was. Albert scuttled around quietly, waking up friends and neighbors, telling them to, "Shut the fuck up and let's go!" Edward shot him a quick smile and a shake of his head, before turning his fierce gaze on a junkie in the corner, who was shaking and muttering to herself. "Watch our backs, sweetness," he whispered, jerking his chin. I nodded, looking above us to the catwalk that Mickey had mentioned earlier. It was empty of people, but the cobwebs certainly had made themselves at home. "Check in," Edward barked softly as we neared the end, even though we'd been listening to Alec's soft conversation with what sounded like a young woman. She knew Lilith, too, and confirmed the same thing that Albert had the boiler room. "They're sayin' she's down below, Eddie," Mickey stated. "She's with a white guy and a black guy... Sharky, you think?" "Most likely," Edward conceded. "We're taking the boiler room together. Understood?" "Sir," they answered. "Thirty seconds, and we'll be right next to you, kid," Alec stated. "There's a skinny little bug-eyed fuck getting people the hell outta dodge. That your doing?" he asked with a chuckle. "Yes." Edward's answer was no nonsense as he studied the door that clearly had been jimmied open at some point. "You expecting some nasty shit to go down?" Alec asked, as he and Emmett emerged from the center aisle. "Always," Edward grunted, frowning toward the last section of the warehouse, where Sam and Mickey silently appeared. Getting nods from everyone, Edward opened the door to the boiler room. The smell that hit me made me step back three paces. "Shit," I hissed, having not felt that basement fear in quite some time, not even when Walter and Lilith had kept me in a bomb shelter for two days. But it was the smell, the temperature, the dank feel of the air that had me reeling. Why it was bothering me right that second, I had no idea. "Bellissima?" Alec whispered, placing a hand on my upper back. Heads spun to look at me, but it was Edward's concerned gaze I locked with. "I'm fine. It's just..." I started, but decided to exhale roughly, instead. "A basement," he finished for me, his eyes dark with what looked like a touch of anger not at me, just in general. I wrinkled my nose, shook my head, and swallowed thickly. "I'm not fucking scared, Edward. It's just...the smell..." Edward smirked just a little. "No one would ever accuse you of being scared, Bella. But can you do this?" "Yeah... Yes!" I stated firmly, glaring down the stairwell that disappeared into some dark shadows. Edward eyed me for a moment, but nodded. "Then you're with me. Let's go." Not only did Edward keep me with him, but I could practically feel him behind me with every step down we took into darkness. However, his casual caresses to my waist, back, and shoulder almost in a continuous loop were more comforting than I could possibly explain, because I was sort of pissed off at myself that I was allowing these old feelings to resurface. Though, I suspected he knew that. The stairs emptied out into a dark hallway with a low ceiling; it seemed to stretch forever. It felt like being inside a living thing, where the pipes that were mounted on the walls felt like veins surrounding us. They were on either side of the wall and right down the center, so we split into sets of three, Alec taking the right side with me and Edward. A long, low moan echoed down the pipes, causing all of us to come to a standstill. Using silent hand signals, Edward told us to go in quiet, no noise, no verbal communication. As we came to the end of the hall, the room opened up into a larger space, though it was stuffed with boilers, boxes, and tipped over empty metal shelves. Hushed whispers and urgent voices met our ears from around the large metal boiler in front of us. Again, Edward silently told us to have weapons at the ready. Mickey, Sam, and Emmett skirted quietly around the left, as we took the right. I raised my nine mil at the same time I heard a few voices. "I'm tellin' you... You don't owe me... Your debt has been bought. You belong to Reggie, bitch!" A thick sounding thud met my ears, making me grimace, because I knew the sound of fist meeting flesh. I winced when

Sharky's grunt whooshed from him over and over. "Leave him," a voice ordered, and I froze, because I'd know Walter's voice anywhere. "We don't have time for this shit, Lily," he growled. "We should've never come here in the first pl" he stated, though he cut the sentence short when the click of a gun hammer resounded around us. I looked to Alec, and then Edward, both of whom had the safeties off, but their guns weren't engaged. I peered around to Emmett, and he was raising his weapon with both hands. Edward seemed as conflicted as I did, because there was a part of us that wanted Walter or Lilith to die for all that they did, yet if Emmett didn't have the shot, he was about to open up hell in a really fucking close space. "Be sure, be sure, be sure," Alec breathed oh so quietly to no one in particular, watching Emmett with a hawk's glare. But all the silence, all the stealth that we'd gotten away with so far was fucking blown out the damn water when someone hit the top of the boiler room stairs. "Yo, Sharky, you down here! We gotta go, man. They say the cops are here!" someone called from above, which caused everyone in the room to jump and spin, including our two targets, who caught sight of all of us closing in. "Oh fuck!" Walter gasped, grabbing Lilith and diving behind what looked to be a water heater or some shit. The boxes next to it wobbled just a bit as Emmett's shot rang out in the tight space. The sound of commands, clanging, and pounding footsteps exploded around us. My only concern was Lilith, maybe Walter, but I made sure to follow their every move as much as I could. I hoped they were trapped, because Sam fell back to the door of the stairwell, but I wasn't sure there was another exit to this place that we didn't know about. And it was hard to see, because the lights were dim, flickering a bit as Edward pulled me behind a wall of pipes. "Three o'clock, behind the water heater," I whispered to him, pulling back the hammer of my gun. "Take the right, Bella," he said so softly that I caught it more over the radio than I did when it was said right beside me. "My team, wait for my signal. Drop back, watch for weapons, and see if there's another exit!" he hissed, pointing for me to take the right side, which was filled with stacks of boxes. "Ten-four," Mickey answered. I stepped lightly, slowly, my arms stiff and aimed in front of me. My eyes darted to Edward when he spoke loudly. "Come out, Walter. This shit's over!" he growled, and as soon as the name left his lips, my radio went into high alert, with Alice, Eleazar, and Carlisle all snapping into action. Hell, I'd forgotten they were even listening in. "Mickey, back exit...far southwest corner," Alice advised quickly. "It climbs up and dumps out onto the alleyway behind the warehouse." "I'm lookin', Alice," Mickey grunted, but I could hear her running. "Ed, I've got backup on the way," Eleazar stated, but my husband ignored him, gesturing me to stay low, be ready, and wait for his signal to turn the corner around the boxes in front of me. "I'm set, Ed," Alec murmured, and I looked past Edward to see him flanking the back aisle in the shadows. "I'm not kidding, motherfucker!" Edward snapped. "Step out, or we'll open fire on the whole back wall, asshole! You're surrounded...there's no escape." I grimaced, because with all the metal down in that boiler room, that shit would be dangerous as hell. A bullet could ricochet off of a pipe and hit someone else by friendly fire. I shook my head, but Edward rolled his eyes. He was bluffing. My eyes narrowed on the stack of boxes, but then movement from Sharky caught my peripheral vision. I put my fingers to my lips when he started to move and speak. Shaking my head vigorously, I mentally willed him to be still. He stopped midway up into a sitting position, looking blearily around, but his eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. Edward's patience, however, had run out. Silently gesturing for me to go, he engaged his weapon, walking around to the left. "One, two... three..." he grunted out, but before he could move or pull the trigger, the stack of boxes suddenly shot out toward me in a flash of fire and dust and water. I fell back, my gun skidding away from me, as I covered my face from falling debris. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I didn't have a chance to mull it over, because suddenly, Lilith was right on top of me, along with boxes and chunks of concrete. She reached for my neck, and I deflected her hands just in time, rolling away from her. My earpiece was gone, so I had no idea where everyone else was. I barely had the sight to see Lilith coming for me again. "You bitch!" she screamed, diving for me. We landed with grunts to the floor. "You ruin everything!" We rolled, fighting and punching, until finally, I was on top of her, getting two good punches to her face. I barely heard calls

of my name or registered that Sharky was moving, because Lilith grabbed a pipe next to her hand. "Oh, hell no," Sharky snapped, diving for her hand at the same time I did, but Lilith was quicker. She brought up the heel of her hand to my chin at the same time that her other hand made contact with my back. My sight dimmed as my strength gave out, and as the darkness took over, Lilith half shoved me off of her, even as it felt like someone yanked her away from me. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"I need lights down here, now!" I ordered, practically growling as I pulled myself out from underneath the water heater that Walter had just blown all to hell. "Edward, check in," my dad called over the earpiece. "The fucker used the gas line to blow his way out," I stated, giving a glance around. There was water spewing from pipes leading all the way to the stairwell. A fair chunk of the wall was cracked, and twisted metal and scattered boxes were everywhere. I spun in one spot, looking for everyone. "My team, check in!" I snapped, running a hand through my hair. "I'm okay," Alec groaned, dumping a shitload of debris off of him as he sat up not far from me. "I'm good," Sam rumbled, but he was rubbing his head. "Fucking metal hit my head, damn it." "They're running, they're running," Emmett snapped. "We lost 'em, Ed! I'm on it, I swear!" I shook my head, wondering how the hell Walter and Lilith had gotten past us. How the fuck Emmett had kept sight of them, I'd never know. "I'm here," Mickey said, and my heart plummeted into my stomach, because the one person that I needed to hear the most wasn't saying anything. "Bella?" I called, tripping over more pipes and pieces of the wall as I made my way over to where I'd seen her last. "Bella, check in." There must've been just enough fear in my voice for everyone to pick up on, because they all started calling her. I heard Alice and Carlisle curse softly over the radio, but I didn't pay it much attention. Movement caught my eye at the end of the aisle. "Over here!" someone called out, and I'd totally forgotten about Sharky. "Aw, hell," Alec cursed quietly, as both of us ran toward the voice's direction. My heart sank at the sight before me. I fell to my knees next to Bella's unconscious body. "Bella?" I breathed, brushing her hair from her face. She was covered in dust, dirt, and blood, not moving at all. Her face was relaxed, like she was asleep, but she wasn't waking up with anything that I was saying or doing. "She took a pretty nasty punch to the chin, man. And a pipe to her back," Sharky told me. "I tried to stop Lilith, but I wasn't fast enough." "Shit," I hissed, looking up to Mickey. "Go! Eleazar's men should be here by now. Guide them in and tell them to call an ambulance." "Sir!" she said, running fast down the middle aisle, because it had the least damage. A spark from the rigged electric that someone had run down into the boiler room popped to my right, and Alec groaned. "Not waiting for them," he growled, pointing to Bella. "Grab her. There could be more gas pipes." He pointed to Sharky. "Get the hell outta here. Go!" I didn't have to be told twice. Carefully, I scooped my wife into my arms, jerking my chin to the right. "Get her gun, Alec," I told him, and he snatched it up, disengaged it, and stowed it in the front of his pants. Climbing the stairs as quickly as I could, I got us the fuck out of there. Sam cleared the way in front of me, and Alec had my back. Surprisingly enough, Sharky was still with us. "Is she gonna be okay?" he asked me.

"I don't know," I sighed, looking down at my girl. "I need to get her outside to know how badly she's hurt." "I remember her," he said softly, his eyes on my wife. "She stopped Lilith before." "She tried," I grunted, blinking rapidly when we finally made it outside into the sunlight. There were more people outside than I was expecting, but I imagined the gunfire and the explosion had drawn the neighborhood in. I could see the people Albert had removed, but the biggest sight was running toward me at top speed with a blanket in his hands. "What happened, son?" Preacher asked, guiding me to a spot on the sidewalk. He spread the blanket out for me to lay Bella down. His eyes were fierce and sharp when they landed on Sharky. "Terrance, did you do this?" he growled. "Aw, no, Preach, I swear!" Sharky said, suddenly turning into a kid. "No, it was Lilith and Walter," I sighed, kneeling next to Bella, my eyes only on her. "They blew the gas line." Almost as the words came out of my mouth, another small explosion came from deep inside the warehouse. I rubbed my face in frustration, worry, and fatigue, but Preacher's hands reached toward Bella. "May I?" he asked, making sure he had my permission before touching her. "Living in this neighborhood, you learn a thing or two about first aid," he murmured, lifting her eyelid. He seemed to relax a bit when her pupils dilated. "She's just out..." he said softly, picking up each arm and turning them over. "She'll need stitches, for this," he finally stated, showing me the inside of one arm, which was cut pretty deeply. I groaned, shaking my head. "Why won't she wake up?" I asked him. "Sweet spot," Sharky answered, tapping his chin. "Oh," Preacher sighed, looking up at me. "A boxer's term. The sweet spot is the chin. Punch it just right, and all the lights go out." Pounding footsteps rushed toward me, and I turned to see Sam bringing the paramedics with him, Emmett hot on their trail. "We've got her, sir," a young guy with bright blond hair stated, as he and his partner rolled their gurney closer, but I didn't move. "Sir, we'll take good care of her. I promise," he vowed, waiting for me to get out of his way. "Come on, kid," Alec urged, tugging me up with a fistful of my shirt. "We'll ride with them, okay?" I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets in order to keep from snatching Bella out of the EMT's hands. She wouldn't want them touching her without her knowledge. I was shaking with that thought, trying my damnedest not to punch a fucker out. "Easy, Ed," Emmett said, physically pulling me back from the situation. "They're helping her, bro," he soothed, knowing exactly what I was thinking. I followed the gurney to the ambulance, as the paramedic told us the name of the hospital we were going to. Alec spun in front of me to grab Emmett. "Call Rose and Carlisle. Tell them where to meet us. Follow behind us, got it?" "Yeah, got it," he said, pulling out his phone. He was walking away with Sam, when I heard him say, "No, Carlisle, I lost them...stole a car..." Alec turned to Sharky, pointing to him. "We kinda need to talk to you again. Can you stick around?" Preacher stepped forward and landed a heavy, warning hand to Sharky's shoulder, which made him flinch. "You have my word that when you need him, he'll be there," he vowed, and I almost laughed at Sharky's comically nervous glance to Preacher, but I just didn't have it in me. "Mr..." the paramedic called, and I spun around to look up into the back of the ambulance. "Cullen," I grunted, stepping up on the bumper. "Mr. Cullen, she's comin' around," he said, smiling a bit when I practically dove into the seat next to her. "Baby?" I whispered, unable to keep from touching her, despite the work the guy was doing to try and get her situated and strapped in. "Edward?" she rasped, squeezing her eyes closed, but then they widened. "I can't move, Edward!" she cried, starting to fight us all. In fact, the whole vehicle was shaking at the panic she was going through.

"Hey, hey, hey," I said, forcing her face to look at me. "I'm right here. And they need to keep you still, sweetness. You got hurt, so let them fix you, okay?" "I don't want to be strapped down," she sobbed. I looked to the EMT with a grimace. "Please! Please, take it off!" she wailed, tears coursing down her face. "We have to," he hedged, looking around the tight space. "It's for safety..." "She...she has a...a fear," I told him, not elaborating, because she'd hate it if I told him about Miller and basements and fucking torture. "Can you at least loosen it?" "Only a little," he conceded, grimacing at her cries, her continual fighting. "Bella, stop," I ordered as gently as I could, again making her look at me. "He's loosening it for you. Feel that, baby?" I asked, sighing with relief when she settled down a bit. "You look at me and forget about everything else you hear and feel, okay?" "Okay," she sniffled. "We've been here before, you know," I teased her, leaning down to her ear. "If you look at me, then nothing else hurts you, right?" "Right." "Good girl," I praised her, giving her cheek a soft kiss and taking her hand. I linked our fingers together, leaving my lips against her skin. "How do you feel?" "My back hurts, and so does my head," she answered me, her little hand trembling in mine. "But I don't like the strap, Edward..." she said, her tears picking back up again. I squeezed my eyes closed at the old fear that I could hear in her voice. My own tears threatened to well up, because fuck, I hated it. Without another word, I sat up, yanking the strap off of her. "Hey!" the paramedic started to argue. "If we get in a wreck, I'll fucking hold her, but she can't be fucking strapped down!" I snapped, gathering my trembling girl into my arms as gently as I could at the moment. My fist opened and closed, itching to reach for my gun, but Alec took over. "He's a good driver, yeah?" he asked, shaking us all with the change in direction and pointing to the guy's partner. He smiled when the EMT nodded. "And the hospital's close?" "Yeah, we should almost be there," he answered slowly. "No worries, then," Alec chuckled, but it was almost cold and humorless. "We won't tell...you won't tell. Life goes on." It was the most subtle threat he'd ever given, but it was understood completely by everyone in the back of that ambulance. I looked down at my Bella, cupping her chin. "Better, love?" I asked, and she nodded with a sigh. "Good. Now, let him see that arm, baby." She sat perfectly still and quiet as he cleaned the wound and covered it with a temporary bandage. She leaned into me, slowly coming back down from the panic attack, something I hadn't had to deal with for years. "They'll probably give her a CAT scan, Mr. Cullen," the paramedic, whose name was Sanders, I finally noticed. "You know, just to make sure she's okay." Bella groaned, but I picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, saying, "We'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's all right," I stated, because it wasn't up for argument, and from my tone of voice, Bella knew it as she sagged against me. We pulled into the Emergency Room bay, and they unloaded her, keeping the straps of the bed just draped over her for show. Immediately, she was taken away from me, the nurses telling me to be patient, that they needed to get her set up for tests and shit. "Sir?" a young voice met my ears from my side, and I looked down at a nurse, who was already blushing at me. "We just need you to do some paperwork on your..." "Wife," I stated, giving the ER one last glance with the hopes that I could see Bella from where I stood. "She's in good hands, sir," the nurse said softly.

I took a deep breath and let it out, swallowing thickly, nervously, but I nodded to her. "Okay, paperwork." "Hey, kid," Alec called from the chair in the corner of the waiting room. "Just do what you have to do, and don't worry about shit. I'll call everyone, okay?" "Thanks, Alec," I said, watching him breeze past me with his phone already out. I was pretty sure the first call would be to my dad. ~oOo~ "Christ, son," my dad breathed, rushing to sit next to me in the waiting room, with Esme right behind him, sitting on the other side of me. "Is she okay? What the hell happened in there?" Both of them put a hand on my shoulder as I sat forward, bracing my elbows on my knees. "They're running some tests now. She was awake when they took her from me. Lilith got to her. And I just...I think Walter lit a gas line or some shit." The specifics just didn't feel all that fucking important at the moment. It seemed like it had taken forty fucking forevers to fill out the paperwork just to get Bella checked in. By the time I'd finished, they'd rushed her off to run a scan. I knew she was probably over it, maybe a little scared, and in pain. The fact that I couldn't see her, reach out to touch her, even for a moment, was bugging the ever loving shit out of me. "I need to see her," I groaned, my fingers gripping my hair. "She had a fucking panic attack in the goddamn ambulance." "Oh, no," Esme gasped. "Why?" I turned my head toward her. "They strapped her to the gurney. I didn't even think about it..." "Damn it," my dad hissed, and his grip to my shoulder tightened. "I almost shot the fucking paramedic, Esme. You should've seen her," I sighed, shaking my head. "I finally just ripped the shit off of her." Esme smirked, rubbing my shoulder a bit. "Did that help, son?" she asked, a slight chuckle escaping her. "Yeah," I grinned, despite the circumstances. "Is Bethy with Rose?" I asked them, and they both nodded. "What were Bella's injuries, sweetheart?" she asked, keeping me focused, because I must've seemed all over the place. "Um," I said, sitting up straight. "A pretty nasty cut on her arm, and Sharky said that she was punched in the chin and took a pipe to the back." My dad huffed, shaking his head. "But she was awake?" I nodded. "Yeah. Sore, but awake. The docs said that they were just going to run some tests to make sure everything was okay, before they stitched her arm." "Mr. Cullen?" I heard from the door of the waiting room. "Yes?" my dad and I answered at the same time, which caused not only Esme to crack up, but Sam and Alec, too. "I think she means me, old man," I chuckled, shaking my head at his laughter and standing. The very amused nurse looked up at me as I approached her with a raised eyebrow. "Your father?" she laughed, and I nodded with a smile. "You can see your wife now, Mr. Cullen. They're just about to stitch her arm, but that will give us time enough to get the rest of her test results back." "Okay," I sighed, shoving my hands in my pockets as I followed her down the corridor. She led me to the end set of curtains, smiling when she nodded that I could go on in. "She's been asking for you," she whispered. "'Kay," I mumbled, gently pulling back the curtain to see my wife sitting up in bed, her arm on a rolling table. "Hey, baby." I sighed with relief at the sight of her sweet face, despite the fact that she looked terribly tired and slightly irritated. "Hey," she said, her tone matching my own. "They're about to fix my arm. Sit with me." I sat on the edge of the bed, unable to refrain from leaning in and kissing her forehead. "How do you feel, sweetness?" I whispered against her skin, pulling back only far enough to press my own forehead to hers. "I w-was r-really w-worried, love." "I know. I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sore, but I feel okay. I'm still tired. I just want to sleep," she stated, giving a one shoulder shrug. "I don't know what happened. One second, I was waiting for your order, and the next, I'm on the ground and Lilith was on me."

"We think Walter set off a gas pipe," I told her, pulling back to cup her face. "Emmett gave chase, but they got away." "Walter's little distractions are really starting to piss me off," she growled, rolling her eyes at my chuckle, because leave it to my girl to go right back to work, even while sitting in a hospital bed. "Leave it for now, love," I told her, still smiling, because if she was pissed off, then she was just fine. I knew that much. "We'll start over after we get home and get you some rest, okay?" "Okay," she conceded, and we both looked up when a young man walked into her curtained area. "Hey, I'm Eli," he said with a smile. "I'm gonna be taking care of that arm for you, Mrs. Cullen. After that, Dr. Powell will talk to you. I think all your test results are just about back." Bella nodded, her eyes only on me when I stood up from the bed and sat in the chair. She didn't want to watch what he was doing, even though he was kind of talking her through it. I saw the wrinkle of her nose, her eyes grow wary, and her teeth automatically latch on to her bottom lip. "I'm going to use a local, so you won't feel anything," Eli explained, not really looking anywhere other than Bella's arm. "Sure, fine," she ground out. I pulled my chair closer. "Eyes on me, sweetness," I whispered to her, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "This isn't...then. You know that. This is different." "I know," she said so low that she practically mouthed it. I knew that she was thinking about Miller. In fact, all day had been filled with subtle and not so subtle reminders of his twisted fucking ass. From the smell she'd reacted to at the warehouse, to her trepidation of going down into the boiler room, I'd watched as she'd shove the memories away just to be able to get through. "You seem awful touchy about...him today, Bella," I said softly. "What's wrong?" She shook her head, looking a little frustrated about it, but took a deep breath. "I don't know," she sighed, looking up at me with pleading eyes, like I would have the answer. "One minute, I'm okay, and the next, I'm not." I picked up her free hand, kissing the back of it. "I'm sorry, baby," I whispered against her knuckles. "We'll take you home soon, okay?" She nodded, giving Eli a brief glance. He was respectfully ignoring us, going about his stitching with a passive look on his face. He glanced up to see her watching him, and smiled kindly. "I'm doing the smallest stitch I can, to lessen the scarring," he told her, and she grinned at him. "Thanks," she chuckled softly, but turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "I can live with scars," she said softly, pulling her hand from mine so that she could run her fingers through my hair. "Have you checked in?" "With who?" I laughed, jerking a thumb behind me. "They're all here, except for Bethy. She's with Rose." She smiled and blushed a little. "Okay, good." "All set, Mrs. Cullen," Eli piped up. He turned around and tugged open a drawer behind him, grabbing a few supplies. "I'm going to wrap you up, and you should be able to get these out in a few weeks." He wrapped her carefully from wrist to elbow, making sure that it was secure. He smiled again, giving us a wave on his way out the curtain. Immediately, Bella was out of the bed and crawling in my lap. "I'm so sorry for scaring you," she gushed, burying her face in my neck. "I'm sorry for freaking out in the ambulance, too." "Shh, sweetness," I sighed, sitting back in the chair and cradling her. I kissed the top of her head, smiling at the open back of the hospital gown as I lightly traced my fingers down her spine, careful of her injury back there. "How else would I see you dressed in such...sexy attire?" She burst into a giggle. "Shut up, Edward," she laughed and sniffled at the same time, making me grin. "No, seriously," I argued, snaking my hand inside the open back to just barely graze the side of her breast. "It definitely has its advantages." She sat up, trying her damnedest to give me a stern look, but totally failed. "Edward, no!" she hissed, shaking her head, but she was still giggling a sound I fucking lived for. "Fine," I sighed dramatically, holding my hands up in surrender. She smirked, grabbing both sides of my face and kissing me roughly. "I love you," she whispered against my lips.

"God, I love you, too," I groaned, hugging her as tight as I could for fear of hurting her. "I'm just glad you're okay. Y-You hhave n-no idea how f-fucking s-scared I w-was w-when you d-didn't ch-check in." "I can imagine," she soothed, running her fingers through my hair again over and over as she snuggled back into my neck. "I would feel the same way." She got quiet, content to let me hold her, and if it weren't for her tiny fingers playing with the hair at the base of my neck, I'd have thought she'd fallen asleep. I dropped random kisses to the top of her head, absolutely stupid with the fact that she was okay. There was a clearing of a throat at the curtain, and we both looked up. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, I'm Dr. Powell," a short, balding man said with a smile. He tugged over the rolling tray and set her chart down. "I just wanted to go over a few things with you." "Okay," Bella said, but made no move to get up from my lap. "Your CT scan came back fine. The x-rays on your spine, too. There's just some bruising, so I imagine you'll be sore for a few days." He cleared his throat again, a smirk gracing his face. "I see that your arm has been taken care of... How does that feel?" "Fine," she answered him. "Good. That's really good," he said, noting the chart. "How about pain? On a scale of one to ten, how would you rank it?" "Um, a six or seven?" she guessed, shrugging a bit. "I mean, it's livable with..." "Now, with your condition... we'll have to be careful with pain meds..." he started, but we cut him off. "Condition?" Bella and I both gasped. "What condition?" I asked, trying not to get loud, but the word didn't sound good. He smiled at both of us. "I guess you didn't know," he murmured, glancing down at his chart again. "Glad we tested..." He looked straight at us. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. You're pregnant."

A/N... I'm totally ducking behind shit, because I know that was a cruel cliffie. Probably worse than explosions and shit. Lol Just know that this is how I saw things working out from the beginning. But...Pregnant! :D And I know, Walter and Lilith got away again. Believe me, their luck will eventually run out, but not yet. Coming up next is our favorite couples reactions to this news. I need to thank JenRar, who helped me break this warehouse situation down to its bare bones. To GooberLou for pre-reading and loving the word "condition." lol And to MedusaInNY for just all sorts of things. I miss you...holla at me soon, before I think you fell off the planet! Things are looking pretty good for a Wednesday post. And I'm pretty damn sure you've got something to say, so let me strap on some armor, and you can get to it. ;) Love you guys, and until next time... Later.

*Chapter 16*: Chapter 16

A/N... I think you guys are going to be surprised at the reaction our couple has to this pregnancy. Most of you guessed right on Edward's reaction, but wrong on Bella's. And this chapter kind of ran away on its own. I hadn't originally planned it to go this way, but sometimes, the characters write themselves. That being said, this is an emotional chapter and I don't feel in a bad way. And it comes with a LEMON WARNING. :) Okay...on with it...
CHAPTER 16

BELLA
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. You're pregnant." That sentence hung in the silent and now suddenly stifling air for a few seconds as Dr. Powell smiled at us, but my head spun to Edward. I could see shock and relief, but mostly, I saw happiness and pride practically radiating off of him. I did a mental recount of the past few weeks and realized that I had probably discarded my pills about the time that Bethy had been taken. It was grief and terror and anger that had caused my forgetfulness. I turned back to the doctor with narrowed eyes. "You're sure?" I breathed, not knowing whether I was scared or fucking ecstatic. "Yes, though you looked surprised," he chuckled. "We'll have to do a sonogram in order to see how far along you are. We could do that now, or" "Yes!" Edward and I both urged at him rather loudly, I might add and I smiled apologetically at the poor doc. "Fine," he laughed softly. "Let me set that up. You might want to get back in bed, Mrs. Cullen." He left us, and suddenly, I was lifted and set gently back into my hospital bed. A looming Edward pressed his forehead to mine, kissing my lips softly. "Scared?" he whispered. "Terrified," I countered, but locked my eyes with his. The green was almost gone, leaving me staring into a heated, dark, loving gaze as his hand pressed lightly to my stomach, his fingers spread wide so that he could touch as much of me as possible. It was the same thing he'd done the minute I'd told him I was pregnant with Bethy. My body reacted instantly to his touch, his kisses, and suddenly, it all made sense my mood swings, my fatigue, and my need to be touching him at all times. My hormones were in high gear. "It seems I can't be trusted with birth control," I joked, but tears welled up in my eyes. "Christ, Edward, this is awful timing..." Edward smiled warmly, reaching up to gently brush my tears away with his fingers. "So was Bethy," he countered, tilting his head at me as he sat on the edge of the bed. "That seemed to work out..." I nodded and sniffled, smiling a little. "I know, baby. I just..." "Wasn't expecting this?" he chuckled, brushing my hair from my face. "No, not at all, but..." I sighed, unable to hide my smile. "But I'm so okay with it," I finished in a whisper, because looking up at Edward's happy face just did things to me. I'd seen the same visions the very second I knew I was pregnant with Bethy as I did now a cherub faced, green eyed, squirming baby with crazy hair. "Are you?" "You're kidding, right?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes at me. "I'm more than okay, sweetness. And we'll work it out. We always do." I nodded, but looked up when the doc came in, followed by a nurse rolling a machine in front of her. I took a deep breath and let it out as Edward got up from the bed to sit in the chair, his hand never letting go of mine. It was dja vu. There was no other way to describe it. Edward had been there every step of the way with Bethy, and I could see now that this little one would be the same way as the doctor started to squirt the jelly onto my stomach. It took a few minutes of probing and rubbing, but Dr. Powell's face lit up. "There we are," he snickered. "It's a bean." Edward and I chuckled, but our eyes were locked onto the screen as the nurse giggled at us. She printed the picture for us, and the doctor shut off the monitor.

"I'd say three to four weeks along," he stated, pointing to the picture. "You should see your regular doctor soon, Mrs. Cullen. Okay?" he asked, and both of us nodded stupidly, our eyes unable to leave the picture in my hand. "Take it easy for a few days, but now, you're clear to go, so you can go ahead and get dressed." "Thanks," Edward and I whispered, barely taking our eyes off the picture, but something occurred to me suddenly, and my giggles couldn't be stopped. "Oh shit," I chuckled, cupping Edward's face. "Three to four weeks?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, and he nodded, clearly amused at my laughter. "That puts us in the tree house!" "Oh damn," he growled, kissing me soundly. "Why is that so fucking perfect?" he gushed, his smile completely taking over his face. It was the All American, panty dropping, sexy ass, crooked smile, and it was fucking hot. I grinned, because he was right. It was perfect. It was a complete circle of just...us. And our laughter could barely be contained as I sat up to get dressed. I wiped a tear away and looked up at him. "I think...maybe we shouldn't say anything yet, baby," I suggested. "It's still so early..." He nodded, helping me to my feet. He looked a little disappointed, but he understood. He sat back down in the chair to wait for me to get dressed, and when I was finished, he tugged me to stand between his legs. Leaning in, he lifted my shirt, placing the sweetest of kisses to my belly. My heart sputtered out of control when he looked up at me through his long, dark eyelashes. "This changes everything, you know," he said, his voice low, like smooth silk or warm chocolate. "Nothing happens to you, Bella. I mean it." I nodded, having come to the same conclusion myself the very second the doctor had told us the news. "New rules, new precautions," he said, opening his mouth to the skin of my stomach. "I don't care if you have to sit next to Alice...no more risky shit, sweetness." I opened my mouth to speak, but he stopped me. "I know no one has my back like you do, baby, but it's not just...you now." "I know," I admitted with another nod. "I know, Edward," I reiterated. "I'll hate it, but I understand it," I conceded, because it drove me crazy to just listen to him run whatever mission he was on. I needed to be there, so with all the shit still left up in the air with Walter and Lilith, the mere possibilities were enough to drive me insane. "Interviewing people is fine, computer work is fine, but none of the shit that happened today, Bella. Please," he begged, wrapping his arms all the way around me. I stifled a yawn, but nodded. "Okay, Edward," I told him, giving in, because he wasn't beyond locking me in a room to keep me safe, especially when it came to the safety of his family. "Let's get you home, love," he murmured softly, standing up. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders to guide me out of the small room and chuckled once, looking down at me. "What will we tell Bethy when the time comes?" "Oh, God," I groaned, shaking my head. "One thing at a time, please, baby. Though she's just commanding enough like you that she may enjoy bossing a little brother or sister around," I teased him. His laugh was deep and sweet as he kissed the side of my head. "You might be right, sweetness. And maybe we should wait to spread the news," he chuckled as he led me down the hallway so that we could go home. ~oOo~ I woke up with a sharp inhale, sitting straight up in bed. I tried to look around my bedroom, but it was pitch black and the middle of the night, according to the clock on Edward's nightstand. My dreams were horrifying, and with a shaky hand, I rubbed my face roughly. "Bella?" Edward called, sitting up beside me, and I couldn't help but reach for him, because I'd been dreaming about him. "What's wrong, love?" he asked. "Dream," I mumbled, letting him lay us back down face to face, but I tangled my legs with his, just to be able to feel as much of him as possible. "It's okay now," he soothed, wiping the sweat from my brow with gentle sweeps of his fingers. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head, pulling his forehead to mine with one hand and his waist closer with the other. "No." The feel of his skin against my legs and under my fingers felt so fucking good. The smell of him, like clean soap and fresh cut lumber, invaded my senses. I couldn't help but glide my hands through his hair and up and down his back. It was

soothing, it was helping chase away the dream, and it was making me want him like never before. In fact, shamelessly, I gripped his shoulder and rolled my hips over his, moaning at the feel of him growing hard against me as I hitched my leg around his waist. "Fuck, baby," he whispered, nipping at my lips. "What are you doing to me?" "Edward," was all I could articulate, before my lips crashed into his. The deep, erotic moan that he released into my mouth just spurred me on, causing me to almost assault his mouth with my lips, teeth, and tongue. Edward's hands gripped the t-shirt I was wearing, tugging me closer, and then rolling us so that I was on top of him, because he always caught up so very quickly. "Christ, love," he panted, gliding his hands over my ass, up my sides, to grab my face. "I don't want to hurt that back, sweetness, but fuck... Tell me what you want." I needed him so badly that the sound that escaped me almost sounded like a sob as I crashed back into him. I gripped him fiercely with my thighs straddling either side of his waist, my hips rolling over him again. He felt so fucking perfect underneath me, hitting me exactly where I needed him. He sat up with me on his lap, and when I started to protest, he broke away from my mouth. "Shh, baby," he crooned, slipping his hands inside my t-shirt so that he could gather it up, his fingers grazing teasingly up every inch of my body as he did so. He swiftly tugged it over my head and dropped it next to us, leaving me in just a pair of underwear. "I'm not stopping you...just slowing you down. I really don't want to fucking hurt you." I whimpered, nodding that I'd heard him, and wrapped my arms around his neck as his landed on my ass, dipping under the waistband of my panties. "Fuck, I just need you," I was finally able to whisper, nipping at his lips. "And you have me," he countered. That statement, combined with the dream I'd just come out of, made me shiver in his arms and grip him tighter, tears truly welling up in my eyes, and I gasped at how much I'd needed to hear those four simple words from him. Edward pulled his face away from mine, reaching over to turn on the side lamp with one hand, while the other never ceased sensual caresses, gentle squeezes, and light tugs up and down my side. He clicked it on to the lowest setting, and then turned back to me, his face filled with concern, but the lust, the love was still there, all highlighted in the dim glow of the lamp. "Don't stop, don't stop," I pleaded, shaking my head. Rough, strong hands gently grasped either side of my face to stop my protests. Wiping away my tears, he tilted his head at me. Calm, warm, green eyes studied me intently as he held me still. "Your dream was about me?" he asked, nipping at my lips, but not quite giving in, and I nodded, more tears escaping. "Was it the one where you couldn't get to me? Or the one where I was just...gone?" With every other word of each question, he dropped a kiss on my heated skin on my cheek, my jaw, below my ear, and finally, a long, slow, open mouthed kiss on my throat. "Edward," I whispered as I gripped his shoulders like a lifeline, shaking my head profusely, because the word "gone" didn't come close to the dream, and I didn't want to voice it out loud. The mere idea terrified me. Firm fingers threaded into my hair, and he forced me to look at him. "I'm right here, love," he stated, a little harsher than the voice he'd been using. "It's all okay. It was just a fucking dream." Something about that voice knocked my panic down a notch or two, and I took a deep breath, locking eyes with his, silently begging him to help me, because I still needed him, wanted him, to the point I thought I'd burst into flames. Deep down, I knew it was now hormones driving this feeling, but combined with the nightmare, I wasn't able to stop myself. At all. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in and nodded once, finally allowing myself to reach up with shaky hands and touch his gorgeous face. There was a slight touch of stubble growing in since his shave from the morning before, and feeling it under my fingertips for some reason relaxed me a bit more. "I love you," I breathed, closing my eyes a bit. "Uh uh," he chided softly with a dark chuckle. "Eyes open, sweetness. You need to see me...see what I'm going to do to you." Mindful of the bruise on my upper back, he arched my body slowly, his eyes never leaving mine as he bent to kiss my sternum. He used teeth and lips to kiss his way to my breast, making sure I was still watching him when his tongue snaked out to swirl around my nipple. A deep, wanton moan escaped me, and I writhed in his arms, hissing when my back pinched a sharp pain.

"Slow. Down," he commanded, his eyes dark, fierce, but still very much heated. Keeping my legs draped over his, he set me softly on the bed between them so that he could reach out and touch every inch of my upper body. Thumbs brushed over my nipples, bringing them to such tight peaks that it was almost painful. Long, knowing fingers with rough callouses tickled down each rib with an airy touch that almost made me giggle. He was calming me, making sure I knew he was there, that he wasn't going anywhere. He was proving the difference between dreams and reality. When his fingers finally made purchase on the waistband of my underwear, he tugged them down swiftly, making sure my legs went right back over his. I was complete naked for him, spread open for him, and at his mercy. Bending over me, his mouth placed a sweet, almost reverent kiss to my belly. This time, tears of happiness pricked the corners of my eyes as I slid my fingers into his hair to hold him there just a touch longer. He was reminding me of what we'd made, of how much that meant to him. His hands rubbed up and down my thighs as he sat back up, giving my entire being a heated once over. He drank me in, dragging his tongue along his bottom lip slowly, until his fingers finally slipped lightly over my apex. My breath caught, my hips raising up to feel more, but he pressed me gently back down, spreading my legs wider. "Mm-mm-mm," he crooned, shaking his head once. "That is a fucking beautiful sight," he purred, letting the fingers of one hand glide between my folds and cupping my breast with the other. "Oh...and she's so damn wet for me..." I was wet almost embarrassingly so. I was also throbbing, swollen, and aching for his touch. My breathing was shallow, my fingers gripped the sheets of our bed, and my legs pulled at him to bring him closer, for him to just do something. The shaky sigh of almost relief when he slid one long finger inside of me echoed through our room. My eyes rolled back into my head as his thumb made a delicious circle over my clit, and when he added a second finger, curling them just right, a long, slow, "Yes," hissed from my mouth. "Eyes on me when you come, baby," he commanded softly, but he was wearing a slightly smug smile as he worked in and out of me. I was so wet that it could be heard throughout the room every time he sank deeper and deeper into me. My eyes shot up to his, but he wasn't looking at me; he was focused on what his fingers were doing. The sensual moan that rumbled from him one of my most favorite sounds caused me to clench down hard on his hand. His head shot up to lock gazes with me. "Oh, sweetness, you're close," he sang low, his mouth quirking up into a half smile. "Come for me, baby. Let it all go. Feel only me when you come on my hand." There were certain things about Edward I couldn't resist, and one was my body's reaction to him, to his voice. It owned me. I had no control over the orgasm that shot through me like a freight train, because he pressed my clit at just the right time, in just the right spot that caused stars to explode behind my eyelids. "Holy shit," I whimpered, shattering and shaking as he continued to use his hand to ride out my spasms. Suddenly, he was looming over me, bracing one arm by my head, but holding his body away from me. "Don't move, baby," he warned with a sexily raised eyebrow. "We're not done. Not a chance, love," he purred, leaning down to give me a long, slow, deep kiss at the same time he was working his boxers off. "I will take care of you." He resumed his previous position only now, he was gloriously naked, his cock standing strong and proud. Easing me closer to him, he slipped his tip just inside my entrance. With one perfect, delicious roll of his hips, he sank deep within me, both of us calling out. With the position he was using, he was in control of everything. Every thrust, every sweet touch of the sensitive spot deep inside of me, every thumb brushed across my nipples, every circle around my clit... He was in charge of it all. How he knew what I needed, even when I didn't, always seemed to take me by surprise. He was protecting my back by controlling every move. He lifted one of my legs, holding them open by the back of my knee so that he could hold me still and watch himself fuck me, but his mouth was his most deadly weapon...and most soothing one. "Now can you feel me right here, baby?" he asked, but it wasn't a harsh tone; it was deep and smooth, almost like the strokes he was thrusting into me. "I'm here, love." "Edward," I called, wanting to hold him, needing my hands on him, so I held them out. He shook his head, a deadly smile creeping over his handsome face. "Not that way, Bella," he panted, and using every muscle, he lifted me back up into his lap. "Fuck," I growled, gripping his shoulders not from pain, but from the pure bliss that came with sinking farther down onto him. "Damn, you feel so good," I moaned, rolling my hips over him and bracing my elbows on his strong shoulders.

"Make yourself come, baby," he commanded, holding my ribcage with fingers spread wide. "Use me for what you need," he told me, dragging his teeth over my neck, only to suckle lightly on the skin just below my ear, causing my rhythm and breathing to falter. I rolled my hips harder, grazing my clit over his pelvic bone, and we both gasped. "Oh God, baby," he groaned, his forehead hitting my shoulder. "Please, please, come. I'm so fucking close... You feel too good, and I love you too much..." That last admission, that last declaration was all I needed, and the coil inside me snapped, my climax completely taking over my body. Fingers wove into either side of my head, and Edward forced my gaze on him. His mouth hung slightly open, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his jaw clenched, just before he came hard deep inside of me. Our sweaty foreheads bumped together, our breathing still heavy as we just stared at each other. "Edward, I love you so much," I panted, wrapping my arms all the way around his head, my emotional roller coaster taking off on a different emotion altogether overwhelming, couldn't breathe, head over heels love for the man in my arms, the father of my children. Children...as in more than one now, and my tears started anew. I almost sobbed at the thought of losing him, because we weren't even close to catching Lilith, and my dream was still fresh and bitter, just under the surface. One deep, but oh so sweet chuckle escaped him as he wrapped his arms around my body. "Fuck, baby," he chuckled again, still breathing rather heavily. "Damn, I'd forgotten about these crazy hormones of yours..." I giggled, but sniffled, too, tugging on his hair. "Don't laugh at me! I can't help it." He pulled back, and watching him trying to sober up was almost fucking comical. But his eyes glowed warm and sweet, a deep green in the low light. "Oh, sweetness, I love you, too. I'm right here, and it'll be okay. I promise." "My dream scared me," I admitted softly. "I can't lose you..." "You won't," he assured me, reaching between us to place his hand on my belly. "I've got just as much to fight for, love. More than I ever thought possible. So if you don't think I'll be careful, that I won't avoid stupid, fucked up shit, then you don't know me." His voice was sharp, but still loving, still soothing. He meant every word. And I knew that this pregnancy was different, because we were still so very deep in danger. With Bethy, it was just simple cases lost relatives, simple security details, and a few missing persons and I was able to work almost up until her delivery. This was so fucking different, because it was possible that we were all targets now. "I know, Edward. It just scared me," I sighed, trying my damnedest not to cry again. Fucking hormones. I kissed him soundly on the mouth, pulling back to run my fingers through his hair. "I know it did, baby," he soothed, running his nose up one side of mine and down the other. "Let it go. Shake it off, because it wasn't real. I'm right here." He paused, before continuing, "I want you to get some more sleep, Bella." With that order, he laid us down, pulling me close once we were separated and I had tugged my t-shirt back on a habit that came with having Bethy able to walk in. With soft, gentle sweeps of his fingers through my hair, it didn't take long for my eyelids to grow heavy and my breathing to deepen. Nuzzling farther into his neck, I let his scent, his touch, and his heartbeat to lull me back to sleep. ~oOo~

EDWARD
There was no more sleep for me. Once Bella was settled and sleeping much more peacefully, I slipped out of bed. I figured I could start the coffee, go for a run, and by the time I got back, I could work with Alice in the office or some shit. I tugged on my shorts and laced up my sneakers, silently opening our door, but it was the little shadow down the hall that just about scared the shit out of me. "Bethy," I sighed, practically placing a hand over my heart, but I knelt down when she ran to me, Mr. Bunny in tow. "D-Daddy," she whimpered, clinging to me fiercely. "It's too early, little sweetness. You should be asleep," I said softly, pulling back to tuck her hair behind her ears. She yawned widely, nodding, but I could tell that my wife wasn't the only one having nightmares. "Not yet," she stated weakly. I smiled at her, kissing her forehead, simply because she was just adorably stubborn a character trait she'd earned honestly from both of her parents. I stood up with her in my arms, and she laid her head on my shoulder, her little fingers

tracing the ink on my chest. "I'll make a deal with you, baby," I crooned to her, dropping another kiss to her head. "You can stay up just long enough for me to make coffee, but then... How about I put you in our bed with Mommy?" "Okay," she sighed, completely content in my arms, so I held her all the way to the kitchen, during the entire coffee making process, finally setting her on the edge of the counter. That whole time, her fingers seemed fascinated with my tattoo. "What's it say?" she asked, watching her own fingers, and then looking up at me. "USAF... United States Air Force. Poppy has one, too. So does Uncle Em," I told her, pointing to each letter. "Poppy's is on his arm," she whispered, a little dip appearing between her eyebrows, and suddenly, she looked like Bella had the first time she saw my ink. "Why do you have it?" I smiled, kissing her nose, but swallowed thickly. She didn't need to know the reason behind the stars, but the actual Air Force symbol was important. "At one time, all I wanted was to be like Poppy and join the Air Force, to fly. So when I was about to ship out overseas, I got this to match his. I was very...proud to be able to finally get it." "Did it hurt?" "A little," I chuckled. "Were you scared?" "More about going away than the needle of getting this," I told her, still chuckling, and I tapped my chest with a finger. "Did you miss Mommy?" she asked, and suddenly, this was turning into twenty questions. "I didn't know Mommy then," I explained. "I wish I had." God, that was the fucking truth. Though, I'd never voiced it allowed, I didn't think. I wished many, many times after saving Bella from Miller's basement that I'd kept in contact with the amazing girl I'd met when we were just kids. I was pretty sure that my life would have been different, that I wouldn't have done things for so many years that shamed me. And the mere thought of having my Bella to take care of me when I'd gotten hurt and released from the service just made my loneliness back then all the sharper. Something about that answer bothered her, because she frowned up at me, yawning at the same time. "Does that make you sad, Daddy?" she asked, tilting her head at me. "No," I said with a smile. "I have you and Mommy now. That's what's important. You're my girls," I said, my heart practically soaring with the secret news we'd found out the day before. Bethy giggled at that, and I scooped her up off of the counter. "Can you do me a big favor?" I whispered conspiratorially at her as I carried her down the hall. "What?" she whispered back, gripping Mr. Bunny. "Mommy doesn't feel so good, baby. Can you snuggle with her? Make her feel better? Hmm? You're really good at it." Bethy grinned and nodded, but I could see by her eyes that she was still sleepy. "Okay, Daddy." I put a finger to my lips just before opening the door to the bedroom. The beauty of Bella asleep was breathtaking. It always had been to me. Waves of chocolate silk splashed across her pillow, her hand tucked under her chin, and an escaped from the covers, gorgeous, strong leg that always seemed to be searching for me all of it was just stunning to me. I tucked my other brunette into my side of the bed, pulling the covers up around her chin. I leaned over, kissing her forehead, and whispered, "I love you." "Love you, too, Daddy," she said, yawning widely, her eyelids already falling heavily. I leaned over her, pressing a light kiss to Bella's temple. "Only sweet dreams, girls." ~oOo~ I pushed my run hard. Maybe too hard. I was worried about Bella's and Bethy's nightmares, about what all this shit was doing to them, and the added stress of Bella's pregnancy just made it all the worse. I just wanted it fucking over. I wanted Walter and Lilith six feet under, and I still wasn't sure Kenny would live to see Christmas. Hell, probably not even Halloween, considering it was still the middle of the fucking summer. By the time I got back through the woods, a few people were already arriving to continue their research. I could see my

father's car, Emmett's, and even Jasper's truck, but Eleazar wasn't there yet. "Step off the fucking creamer, Jazz!" Emmett boomed, making himself a cup of coffee under the tent that had been set up for the security team Eleazar had permanently placed at my home. "Well, give up the sugar, asshole!" Jasper countered with a laugh, holding the jar of creamer back, and suddenly, it was a fucking condiment standoff. I walked to the cooler, grabbing a bottle of water, and spun to the both of them. "Wake Bella, and I'll rip your arms off and beat you with them...both of you," I warned them with a raised eyebrow. "Shut the fuck up...or at least fucking tone it down." "Oh, damn," Jasper sighed, looking sheepish as he stirred his coffee. "My bad, Ed. Sorry. How's she feeling?" "Sore," I said after downing the entire bottle and reaching for another one. "She's got a helluva bruise on her back, and she's exhausted." "Poor Bellsy," Emmett groaned, shaking his head. "What the fuck happened down there?" "We'll go over it all when she's up, I'm sure," I said with a shrug. "To be honest, I don't know everything just that Lilith got to her." "But the tests came back okay, right?" Jasper verified, looking nervous, because we were all a very tight group of friends, and they considered Bella their family. "I mean, she's cool, right?" I smiled at him, because he had no clue. "Yeah, she's cool. Nothing broken, no brain damage," I chuckled. "Just roughed up a bit. The tests were...perfect." "Good," Emmett sighed with relief. "We'll keep it down, Ed. Sorry." "Yeah, sorry, man," Jasper added, looking contrite. "But when Bethy gets up, Alice wants to see her. I think she upgraded her program or some shit. You know...since she can't go to Mrs. Cope's..." I waved off the apologies and gave Jasper a nod, heading toward the house. I needed to check on my girls, grab a shower, and sit down with Alec when he arrived. After he'd found out that Bella was going to be okay, he'd taken off back to Preacher's to have a chat with Sharky. I wanted to know every fucking detail. I walked in to hear my daughter chatting happily with her grandparents as they listened raptly to every word, even if it didn't make sense. She was eating a bowl of cereal as Esme tried to braid her hair. "There she is," I said, kissing the top of Bethy's head. "Hi, Daddy," she mumbled around a mouth full of Cheerios. I chuckled, because she looked brighter, happier than she had a few hours prior. "Mommy still sleeping?" "Uh huh," she said with a nod. "Good," I sighed, pouring myself a cup of coffee. "She can sleep all day if she wants to." My dad chuckled. "How is she?" "Tired." "And sore, I bet," Esme added, but there was something in her knowing glance up at me that caused me to smirk. She knew. She would never say it in front of anyone, but she knew. My coffee cup paused about halfway to my mouth when we locked gazes. There was such happiness and hope there, I knew I'd better confirm her suspicions soon, or she'd bust open at the seams. Esme had to be, by far, our biggest supporter and help since the fucking beginning. We owed her everything, in all actuality. She knew about Bethy way before anyone else, and she already was guessing about this one. It almost made me laugh. I turned to my dad. "Would you please let me know when Alec gets here? I want to know how that talk with Sharky went." "Sure, son," he said, turning his loving gaze on Bethy as she forced his shirt sleeve up, once again looking at the Air Force ink that we both had. "Daddy's has stars," she pointed out, taking another bite of cereal. "You don't." I wrinkled my nose at him. "She was studying mine earlier. I'm not sure she would understand what they mean." But Esme put it in a way that put us all at ease. "Daddy has stars to honor some really brave men, sweet one. They are a sign of strength and sacrifice."

My heart clenched, because I'd never really looked at it that way. To me, they represented loss and mistakes. Though, once again, I supposed she knew that. Esme always had a way of making me see just a touch clearer on things that had always bothered me. Bethy seemed to accept that explanation just fine, though she still may not have truly understood it. She stared at Poppy's ink, and then mine, finally looking up to my face. She looked so much like Bella, I could have just kissed her silly. Her little legs swung as she sat on the stool, her spoon blindly dipping back into the bowl. "I like the stars. They're pretty. You should get some, Poppy," she commanded without a second glance at him, and he laughed, kissing her temple. "If I did, baby girl, then they'd go all the way up my arm," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I've been around longer than your daddy." She giggled, rolling her eyes in such a way that we all laughed with her. I shot her a wink, because the older she got, the more I could see her emerging. Her own little self just...becoming. Yes, she was a beautiful mix of her mother and me, but now, she was shedding that copying phase and was starting to become...Bethy. And that thought both scared me and sent me soaring, because I hoped she would always stay this sweet and smart and strong, but I also couldn't wait to see who she'd become. "Finished, little sweetness?" I asked, and took the bowl from in front of her when she nodded. I set it in the sink and scooped her up, placing her on the counter and kissing her adorably puckered lips. "I think," I teased her, "that Aunt Alice has something for you." She gasped, her eyes widening with excitement. "What?" she whispered, like if she spoke aloud, it wouldn't happen. "I think," I started again with a chuckle, "that she's got a new game for you..." "Yay!" she cheered, wriggling to get down. "Wait," I laughed, holding her steady. "I love you. Do you know?" "Yes, Daddy!" she sighed, rolling her eyes, like I was dumb for asking. "I love you, too." "Good," I grunted dramatically, giving her neck a loud smooch. "Now," I whispered in her ear. "See if Poppy will take you to Aunt Alice." "Poppy!" she sang, and he cracked the fuck up. "Don't even start," he snorted, plucking her off the counter. "I'm a sucker for the puppy face. I'm not sure I could handle it this morning, baby girl. So just let's go," he growled, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, causing her to squeal into laughter and her face to turn red. I could hear her laugh all the way across the damn yard. I turned my back on Esme, making myself another cup of coffee, but I knew she hadn't moved. "How far along?" she asked softly. "Three to four weeks," I said, chuckling when she gasped. "How'd you know?" I asked her, finally facing her again. "Her fatigue, her emotions... Those tests yesterday seemed to take way too long, not to mention that I was going to check on you two and saw the sonogram machine being wheeled in," she stated softly, but tears of joy welled up in her eyes as her hands covered her mouth. "I wasn't sure if she was keeping up with her pills, but then, it wasn't my place to ask if you two were actually trying again." "An error on the pill part," I chuckled, "but..." "You don't care," she finished for me, and I nodded in agreement. "Oh, God, Edward... Such beautiful news during this time..." I grinned, because I couldn't fucking help it. "We aren't saying anything yet. You know, like last time..." "Of course, of course... It's early," she breathed, walking around the counter. She placed a kiss on my cheek. "Whatever you two need, you know I'll help you." "Thank you, Esme." I looked down at my cup, knowing I could tell this woman anything. I took a deep breath and finally met her gaze. "I'm so fucking scared, though. This...this shit isn't over. I can't let anything happen to them. They're everything to me." She reached up and brushed an errant curl from my forehead. "I know, son," she soothed. "We'll figure it out. She'll just have to be careful, that's all." I nodded again, but looked over at her. "Bethy and Bella...they're... Well, they're having nightmares, Esme. I'm not sure if they can take much more of this."

She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "It's natural for Bethy to have them. She's been through some really scary things. As long as she's safe and secure at home, they should ease up. Bella, on the other hand," she sighed, starting to pace. "I imagine she's terrified, Edward. She's not stupid. She knows that the physical part of this mission is now over for her, so she's got to sit back and watch you go alone. And I know her... She truly trusts no one when it comes to protecting you." I wrinkled my nose, shaking my head, because fuck, if Esme hadn't hit the nail on the head with that one. "Step back from the joy you're feeling, son," she continued. "If something happens to you, she would be alone with a young child and one on the way, both of whom would be reminders of the love you share. She would go on, for them, but I'm not sure she'd ever really live again, Edward. It would kill something inside of her if you didn't come home." She reached up and cupped my face. "You two have always taken such amazing care of each other. You've always just found your own way, and I've never seen anything like it, but you have to understand her fear. She's not just scared for herself; she's scared for Bethy, too and that new little one. You're an amazing father, Edward, and she doesn't want her children to miss out on that. You have to be just as careful as she does. Understand?" I swallowed nervously and nodded. My throat closed up, because I knew she was right. This had been my worst fear when I was a soldier for hire. Having a wife, a family, and leaving them behind on missions made shit so fucking dangerous, because mistakes could be made out of fear and self-preservation, simply to be able to get back home. Lives could be lost; people could get hurt. Suddenly, the room was too stuffy, the air too thick. I needed to set eyes on my wife, because only she could make this shit go away. "I need a shower," I whispered, looking out the kitchen window as Eleazar pulled in, followed by Benny and Wes. Esme's eyes were warm and filled with understanding as she nodded at me. "Take your time," she said with a smile. "I'm pretty sure they'll wait for her." I nodded again, making another cup, because if Bella was awake, she'd want a cup of her own. I heard the screen door shut as I made my way down the hall. Cracking open the door of our bedroom, I peeked inside, smiling at the sight before me. Apparently, Bethy had felt that if she couldn't stay in bed to take care of her mother, then Mr. Bunny would get the job done. Bella was now curled up on my side of the bed on my pillow, her arms wrapped tightly around the stuffed animal. Just being in the same room with her made my heart beat easier. I let out a slow exhale, setting the coffee down on the dresser. I wanted to crawl in beside her, wrapping myself around her, but I was still sweaty and pretty rank, if I were to be honest. Bella had on more than one occasion yelled at me for doing just that coming back to bed after a run. She didn't want to change the sheets after my "sweaty ass had mauled them." I snorted to myself at that memory and walked into the bathroom. ~oOo~

BELLA
I blinked blearily awake to the smell of coffee and the sound of the shower running. I sat up in bed, setting Mr. Bunny aside. At one point, I had woken up to Bethy cuddling with me a sweet gesture on Edward's part. I crawled to the edge of the bed, stealing his cup of still steaming coffee with a giggle and leaning back against the headboard. The shower shut off, and his teasing growl made me laugh even harder. "Woman, if you stole my coffee..." I grinned like the Cheshire cat when he came out of the bathroom in just a towel, wearing a dramatically stern face. "It's my last cup, so let me steal it with pride, Edward," I told him, taking a sip. "Coffee thief," he muttered, smirking at my laugh. He crawled up the bed, plopping down on his side next to me. "You look better." I smiled, leaning over to kiss his scruffy jaw. "I feel better. Thank you. Tell me you made breakfast." He laughed, shaking his head. "No, ma'am, I'm sorry. I will, though. Bethy had just a bowl of cereal." "Please," I gushed, feeling famished. "Whatever you want, baby," he whispered, kissing my temple, his hand immediately finding purchase on my stomach. He dragged up my t-shirt, leaning down and kissing my belly, rubbing his scruff just enough to make me giggle. "Are you gonna go easy on Mom?" he asked against my skin, placing kiss after kiss to my stomach. "Your sister was hellfire, let me just tell you."

I laughed, my head falling back to the headboard of our bed. Fuck, I'd forgotten just how much I loved him talking to my stomach that way. It was like he was bonding with them already. I'm not sure that's not why he and Bethy were so freakin' close. And the bigger my belly had gotten, the more she had responded to his voice. By the time she arrived, it was like she already knew him. Edward chuckled low, tickling my skin with his stubble, brushes of his lips, and teases of his tongue. "Morning sickness, crazy cravings, fits of rage," he said, laughing when I gasped and look down at him, but his face sobered quickly as he continued to speak to my tummy. "She's the best mommy in the world, but you gotta go easy on her, little one..." "Edward," I breathed, running my fingers through his damp hair. "She's tired and scared...and I'm pretty sure I drive her crazy." He whispered the last part like it was a secret, and I smirked down at him. "We all need her safe and calm and healthy, because we all love her too much, so be good for Daddy, okay?" By the time he finished, I had tears streaming down my face. Happy ones, scared ones, and ones that were an overflow of everything else. I pulled at him until he hovered over me. "I promise you, sweetness," he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. "I'll do the very best I can to get us all safely out of this." He gave my lips a quick kiss. "We could walk away...let Dad and El finish it. I could take us to Aunt Kate's. I could fly us...have us there by tonight, baby." Fuck, that was so damn tempting that I actually considered it for a moment, but it wasn't fair. We couldn't just run to keep ourselves safe, when no one had done that when we needed them. "These people were there when we needed them the most, Edward," I sniffled. "As much as they would understand, it wouldn't be right to leave them in the middle of this. They need all of us." "I know," he admitted, looking pained as he allowed some of his weight down on me. "I just... F-Fuck, Bella. I-I c-can't ththink s-straight a-about th-this sh-shit. I want to protect you, Bethy...us, but..." I grabbed his face, making him focus on me. "It's all right, baby," I soothed him. "Let's just...take this one step at a time. Okay? Okay?" I urged, when he looked away guiltily. "No decisions without running it by the other, no rash missions. I'll work here but Edward...you have to be careful with everything you do. Please." He was nodding before I finished. "I will, sweetness. I have to." "We need to get out there, don't we?" I sighed, wrapping my arms around his strong shoulders. "Only if you feel up to it, baby," he sighed, laying his head on my chest and wrapping his whole body around mine. "The quicker we help, the quicker we catch them, baby," I whispered against his hair, inhaling the clean scent of his shampoo. "'Kay," he mumbled against my breast, which caused me to squirm. With one more kiss to my stomach, he sat up on his knees. "Then let's see what we can do, sweetness."

A/N...I know some of you were expecting a fight from Bella over Edward's over protectiveness. You'll hear why she isn't fighting him in the next chapter. Besides the fact that they've wanted this all along, there are more solid reasons. Trust me. Like I said, this chapter almost wrote itself. The next one flowed right along with it and is already done, so yeah, Sunday will be the next posting. Okay, so I wanted to rec a few fics to you. Some wonderful people have pimped mine, so I'm gonna pay it forward. First, The Breakers by les16... OMG, this Edward owns me. Like completely and totally owns me. My friend has painted a stunning picture of the coast of Maine, and it makes me want to live there. I can't even tell you how badly I look forward to her posts. It's truly an addiction. Next, Firefly in Summer by primarycolors. Oh, I have complete and total plot envy for this story. It's so original, so very beautiful, yet will completely rock your guessing game, because there is no way on this freakin' planet for you to figure out where she's going with it. Do not let the angst, the drama fool you... This is the most amazing story. Lastly, Unanswered Prayers by SparklingTwilight. This goes against my usual no-angst policy, but there's not a thing this author has written that's not on my favorites list. Plus, I identify with this Bella so much that it was almost scary. Not to mention that this is probably the sweetest Edward...he's a touch older, completely calm and soothing, and an amazing friend.

So check these out. I don't have access to the links as I write this, but all of them can be found in my faves list on my profile. Okay, I need to thank JenRar for the all hours, all access beta'ing she does, not to mention the help along the way. To GooberLou for pre-reading, because I have no shame in throwing ideas at her via text message. And MedusaInNY for bloggy things, and who is currently flipping the world the bird good for you, love! :D I hope you feel better, and I love you tons. Now, let me hear you. I'm pretty sure I just blew your theory of Bella's rebellion out of the water. Reviews are better than Mercward fresh out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel. Okay, yeah...no, they aren't, but still... LMAO Until next time, later. :)

*Chapter 17*: Chapter 17

A/N... I forgot that perhaps I needed to say this again, and one of you was kind enough to remind me... ;) The D.O.A. doesn't exist. Yup, all from my head. And totally my sick sense of humor, considering the letters also stand for Dead on Arrival. THAT should tell you a lot, right there. Heehee But they aren't real, aren't based on anything or anyone, just twisted fic peeps in my head. Okay? Any questions, just PM me. Now, let's move on with the story. There's work to be done, bad guys to catch, and another chat with Esme, only this time, it's with Bella. And brace yourselves for a LOT of explanations, and a little bit of violence on Edward's part (but somehow I don't think you guys mind that so much coming from him. LOL). Let's get on with it.
CHAPTER 17

BELLA
"Christ, Bella," Rose sighed, watching me sit down next to Edward at the office conference table so he could re-wrap my arm after my shower, since Esme was taking care of baby Caleb in the house. "Are you okay?" "Yeah," I said with a small smile and a nod. "I'm okay. Lilith got a lucky hit in. And did you say that was a gas line?" I asked, my head spinning to Edward. The whole office was busy, but they'd come to a standstill when I arrived. I knew they'd been worried, but I'd been too damn tired to give them much after my visit to the hospital, not to mention I was totally wrapped up in Edward and the news we'd received. "We think so..." he started, but we all looked up when Alice slapped a folder down in front of me, her face fierce, but so very upset. "My fault," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. "All of it. I didn't catch that the utilities weren't off in that building. The power, yes, but the gas and the water, no. I'm so sorry, Bellsy..." I grimaced, because she was beating herself up needlessly, so I pulled her to the chair next to mine with my free hand. "Hey...just don't, Ali," I sighed, shaking my head at her. "There's so much information coming out of this office right now, I can't even imagine how you can see clearly. No one blames you, sweetie. I certainly don't." "I should've seen," she urged, not comforted at all. She shoved the file closer to me, and I opened it. She pointed a heavy finger to the top page. "Walter Sr. has someone that just automatically pays the bills for all of his properties. These should have been shut off, but they slipped through the cracks somehow." I smiled sadly and shook my head again, because this would have been impossible to catch immediately, especially with the little amount of time we'd given her before going in, but Alice expected too much of herself. Without looking away from her, I called out to the crew that had been in the warehouse with me. "Alec, Em, Sam, Mickey... You guys okay?" "Yes, ma'am," they all answered, and I could hear their amusement with where I was taking this. Alice glanced nervously around at all of them, and then her gaze landed on Edward, who was just about finished with my bandage. His opinion on this probably mattered most, because it was me that had ended up hurt, and that thought looked like it scared her to death. "Edward?" I asked, turning to look at him. "You okay?" He smiled down at my arm, and then looked up to shoot me a wink. "Fine," he scoffed dramatically. "Though, I do have this bruise on my elbow. Wanna kiss it?" he asked her. Alice snorted once, rolled her eyes, and the whole room burst into laughter. He got up, pushing his elbow closer to her face, and she laughed, shoving him away. "No, seriously," he chuckled. "It really hurts." "Get your wife to kiss it, jerk," she huffed, still giggling and fighting him, but he knelt down in front of her. "We've all missed something at some point or another during this whole mess, Alice," he told her, his face completely sober. "No one expects you to see it all." "She could've gotten killed...you all could have," she whispered back. "But we didn't," he said, his voice soothing, even to me, and I was used to it, so I knew it was working on Alice. "Believe me, Alice, had things gone differently, I wouldn't be this calm, but all of us were prepared for the worst, and we came out of

it okay. I have to be grateful I was able to bring my wife and crew back. That's it. It's that simple." "We all know the risks, Alice," Mickey chimed in from across the room. "We're not stupid. Shi..." She stopped and grinned, shooting a glance into the computer room, where Bethy was currently absorbed in her computer game, which caused a chuckle throughout the room. "Stuff happens, and we all know things could go wrong." "We're extremely lucky and grateful to have you, Alice," Carlisle said softly, which caused the whole room to turn to him. "There are a few missions I've been on where I wish we'd had someone like you, so don't worry about mistakes. We all make them." Jasper shifted on his feet, and I knew he wanted to come to her, if he hadn't been telling her these same things all night long. He caught my eye, mouthing, "Thank you." I smiled at him, turning back to Alice. "Just because you're a freakin' genius doesn't mean you'll see it all, Alice. I know you you won't make the same mistake again." She finally relaxed, finally let out a long, slow breath. "Right, right, right," she sighed with a single nod. "No, definitely not happening again." "Well, there you go," Emmett chuckled, clapping his hands together once. "Now...I want to hear about Sharky." Alec stepped forward, but Edward leaned into Alice. "And my wife kissed more than my elbow, pixie," he whispered with an evil chuckle. "Oh damn, get away from me," she laughed, shoving at him until he let her up out her chair. "TMI, Edward..." she hissed back at him, with that little wicked gleam back in her eye. He grinned over at me, shooting me a sexy ass wink, as I laughed. They acted like siblings, the two of them. Though, in all honesty, we were all that close. It was something that stemmed from our beginning, having to get to know each other, trust each other, all while living under one roof when we were fighting against Royce King and Riley Miller. Edward took her chair with an amused smile up at her, pulling himself closer to me. He set his chin on my shoulder as Alec stood at the head of the table. Yes, my husband was hovering, but I wasn't sure I minded all that much. I was still achy, tired, and a little emotionally wrung out, but his warm hand in mine, his calm breathing in my ear made things just a little easier. "Sharky didn't tell me anything I hadn't already put together," Alec started, his face just a touch frustrated. "He said that Lilith and Walter approached him on the street, told him they had something for him, luring him to that warehouse." He sighed, smirking just a little. "He did say they wanted money from him, once they got him alone, but that he wasn't into loan sharking anymore. He told Lilith that her debt was paid, that she'd have to see Reggie about it. Now..." He chuckled a bit. "While Bellissima was indisposed, Sharky was smart enough to realize who the good guys were here. Plus, he said he liked Bella when she'd come to him about Lilith before." I laughed softly, rolling my eyes, because Sharky had been a funny, flirty thing, despite his dangerous and illegal activities. He'd turned his charm all the way up to full potency to schmooze me back then. I used it to my advantage to find Ashley, which was easy, because Sharky had almost zero respect for Lilith, even way back then. Rose chuckled, most likely remembering the same thing I was. "How many times did he propose?" "Four," I laughed, shaking my head at their laughter. "All in the span of an hour chat." Edward huffed in my ear, but I turned to him. "He didn't mean a word of it, because his girlfriend at the time just about beat him to death with a rolled up newspaper. He's just funny. Hell, he was more interested in getting back to the video game his boys were playing in the next room." Edward smirked, sitting up straighter. "What did he do?" he asked Alec. "He went to Reggie," Alec laughed, shaking his head. "Told him all about Lilith, reminded him of the debt and how much, and told him to be careful. Reggie put his boys out for her. They called in the debt, which has now almost doubled in size." "Oh," I groaned, shaking my head. "All's fair in love and gang warfare." "You'd think," Alec said with another chuckle. "So how'd they get out of there?" Makenna posed the question that had been rattling around in everyone's minds, I was sure. Alec walked to the bulletin board and pointed to an aerial shot of the warehouse. "Sharky showed me a tunnel that had been opened up from the warehouse to the building next door. No one would've known about this unless you were used to living on the streets. It was an escape from police raids. Someone had broken through the boiler room walls, which emptied out into the basement next door. In fact, they tunneled all the way to the end of the block. No wonder Emmett lost them, because he went out the warehouse's exit, instead. He was practically an entire block away when he saw them snatch a car."

"Oh," Emmett huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I saw them go by the end of the aisle, but I just assumed they went out the back exit. For a minute there, I thought I was getting too slow...or Mickey was losing her touch..." We chuckled when she punched his arm, scowling up at him, but it totally made sense now. Walter and Lilith took the tunnel instead of the warehouse's exit, but they were so near each other that Emmett had made an honest mistake. In fact, with the chaos that Walter had left us in, I wasn't sure we all wouldn't have fallen for that trick, especially since the tunnel wasn't on any intelligence we would've had access to. Alec turned to Carlisle and Eleazar. "But Sharky's pretty sure that they were heading into Canada next. He swears he heard them say something about crossing a border." "Shit," Eleazar finally spoke in a hiss, shaking his head. "Walter's heading to that...cabin up there," he said, pausing midsentence to watch his language, because Bethy had just joined the room. She crawled up in my lap, quiet as Eleazar paced at the end of the room. "That's my guess, too," Alec sighed. "How will we know for sure?" Jasper asked, looking from Eleazar to Carlisle and back. "I mean, he could go looking for more D.O.A members. He could go south, like Bella said." "If he hasn't called them already," Carlisle mused, rubbing his chin. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I want to talk to Kenny again," he stated. "I want to know if Walter communicated with any other members of this ridiculous group. And I want to know what he knows about this cabin up there." "I'll go with you," Edward volunteered. Eleazar's eyebrows raised up high, but he nodded, seeming pleased with the idea. "Ed, you can't kill that boy on a military base," he warned my husband, but he chuckled at the same time. Edward laughed humorlessly, shaking his head. "He won't be on base forever, El," was the only thing he said, his voice dark, menacing as he stood up. He turned to me and my girls, who were all sitting together. "Ladies, I trust you will be hitting the research pretty hard the cabin and D.O.A. Tell me what you find out. I need coordinates, maps, layouts of that place... And tell me how close it is to Aunt Kate's." "Good thinking, son," Carlisle praised. "If we have to move this entire lot up there, we will. I'll call Kate when we head to the base. If that's where we think he's going, you could do a recon flight over it, take some better pictures." "Exactly," Edward agreed, and as the meeting broke apart, Edward knelt in front of me and Bethy. "Tell Mommy not to overdo it today, little sweetness," he said with a silly grin. "Just computer work. Anything else, she has to ask Gamma for help, okay?" "Okay," Bethy and I giggled at the same time, and God, if he didn't drop the sexiest, sweetest smile at us. "Wh-Where a-are y-you g-going, D-Daddy?" she sputtered, looking a bit worried, and I just noticed I hadn't truly heard her stutter in some time. "Work, baby," he sighed, his smile falling when he realized she didn't want him to go. "He'll be right back. You're going to stay with me, pretty girl," I told her, and her head spun around as she beamed at me. "So what do you tell him?" "Love you," she sang, grabbing his face in both tiny hands. "Be safe." Edward looked like he could just about eat her up at that moment, but instead, he kissed us both, whispering, "Love you, too...so very much." After a brief debate on who was staying at the office and who was accompanying Eleazar, Edward, and Carlisle to the base, Sam followed them out to Eleazar's SUV. I turned to my girls, my daughter still on my lap. "Okay, time to get to work," I told them, bracing myself for a long day of research. ~oOo~

EDWARD
I stood in the back of the interrogation room, my arms folded across my chest, waiting for my dad and Eleazar to come back in the room. My hatred for the little cocky shit sitting at the table had not abated. In fact, it had increased. With every nightmare that Bethy woke up from, every time she panicked when Bella or I left her, and with every nervous glance my wife gave when she couldn't immediately set eyes on our daughter, my hatred for Kenny Porter grew and grew, until it almost had a heartbeat of its own.

"He won't live to see twenty-two, will he?" Sam chuckled in a whisper to me. I shook my head slowly, my lip curling. "Bethy calls him...the mean man, Sam. And look at him," I growled, gesturing toward the table. "The motherfucker's so sure that he's in control and he's only looking at more prison time that nothing gets through to him. I truly want to show him who is in fucking control here." "He's a little weasel," Sam snickered, shaking his head. "He's the kind of guy who feels he has nothing to lose, that there's nothing that can be held against him or over his head, and he's not afraid of doin' time. The key is finding that one fucking thing that he doesn't want you to know about." I grinned, my head snapping over to stare at him. "You have something, don't you?" "I might," he snickered, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and handing it over to me. "Where did you get this?" I gasped, glancing over it. "Alec gave it to me when he decided to stay back with the girls," he chuckled. "Use it, Eddie. If you use it right, this bird will sing so pretty," he said with a big ass grin. I smirked, holding up the piece of paper. "The girls did this shit. I'd bet my life on it. Hell, I bet even Bella doesn't know about this." "No idea, but you're probably right," he replied with a shrug, and we both looked up when my dad and Eleazar walked into the room. My dad stopped at the table, and I held my hand out to stop him. "I've got this," I told him, and he conceded to me, stepping back to lean against the wall. I tucked the paper into my back pocket and walked around to the other side of the table. Bracing my hands flat, I looked Kenny in the eye. "Have you figured out what we fucking are yet, asshole?" I asked him slowly, raising an eyebrow at him. Kenny grinned, sitting back in his chair, and waved a hand around. "Well, I know that jackass is CIA," he laughed, pointing to Eleazar, who smirked back. "Maybe I didn't clarify the question enough for you," I sighed, shaking my head and running my hand through my hair. "I'll use small words for you, Kenny. Do you have any fucking idea what we can do to you?" I asked him, speaking even slower than before, like I was talking to an infant. "You can't touch me on this base. I know that much," he answered, still calm, still cocky as shit. I chuckled, dragging my tongue along my bottom lip. "This is true," I allowed, standing up straight and beginning to pace in front of him. "However, anyone say...off this base would be free game, don't you think? I mean, you remember Rusty, don't you?" That got to him, because he sneered up at me, his eyes flashing with hatred. "Rusty wasn't drunk!" he growled, fighting the leg cuffs we had attached to the floor. "No," I laughed. "No, he definitely wasn't drunk. He was scared shitless, but he wasn't drunk. You can thank the man in the back of the room for that sensational work." Kenny's head spun like it was on a swivel, and Sam wiggled his fingers at him, wearing a smug grin. Eleazar and my father snickered softly, but they didn't interrupt me. "So...figured it out yet?" I asked again, pulling a chair closer and spinning it around so that I could straddle it backwards. "Bella must've said something to you..." Kenny groaned, shaking his head. "Yeah, she said something about soldiers...CIA, FBI...that you were ghosts," he mumbled, shaking his head. "I thought the bitch was full of shit." Sam tsked, taking a step forward, but I held a hand up to stop him. He was nothing if not protective of her. He wouldn't stand for anything negative to be said of her, and I totally respected him for it, but now was not the time to knock this fucker out, no matter how badly we wanted to do it for calling Bella a bitch. "No, she wasn't full of shit. She was telling you the truth, dipshit," I told him. "You just chose to ignore it." I rubbed my jaw, feeling the stubble under my fingers, and studied his face. He really wasn't sure where I was going with this line of questioning. "Kenny, do you know what a mercenary is?" His eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped, but he gathered himself together quickly. "Paid soldier," he muttered, but he said it like he was asking me. "Very good. Now, if I told you that I could find anyone, that I had access to just about everything about you, what would you say?" I asked him, tilting my head at him. He didn't answer me, so I went on. "Knowing what we did to Rusty, to every

member of that fucked up D.O.A. group, and how we tortured you and your little friends at the cabin...what do you think I'd do if I really wanted to know something important, Kenny?" He glanced nervously around the room, obviously confused and unaware of just what I had on him. Sam snickered, shaking his head, which caused Eleazar and my father to look at him curiously. I cleared my throat, tugging out the folded piece of paper. I took my time spreading it out and smoothing it in front of me. I locked gazes with Kenny, unable to hide my sneer at the next question I asked. "Who is...Ruby Abrams?" I grinned when Kenny lost his shit. I stood up from my chair, because the young man was fighting the cuffs and chains that held him to the floor and table. I laughed, glancing up at Sam, who shot me a wink. "You leave her the fuck alone!" Kenny spat at me, looking almost feral with his temper. "She's got nothin' to do with this shit!" I slammed my hands down onto the table. "You answer my fucking questions, and I'll think about it!" I growled back at him. "Answer me honestly and without the goddamn attitude, and I won't take a trip to..."I paused, reading the paper again "Rising Sun Nursing Home and visit your little old grandmother." "I should fucking kill you!" he screamed at me, his face garnet as he fought uselessly against his cuffs. I wouldn't dare touch a hair on the old lady's head, but Kenny didn't know that, and I was about to use that shit to my fucking advantage. I walked quickly around the table, slamming his head down onto the hard metal surface and holding him there. "You could try. Hell, I'd love for them to take the restraints off of you, because I can't wait to hear the sound of your neck breaking in my hands. You touched my family, you stupid motherfucker," I snarled in his face. "I've killed men for less offenses, and as far as I'm concerned, you've lived too fucking long. But I'm not fucking kidding you... If you don't give me what I want, I'll pay Ruby a visit. I'll sneak in through her window in the middle of the night or slip something into her morning meal... Maybe I'll just cut off her oxygen supply. Understand me?" I asked, but he didn't say anything. "Are we fucking clear?" I yelled in his ear, slamming his head onto the table again and squeezing his neck harder. "Yeah...Yes! Jesus, fuck... What the hell do you want to know?" I shoved off of him, barely able to stop myself from killing him right there. "Where the fuck is Walter going next, Kenny?" I asked, having to take two steps back in order to maintain my control. "I'm not sure," he groaned, flinching when I slammed my hand down on the table beside him. "Not fucking good enough," I sneered. "Give me something, asshole." I slid the background check on Ruby Abrams closer to him, and he whimpered, his face now pouring sweat. Apparently, the only person on this goddamn planet that could get to Kenny Porter was a little old lady in her eighties, currently living in a nursing home, who loved to play Penny Bingo on fucking Monday nights. According to the background check on the table, she was the only one who gave two shits about the idiot in front of me. She took care of him when no one else did. It almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. "Look," he whined, breaking his gaze away from the picture of his grandmother to blink up at me. "I'm not lying when I say I don't know what building he was gonna blow. I know that Lilith had her own shit to take care of with the money we were supposed to get from you guys. Some drug thing. But Walter told us about a place up north...way up north. Canada. How the fuck he was going to get us there without any money, I had no fucking clue, but he said it would be his hideout until shit cooled down. After the train station, and then you guys showed up on the mountain, he knew he had to chill out for a bit." I stood up straight, turning to Eleazar and my father, the latter of whom stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Kenny," he said, using a much calmer tone that I'd been using, "if Walter needed money, who would he go to? Who would loan it to him or back his operation?" "His parents," Kenny stated with a shrug. "No go on that one," Eleazar answered. "I've got them in protective custody. I thought the same thing, so I pulled them the same day I pulled Kurt's family." "Yeah, he'd kill his dad for a dollar. He was pissed that Daddy cut the purse strings," Kenny snorted, rolling his eyes. "Then, I don't know... I mean, there was this call he'd take all the time. He'd never let us hear him not even Lilith. Rusty and I joked that he had another chick on the side, you know?" he chuckled nervously, looking up at my dad, who nodded for him to continue. "But the way he would answer it... The calls made him nervous, like whoever was on the other line was in charge or some shit."

I exhaled roughly, looking up at my dad, and then back to Kenny. "Did Walter know any other D.O.A. members? Like, groups from out of state?" I asked, thinking maybe Jasper's theory was right, that Walter was being used by another splinter group. "Maybe," Kenny said with a shrug. "I mean, some of the guys on the mountain were from out of state. You'll never know, because you killed them." I laughed softly. "Not that you give a shit, right?" "Aw, hell, no," he scoffed, shaking his head. "I couldn't fucking care less. I just wanted in on the money." He sighed, looking away from us. I leaned into Eleazar's ear, whispering, "Walter will re-group in Canada. He's got someone backing him or some shit supplying him with fire and man power. Sounds like Walter owes a lot of fucking people." "I think you're right," he sighed, shaking his head. "God, I hope those girls can find out who, though." I smiled, slapping his shoulder. "Have faith, El. Have you ever seen all of them at work?" ~oOo~

BELLA
"Here, Mommy, I'll do it!" Bethy chirped eagerly from the chair she was standing on. I chuckled, handing her the picture Alice had just printed. Even my baby girl was working hard today. "Thanks, pretty girl," I said, still chuckling as she pinned the paper to the bulletin board. I looked around the room, sighing in weariness. My back gave a slight twinge, but I shook it off. Rose was deep into research on the D.O.A. in Texas, Florida, and Georgia, Alice was using two computers at the same time, comparing images on the Canadian cabin, Makenna was on the phone, trying her best to get me in touch with the officer that had once arrested John Ervin, and Mickey was pulling phone records for every phone that Walter had ever used. "Bellissima, take a break, yeah?" Alec asked softly from my side. I shook my head, taking a deep breath and looking up at him. "I can't, Alec. I don't have time to relax. I want this over and done with. One little piece of information could be the key to stopping Walter and Lilith, and I don't want to miss it." "At least sit down," he urged, not arguing with me. "Eddie'll kick my ass for letting you wear yourself out, especially after yesterday." I snickered, knowing he was probably right on some level. "Okay," I said with a smile, easing down into one of the conference chairs in front of my laptop. "Bells!" Mack called. "I got him! He's on line two!" "Finally," I growled, rolling my eyes and pulling the phone to me. "Officer Duncan?" I asked, picking up my pen and dragging my notebook closer. "Well, not anymore," the deep voice sounded over the line with a chuckle. "It's Lieutenant Duncan now." "Oh, sorry," I laughed softly. "My name's Isabella Cullen with Gravity Investigations, and I'm looking into a group that call themselves the Disciples of America. My research led me to a man by the name of John Dwight Ervin. You arrested him once on a few things, and I was wondering if you could tell me anything about him." "Ervin, Ervin..." he mused on the other end. "Hang on, I'll pull up the name." I could hear him typing, humming a bit to himself. "John Ervin... Oh, yeah! He was arrested for not having a permit for a fundraiser, but...there was more to it than that, if I'm remembering correctly. Something about that fundraiser made the townsfolk nervous. A bunch of men, some of them armed to the teeth, all looking like they were about to go hunting and not for deer, if you catch my drift." I huffed, nodding to myself that it sounded like them. "Anyway," he sighed, "we broke it up the best and most legal way we could." "What do you remember about Ervin?" I asked him. "Strange fellow. Didn't like the police, that was for sure. Looked like he was about a decade behind in clothes. I mean, this was what...the late eighties? And he still looked like one of those hippies from the seventies thick beard, long hair, sandals." "Did he live around there that you know of?" I asked, sounding frustrated, I was sure, "because I'm not finding anything on him. It's like he fell off the face of the Earth."

Duncan chuckled. "There was a rumor that the group we broke up all lived on the same ranch just outside town. There wasn't much we could do about it, and small town people will talk, you know?" "Okay." I brightened a bit, snapping my fingers to Makenna. I wrote down the name of the town with the word "ranch" next to it, sending her back to her computer. "What about a wife and kids?" "Yeah, a son. He was there when we made the arrest. I remember that, because Ervin just about pitched a fit when we threatened to call Children's Services on him. Different last name..." he mused, typing on his computer again. "John Dwight Thornhill... that's it. Rumor has it that Ervin got a woman pregnant, and he didn't know about his son until she just showed up, dropping him off. I guess the son kept his mother's name. Though..." He paused, typing some more. "He goes by Johnny." "No wonder we couldn't find him," I gushed, setting the phone on my shoulder and tugging my computer to me. I pulled up my own search. "Janice Thornhill didn't put Ervin on the birth certificate as the father." I clicked through, finding the same address of the ranch that Duncan had mentioned. "Lieutenant, is that ranch still there? I mean, is it still working?" "It's still standing, if that's what you're asking," he answered. "We haven't been called out there in ages." I sighed, rubbing my temple. "You don't think they're both still there, do you? I mean, this group...this D.O.A. seems to have spread up here to Washington, and it looks like they've become more intense." "I could check it out, Mrs. Cullen," he suggested. "I have a few minutes today. Plus, I've got to head out that way to serve a summons to court." "Do not go alone," I urged more harshly than I'd intended. "Please, Lieutenant. Take more than just one officer with you." "What aren't you telling me?" he said, his voice growing a little stern. "That this group isn't as...laid back as they let people think. It's not about a love of guns or hunting or even a dislike for the government. The splinter group up here was planning a bomb threat." "Aw, hell," he sighed. "So much for my lunch date with Roberta." I smiled, because the Lieutenant sounded like a pretty damn nice man. "Sorry, sir." He chuckled, saying, "Aw, after twenty two years of being married to me, she's used to disappointment." I giggled, shaking my head. "Will you do me a huge favor and call me after you go out there?" "Yes, ma'am, I sure will," he said, and I could still hear the smile in his voice. "And Lieutenant, please...please be careful," I begged, hating the thought of sending him out there without protection, other than whatever officers he decided to take with him. "Yes, ma'am, sure will," he assured me, and we ended the call. "Girls!" I snapped, and the activity in the computer room came to a halt, all four girls coasting their chairs around me. "We may have something," I sighed, pulling up a screen that held Johnny Thornhill's background check on it. "This," I said, pointing to the screen, "is John Dwight Ervin's son. I need everything on him. Rose," I said, looking over my shoulder at her, "see what connections you find between him and the D.O.A." "On it," she said, pushing her way back to her computer. "Mickey, see if you can narrow phone records down to Walter and this guy," I said with a shrug. "I don't know if you can, but give it a shot." She nodded and rolled away. "Mack," I sighed, rubbing my temple again. "You sit with me. We're about to scan through some criminal records. I see that Thornhill's had some trouble." "Sure, Bellsy," she said, pulling herself closer to my right. "Alice, don't stop what you're doing. Get Edward all the info he needs. I have a funny feeling about that cabin up north," I told her. "Something tells me we're about to head that way." "I'm almost done," she called, dragging her chair back to her desk and leaving it. She picked up a few pages off the printer. "I've got his coordinates, an aerial shot though it's tough to see with all the trees around it and his thermal image. There's no one up there now," she stated, walking to the bulletin board, where my daughter helped her pin the pages to the cork. I pulled up a search screen, looking to Mack out of the corner of my eye. "You've seen pictures of all the members that we took care of at the mountain cabin, yes?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said with a nod. "Definitely. So what are you looking to do? Match someone from our raid to someone in Thornhill's past?" "That's exactly what we're going to do," I sighed, settling in for a frustrating search. Alec, Emmett, and Jasper immediately started studying the cabin and the surrounding area in Canada. They sat at the other end of the conference table going over "what if" situations if we had to go in, if Edward flew a recon flight over it, and if Walter and Lilith were up there. They were taking a military stance on it, but they wanted to be prepared. Bethy sat down next to me with her paper and her crayons, coloring away. If she was bored, I wouldn't have known it. In all honesty, I think she was just happy that one of her parents was home. She probably would have been just as content had Edward been sitting in my chair instead. I didn't know how long we all worked in almost silence, barely speaking. Bethy hummed to herself, the boys whispered to each other, drawing out scenarios, and the sound of keyboards tapping and mice clicking rattled around us all. The door opened, and we all looked up to see Esme bringing in a large tray of food with a baby monitor for Caleb clipped to her belt. Sandwiches were stacked high on a platter that she set in the center of the conference table. "I wasn't sure if any of you were ever going to see the light of day, considering the sun is about to set, so I thought I'd at least keep you nourished," she chuckled, giving me a wink. "Yay!" Bethy cheered, hopping down from her chair and scurrying over to where the boys were already diving in. I grinned when I watched Alec help make her a plate. When it came to food, my Italian friend took it oh so seriously. I glanced up at Esme. "Thanks." "Mmhm," she sighed with a smirk on her face, taking the seat that Bethy had just vacated. Her eyes followed Makenna as she left the two of us. "Eat, Bella," she commanded, pointing to the food. "I'm not kidding." My eyebrows raised high, because I'd seen that knowing look before. In fact, I'd seen it almost four years prior when she figured out I was pregnant with Bethy. "You know," I breathed, my mouth hanging open. "Did Edward..." "Only after I beat it out of him," she laughed, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear. "I'm so happy for the two of you that it's all I can do not to squeeze the stuffing out of you in front of everyone, but I will snatch you up by the ear...if you don't eat something!" I laughed, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "I love you. Have I told you lately?" She scoffed, but she grinned up at me. "I want a boy," she whispered urgently with a raised eyebrow, but her gaze was warm and happy. I laughed again, my head falling back. "You and me both," I giggled, thinking a tiny Edward clone would just about be the cutest thing ever. Visions of little black baseball caps, small cargo shorts, and tiny hiking boots just about caused me to squeal, but I maintained, because it was still so damned early. I got up and grabbed a sandwich, some chips, and a bottle of water, falling back down in the chair next to her. "How do you feel, sweetie?" she asked in all seriousness. "My back is achy, my eyes are watering from staring at these computers, and I'm exhausted, but I'm okay," I told her, taking a big bite of sandwich. "And not being able to go on the next mission?" she asked, tilting her head at me. "Is killing me," I groaned, giving her a worried glance. "I've never...not been with him. That really scares me. And if this goes the way I think it will, they'll be taking that Canadian cabin without me." She grimaced, probably just as worried about Carlisle as I was about Edward. She took a deep breath and let it out. "But you'll run the information team?" "At Aunt Kate's...yes." I took another drink of water. "I think he was expecting me to fight him," I sighed, shaking my head. "And there's a part of me that wants to fight him on this, but..." I paused, glancing over at Bethy, who was happily feeding her Uncle Alec potato chips one by one. "I can't do that to her. If something goes wrong..." "Then you leave her with no one," Esme concluded sadly. "I can't do that to her, Esme," I breathed, tears filling my eyes, "but what if... I mean, if he doesn't come home..."

She winced, taking my now empty plate from me and setting it on the table. Loudly, she said, "Come with me. I want to check that back of yours." She was giving me an out, and she was getting me away from everyone so that we could truly talk. She understood our wishes of keeping the pregnancy a secret, simply because it was so soon, so she quietly led me from the office to my house. She placed me gently on a stool in my kitchen, brushing my hair from my face. "I'll die if something happens to him," I sobbed, looking up at her. "Bethy needs her dad... This one needs him," I cried, rubbing my stomach. She wrapped me up in a hug, enveloping me in comfort. She soothed me with kisses to the top of my head and gentle fingers through my hair, telling me that Edward was just as scared, just as determined to stay safe for me and Bethy and our new little one. "And it doesn't help that I'm this one second," I sniffled, gesturing to myself and wiping my eyes as I rolled them, "and just normal the next." Esme chuckled, kissing my forehead. "It's okay, Bella," she said, still chuckling. "But I want you to see your doctor before we leave...if we leave. Okay?" I nodded, tucking my hair behind my ears. "Now...I wasn't kidding," she huffed, turning me around. "Let me see that back." I started to lift my shirt, but the slamming of the screen door caught both of our attention. "Mommy!" Bethy called, looking frantic. "Right here, pretty girl," I called her, and the sound of her little sneakers on the floor got closer. "Hey, hey," I said, getting down from the stool and scooping her up. "You're okay. I'm right here." "I didn't know you left!" she chided, shaking her head, and I couldn't help but smile, because left had started with a W, but her little chin was trembling as she gripped my shirt in two tight fists. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I said, sitting back down. "Gamma was just making sure my bruise was getting better. You want to keep me company, make me feel better?" I asked her, kissing her little nose. "Yeah," she whispered, nodding slowly and settling on my lap as Esme lifted the back of my shirt. "Does it hurt?" "A little, yeah," I giggled, wincing when Esme put a little pressure on it. Two small hands grabbed my face, making me look at her. "Daddy says if you don't think about it, it doesn't hurt," she said wisely. I grinned down at her, hearing Esme's chuckle behind me. "Daddy should know," I told Bethy. "He's no stranger to being hurt." Bethy smiled, all sweet and crooked, just like Edward. Deep green eyes watched my face as Esme examined my back. She soothed me with soft touches to my face and fingers through my hair. She even wiped away a tear I'd missed. "Don't cry, Mommy. It's almost over," Bethy whispered. "Why's Mommy crying?" we heard from the doorway, and we all turned to see Edward walking in, his face filling with concern at the sight in front of him. "She's not, baby," I told him. "Hi, Daddy," Bethy chirped, but made no move to get down. "Hey, my girls," he purred, kissing us both, but looked over my head to Esme. "Everything okay?" "She's fine, son," Esme chuckled, pulling my shirt back down gently. "I just wanted to see how that bruise looked." She walked around to face me. "I know it's tender, sweetie. Take a bath tonight; it'll help you sleep. Okay?" "Okay," I agreed, burying my nose in Bethy's hair, before placing a kiss to the top of her head. "Bethy, why don't you come with me? Hmm? You can help me clean up after all the pigs that just raided my food," she told her, holding out a hand for her. "Okay, Gamma," she said, wriggling down from my lap. "Does that make me a pig? I ate, too!" "Absolutely," Esme laughed, and they both disappeared through the screen door.

"You were crying, love. Why?" Edward asked softly, tracing a finger gently under my eye. "A minor freak out moment, Edward," I huffed, shrugging. "They're bound to happen with more frequency now." He chuckled and stepped closer so that he was between my legs. He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest, my fingers tugging him closer by his belt loops. God, he smelled like home and comfort, like sex and want, like...ketchup. I pulled back, looking at his shirt. "Problem with your lunch, baby?" "Eleazar slammed on the brakes. I lost a French fry," he explained with a grin. I giggled up at him, shaking my head. Sometimes, he honestly reminded me of the thirteen year old I'd met so long ago all goofy and awkward, simple and sweet. "How'd it go?" I asked, wrapping my legs around his so he couldn't go anywhere. I wanted him right where he was. "We think it's Canada," he murmured, gazing down at me. I took a deep breath and let it out, nodding once. "I figured. I think Alice has your info..." I started, but the door slammed open, Makenna rushing in. "Bells, that Texas cop is on the line! He said he's got something for you," she gushed, her cheeks pink from rushing to me. "Shit," I hissed, easing down from my stool. "That didn't take long." "Baby, I'll be right there," Edward said, reaching back to grab his shirt and tug it off over his head as he walked into the laundry room. The office was much more crowded when I walked back in. Eleazar and Carlisle were huddled with Kurt in the corner. Sam was now looking over the cabin layout with Alec, Emmett, and Jasper, and Edward rushed in, wearing a clean t-shirt. My girls were huddled over one computer in the office, with Bethy and Esme, talking loudly. I reached for the phone, but realized that I wouldn't have been able to hear shit. "Guys!" I snapped, shaking my head, and the office sank into silence. I picked up the receiver. "Lieutenant? Everything okay?" "Mrs. Cullen, you were right," he started. "John Ervin was living out there, and from the looks of it, so were a lot of other people. It was like a commune out there. Complete with...cemetery and everything." "Oh," I said, my eyebrows raising. "So Ervin's dead?" "Looks that way, ma'am, but it also looks like the place was just abandoned. I mean there was still fresh food in the fridge and the garbage hadn't even started to smell yet. And I'm no expert, but I think there was heavy ammo stored out there, including TNT." I let out a breath. "Damn," I groaned, thinking this shit was starting all over. "I'm pretty sure where they went, too. What about Thornhill?" "No sign of him." Mickey rushed to me, slapping down a piece of paper. She had traced phone records to the ranch in Texas and back to Shady Glen during the time that Walter had worked there. She'd also traced calls to Walter's parents and a cell phone he used to have. "Thank you, Lieutenant," I sighed, because I knew we'd found our answer. "Anytime, ma'am, and good luck," he said, ending the call. All eyes were on me as I hung up the phone, but I turned to Mickey. "You're absolutely sure?" "Yeah, definitely," she said, turning to Rose and Makenna. "And that's not all." Mack stepped forward, slapping down one picture after the other. "Texas, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Texas...all at the mountain cabin," she stated, looking up at me. "All dead." "And all connected to Thornhill," Rose added, slapping down another piece of paper on top of everything else. "Arrested multiple times for inciting riots, illegal gun trading, having a concealed weapon without a license...on and on and on." "But..." Alice rushed forward and added the final piece of paper that completely sealed my suspicions. "He's loaded...more money than he knows what to do with. It was the ranch that made it, and then he inherited it from Ervin. According to this, it wasn't always in the bank, but now it is." I rubbed my face, and then shuffled through all of the evidence in front of me. I shook my head slowly. "Then all we need is

an alert when they cross the border," I mumbled. I glanced up to Carlisle, and then Edward. "Did you get anything from Kenny?" "Yeah, we think someone is backing Walter...or that he's borrowing money from someone...either way, he's answering to someone else, someone in charge. He's going to use the cabin in Canada to stay until the heat blows over," Edward explained, his eyes darting to the pile of paperwork in front of me. "I think he's answering to Johnny Thornhill," I stated, looking around the room. "John Ervin's son." I sorted all the paperwork into stacks as everyone took a seat at the table. I slapped down the photos of the dead D.O.A. members, pointing to each one. "These were at the mountain top cabin. All from out of state, all arrested with Thornhill or Ervin at some point," I stated, pushing the photos forward. "The ones from Texas came from this ranch Ervin's ranch." I pulled down a picture of the large property and slapped it down onto the table. "The phone linked to this ranch made phone calls to Shady Glen and to Walter's parents home," I added, setting down the page that Mickey had given me, "not to mention Walter's legit cell phone before he shut it off. "The money Walter needs is coming from this account," I continued, picking up the financial statement Alice had pulled. "But it's the phone call I just received that worries me," I sighed, shaking my head. "If my original research is correct, then John Ervin started the D.O.A. in the mid- to late seventies. He took himself away from society, opting to live off the land, avoid the government, and protest anti-gun laws. He was a hippie, basically. No harm, no foul. But his son, on the other hand, isn't so...passive." I slapped down Thornhill's criminal record. "He's been arrested in Texas, Florida, and Georgia. In fact, according to this, he's still wanted in Florida. I think he's Walter's boss. I think he's the one starting these splinter groups, but he's not doing it the way his father did. He's more violent, according to his record." I shook the page in my hand. "And the call, sweetness?" Edward asked tentatively. I wrinkled my nose. "The ranch is abandoned. Empty. Like in the last few days, empty. And that was Johnny Thornhill's last know whereabouts." They all started to talk, but I held up my hands. "Wait...I'm not done. The officer I just got off the phone with found traces of heavy ammo and...TNT. They're going to re-group." I sat down heavily in my chair, because I was done, spent. And the mere thought of another fight like we'd already had just scared the shit out of me, because I couldn't help them more than over the radio this time. The room broke apart in several different conversations. Eleazar was immediately on the phone, requesting alert at the border for Thornhill. Alec, Sam, Jasper, and Emmett all dove back into planning the cabin raid in earnest. But it was Carlisle's phone call that caught my attention; he was already letting Aunt Kate know we were coming. All of us. Edward appeared in front of me, kneeling down to look me in the eye. "You're done, love. That's enough for today, okay? You girls did fantastic, baby, but I want you to rest. You didn't sleep well last night." I nodded, cupping his face. "I'm so fucking scared, Edward," I whispered, shaking my head. "This will be different than the mountain cabin. This won't be homeless people and criminals and people recruited from Shady Glen. This will be people that have trained for this shit." He picked up my hands and kissed each one, leaning in to then kiss my lips. "Yup, you're probably right, sweetness. But so have I." His eyes were fierce and dark, leaving no doubt that he was determined to end this. As sweet as my husband was, I could easily forget he had the ability to kill a man with his bare hands. He could fly a helicopter, take apart an automatic weapon and put it back together again in mere seconds, and still hold his daughter when she slept. He could build an infant's crib with astonishing detail, and had the knowledge to blow up a small village. He could pull the trigger at an enemy, and he could soothe my very soul when I was falling apart. "I love you," I sighed, shaking my head, because I just didn't have anything else to say. "I love you, too, Bella," he chuckled, sensing I was losing it. He helped me to my feet, bending to my ear. "Bath. Bed. No arguing." He turned from me, calling our daughter and scooping her up when she happily ran to him. "Let's go take care of Mommy. What do you say, little sweetness?" She grinned at him and nodded. "Gamma said she's suh-posed to take a baff." Edward chuckled, kissing the side of her head. "That's right! She did," he sang, giving me a pointed glare. I rolled my eyes at the both of them ganging up on me, but giggled anyway, letting them lead me away from talks of fighting and weapons and planning if only for one night.

A/N... So they're going to Aunt Kate's. I know some of you have asked about her, and believe me, she's been missed. So Walter wasn't acting alone, though Lilith was along for the ride...and now SHE has a gang calling in a hit on her. Bella's chat with Esme was important, because her worst fear is losing Edward, but leaving Bethy alone overrides that fear. Up next is getting ready to leave, the last doc visit before they go, and a reappearance of Pilotward... Gotta love him flying, yes? :) I need to thank JenRar for her quick beta skills. To GooberLou, who pre-reads this shit, and lets me root around in her brain. And MedusaInNY for helping with my blog and many more things. My thoughts are with those that are dealing with this storm or the aftermath. Being from Florida, I'm used to it, but it still can get scary. Chapter 18 is done, so the next posting will be Wednesday. Let me know what you think. We've got a fight coming, so I'm pretty sure some of you are worried. So until Wednesday... Later. :)

*Chapter 18*: Chapter 18

A/N...Have you guys figured out that there's an extreme calm before the storm? Hmm, yeah. So this chapter is about the doctor visit and getting to Aunt Kate's, but it's also about just our little family. A moment of peace before leaving their home. It was a runaway chapter for me, once again, but it mixed in with my timeline very well. I'll let you guys get to it. Remember, no one but Esme knows about the pregnancy outside of Bella and Edward. Let's see if that lasts, huh? ;)
CHAPTER 18

BELLA
"Because that's how I said it's fucking going to go!" Edward snapped, running a hand through his hair. "We will join you in Alaska in two fucking days. Not even that maybe a day and a half." I winced, because he was protecting me. I needed to see the doctor before we went to Aunt Kate's, but he wasn't explaining why we would be late to Carlisle and Eleazar, who had acquired a private flight for everyone to go and wanted Edward to fly as an escort over them once they landed. "Hey," I sighed, and Edward's head snapped around to look at me. "Easy, Edward." I turned to El and Carlisle. "If we leave in the morning, instead of now, then Edward and I can fly over Walter's cabin to get those pictures for you. And I promised Esme that I'd see my regular doctor about my back before we left," I lied smoothly. Edward smirked, hiding it well even as he glared over at the two men, but he didn't say anything. "But you're okay, right, sweetheart?" Carlisle verified, his eyes changing from harsh and frustrated, to warm and worried. "I'm fine, but I promised her, Carlisle," I urged, pouring on the begging face. "Otherwise, you can explain to her why I didn't do as she asked." "Oh, hell, no," he chuckled, finally holding up his hands in surrender. "I just didn't want you guys to worry, so I asked Edward to keep it between us. He was only doing what I asked of him. But in all reality, it works out for the better, because we can get those pics for you before we get there," I explained, shrugging one shoulder. "Besides, I need to get Bethy ready for this trip, Poppy." "You," Carlisle growled playfully, pointing a finger at me, "don't play fair." "And you will have America's Most Deadly around you," I giggled back at him. "I think you'll be okay from the airport to the farm." "I just don't Walter and these assholes from Texas to have too much time to get comfortable, Bella," Carlisle explained. "They think Thornhill passed through the border a few days ago." "I know," I soothed him, "but if we give them this window of opportunity, then we'll catch that much more on Edward's camera when we finally fly over. Don't you think?" Carlisle made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a growl. He wasn't angry; I knew him well enough to know that. He was on the same page with Edward and me, just wanting all this shit over before they had a chance to finish whatever little fucked up plans they started. Eleazar sighed, a smile playing on his face. "I, for one, am not fighting my sister on this shit," he snickered, shaking his head at our laughter. "Not a chance in hell. And I'd rather have you ship-shape when we go anyway," he muttered, and my eyes shot to Edward, who flinched and locked eyes with me briefly. I knew they all assumed aside from Esme that I'd be right by Edward's side when they took that cabin, and I really wasn't sure how they'd react when I told them I was leading the info team instead. As much as I wanted to fight fucking hard right by my husband's side, I had Bethy to consider and now my new little one on the way if something went wrong. The closer we got to leaving for Alaska, the better Edward's suggestion of letting El and Carlisle finish it all sounded. I was terrified to let Edward out of my sight. Eleazar turned to Edward, saying, "Fine, no more than two days. It's not the escort from the airport I'm worried about; it's the leaving the three of you behind unprotected, because we're sealing your place up when we leave. I need the men that have been stationed here." Edward nodded, a dip appearing between his eyebrows. "We'll be okay. It seems they aren't willing to come to us again anyway." He glanced up at me, and then to his dad. "If we finish early, we'll call in and head your way immediately."

Carlisle considered it, looking from me to Edward and back again. His brow furrowed, but he nodded, walking to the door of the office and opening it to reveal everyone that had been avoiding the small blowup now standing in my yard, waiting. They had all scattered to the four winds once Edward and his dad had started yelling. They wanted no part of it. Personally, neither gruff, cranky men scared me. "Load 'em up, and move 'em out," he ordered, not looking back. People scattered in several directions, tearing down the temporary tent, packing up weapons and duffel bags, and loading computer equipment into the backs of Eleazar's SUVs. The headquarters that my home had become was being dismantled. "Sweetness, you ready?" Edward asked softly in my ear. "We can pack when we get back from the doctor." I nodded, clearing my throat. "Yeah, let's get Bethy, and we'll go." We were taking Bethy with us, because I just couldn't stand the thought of seeing her leave with her grandparents. I couldn't do it. I had practically made myself sick with the decision, finally giving in to what I wanted. She was too vulnerable, too clingy to me and Edward for me to send her on a fucking plane without us. I took solace in the fact that the doctor's office had a small play area for her, and that she loved flying with Edward. Otherwise, I would have waited for the examination until after Alaska altogether. We found our daughter talking poor Uncle Alec's head off, while Esme looked on in amusement in our kitchen as Bethy ate a bowl of oatmeal. "I can't wait to see if Aunt Kate has any new puppies and see the pigs and sheep and chickens. And I hope Goliaff hasn't missed me," she said, the last part making Edward chuckle softly behind me, because he adored Goliath, the gorgeous black horse that won me over instantly with his funny personality. "Pretty girl," I chuckled, smiling when her head spun around. "Go get your shoes. We need to get going, so we can get back and pack up, okay?" "We're not going wiff Gamma?" "No, little sweetness," Edward told her, scooping her up off the stool. "We're meeting them at Aunt Kate's, but we have to run an errand first. I'm flying us there when we're done." "And I'm your co-pilot," she stated with a thumb to her chest, which made me want to squeeze them both half to death. "Always, baby," he chuckled, bending her upside down so that he could kiss her neck loudly. She was squealing mess by the time he brought her back up, her face crimson and happy. "Go. Get. Shoes," he growled playfully at her. She giggled, pushing at his shoulders until he set her on her bare feet, and I could hear them slapping the hard floors all the way down the hallway. "God, I love that kid," Alec laughed, shaking his head and setting his coffee cup down. "I guess we'll see you up there. Fly safe, kid," he said, slapping Edward on the shoulder. "You too, Bellissima," he said with a kiss to my cheek, before joining the packing crew outside. I looked to Esme. "I need to give you fair warning... We kinda threw you under the bus with Carlisle. I told him that you said I had to see my doctor about my back before we left, so that's why we're going to be a day or so late getting up there." She laughed, setting Bethy's breakfast bowl in the sink. "I'm sure he didn't argue." "Uh, no," Edward and I said at the same time. "See? Well, then, whatever works," she chuckled. "I can take the heat, guys." She knelt down when Bethy reappeared, bright yellow Chucks in hand. "Come love on me, sweet one. I've got to go." "Love you," Bethy sang, giggling when Esme smooched and tickled her at the same time. "Come here, baby," I said, picking her up and setting her on the edge of the counter. "Nice match, pretty girl," I chuckled, holding up the yellow sneakers, because they matched with her bright yellow floral shirt and the rubber bands at the ends of her braids. I pushed her jeans up, tugging on her socks and shoes, tying them tight. By the time I was done, Edward had pulled on a jacket and was handing me my nine mil. "Really?" I asked, tucking it into the small of my back, concealed by my jacket. "Nowhere without it, love," he reminded gently. "I meant it." I nodded, setting Bethy down onto the floor. "I can't imagine that I need to shoot anyone at the doctor's office," I muttered, which caused Edward to chuckle.

The drive into Seattle was quiet. Bethy babbled about things she could see out the window. We'd bought her one of those DVD players, but it just wasn't her thing. She liked real, she liked shit that she could see, and she liked anything her parents were doing, even if that was just listening to the radio. "She's recognizing every day words now," I chuckled, looking back at her with pride as Bethy pointed out fast food restaurants, stop signs, and billboards. "She knew the numbers to the hotel rooms Lilith was keeping you in," he said with a laugh. "Nothing shocks me anymore." I grinned, looking over at him as he pulled into the parking lot of my doctor's office. "Ready for this again?" I giggled. "Oh God, so ready, baby," he groaned, turning off the engine, his face almost pained as he carefully placed his hand over my stomach, leaning across the SUV's console and kissing my lips softly. He pressed his forehead to mine, and I locked eyes with deep, loving green. Edward had so much love to give that adding to his family just about made him insanely happy. "Come on, handsome," I sighed softly, giving his lips a quick kiss. "Let's go get poked and prodded." "Isn't that what got you here?" he asked wickedly, his mouth curling up into a naughty ass smile. I laughed and shoved him away, opening my door. "As a matter of fact, yes!" His deep, sexy laugh barely stopped as he unbuckled our daughter from her car seat and set her down onto the asphalt. She took both our hands, and Edward held the door for us as we walked into the waiting room. He and Bethy took a seat while I walked up to the desk to sign in. The nurse behind the counter looked like someone had stunned her, and my eyebrows shot up high when I realized it was my husband that had her completely mesmerized. It was something I was used to, because he was absolutely gorgeous, without a doubt. Add the little sweet clone on his lap, and he created fodder for fantasizing females everywhere. I understood it. In fact, I couldn't blame them. The beautiful part was that all the credit went to Edward. He was completely and utterly ignorant to every stare, every gasp, every bite on a bottom lip, every roaming eye that took in his entire being, and every groan that he had the ability to bring out in women. His whole world was me and the little chatterbox on his lap, and anything outside of that just wasn't important to him. That being said, that didn't mean that these women didn't...try. I'd seen waitresses slip him phone numbers, cashiers drop every penny in their hand so they could show off their cleavage, and don't get me started on what his mere presence could do when he worked out at a hotel gym something I'd almost put an end to the last time we took a trip. One poor girl just about fell off the fucking treadmill as he lifted weights in the corner. He was innocently deadly, and that just made him all the more attractive. I glanced back to the chairs, seeing what the nurse saw, and sighed, because he was just breathtaking. Wearing black jeans, a white, untucked button down, and a black leather jacket, he spoke quietly with Bethy, keeping her occupied and happy. But it was more than that. It was the tug on her braid, the deep chuckle she evoked out of him, or the poke to her little tummy. And it absolutely was the stunning, happy, panty dampening smile that he wore. I turned back to the nurse, noting that her name was Mindy. She was looking at him differently than most women; she looked at him like she knew him. I cleared my throat, sliding the clipboard I'd signed back to her. Mindy's eyes shot to mine, her cheeks reddening at having been caught staring. She was a very pretty woman, about my own age, with long, light brown hair. She glanced down at my name, her face paling at the sight of it. "Have a seat, M-Mrs. Cullen," she whispered, a sweat breaking out on her forehead. "We'll call you when we're ready." I pursed my lips, tilting my head at her, because her eyes shot back to Edward briefly. "Do you know him?" I asked, not upset about it, because I was secure enough to know where Edward's heart lay. "Once," she said, but shook her head. "A long time ago." She greeted the next patient, a woman with a little boy, who Bethy was already making friends with, and I smiled when she ran off to the small play area with him. My daughter wasn't shy. At all. Mindy shot another glance our way as Edward draped an arm around my shoulders and placed a hand on my leg when I took a seat next to him. I frowned, folding my arms across my chest, shaking my head. I knew of Edward's past with women. In fact, we'd run into a few since we'd been married. Two had been pretty cool, with an "it's all in the past" type of attitude. One had been angry at the sight of him, because he'd jilted her pretty badly. This one was different. "What's this?" Edward asked, rubbing at the dip between my brows.

"Do you know her?" I blurted out suddenly, turning my head to him. His eyebrows shot up, and his head turned toward the front desk as Mindy spoke on the phone, his eyes narrowing in on her. Usually when he ran into past lovers, his face would take on a look of guilt and regret. This time, his face darkened, his brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched. "Yes. Mindy Ryals." "Where?" I asked, trying not to let jealousy take over, because my mouth could not be reined in when my hormones were this out of control. "Forks High, though I'd heard she went to UW," he sighed, gazing back at me, but his eyes were dark, almost angry. "She..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You remember when we first met...my stutter. It was so bad then, worse because my mom had just died, I think." I nodded, relaxing a bit, because this wasn't a past lover. This was something else. "When I first started at Forks, they made fun of the way I talked," he said softly, sounding hurt and vulnerable, and suddenly, I needed to kick someone's ass over it. He nonchalantly pointed toward Mindy. "She was a part of the main group that did it." "Oh ho," I sang, smirking up at him. "Well, she may regret that now." "Don't fucking care," he grunted softly with a frown, giving a glance over to where Bethy was playing with building blocks with the little boy. He turned back to me, saying, "Once the speech therapy started to work, Mindy changed her mind." "Okay, let me see if I can put this shit together," I said gruffly, cupping his still upset face. "You're thirteen, lonely, and stuttering. Your mom just died, your dad moved you to a whole new place, school, and life, but they didn't bother to see any of that. They fucking made fun of you instead," I sneered, my eyes glaring back at the front desk. Edward smirked, kissing my forehead. "Easy, sweetness. I'm over it now. No need to go all protective about it." "Wait," I sang, holding up my hand. "You also probably shot up about four inches overnight, the stutter disappeared, and Mindy over there suddenly thinks you're damn cute." Edward chuckled, his cheeks tinging a touch pink, but nodded his head. "Yeah, that's about right, smart ass." Laughing softly at his name calling, I kissed his cheek. "Well, she got it all backwards. It's the sweet boy with the stutter that I was falling for in my tree house," I huffed, folding my arms across my chest again. His eyes warmed as he brushed a stray hair off of my face. "And I love you for it, baby," he purred in my ear, leaving an over too soon kiss to my neck. "Her loss," I growled low, glaring up at her and leaning into the nuzzling he was giving my neck. "Maybe I will be shooting someone at the doctor's office." Edward snorted into a deep laugh, not removing his lips from my skin, and he immediately reached back to my gun and took it from me. He stowed it quickly so quickly, I wasn't sure if anyone even saw the movement in his jacket pocket. "Just in case," he said, raising a sexy ass eyebrow at me. "Maybe hormones and heavy weaponry isn't a good combo for you right now." I giggled, looking up when another nurse called my name from the doorway to the examination rooms. I turned back to Edward. "I don't need a gun, Edward," I whispered to him, raising my own eyebrow up at him. He hummed sexily, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip, his eyes darkening again. "And as sexy as that thought is, love, she's not worthy of your anger. Go," he said, jerking his chin toward the door. "I'll be back there in a second. Let me grab the little social butterfly over there." I chuckled, glancing at my daughter, who was knocking over a block tower with her little friend. "We'll have to figure out how to distract her, you know." "Yes, ma'am," he said, standing and still chuckling a bit. With one last glance back at my handsome husband now talking to our daughter, I followed the nurse through the doorway. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Let her sleep, baby," Bella whispered as I scooped Bethy up out of her car seat and gently cradled her to my neck, carrying her into the house.

It had been a long day, but a good one, despite the run in at the doctor's office with Mindy, who I'd thoroughly ignored. Bella had guessed correctly, though I'm sure at first she thought the girl to be some past one night stand. Fuck that shit. Mindy had been mean when I'd first moved to Forks, but as I grew and my stutter faded, she had pursued me. Luckily, I had left for military school some time around my junior year. However, seeing her at the doctor's office only proved one thing to me; the only girl that had ever seen through the awkward, stuttering boy was the one that was currently my wife. Bella had accepted me then, and she accepted me now. That's all that fucking mattered to me. Ever. After Bella's appointment, where the doctor said everything looked just perfect, we drove back to Forks to stop off at the pharmacy to pick up Bella's prescriptions. Then the girls wanted to just...be. It had been so long that they'd just been able to be girls and shop, or stop off to eat ice cream, that I couldn't say no. Bella wanted to get Bethy a few things for Alaska, and I felt safe in the small town. They were safe with me that was a fucking fact. And I loved showing off my girls; I had no shame in admitting it. I tagged along, pretending to hate it, but really loving just watching them. They both wore big smiles as they picked up books, clothes, and more furniture for Bethy's dollhouse, the latter of which I was informed needed to be loaded onto the chopper to make the trip, or life just couldn't go on. There weren't many shops, but I was pretty sure we saw all of them, including the diner when my wife's stomach growled like an angry bear, much to mine and Bethy's amusement. By the time we made it home, my daughter was what Uncle Emmett would say as "down for the count." She was so asleep, she didn't even wake up when I yanked her socks and shoes off, tugged on her pajamas, and tucked her into bed. I walked back into the kitchen to see Bella sorting clothes, already dressed for bed in one of my shirts, and I was sure she was getting some things ready to pack, but I didn't care. "Enough, sweetness," I whispered, taking my t-shirt out of her hands and setting it back down in the laundry basket. "Packing can be done in the morning. I'll help you," I told her, leading her out onto the front porch and settling her against me on the swing. "You have the chopper to get ready tomorrow, Edward," she protested, but her head still fell to my shoulder. I smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I can do both. I'm a big, strong boy, Bella." She giggled, but finally said, "Okay." I shifted us around, laying down and pulling her on top of me, keeping a foot on the floor to push us. I honestly thought she'd fallen asleep, but she finally lifted her head to look at me. "It's really quiet," she said softly, her nose wrinkling. I nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. "With everyone gone...yeah." I sighed in contentment for the first time in a long time, tracing my fingers across her eyebrow, down her nose, and along her bottom lip. "You're so fucking beautiful, baby. I swear it hurts to look at you sometimes." She smiled a placating smile, but said, "Thank you, Edward. You know, you're not so bad yourself." It was always her answer back to me. I chuckled at her, running my hands up and down her sides, avoiding that bruise on her back. She leaned up, kissing me sweetly. And as much as I wanted to just ravish her right there on our front porch, I held back. I knew she was tired, and her occasional winces today told me she was plenty sore, but I just wanted to enjoy the first true alone time we'd had in what seemed to be ages. "Did you think Mindy was..." I started, but she cut me off. "Yeah," she laughed, setting her chin on my chest. "I sure did. Well, until I watched your face when you saw her, and then I knew she was something else to you." Her nose wrinkled adorably, her eyes with a faraway look glazing over them. "God, I don't get it. I mean, I remember you back then. You were funny and smart, sweet, and so very shy." She sighed deeply. "Kids can be so cruel. Jake and I never put up with that shit." "You accept people as they are, love," I said with a shrug, thinking of her immediate acceptance of Sam, specifically, but in all reality, it probably came from her father, Charlie. He and my dad had been friends their whole lives, and they didn't put with bullshit, either. "Some kids don't. I think I turned out okay," I teased with a laugh. "Better than okay," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Even if you still stuttered all the time, I'd still love you," she crooned, kissing my nose. "At least I didn't shoot her," she giggled. "At least," I chuckled. "It was touch and go there for a minute. I wasn't so sure I could stop you." She grinned, biting her bottom lip and shrugging one shoulder. She was quiet for a minute, but finally whispered, "Thank you for today. I know you were hating it..."

"Nah, not hating it," I told her, grinning at her. "It's been so...crazy lately. It was fun to watch you two relax, even if it was only for a day." Bella yawned widely, and I chuckled, sitting up with her. "Bed, baby. It'll be a long day tomorrow." She nodded, not even protesting when I scooped her up and carried her back into the house. ~oOo~ It was methodical, my process for getting the chopper ready. I made sure I went over the same fucking steps, every fucking time. I fueled her up, storing extra weapons and ammo in her cargo hold, and I did a gauge check, making sure that everything read as it should. I needed Alice before we took off for whatever flight plan she'd worked out for me, but I was up way before any normal person should be. My sleep was for shit, because the house was too fucking quiet without everyone there. I'd gotten used to the guards that paced my property and stood sentry at the front gate. If this shit was all over, and Lilith and Walter were no longer a threat, I probably would've slept like a baby wrapped around my wife, but they were still a threat, and I didn't sleep. It gave me time to get my shit done checking the chopper and shutting up my place before trying to help Bella pack when she got up. I knew she was still achy, because I felt her tension in her sleep. I also knew that packing for two adults and one child for an undetermined amount of time was trying, at best not to mention taking care of Bethy at the same time, getting her ready to go. By the time the sun was starting to peek up over the trees, the chopper was ready, Gravity's office was completely locked down, and the motion sensors were back in full operation, because even though we wouldn't be here, I didn't want anyfucking-body trespassing. It was the same process I used to use when I'd leave for a mission with my dad. With one last look around, I snatched off my baseball cap and ran a rough hand through my hair, only to pull the hat back on before walking into the house to the smell of breakfast and coffee. "Elizabeth Renee!" Bella sighed exasperatedly. "We're not taking every toy you own to Alaska." "I need these!" Bethy countered, looking forlorn, but fucking determined. I had to chuckle, because my daughter was just as stubborn as her mother, and there was a stand off in the kitchen. In fact, they pretty much were standing exactly the same way, though Bethy had an armload of toys in her hands. "You don't need them, Bethy," Bella groaned, flipping the eggs in the pan. "You need breakfast and a bath and to pick three toys to take with you. That's it. And that includes, Mr. Bunny!" she yelled as Bethy started to storm off. Bethy knew that Bella was the final word, and to watch the dynamic between the two was hilarious, but I could also see that my wife was extremely frustrated. I caught Bethy in the living room, stopping her. "Hey, little sweetness. What's wrong?" I asked, kneeling in front of her. "Mommy won't let me take my stuff," she growled, her brow furrowing, causing the most adorable dip between her brows. "All this?" I chuckled, gesturing to her hands. "That's a lot of stuff." "I need it, Daddy," she argued fiercely. "Well," I mused, rubbing my chin. "I'm pretty sure you won't have time for all of this. You'll be busy with Mr. Tom and the animals. Not to mention that Aunt Kate probably has some things for you." Bethy's face of belligerence started to melt at the mention of the farm. "And I don't think the chopper will lift off with all of this...and your dollhouse." That did it. I watched her face as she mulled it over. She was getting her dollhouse, which was already loaded, and she knew Aunt Kate always had something special waiting on her every time we visited, but the chopper was a different story. She took the rules, the things I told her to do very seriously. She shifted on her little bare feet, looking down at the items in her arms and back up to me. Her hair was wavy due to the braids the day before, and she still had pillow imprints on her face, but her eyes were dark with concern. There were times I just couldn't tell her no. This was no different. "I tell you what," I whispered, leaning closer to her. "We won't count the dollhouse as one, so besides Mr. Bunny, what two other toys do you want?" She looked back toward the kitchen, like Bella would catch us any second. "Coloring books and my cars." I smiled, shaking my head, because my sweet little girl was a tomboy to her very bones. "Fine, coloring books and cars, it is. Go put those two things on your bed so they can get packed, but put the rest of this stuff back in your toy box. Then, little soldier, you need breakfast and a bath," I grunted the last line to her, because she needed to know this was important. "Yes, sir," she giggled.

"Come see me when you've put all that up. We'll eat with Mommy, okay?" I said, keeping the commanding tone to my voice. "Yes, sir," she laughed, practically running back to her room. I looked up to see Bella leaning in the archway of the living room, a smirk playing on her face and spatula in hand. "You're shameless with her. You know that?" "Hush, woman," I growled playfully at her, smacking her ass at the same time. "I'm starving." "Well, then, get your ass in the kitchen," she countered with a laugh and an eye roll. I chuckled, taking a stool at the counter and looking up at her when she leaned in to kiss my cheek. "Thank you," she sighed. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could tell her no, either." "I figured," I snickered, taking the cup of coffee she was handing me. "I almost hid them all in the storage compartment," I admitted with a laugh. "She kills me with the face sometimes. Your face, I might add." Bella grinned, making me a plate and setting it in front of me. "I'm not so sure that it's not a face all her own. She uses it brilliantly." She set another plate for Bethy when she ran back into the kitchen. I set her up on the stool next to mine. "Eat, baby," I told her. "We've got lots to do before we leave." "'Kay, Daddy." I took Bethy off my wife's hands, letting her pack us in peace. Once bags were packed and loaded, showers and bubble baths were over, and everyone was dressed, I set the alarm and locked the front door. Bella was strapping Bethy into the co-pilot seat when I approached. I grinned at them both, because Bethy was wearing her little cap backwards, of course and Bella was putting the little headset over her ears. God, I loved them both with a sickness, which only had increased and expanded in order to include the new addition my wife was carrying. I pulled myself up into the pilot seat, tugging my own headset on and pulling out my phone. Alice had been kind enough to send me my flight plan, including the roundabout we were taking over Walter's new hideout. Flipping switches, I called my flight in, getting clearance to take off. I glanced back to make sure Bella was strapped in and the door was closed, and over at Bethy, noting that the theme was pink today pink shirt, pink hat, and pink Chucks, of course. "Ready, ladies?" I asked into the headset as the blades picked up speed. Bethy kicked her feet just a bit, saying, "Yes, Daddy." I turned to Bella. "Sweetness?" "Yes, Edward," she sighed, fighting her smile. "Let's just...get this over." Her answer told me everything. This next stage was making her so nervous, she could barely contain it her hormones not withstanding. I didn't know how to make this any better, either, because I knew I was needed for this next stage. There was no possible way around it; I commanded the ground assaults, something the crew depended on. I also knew that the thought of staying behind was killing Bella, because she, like me, liked to be in control when it came to missions such as this, and we worked flawlessly as a team. Breaking that up seemed wrong, until I looked down at Bethy. I couldn't let anything happen to my unborn child, and if this went terribly wrong, Bethy needed one of her parents to be there for her. It was something Bella and I had agreed upon immediately, but it just didn't make this shit any easier. In fact, it made it fucking harder. I frowned, guiding us up and over our house. I needed to focus on this mission, I needed to make sure my crew and myself came back in one piece, and I needed to stop these motherfuckers before innocent people got hurt. I just hoped the information we were about to grab would help us do that. ~oOo~

BELLA
"Okay, Alice," I said, making sure everything was plugged in, "I'm up and running. Tell me what you need." "How far are you?"

"About five minutes from the coordinates that you gave me," Edward answered over the radio. "All right, I'm taking over your laptop now, Bells," Alice stated, and I could hear her typing like mad. I looked out over the terrain that was below us, hardly able to make out much, because the sun was about to go completely down. We weren't far from the Alaska/Canada border, so there wasn't much more than trees, low mountains, and more fucking trees. On the screen of my computer was a different story. The ground below came to life in a split screen. On the left was thermal, and on the right was night vision. I huffed a laugh when wildlife started to appear. They showed up as running deer or foraging bears, but they were there, despite the fact that the only thing below me was darkness. I also saw a few scattered dwellings down below. They glowed red as heat sources or bright green through the night vision, but they popped out on the screen right in front of me. "Thirty seconds, pixie," Edward advised. "On it, on it, on it," she chanted, mainly to herself, because I could see her taking over my computer screen by remote access. She started the recording process, not only for the two windows up, but for a satellite image she was logged into, as well. "Jesus, Ali," I chuckled. "Why don't you just launch one of the military's bombs at them and be done with it?" "Do not think that I haven't considered it. The algorithm is not that hard to break," she growled over the radio, and I could imagine her rolling her eyes at just how simple something like that would be for her. "For you," Edward chuckled deeply, echoing my thoughts, now taking it slow over the land below us. "Can we be seen?" I asked, gazing down out the window again, my stomach twisting just a bit. "Yeah, but Alice put us out here with enough traffic that they can't distinguish plane from chopper," he said proudly. "We're high enough that they can't tell. And...I'm not sure they're that smart. Honestly." I laughed softly. "So even if they knew we were over them, they couldn't do anything about it?" "Exactly," he agreed, giving me a wry smile when he turned around briefly. "The setting sun will hide us, if any of them remember it from the train station, and the cameras don't need to be all that close in order to get the details we need." My eyebrows shot up, but I took him for his word. Between his knowledge of flying and Alice's genius about the damn cameras, I just sat back in my seat and let them do what it was that they did best stalk people. I smirked to myself at that last thought, but turned back to the cameras when Alice gasped. "Shit, shit, shit," she sighed, zooming in with the night vision camera. "Oh boy, this will be a treat." "Talk to me, Alice," I heard Edward's voice, but I was pretty sure I could hear Carlisle in the background. "Bella, can you see this?" she asked, not answering him right away. I leaned in, narrowing my eyes on the picture in front of me, only to widen them again. "Damn it," I breathed to myself, well aware that my daughter could hear me over the radio, but I couldn't help it. "Trenches...freshly dug ones, from what I can tell. There are...two, no three gun turrets, a perimeter fence, and they've cleared trees out from the last satellite image we saw." Edward sighed heavily, but didn't say anything about what was below us. "Tell me when you've got enough, Alice. I want to head your way...and soon." "Give me one more pass, please, Edward," she begged. "I just want to see this place from the opposite angle." "You got it," he grunted, banking slightly. "That's an awful lot of work done in a short amount of time," I murmured, turning to the thermal image, my eyes widening. "Two men per turret, guards pacing on every side fence, both inside of it and out, and several men in the woods," I noted aloud, not really thinking someone was listening to me. "You'll have to come in from every side with stealth, and you'll need more than just guns maybe grenades. There's an outlying building that seems to be holding just as many in it as the main cabin..." "I'll get us a number when you get here," Alice stated firmly, but her voice sounded tight. "You're done, Edward. I've got all I need. You can head in." Edward poked Bethy, who grinned up at him, singing, "Ten-four, Aunt Alice!" Alice giggled, joined by a bunch of chuckles over the radio. "Thank you, baby girl. See you soon." "Okay!" Bethy said, gripping her seat when her dad banked a little harder this time, which caused my stomach to plummet, and then do flip flops.

Everyone met us as we gently touched down, waiting patiently near the front porch as Edward shut the engine down. Once the blades had stopped, he unbuckled Bethy, and then hopped down to slide the door open for me. However, one look at my face, and he knew. "Oh, my poor girl," he crooned softly, gliding the backs of his fingers down my face, his eyes warm and sweet. "Sick?" "I'll be okay," I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut tightly for just a moment and trying my damnedest to not throw up. Edward chuckled in sympathy. "I'm sorry, sweetness," he whispered, kissing my forehead as I sat on the edge of my seat. "Maybe if your feet are on solid ground?" "Uh huh," I said with a nod, and he carefully set me down onto the helipad, keeping a strong arm around me. I wobbled briefly, breathing deep the cool night air and feeling my head clear some. "Thanks," I sighed, leaning into him for just a moment. "Anytime, love, but brace yourself," he warned as everyone approached us. "They'll figure it out soon, if you're not careful." "I know," I snickered, gazing up at him and tugging on a curl that had escaped his baseball cap. "You need a haircut." He grinned. "I'm sure Aunt Kate will help me out." "Me next, Daddy," Bethy said from behind us as she stood in the bay door. "Sure, little sweetness," he told her, swinging her down to the ground as she squealed. "Elizabeth Renee, come see me!" Aunt Kate called, kneeling down as Bethy rushed to her. "Look at you! You've grown since Christmas!" "Poppy calls me a weed," Bethy told her, and Carlisle laughed, shaking his head. "Well, you certainly grow like the ones around here, that's for sure," Aunt Kate chuckled, standing up with Bethy still in her arms. "Edward Anthony, I need my hug, handsome. And you need a haircut." I laughed, along with everyone else, because we adored how she treated Edward, like he was still thirteen and her own son. He blushed, but kissed and hugged her anyway, saying, "It's good to see you, Aunt Kate." "I'm glad," she huffed, rolling her eyes up to his. "I'm craving that pot roast of yours, you know. It's been too long." He laughed when she shoved him away, opening her arms for me. "Bella-child, you look a little peaked. Everything okay?" "I banked too fast on the way here, Aunt Kate," Edward said, saving me from lying to her. "I didn't warn her." "Ah, crazy piloting skills," she teased him with narrowed eyes as I giggled and kissed her cheek. "Well, come in," she sang, tickling Bethy's tummy. "Let's get you settled back in." Edward stopped, turning to Emmett. "There's extra weapons in the storage bay if we need them. So just add them to your inventory, okay?" "Yeah, got it, Ed," Emmett grunted with a nod. "I saw those recon photos. We're in for a helluva fight," he muttered, his usually happy face now grim. "Your dad and El are bringing in extra help again. They've already made the calls." "Good," Edward grunted with a single nod, but he tugged off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "We'll need it." "No work yet!" Aunt Kate scolded. "Let me feed you first, Edward!" Edward chuckled, shaking his head. "Yes, ma'am," he sang, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we all slowly made our way to the house. He kissed my temple, and then bent to my ear. "Hanging in there, baby?" I nodded, sighing with relief that my stomach had stopped doing somersaults. "Solid ground," I stated. "Good girl," he crooned, kissing my temple again. Aunt Kate may have wanted a break from business, but she didn't get it for long. The dinner table was loud and boisterous, topics ranging from strategy, to weather, from how grateful Mickey was to be home with Obie, back to strategy again. Bethy sat contentedly on my lap, coloring as the conversation warred around her. I twirled a lock of her hair around my finger, letting her sweet hum soothe me. Alice was quiet, off in her own binary world at the end of the table, but I knew my friend well enough to recognize the worry on her face when I saw it as her eyes barely left the screen in front her. Carlisle, Alec, Eleazar, and Edward were discussing the next steps. "My men have set up outside," Eleazar stated, "but I don't think we'll have much problem here. We'll be able to plan more

when Alice is finished evaluating those videos and the rest of the men get here." "Spike's already in the air," Carlisle added with a nod. "He'll be here by morning. The Cauldwell brothers will be later in the afternoon." I smiled at the mention of Ned and Harry, the two brothers that had helped out the last time. They were funny and really good with weapons. Spike was amazing with stealth, so I was glad those three were joining us. "What about Benny and Wes?" Alec asked, leaning around Emmett to look at Eleazar. "They can't get away," El answered with a shrug. "This isn't in their jurisdiction, and they caught a case just before we left. I can't hold it against them. They've done too much for us as it is. I do have a crew on standby, just in case." "Let's see," Jasper sighed, looking around the table. "Ned, Harry, and Spike added to the rest of us..." he mused aloud. "How many in your standby crew?" he asked Eleazar. "Two or three," he replied, sipping his coffee. "That's fifteen or twenty...give or take, with Felix, Eric, and the boys outside," Jasper stated with a nod. "We could do five teams of four... El, you could take a high spot with me..." I flinched again, because I could see by the numbers he was counting me in, and it wasn't going to happen that way. They needed to plan accordingly. "Don't count me, Jasper. I'm running the info team here," I stated, and the table came to standstill. "You're not going?" Mickey gasped, her mouth hanging open. Edward's warm hand landed gently on my leg underneath the table, giving it a soothing squeeze. We knew this would take some convincing, and I wasn't sure they'd take whatever made up excuse I threw at them, but I was going to try. "I'm not going to the cabin," I stated a little more firmly this time with a shake of my head. They all started arguing at one time, voices raising in volume. Esme's face was the only passive one in the crowd. My girls looked like I'd slapped them especially Rose, who was watching me with narrowed eyes as she fed Caleb a bottle. Convincing her would be the most difficult. Jasper, Emmett, Alec, and Sam almost looked hurt, like I was betraying them in some way, but it was Carlisle that stopped the chaos. "Enough!" he yelled, making Bethy jump and look up at him, and Caleb squirm in Rose's embrace. "Sorry, baby girl," he sighed, looking sheepishly at her, and then Rose. "You, too, Rose." He turned his fiery gaze back to me. "We need you out there, Bella. I need that gun of yours. You don't miss, sweetheart." "Yeah," Emmett chimed in. "You and Mick can get in those small spaces... How can you not go?" "We figured that without Benny and Wes, Bella could be better here," Edward intervened, but Alice piped up. "I'm counting seventy-five to a hundred warm bodies on this video," she stated loudly, but we all turned to her. "I've also got a semi truck with a full trailer on that property that we missed with the first fly over, so if they want to ship something, they're damn well going to be able to move it in that. Four gun turrets, not three. The trenches are scattered throughout the property, and they're all manned...heavily." Tension suddenly filled the room to overflowing, because she wasn't even close to being finished yet. "The road up there is a simple one lane dirt road, overgrown with trees... How they got that semi up there, I'll never know," she muttered, her eyes never leaving the screen, until she spun the laptop around, freezing an image. "Two buildings, ten large tents, and two bird nests on either side of the property that are big enough for four men to lay in wait." She sighed heavily, looking around to each of us. Carlisle got up and started pacing. "It's set up with military precision. This group knows what they're doing. These men have seen action, been trained for combat. Look at those trenches..." He gazed at the screen for a long time. I looked over Bethy's head at the screen, and then around the table, my eyes finally landing on my husband. This wouldn't be just a simple mission. These men were prepared to fight for whatever it was that they planned to do. Walter and Lilith had finally surrounded themselves with people that knew what they were doing, and it was quite possible that someone at this table wouldn't come back. "Jesus," I breathed, my lips against Bethy's hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo, because my worst fear was coming to fruition. However, that just seemed to spur the planning back into gear. Plates were cleared away, and pages of blank paper were filled with sketches and lists. Teams were mapped out, and I saw that my name still made the list. My hand came down onto the table. "I said I wasn't going!" I snapped, glaring at them.

The only person that moved was Esme. She walked around the table, holding her hands out for my daughter. "Bethy, let's go, sweet one. It's time to get you ready for bed." "But I want..." Bethy started to protest, but before she could even voice the words, Edward spun in his chair to take her face gently in his hands. "We'll tuck you in, little sweetness. I promise," he soothed her. "Just give us a few minutes, okay? You can put a movie in until we get there." She puckered her lips for a kiss from her, and he gladly gave it and an extra one to her forehead. "Okay, Daddy." You could've heard a pin drop at the silence that followed Esme's and Bethy's exit of the room. I could feel my temper rising to the surface, because they weren't listening. Fuck, it wasn't that I didn't want to go, but I just couldn't chance it. "I said no, Carlisle," I finally whispered, locking eyes with him. "I'm working here," I said, pointing a finger to the tabletop. "God, I could really use you and Jasper in one of those nests," Eleazar muttered, still staring at the screen. "With rifles in your hands, you could take out half the population of that place..." "How hurt are you?" Carlisle asked suddenly, his eyes narrowing on me. "I'm fine," I sighed, finally getting up from the table. "Edward's right, though. Without Benny and Wes, you're going to need more than Alice, Rose, and Makenna. You're going to need someone to watch the video feeds, monitor the radio, and make sure you're not on top of one another. You'll need someone else to follow the thermal satellite images. Another someone will have to be at the ready for any info you may need. My girls are damn good, but with me, they're better." "Come on, Bells," Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "You've never backed down from a fight. You're not lettin' a little ole bruise hold ya back, are ya?" I knew he was teasing, and I'm sure that Edward did, too, but my husband couldn't just stand by and watch them badger me. "Enough! She's not going!" he growled, bringing his hand down onto the table. "Well, fuck, there goes my team partner," Mickey sighed, sitting back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. She looked hurt, like I was abandoning her. "Mick, no," I breathed, shaking my head. "I want to go. I just can't." "Well, I want to know why," Rose suddenly stated, tilting her head at me. "You would walk to hell and back in order to protect this crew. I want to know why you won't this time." "It's not won't..." I started, but squeezed my eyes closed, starting to lose a grip on my emotions, because they weren't going to accept anything but the truth. I finally opened my eyes to find Edward gazing up at me, a grimace on his face, but his eyes so very warm, because he knew I was about to do something I wasn't ready for. "No choice, baby," I whispered. He nodded, shooting me a wink. "I know, love. It'll be okay." As simple as those three words were, I believed him. How could I not? He always made everything okay. It seemed so damn early to tell them, because the little one inside of me was only the size of a "bean," as the doctor described him...or her. Anything could go wrong at this point, but wasn't that the point of not fighting? With a deep sigh, I glanced around the room, bracing my hands on the table. "It's not that I don't want to fight. I can't go..." I cried, finally losing a grip on my emotions. "I'm pregnant." Edward gathered me to him, pulling me onto his lap. He ignored the deafening silence, and then the sudden explosion of voices, making me look only at him. "Shh, sweetness," he soothed, his voice only meant for my ears. "It's okay that they know, love." He wiped away my tears and tucked my hair behind my ears. "I know it's early, but the doctor said things looked perfect. That you're right on track and your vitals were strong, baby." I pulled his forehead to mine, nodding against him, but he went on. "I know you're scared, Bella. I see it when you look at me. Please don't worry. Please? For me?" "I can't promise that, Edward," I sniffled, "but I couldn't lie to them, either." He smiled, kissing me softly, but bending to my ear. "It'll be fine. Please don't cry, love." "I told you to watch out for the freak outs," I sniffled and chuckled at the same time. "Damn hormones," he teased softly, and we both looked up when Carlisle cleared his throat, the room quiet again.

He was fighting his smile, and doing a damn good job, because he almost looked pissed as he shook his head. "Guess that settles it. You won't be going." Knowing he was just about to explode with pride, I groaned dramatically, rolling my eyes. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!" It seemed everyone was waiting on Carlisle to crack, because as soon as the big, wide, pride-filled grin spread over his face, the whole table broke into celebration. I was pulled from Edward by several different pairs of hands. I was hugged and kissed and congratulated, and suddenly, the tension in the room seemed to lift. They'd needed this news. They needed something good in the middle of all this fucked up bullshit. And as I looked around at Emmett, Jasper, Sam, and Alec, and then to my girls, and finally to Edward, I realized they now had something to fight for. They'd done it before fought like lions to get me and Bethy back but things had become hard, tedious, and now daunting as the next fight loomed over us. These people's lives had been turned upside down some, like Mickey, hadn't been home in months. Hell, baby Caleb had barely seen his own home since he'd arrived. My announcement gave them a new focus, something worth kicking ass for getting me and Edward and everyone else home safely, and revenge for ever having touched us to begin with. It was why Edward and I couldn't walk away from this mission, either. The commitment, the loyalty that sat around the table was breathtaking. They were all willing to continue until the end. No matter what. It seemed all of it combined was what kept us going punishment for taking me and Bethy, anger over the disruption of our lives, and the sense of honor that came with knowing that we just damn well needed to stop this group of people before innocents got hurt. And I knew that as I looked around the table, these people my family and friends were smart, brave, strong, and the best of the best. I huffed a laugh to myself, thinking that if Walter didn't know what was coming for him before...he'd never see this shit coming. Familiar, warm arms wrapped around me, and Edward pulled me to him. "Come, love. Let's go tuck in our girl." Wanting every possible minute I could get with Edward and Bethy, I nodded and smiled. "Yeah," I agreed, leaning into his kiss to my temple. "Besides, I imagine the real planning starts in the morning." "Don't care," he growled huskily in my ear as he guided me down the hallway toward our room. "Right now, I just want time with my girls. All the other shit can wait." I smirked up at him, because again, we seemed to be on the same wave length when it came to our thoughts. I leaned in, kissing his neck just below his ear, purring, "Yes, sir."

A/N...God, I love Aunt Kate...she's a hoot. Seriously. Okay, so we have our players in the game, we have the secret out, and we have a plan to make, which will be coming up in the next chapter. Again...calm before the storm. That's all I can say, though I will give the next chapter an angst warning. Just saying. It picks up right where this one left off...and it's planning and preparation for separation. Got me? And I know you're missing teases on Twitter, but I can't tease some of this stuff...it'll give too much away. I really need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this thing, because I don't always follow my outline...WHEN I have an outline. Lol I need to thank GooberLou for pre-reading, who's bracing herself for things yet to come, and who wanted Bella to shoot Mindy in the doctor's office without shame. :D A big thank you to MedusaInNY for my blog, because I forget about that thing, until I email myself. LMAO The next chapter is done, so Sunday is looking good for the next posting. I know that will make you happy. I know you are all anxiously awaiting the fight. It's coming, make no mistake about that. So let me know what you're thinking. Until Sunday, later! :)

*Chapter 19*: Chapter 19

A/N... I have it on pretty good authority that this chapter requires two warnings... #1, a TISSUE warning. #2, a LEMON warning. I know most of you are ready for the action, the fighting, the ass kicking, but we still have to get a plan together. Some of you were most concerned about just "dropping a bomb on them"... As much as Bella was serious, she really...wasn't when she asked Alice that question. Here's the reason... While Eleazar has authority to catch these guys by any means necessary, he doesn't have authority to do it on another country's soil. Okay? So technically, this fight will be considered a black-op. No one but the people involved know it ever happened, and they aren't likely to spill. Some of you are also worried about numbers... Now this...you'll just have to trust me on. Let's tuck Bethy in, shall we?
CHAPTER 19

EDWARD
"I wanna see Goliaff tomorrow, Mommy," my baby girl said, yawning widely as Bella pulled the covers up to her chin. "We will," Bella chuckled softly. "I've kinda missed him, too." I was leaning in the doorway of what used to be my mother's room, but which Aunt Kate had now turned into a really pretty room for Bethy. It was still flowers and lace and frilly-girly shit, but not so grown up. Paintings of landscapes had been replaced with princesses, pictures of me and my dad were now in brighter colored frames, not the silver ones my mom had put them in, and there was an overflowing toy chest in the corner that seemed to have grown since Christmas. "I'll take you both out to the barn in the morning, little sweetness," I vowed, walking into the room. "Before work," I added with a raised eyebrow to Bella. Both my girls beamed happily, and I chuckled. "Crazy old horse likes you two better than me, anyway," I muttered sourly, which was the fucking truth, although it didn't bother me one bit. They giggled at the same time, and the sound just did things to me. I sat on the edge of the bed, kissing Bethy's forehead, nose, and then her forehead again so that I could breathe deep the sweet, clean smell of her. Tiny hands grabbed my face, and I smiled down at her, because she was completely unaware of all the shit that was waging around her. She was happy and content, without a fucking care in the world. Meanwhile, my looming mission was tearing me up on the inside, because the unknown could be fucking scary. I was pretty damn sure that that was why my wife had wanted to keep our new little one a secret, though that shit was blown completely out of the water now. Bella had tried so fucking hard to just get everyone in the dining room to back off, but they knew her; they knew that she didn't back down from a fight, that she would fight tooth and nail right by my side. Hell, she was stronger and braver than some men that had been stationed overseas with me. And our friends, our family knew that, so when she didn't give them a real reason that she wasn't going, they all called her on her bullshit. I smiled against Bethy's forehead at just what that little announcement had done. At first, they were shocked, and then they exploded, although they weren't sure exactly what to do about it. They wanted to be happy for us, had seen that we were ecstatic, but they weren't sure what it meant to the mission. It took my dad's approval, his sickening joy, for them to realize it was a good fucking thing. In fact, when he finally congratulated me, he gave me a full hug for the first time in a long fucking time, telling me that he now understood my anger concerning staying behind. He also told me that Bella didn't have to work the mission at all info team or not if she didn't want to, but I told him that he'd never keep her from it. "Go to sleep, baby," I whispered to Bethy. "I'm not tired," she argued, yawning widely again. Bella chuckled behind me, and I smirked down at my daughter. "Right," I said wryly. "I'll tell you what... Go to sleep, and we'll see if I can't put you up on Goliath tomorrow and walk you around the paddock. Okay?" "Okay, Daddy," she said, yawning again, her eyes brightening at that, but still so, so sleepy. "Good girl," I sighed, kissing her puckered lips. "Only sweet dreams, little soldier." "Yes, sir." "Love you," I told her, standing up from the bed so Bella could kiss her, too. "Love you, too, Daddy." Her voice was low, her lids heavy as Bella whispered her own good nights, but my heart hurt at the sight of it, because the "what ifs" wouldn't shut off in my head as I looked at them both. Bella left the door cracked, and we walked to my old room. I sat down hard on the edge of the bed, fisting my hands in my

hair. "Edward?" I shook my head, my emotions too much, but gentle fingers lifted my face. "Talk to me, Edward," she said softly, but from the look in her eyes, she knew. "I-I... Y-You n-need t-to p-promise m-me th-that y-you'll... E-Everything y-you n-need i-is i-in the s-safe a-at h-home, if ssomething..." "Oh," Bella groaned, shaking her head. "We aren't having this conversation right now, baby," she stated firmly, making sure I was looking at her. "We will, but not now." "You need to know, Bella," I said, finally finding my voice. "You have to fucking understand!" I urged, gripping the sides of her shirt and pulling her closer. "I never, ever wanted you to have to deal with this shit. I never wanted to leave you and pull missions like this. Not ever." "I know." Her voice was calm as she ran her fingers through my hair. "I'm scared, too, Edward." "I-I know y-you a-are," I sputtered, shaking my head, because this shit was too much. "I need you to understand that everything about me, everything that I am... It begins and ends with you and Bethy...and oh God, this one," I breathed, lifting her shirt so I could place a kiss to her stomach. "Everything." "We know that," she whispered back, emotion starting to take over. "We never doubt it, baby." I sat up straight, keeping my hand on her stomach as I looked her in the eye. "I fucking promise you that I will do my best out there!" She smiled and sniffled a bit. "I'm pretty sure I've never seen you do a half-ass job on anything, Edward." I snorted, seeing her point, but it didn't stop me from kissing her stomach again. I gazed back up at her, saying, "Just know this... You are completely taken care of, if something happens. That's all I'm saying on the subject, love. But do you understand me?" "Christ," she sobbed, stepping away from me and holding her hair from her face. "I don't want fucking money, Edward. That's not what I need. I need you. I need you focused, because they have to have you. I need you smart and calm, baby. Please. It's bad enough that I can't be with you!" I tugged her roughly back to me, finally pulling her to my lap. She buried her face in my neck, sobbing almost uncontrollably. Her whole body wrapped itself around me arms around my neck, and legs around my waist. She clung to me, her body shaking with fear, and I suddenly saw what I was doing. I was panicking, which was not helping the situation at all. "Okay, okay," I sighed, finally surrendering. "I'm sorry, baby. I just... I saw you with Bethy, and I flipped out. I don't want miss anything, you know?" I asked, and she nodded against my neck. "And the thought of leaving you alone... I hate it. I hate that I can't just enjoy this new guy," I whispered, turning us on the bed and laying her down so I could touch her. I scooted down her body, pressing my lips to Bella's stomach. "Hey, you in there..." I said, smiling when Bella sniffled into a giggle. "I'm sorry I upset Mommy." "Edward," Bella snorted, rolling her eyes, but her hands threaded into my hair. "I tend to piss her off repeatedly, because I don't listen," I spoke to her stomach, which was now shaking with Bella's laughter. "Word to the wise, little one... Just listen to her, and all will be well." Bella lost it, curling up with her sniffly giggles. "That's not always true, Edward." I pulled her back to me, smiling down at her, because damn it, I'd rather hear her laugh than see her fucking tears. "Mostly," I chuckled, shrugging one shoulder. "I'm sorry, love. I just..." Warm fingers met my lips, stopping me. Bella shook her head slowly. "There is really no need to explain it to me, baby. Honestly. I understand." She took a deep breath, pulling me in for a brief kiss. "To be honest, I'm not sure how you've maintained this long starting with Bethy's kidnapping. So yes, Edward, you're allowed to freak out. Join the hormone club." I laughed, hugging her closer. "Can you imagine? I'd shoot some-damn-body...after cursing them the fuck out." She chuckled, but nodded in agreement. "See? I should have shot Mindy." I grinned, still not giving a shit about a mean bitch from my school days, because my girl loved my stutter. Bella sobered, and then sat up, cupping my face. "I'm pretty sure this conversation," she said, motioning between us, "is

happening all over this house right now. Rose is terrified of losing Emmett now that Caleb is here, Obie is probably going to go gray by the time its all over, and Alice may end up having a nervous breakdown. Did you know Wes has called Makenna about ten times already?" she asked, and I shook my head no. "We're all really fucking nervous. And we should be, because these are terrible odds against men who don't look like they have anything to lose but their lives. Blind sheep, following a deranged leader..." She muttered the last words with a slow shake to her head. She took a deep breath and let it out, playing with my fingers. When she looked up at me, she was a little calmer, but hell, this was always how we'd worked...together. "I'm going to make you a promise," she stated, her little chin jutting out in defiance. "I'm going to bust my ass to keep you guys a smoothly running machine while you're out there." Smirking at her, I pulled her in for a kiss. "I know you will, sweetness," I whispered against her lips. "I'm sorry again," I said as she sat up straight. I rubbed the outside of her jeans, gazing up at her. "I haven't heard intelligence like that in a long time, baby," I explained, swallowing nervously. "It's going to be a helluva fucking fight." I shook my head slowly. "Do you want out, Edward?" she asked, tilting her head at me. I opened my mouth to answer her, and then closed it again. Taking a deep breath, I considered what she was offering me, because there wasn't a member of the crew that would think less of me for pulling out. They wouldn't judge Emmett, either. We both had kids, and now I had another one on the way, but something about walking away didn't sit right with me. "No." I shook my head. "I want to finish this, Bella. And it's not even about revenge for taking you and Bethy anymore...though that's a major part of it for me. It's about stopping these guys. It's about helping out Eleazar now, because he was there for us. You know?" She nodded, but I could see tears welling up in her eyes. "It is the right thing," she whispered, picking at her jeans. "I just... I mean..." She huffed frustratedly, finally meeting my gaze as big, fat tears coursed down her face. "Don't you dare do anything that could get you killed, Edward. Just..." She sniffled, swiping at her face with the back of her hand. "Just forget that I'll be falling apart, and fucking focus," she snorted, rolling her eyes. I chuckled softly, tugging her to lay down beside me, facing me. "No falling apart, sweetness. I need this," I said, tapping her temple, "to get me through. I may not have you at my side, but I'll listen to everything you say. I swear it. We'll map out a plan tomorrow, love." She nodded, letting out a deep breath. Her eyes stayed focus on where her fingers were playing with my shirt. I reached up, cupping her face and wiping away her remaining tears. We didn't say anything for a minute, but I pulled her closer, slipping my arm under her head. She pressed her forehead to mine, closing her eyes. "You should get some sleep, baby," I told her, because I knew the pregnancy combined with all the stress just had to be wearing her out. She shook her head. "I'm not tired." I chuckled, kissing her lips, but my hand absolutely could not stay away from the soft, smooth skin of her stomach. "You sound like Bethy. Both of you are stubborn as mules." "And you two gang up on me," she snickered, placing a sweet kiss to my jaw. "Maybe this one will help even up the odds." I grinned, loving that thought, my thumb brushing over her bellybutton as the tips of my fingers made contact with the edge of her bra. "Two against two?" I verified with a chuckle. "Mmhm," she hummed, her hands slipping under my t-shirt. "Edward," she whined adorably when the material wouldn't cooperate because we were laying down. "Off. Take it off." I smiled, sitting up and reaching back to snatch the thing off over my head, but instead of laying back down beside her, my hands immediately went to the button of her jeans. She lifted her hips, allowing me to tug them down and toss them off the side of the bed, which left her in her underwear and a t-shirt. "Since you're not tired," I sighed dramatically, "you can at least be comfortable." I chuckled at her smirk, ridding myself of my own jeans and crawling up beside her, where she welcomed me with open arms and a deep, sweet sigh. As I gazed down at her, I regretted again my moment of panic. She was under enough strain as it was. She was so fucking beautiful, as deep brown eyes focused more on her finger tracing my tattoo than looking up at me. I leaned over, kissing the little worry dip between her brows. I knew her; she was ecstatic about the new baby, but was afraid to even fucking think about the future. She was terrified that I wouldn't be there, that something would go terribly wrong with this mission. The most disturbing part of that was that her intuition was sharp razor fucking sharp and that meant she really had a fucked up feeling about what we were about to do. "No more thinking, sweetness," I whispered. "Not here. Not in this room. Got me?" I asked, tilting her head up with my

fingers under her chin so she would meet my gaze. "I'm sorry I panicked. I'm sorry they ganged up on you and made you tell them the truth, but maybe its best they know. And I'm sorry we can't just enjoy this," I sighed deeply, my fingers spreading wide on her stomach. I pushed her gently onto her back, leaning down to kiss her belly. "When this is all over, little one," I started, speaking to my newest addition and my wife, "we'll build you your own room, and your mom can shop until my cards melt. Mommy won't cry anymore...unless it's because she's watching some sappy girly movie." Bella giggled, looking down her body at me. I lifted her shirt some more, trailing kisses from her bellybutton up to the edge of her ribcage, reveling in the sweet sound of her laugh, something I'd worked our whole relationship to try and evoke from her as many times as I could. "We'll make lists of names boy and girl and we'll fight over what we want to call you," I continued, smiling against her skin when Bella scoffed, because it had been damn simple to name Bethy once we knew we were having a girl. "We'll sit down with your big sister and tell her all about you. And you're in for it, buddy. I'm just giving you fair warning. She's a force to be reckoned with." "No kidding," Bella chuckled, her nails scratching deliciously over my scalp. "World domination," Bella and I said together, bursting into quiet laughter. "I know it seems crazy right now, but we're doing our best, little one," I whispered, my forehead falling to Bella's chest. "It won't always be like this, I swear." My hand snaked around to her lower back and pulled her closer, careful of her bruise. Kissing her skin again, I allowed my tongue one quick taste of her. God, I still wanted her so fucking badly, just like on the front porch swing the night before, but it felt wrong when she was so tired, so emotionally strung out something that was partly my fault to begin with. I was insatiable for her, not inconsiderate. My fingers left her skin, gripping the covers beside her instead, in order to hold back, but I had to kiss her. I pushed myself up over her, locking gazes with her. Her breathing was heavy, her fingers pulling at my shoulders. Dark eyes met my own through long eyelashes, her teeth biting down on that beautiful bottom lip, and her body rolled in the most gorgeous of waves. "Oh fuck," I whispered, shaking my head and squeezing my eyes closed briefly, because I was afraid I was reading her all fucking wrong. "Please tell me... Shit, tell me we're on the same page, baby." She didn't say anything, but her hands slipped up my chest slowly, over my shoulders, and into my hair, pulling me closer. Her mouth was on mine before I could think, and it was all fucking over. The moan I let loose was shameless and deep, because fuck, I needed her. My body instinctively shifted between the cradle of her thighs, and I froze when she gasped. I didn't want to hurt her. "Don't you dare move," Bella panted, holding me with a tenacious grip, even going as far as to wrap her legs around my waist. "I'm okay. You're not hurting me, baby," she soothed, nipping at my lips, but I held myself away from her. "I need to feel the weight, Edward. You feel so good." Remembering how she was when she was pregnant with Bethy, I knew that her skin was ultra sensitive. Bracing one hand by her head, I dove for her mouth again, my other released the comforter and ghosted back under her shirt. This time, I cupped her breast, brushing a thumb across her nipple, causing the most gorgeous combination of a whimper and growl to escape her. All control, all gentle touches left us, giving way to the rough removal of her t-shirt, my boxers, and lastly, her underwear. I fell back down over her, my elbows dropping to the bed on either side of her head as I kissed her senseless. Everything about her was responding so quickly every roll of her hips, every tug to my hair and now my ass, and every nip of teeth, lips, and tongue to my mouth. Bella's head arched back, her breathing almost raspy as I ravished her neck. Her body bowed, her breasts pushing closer to my face, like a fucking offering. I rolled my hips, smiling against her nipple when my cock brushed against her clit, causing another desperate sound to echo through the room. "Edward, you're fucking teasing," she accused, grasping either side of my face and pulling me back to her. "Stop... Inside, now. Please..." I smiled again, dragging my tongue along my bottom lip and rolling my hips again. Trailing my lips across her cheek to her ear, I whispered, "But are you wet enough, sweetness?" The sound she let out was almost like a laugh and a groan combined. "You have no idea... Edward..." My cock slipped just inside her entrance, and I held completely still, fighting every desire to push forward, to claim her so fucking hard. "This... This is okay?" I whispered, nipping at her lips, one hand braced at her head, and the other slipping up and down her side. "So okay," she confirmed, nodding just a bit. "The covers are protecting my back, baby."

Despite how out of control we both were, it didn't stop us from taking care of each other, both physically and mentally. She knew it would kill me to hurt her. With that said, I sheathed myself completely inside her, and my mouth gaped as my breathing stopped. God, she felt so fucking good after wanting her for two damn days. Warmth and wetness pulled me in, enveloping me. Her whole body seemed to cinch down on me, from her arms and legs, to her sweet, fiery hot pussy. Her mouth on my neck, her grip on my back and ass, and her hips urging me to move all made me want to come so fucking badly. "Shit, love, you're killing me," I panted. "Be still, be still...just for a second." I wanted to roll my eyes at her evil, yet sexy ass smile, but I couldn't. She loved pushing my fucking limits, and that didn't take much. She loved that I couldn't tell her no or stay away from her, and she absolutely lived to make me lose my shit when it came to her. Pulling back and thrusting forward with a swivel of my hips wiped that smug grin off her face, causing her head to fall back and her moan to catch in her throat. I did it again and again, over and over, watching her lose herself in the feel of my cock hitting the spot deep inside of her that she needed. Gliding my hand down her side to her leg, I hitched it up, finally hooking it in the crook of my elbow, just to feel more, deeper. It didn't take long for her body to shiver, for her hands to grip me hard, and her eyes to roll back into her head. "Oh, fuck yeah, baby," I urged softly in her ear, swirling my tongue over the soft spot that drove her crazy. "Come hard for me, love. Forget everything else but how my cock feels," I commanded, dragging my teeth across her skin lightly. "It feels good, doesn't it? When I fuck you hard and slow and deep?" I asked, thrusting just a touch harder. Bella's breath caught, and her hands shot to my face, her eyes rolling back in her head. "Yes, shit..." she gasped, nipping at my bottom lip. "Edward, baby...I'm so close." "Oh, I know," I told her, hitching her leg to my shoulder so I could brace my other hand down on the bed in order to take that much harder. "Please, please, come with me," she begged, and there was a desperation I hadn't been prepared for, a need that hadn't been there before. "Then let go, baby," I told her, kissing her lips and dragging my tongue along hers. "I'm right there." I wasn't sure there was anything on this fucking planet that more gorgeous than my wife when she came, because everything about her would freeze in a beautiful expression. Fingers would dig into my back to pull me closer, and her legs would constrict around me. But it was when she gasped, "I love you," that I finally let go, a string of profanities and love yous right along with it. My head hit her shoulder as I let her leg drop back down onto the bed. I worried that my weight was too much on that back of hers, but she made no move to shove me off of her. If anything, she was holding me tighter. "Tell me I'm not squishing you," I whispered, and she smiled against the skin of my shoulder. "No, I'm pretty good right now," she said, and the amusement in her voice was impossible to fucking miss. I chuckled softly, turning my head to kiss her neck. She leaned into it, nuzzling my jaw. I pushed myself up, bracing my elbows by her head, but giving her the weight she seemed to want. I brushed her hair away from her face, kissing her lips gently. I could see every emotion flickering across her face love, sated bliss, weariness, and fear. It was that last emotion that matched my own. "You don't want to talk about it, do you?" I asked vaguely, but she was pretty good at knowing what I meant. "Just this," she sighed, shaking her head and looking away from me. "I know I'm taken care of...financially, and yes, I'll take care of our children if something happens, Edward. But there will never be anyone for me, but you. You need to know that." I opened my mouth to speak, because I understood her completely and totally fucking agreed with it, but she stopped me by placing her fingers over my lips. "I need this you tonight. Like this. I need to feel you and talk to you and hold you," she said, swallowing nervously. "But I'm going to ask something of you when we get up." "You want to ride on Goliath, too, sweetness?" I teased her, trying to lighten up whatever it was she was about to tell me, because I was scared to fucking death. "I do, actually," she giggled, kissing me quickly as I chuckled at her. "Okay, so after you play with your girls in the morning, I need you to shut off this part of your personality, Edward. I need you to put away the dad and husband in you for the

planning process and only think with the soldier that came to get me from Miller." I huffed a deep sigh, knowing exactly what she was asking of me. "And then," she continued without letting me say anything, "you need to do the exact same thing when you load up and head to the cabin. I'm going to try to do the same, but it's more important that you do it, baby. The soldier, the mercenary I first met...he was no nonsense and completely focused on whatever plan was about to take place. You need to do that, Edward, because I can't imagine that Eleazar is going to let more than a few hours pass before he's loading up and heading to that cabin." I nodded, kissing her again. "Okay," I sighed, shrugging a bit. "I imagine we'll all have to focus like that. Bethy won't..." "She won't have a chance to see you, or her uncles, or even her Poppy like that. I'm pretty sure Esme and Aunt Kate, not to mention Obie and Tom, will keep her busy on this farm, and she'll be in bed when you leave," she sighed, and I could see her heart shattering at the thought. "So I have to make the morning count, huh?" I asked, sounding almost bitter, but Bella was right; both of us panicking, both of us scared shitless of the approaching mission wasn't helping a fucking thing. "I didn't mean it..." I kissed her roughly, finally rolling us to our sides, still facing one another. "I know," I told her. "But you're right. All of it." "I know I am," she snickered, wearing a wry smirk. "I have you now, though," she sighed, pulling me closer. "Make it count, baby." I dove for her mouth again, wanting her again, without shame or apology. And she came to me willingly. It all felt like goodbye, and I fucking despised it, but my girl was so damn smart. She knew we'd have to approach this mission with a callousness and control, the feeling of "fuck the consequences" that we used to carry. Unfortunately, there were a fuck-ton of consequences now wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, and children that weren't there when we were doing this full time. Before, we were alone, single, focused, and fucking deadly. We'd have to be that way again if we were going to take our small crew against such enormous odds. I pulled her on top of me, guiding her back down over me, and losing myself, my emotions, and my worry deep inside of her. ~oOo~

BELLA
I pulled my hands inside my hoodie's sleeves, giving a stray hair a half-ass brush from my face. I'd forgotten how chilly mornings could be on the farm, never mind that it was the fucking summer. I pulled my knees up onto the bale of hay, wrapping my now handless arms around my legs. I smirked, setting my chin on my knees, watching the two most important people in my life hash out some minor little argument. "No saddle, Daddy," Bethy growled, shaking her head. "Just Goliaff." "You need something to hold onto, baby," he countered, shaking his head at her folded arm stance and stern face. "His hair," she urged, pointing to Goliath, who was watching both of them with calm, almost amused interest. He couldn't give a shit either way. "Mane, little sweetness," he corrected automatically, but her eye roll and sigh basically told him, "What-ever." "I can't wait 'til Bambina's a teenager," Alec chuckled, plopping down beside me. "She's going to be hell on wheels, I swear to fucking God." Sam stood quietly beside him, watching everything with a keen eye. He never said much, but he didn't have to. I grinned, but it fell quickly, because I watched as Edward just gave in to her. He scooped her up, laughing with her and kissing her temple, before setting her astride Goliath, who shifted on his feet just a bit. A sharp, dark look of pain ghosted across my husband's face as he patted the horse's neck, speaking quietly to him. Edward took the reins and started a slow pace around the paddock as Bethy babbled and giggled instructions to both him and Goliath, black mane fisted in her hands. "Is he okay?" Alec asked. I shook my head. "No." I turned my head, resting my cheek on my knees in order to look at him. "He doesn't have to do this," Alec groaned, shaking his head. "He could pull out... help us from here."

"He won't," I sighed. "He can't. They need him on the ground. They need his direction, Alec. And he wants to see the end of this." He sighed, leaning back against the bale behind us. "Stubborn fools. Emmett's the same way inside. And you and Rose... You're okay with this shit?" I laughed once humorlessly. "If you guys can stay focused, plan perfectly, and come back in one fucking piece, then I'm okay. Until then...no." "He's preparing for worst case scenario," Sam said softly, but his dark eyes pulled away from the paddock and landed on me. "He's been this way since the satellite images? Or since you found out you're expecting?" "Both, but as this shit looms closer, we're both just..." I groaned, wrapping my hands around my middle instead of my knees. I was trying my fucking best to calm the hell down, put myself in work mode, but it was too damn hard when I was watching my little family across the yard. Both Alec and Sam grinned like idiots, and I couldn't help but snort at them. "You weren't supposed to know yet," I growled, rolling my eyes at their chuckles. "You couldn't just let shit slide last night." "You fight better than most men and like it, little one," Sam laughed. "No one was buying that load you were pushing last night." I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah, I guess." "And oh my dear God, if Poppy ain't prancing around in the house this morning," Alec chuckled, putting his forehead in his hand. "I half expect him to start dancing around the fucking kitchen, singing, 'I'm gonna be a grandfather again...'" "That's kind of why I didn't want to tell you. All of you need to focus," I snapped, pulling roughly at a straw of hay and tossing it into the cool breeze. "Oh now," Same chuckled, sitting down on my other side, "don't be sore at us. If you don't think this new little guy isn't giving those people in there some new focus, then you don't know them." "No shit," Alec piped in. "Bambina, Caleb, this one..." he said, pointing to my stomach and shaking his head back and forth slowly. "Oh boy, they are the real reason we're doing it. They're the reason for planning well, for stopping these assholes, and for making sure each of us comes home. It's given them just the best reason of all to get it done. And done right." Alec raised his eyebrow at me until I nodded. Sam hummed in agreement, setting a large, firm hand to my shoulder. "We're all kind of lucky, you know. We can protect our own without even batting an eye, but not the people that this group is gunning for. They're in the dark, you see. They won't see it coming. And we can't let that happen, no matter where the target may be." "Yes, it's voluntary. Yes, we could let El finish it with his CIA group, but..." Alec added, shrugging. "But they'd have to start all over, when we already know everything," I finished sadly for him. "Exactly," they both chimed at the same time. "And don't forget," Sam grunted, a dark look passing over his face, "they made the biggest mistake ever by touching one of our own." He pointed a finger across the yard toward the paddock to Bethy. "We can't let that shit slide, little one. That's the God's honest truth." I groaned. Revenge. It felt like all boiled down to fucking revenge, but it wasn't, not really. These were loyal, brave, hard working men with an extreme sense of right and wrong. They wouldn't stop until the threat both against us and innocent people was eradicated. My Edward one of them. I nodded at Sam, not able to say much, because it didn't really matter anyway. This was getting done whether I wanted it all to just fucking go away or not. "We came out here to tell you that El was ready to start the meeting, but..." Alec sighed, glancing up at Edward, who was now hoisting himself up onto the back of Goliath with his daughter in front of him. "Just...take your time, Bellissima." "Yeah, we'll stall them somehow," Sam said softly, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze, before leaning down to my ear. "And congratulations, little one." He pressed a kiss to my temple, whispering, "I will make sure Edward makes it home to you. I swear it." I smiled, tears pooling in my eyes, because the meanest of our group had just given me the best pep talk ever. "Thanks, guys," I whispered, dropping my legs down and standing when they walked away. I hummed a groan at how deliciously sore my body was. Edward and I had stayed wrapped around each other all night. I wasn't sure either of us had slept all that much, but I'd never felt his love more than when I could still feel him the next day.

I walked to the paddock fence, smiling as Edward had one firm hand on the reins and a strong arm wrapped around Bethy. "Hey, you two," I sang, and both heads spun to look at me. "Come ride wif us, Mommy," Bethy chirped, and I grinned up at her as Edward pulled Goliath up beside me. "No, you guys do it," I told her, getting stretched kisses from the two of them and a nuzzle from Goliath. "You sure?" Edward asked, his brow furrowing. "Yeah," I said with a smile. "I'm sure. Have fun," I told them, giving the horse one more pat on his neck. "Back too sore?" Edward's cocky, half smile and raised eyebrow did not go unnoticed, and I knew that he was fucking with me. "No... No, not my back," I growled, punching his leg as he chuckled sexily. "Go. I'll watch you guys," I snickered, rolling my eyes at his laughter that didn't stop. God, I wanted to bottle them up and keep them safe. I wanted to never let that sound out of my memory, because I knew as soon as he let Bethy go, he was about to shut that beautiful part of himself down probably more than he ever had and I needed to do the same. ~oOo~ I gazed out the window, watching Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Alec take inventory of weapons and ammo and load them in the large truck. Edward's and Emmett's faces looked cold, hard, and angry. Hell, the other two men's faces did, as well. We'd hardly spoken a word to each other once our time in the paddock had come to an end. Edward had snatched up Bethy, whispered things I couldn't hear, and reluctantly handed her over to Aunt Kate and Esme. His shoulders had slumped slightly as he'd walked away, but now, they were broad and stiff. The first part of the meeting had been the basics the wheres, the whats, and the how fars. The whos we fucking knew all about. Next, we studied the layout of the cabin and the surrounding area, something Alec and Emmett had already done and were able to get us caught up on quickly. Once we'd done that, a basic plan had started to form. As usual, the crew was split up into smaller, more effective teams. Alec, Sam, and Edward were on one team, and I wasn't sure if that wasn't done on purpose for my benefit, to make me feel that he was much more protected. Eleazar, Jasper, and Eric were on another, because their sole purpose was to take one of the nests in the trees, to survey over everything with their snipers at the ready. Spike, Mickey, and Carlisle were together, using stealth and Mick's ability to break into anything. They were taking the cabin if they could get close enough to it. The most dangerous of jobs went to the largest team. Emmett, Felix, Ned, Harry, and two of Eleazar's men that I didn't know, Danny and Phillip, were all going to flood the compound with RPGs and TNT, and they were going to fucking level the place to the ground when it was all over. There was an additional crew, as well. El called him his beta team, because they would be the second wave of power once the fighting started, coming in from two sides. There were about six or seven of those men men we weren't truly introduced to, because they didn't really exist. Ah, the CIA. But it all started with stealth, with sneaking through the woods and over some rough terrain to get them there. It also started with Jasper and Eleazar behind scopes, killing the men in the trenches. The guys weren't fucking around on this mission. Their opinion this time was "kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out." Their only concern was to get to Walter and Lilith. Even Johnny Thornhill wouldn't make it out of this shit alive. His reign of the D.O.A. was about to come to an end, I was pretty sure. "Bells," Rose stated from behind me. "What do you think?" "I think it'll work," I sighed, looking back to my girls. I'd been paying attention to what they'd been setting up, but my eyes had been glued out the window. "I want Alice and myself leading on the radio. I want Makenna on the video for Spike's and Jasper's cameras, and you on Em's and Sam's. That should cover just about everyone. And we'll have extra help." "Who?" Mack asked, spinning around in her chair. "Aunt Kate," I said with a smirk. "She's going to help with the camera on Eleazar's extra crew. She'll be able to guide them through the chaos." "Okay," Rose chuckled. "She's damn sharp, so this should be a good setup," she said, giving the dining room a good onceover. I was used to working in a tight space Gravity's office wasn't enormous but this was different. We'd set up the satellite and thermal computers along the kitchen bar so we could all see them from our seats at the table. Alice had set each of us up along the same side of the table with laptops and radio access, not to mention tapped us into the satellite at our seats, as well. Along the far dining room wall were large, almost poster size pictures of the compound both aerial and night vision. It was to these my eyes fell. Someone I think it was Emmett had taken one of the photos and altered it with a red permanent marker, showing

exactly what team would be where, and which direction they were going. It was by far the most helpful of the pictures up on the wall, because we'd know exactly where everyone would be. Aunt Kate strolled into the room, giving it a glance, but her eyes were back on me instantly. "Carlisle said they're leaving out at sundown." I nodded, my stomach lurching slightly. "I figured." "And I want you to eat, Bella-child," she ordered softly, walking into the kitchen. "I want my next adopted niece or nephew to be just as healthy and stubborn as the first." The girls chuckled around me, and I couldn't help but smile and nod. Aunt Kate had walked right into the room and addressed the elephant my girls were trying so hard not to ignore. They wanted so badly to say something, but I'd avoided it but not Aunt Kate; she didn't avoid anything. Alice let out a squeal and a giggle, practically jumping up and down on the balls of her feet. Mack grinned, poking my arm, but it was Rose my eyes fell to, because she was studying my face intently. "It's okay to be happy about it, Bellsy," she stated, smirking at me. I shook my head at her. "Not now, Ro, okay?" I begged her, and she nodded, kissing the side of my head. "I am, but I'm..." I started, not willing to give voice to my fear until the shit was over, and she completely understood. "You need a boy," she chuckled low in my ear, which only made me laugh, because Esme had said the same thing. I playfully shoved her away, joining Aunt Kate in the kitchen, who was already heating me up a plate of Edward's pot roast. The microwave dinged, and she forced it and a fork into my hands, settling me on the stool. "Where is my stubborn girl?" I asked her, taking a big bite of beef and mashed potatoes. "I believe she's learning all about sheep shearing, if I'm not mistaken," Aunt Kate chuckled, "though she was pleading a few of the lambs' cases the last I heard, which I'm not sure Mr. Tom was able to deny." The room filled with laughter, because we all knew my daughter well enough to know that she had the power to melt the most hardened of hearts. Tom was excellent with her, though, and she was willing to do just about anything when it came to learning about the animals. I took another bite, and then swallowed, gasping, "Oh! Speaking of shearing, Edward needs a haircut, and he should have it...before..." She flinched at first, not worried that I hadn't finished my sentence, but then a wicked smirk crossed her face as she walked to the front door. She threw the screen door open, yelling, "Edward Anthony! Get your behind in this house!" Another wave of giggles and snorts filled the dining room and kitchen. We just couldn't fucking help it, because his face changed from concentrated anger, to barely contained belligerence. He wanted so badly to keep working, keep focused, but Aunt Kate's personality and the way she treated him just wouldn't allow it. "I didn't do it," he huffed, stomping through the front door as she held it for him, and I had to fight like all hell not to get the giggles again, because Rose, Alice, and Makenna had tears running down their faces, they were laughing so hard. "I know you didn't do it," Aunt Kate countered, pointing to a dining room chair. "Sit. You need a haircut." His carefully placed mask fell just a bit, and his eyes shot to me. "Tattletale," he growled, rolling his eyes when we all exploded. "You need to see," I stated, taking another bite of food and shrugging one shoulder. "And don't give me the hat excuse. Just sit and do what she says." "'Kay," he grunted, falling to the chair. It didn't take her long to get started on his hair, and the girls and I continued to work around them, testing cameras, refocusing the satellite, and checking earpieces. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time he sat in that chair, though he didn't interrupt, and he never said a word. I set the last earpiece to the side once it was tested, trying my fucking best to ignore the chills that ran up my spine when I knew that he was watching me. I sighed, pulling the cameras to me. "I'm wondering if we need to add another camera or two to Em's team and the Beta team," I mused out loud, my eyes falling to Alice. "I mean, we've got a few extras." "That's more to watch," Makenna said, but she shrugged, because we could all handle it. "Not that I care, but still..." I took a deep breath and let it out, studying the map with the teams planned out on it. "I'm just thinking the extra eyes

wouldn't hurt, because you've got a camera on this team," I said, pointing to where Eleazar and Jasper would be, "and ones here and here," I continued, pointing to the locations that Edward's and part of Emmett's team would be. "But we're kind of lacking on the west side. We could put one on Ned or Harry, and one on a member of the Beta team. That would cover this whole section." "I say yes," Rose stated, nodding once, and then shrugging. "I'll take one extra feed...Alice can take the other." "Fine," I grunted. "We'll tell them when they start to get ready." By the time Aunt Kate was done with Edward, everything was just about ready, and it was late in the afternoon. I could see most of the men gathering around outside, though they weren't dressed yet. Edward stood up from the chair, brushing the extra hair off of his shoulders, and I finally met his gaze. "You should put the camera on Harry, not Ned. He's the more focused one. And the other on the man named Reyes. He seems pretty sharp," he said quietly. "But you do need more eyes on that side of the compound, Bella. You're right about that." I nodded, looking up at him. His hair was styled the same, just shorter on the top and pretty damn close on the sides, because he knew I loved the length on top. It wasn't tension between us, but pure nerves, pure fear for what was about to happen in just a few short hours. And we were both trying so hard to stay calm, stay focused. "Thanks," I whispered, but my head spun toward the window when I heard Bethy crying. "Mommy!" she howled, running across the yard. "Shit," I hissed, bolting out the door and down the steps, because I could see that she'd hurt herself somehow; both palms were red, one of them bleeding, and there was a tear in her jeans at the knee. "Oh, boy," I soothed, kneeling down when she finally made it to me. "What happened, pretty girl?" The sight in front of me just about broke my heart, because my strong willed little girl didn't often wail like she was doing at that moment, so she was really hurt, or it had just scared the shit out of her. "I fell," she sobbed, hiccuping once. "Fell where, baby?" I asked, scooping her up and carrying her straight into the house. "I-In th-the b-barn," she sputtered, new tears making their way down her cheeks. "I was suh-posed to help wif the sheep, and one bumped me." "It's all right, Bethy. I'm sure the sheep didn't mean it," I said, ignoring everything but my unhappy girl as I made my way through the house. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?" "Will it hurt?" she asked, holding her hands close to her chest and shaking her head, like I was about to set her on fire. I smiled at her, because she wasn't stupid by any means. "I don't think so," I told her, but not promising anything. "Let's look first," I said, setting her on the bathroom floor in mine and Edward's bathroom. I tugged off her shoes and socks, and then her jeans, finally setting her bottom on the counter by the sink. I turned on the water, leaving it cool. "Wash your hands, baby," I told her, grabbing a washcloth out of the cabinet, because her knee was the worst of it. "No, it'll burn!" she wailed again, and suddenly, I wasn't alone with her in the bathroom. "Hey," Edward crooned, kissing her forehead. "What did I tell you about being hurt, little sweetness?" he asked her, making her look at him while I stuck her hands under the water, rinsing the dirt and gravel and God knew what else off her palms. "Don't fink about it," she stated adorably, looking only at him, big trusting green to overly protective green. "That's right. Don't think about it," he told her, and while he had her attention, I cleaned the blood off of her knee. "Where you being a daredevil again?" he teased her, smiling at her reaction. "No!" she practically yelled at him. "We were shear-wing sheep, and Apollo bumped me." I let out a giggle, shaking my head, because God, I loved the way she spoke sometimes. I chanced a glance to Edward, who was just as amused. I put medicine on her knee quickly, holding up two different types of bandages. "Princess or camo?" I asked, unable to believe my little girl occasionally wanted camouflage anything, but there were times she had to be just like her dad.

"Camo," she stated, and it was peeled open and on her knee before she could change her mind. "Okay, pretty girl," I sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Your emergency room visit is officially over." Edward chuckled, setting her on her feet. "Go get pajamas on, and then you're going to get dinner," I called after her as she ran off toward her room. "Okay, Mommy!" she called back. I leaned against the bathroom counter, gazing up at Edward. "You should be getting ready," I told him. He shook his head, letting out a deep breath. "I couldn't ignore that. I tried, but..." He stepped closer to me, bracing his hands on either side of my hips. "Until you two are out of my sight, I'll never be able to not come to you when you need me." I smiled, gripping his t-shirt at the sides and pulling him to me. "I know, Edward," I sighed sadly, kissing his lips, "but it's time." His lips were back on mine faster than I could blink, his hands fisting my hair on either side of my head. It was frantic, it was deep, and it was very much like a goodbye. I pulled away first, my breathing coming out too fast, like I couldn't get enough air. "Don't," I panted, glaring up at him. "Just...fight like fucking hell, Edward. That's all I'm asking." His forehead fell to mine, and he nodded against it, his eyes locked with mine. His were a fierce green as they connected to my very soul. "I love you," he whispered urgently. "You need to know, sweetness." "Oh, God, I do, baby," I told him, cupping his face. "I love you, too. Go get our girl and take her to the kitchen, and then you need to get ready." I wanted him to have every possible second with Bethy, but then his ass needed to concentrate. He needed to not see her, not give into fear or what ifs. And I wanted him strapped down with every possible weapon a human being could fucking carry not to mention a kevlar vest. "Okay," he finally acquiesced in a whisper. With one last kiss to my lips, he linked our fingers together, and we stepped out to find our daughter. He sat with Bethy on his lap as she ate her dinner, occasionally taking bites she was willing to share with him. When he set her down on the stool, he gave my temple one last kiss. "Stay sharp," he whispered. "Stay safe," I whispered back, my eyes following him as he left to go change. "I'm going to my room with her," Esme stated softly, taking Bethy off her stool. "I'm not sure even I can watch them leave." I nodded, giving my daughter's sweet, puckered lips a kiss. They stopped by Carlisle on their way by, and he got in his own kisses. But it was when Edward returned, dressed fully in black, from his backwards baseball cap, all the way down to his military boots, that I knew he'd finally shut it all out every emotion, every worry. His face was fierce, angry as he strapped on his kevlar vest, and then his side arm holster. He strode to the table, picking up his earpiece and tucking it in, as the rest of the crew followed suit. Emmett handed Edward two extra clips, and they immediately got tucked into one of the cargo pockets on the side of his leg. It was eerily quiet as the boys strapped down, loaded themselves with weapons and ammo, and put on earpieces and cameras. Eleazar stepped to the front of the room, clearing his throat, and we all came to a standstill. "We'll stop briefly for a camera check for the ladies," he stated, jerking his chin toward me and Alice as we leaned against the far wall just to stay out of the way. "Once we've been cleared, all teams will proceed to their starting point. Are we clear?" "Sir!" every man in the room barked, starting to make their way outside. The men I considered friends and family Edward included all paused, giving us a quick glance, before exiting the house. I took one deep breath and let it out, and then it was matched by Rose. I looked up at her, and we nodded. "Okay, girls," I stated, pulling on my headset, "I want another check on communications as they drive. I want to hear every-fucking-thing."

A/N...Oh boy...so as you can figure out, the fight is next, and it was by far the hardest fucking chapter I've ever written and I'm talking ANYTHING I've written. It's already done, the outcome is set, and it's already in my beta's hands. I wish I could give you a glimpse, but there's not much that I can give you. I truly need to thank my beta, JenRar, on this chapter. First for telling me it was her favorite chapter that I've ever written. And second for smoothing it out. So thank you very much. Second, thank you to GooberLou for actually walking me step by step through the beginning of this chapter, because the emotions were just too damn high to concentrate. And thank you to MedusaInNY...thanks for that last alligator report...I'll take it under advisement...but thank you for more than that. Love you all. Okay, so the next one's done. I hope to post it Wednesday. Let me hear you. I'm pretty sure you've got lots of worries. Just trust me to get you through, okay? Until next time... Later. :)

*Chapter 20*: Chapter 20

A/N... PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE STARTING THE CHAPTER...Here are the warnings... This is violent and bloody. This is a black-op with stealth; not only are guns involved, but hand to hand annihilation, as well. This is both sides of the fight, too, so it's every emotion known to man, I'm sure. I've been told this needs a TISSUE warning by both JenRar and GooberLou. I've also been told by the both of them that it's the best fight I've written. I don't know about that, but I do know that this was the hardest chapter that I've ever put down. It's details alone were difficult... Well, anyone that writes, understands that your characters are like your own children...you love them endlessly. Okay? I know you're worried. And when this chapter is done...I ask that you read the bottom A/N's, too. Strap in, hold on...
CHAPTER 20

EDWARD
The truck was eerily quiet as we trundled down the road. It had been that way since we'd left the farm. The only sounds I could hear were weapons checks, the shifting of boots, and the occasional sound of velcro ripping open as someone made sure they had all their gear. I watched without really seeing as Mickey taped her wrists with black tape across from me, only to tug on the gloves she always wore. The fingers were exposed, leaving her knuckles and palms protected from the heat and kick a gun could generate. She silently offered me the tape, but I shook my head and waved it off. However, Jasper took it. He liked giving his fingers a non-skid surface when it came down to his sniper. It kept sweat from making his grip slippery. My eyes traveled down the line, and memories of missions before this came flying to the surface both military and mercenary. I snatched my hat off, running my hand through my hair, and tugged it back on. I'd been a cocky, ballsy motherfucker then. I'd been single, young, confident in my abilities, and I'd had absolutely no fucking fear. Now, I wasn't any of those things. I was a father and husband two roles that took precedence above all fucking else but for one night, I needed to shut it all off. I needed to lean on my abilities, find the confidence that I still carried, which was currently hiding behind my fear of leaving my girls and my new little one on the way. Grimacing and swallowing thickly at that last thought, I turned my head when Sam nudged my shoulder. He offered me the face paint, and I took it. Mickey held the mirror for me, and with every swipe of the greasy shit, I let go of what was most important, what I'd left back at the farm. Otherwise, I'd get myself or someone else killed. It really was all I could do not to jump out the back of the motherfucking truck and walk back to the goddamn farm. Once my skin was covered, I dug around in my pockets, pulling out a small plan that we all had of the layout of the cabin. I clicked on a small flashlight, memorizing it. Not that I hadn't already done it, but it gave me something to focus on. "We should take that trench by hand before we do anything," Sam rumbled as he loomed over my shoulder. "I was thinking the same thing," I murmured back, pointing to the front entrance, which was my team's entry point. "El and J can take this one on the east, Em's got the back, so in order to let Ned and Harry take these turrets, we're going to have to give them this opening," I told him, and he nodded in agreement. "I'm not so sure that we all shouldn't take the trenches like that," my dad added, and suddenly, everyone was leaning forward. "Stealth, quiet... Clear the forest before we even come close to the fucking fences." "Okay," El grunted in agreement. "We'll go in silent. Knives only." I grunted and nodded, folding my map that I'd probably never look at again and tucking it and the flashlight back into one of my side pockets. "Once we do that," Alec said, sitting back in his seat, "once the outside perimeter is clear, then I say light the fucking place up. Take that far bird's nest out with a big ass boom." Emmett chuckled and nodded. "Oh, hell, fuck... Yeah." "Fine," Eleazar said, a small smirk gracing his features. "Do it. We'll alert the girls of the change when we stop to unload, because that can be the beta team's signal to get into position." The truck fell silent again as we accepted the change in plans. By the time we came to a stop, everyone was completely camouflaged, wearing faces of determination and pure hate. This type of group, this cult type situation never made sense to people like us. Yeah, sure... We loved our guns, but we didn't hole ourselves away from society. We didn't have an

agenda to take out some company or its building. And we never, ever wanted to harm or destroy innocent lives. There were no innocent lives at this cabin, as far as we were concerned. Everyone was guilty, and we were the judge, jury, and executioner. It ended tonight. The engine shut off, and we all piled out of the back of two trucks, falling in around Eleazar. I tugged my bag across my chest, unzipping it for one last check. Grenades, plastic explosives, and detonators were just a few things I'd made sure to bring. I secured my automatic rifle across my chest, as well, spinning it to my back. It wouldn't be needed just yet. "Okay, ladies," my dad said over the radio. "Talk to us." "Hello, boys," Alice sang slowly through our earpieces, and the men chuckled a hello back. "I need to hear a hello from all you, please. One at a time." Twenty-one men checked in, calling their names over the radio. That was everyone that would be in contact to the girls back at the farm. "Perfect," Bella chimed in, and just hearing her voice put my mind at complete ease. "Everyone is loud and clear. Cameras... Sam, I need yours higher. Emmett, your shoes look good, but I need to look straight out, big guy." We all chuckled up at Emmett, who grinned like a kid as he straightened his camera. "Spike, please make sure yours is on, because I'm not getting anything," she continued. "Jasper and Harry, yours are perfect." "I try, Miss Bella. It's hard to be humble when I'm this perfect," Harry said haughtily over the radio, which only resulted in a punch to his arm from his brother, Ned, and a glorious laugh from my girl. "I know, Harry, but do try to tone down your awesomeness for just one night, okay?" she snarked right back at him, and we all laughed. "Manny?" she called. "Yes, ma'am?" Reyes answered, his eyes wide. He'd been the man on the beta team I'd suggested to Bella to put a camera on. "You're either sweating to death, or you got face paint on my lens, sweetie. Can you wipe it down?" I grinned, because she could command a whole group of men with just that sweet voice. Sam and Alec chuckled beside me at Reyes' pink face. "Oh, shit, sorry," Reyes gasped, tugging the camera off of his shoulder to wipe it down. "Better, ma'am?" "Yes, thank you," she chuckled. "And it's Bella. Relax, Manny. You don't answer to me, so no ma'am necessary." That broke the last of the tension quickly, because those of us that really knew her understood that she just wanted to be a team player. Her calm demeanor was helping me relax, even though I knew she was practically sick with worry. She had officially put herself in work mode, and if she could do it, I could do it, too. I would've loved to have her right beside me, but she could run the info team like no one's business. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding as the tension slowly eased into the groove I'd always found during a mission. "Got me now, Miss Bella?" Spike asked, clipping his camera back in place on his shoulder. "There it is," she sighed. "We're good here, El." "Thanks, Bella," Eleazar answered her. "And just to let you know, there's been a slight change in plans." Once he explained what we were doing, what they needed to watch out for, Bella's voice came back over the radio. "If that's the case, then we'll do our best to watch your background via thermal and the cameras. And all teams check in when you get to your entry point, yes?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am," we all grunted back to her. "Fine... Ma'am, it is," she sighed dramatically, but I could hear her smile through the earpiece. "You heard her," Eleazar barked. "Get to your point and check in." "Sir," we grunted, breaking off into our teams. The night was cool, almost chilly, as Alec, Sam, and I double-timed it through the woods. It was actually a relief that it was a bit cooler, considering how much equipment we were wearing. It was a little over two miles to my team's entry point,

though we stopped way outside the line of sight from the cabin. "Alpha One is in position," I breathed over the radio. "Okay, Edward," Alice stated. "Hang tight." "Ten-four," I answered, giving silent signals to Sam and Alec, because I'd just caught movement in the trench right ahead. Two more teams checked in Eleazar's and my father's but they were the closest entry point. Emmett's, Harry's, and the Beta team had farther to run. "You've got three heat sources in your trench, Edward," Alice advised. "Jasper, you've got two, but you've also got three up top in that nest. Carlisle, I'm looking at four...and one taking a leak by a tree not far from where you are. I'd wait until his ass is back in that trench before moving." We all answered her immediately, but waited to move until we finally heard the rest of the teams check in. "Alpha Four on target," Emmett whispered. "Good," Bella answered. "And Manny, I see your team behind Alpha One. Perfect. Don't move." "Ma'am," Manny whispered. "On my mark," Eleazar grunted over the radio, "clear the first stage." I nodded to Alec, and he started his slow, silent approach toward our trench. He was taking the right, while Sam was taking the guy in the middle, leaving me the man on the left. We had to navigate around the trees to make sure we were coming up behind them, between the trench and the cabin fence line. Our job was to clear the trench so Harry's team could make their approach. They would use that to get inside the compound and take out the turrets, while we took care of the front gate guards. "Now," El ordered. His command was quiet and calm, but there was no mistaking the urgency in that single word. Alec and Sam split away from me as I used the trees to hide out of sight. I dropped to the ground behind some foliage, pulling my knife from my boot. The trenches were dug like old-school military deep enough to hide a man if he crouched down when he walked. I could see the closest man stationed behind an automatic weapon aimed out toward the forest. Movement from my left caught my peripheral vision as a guard walked the fence. "Alpha One stand still," I ordered quietly. "On me," I grunted, pushing myself along the ground until I was right behind my target. With one last check to the fence behind me, I looked to my left, this time seeing that my team was in place. I nodded to them both, slipping silently into the trench behind the guard. He didn't hear me land behind him. He didn't hear me breathe. But he did struggle once when my hand wrapped around his mouth, bringing my knife to his throat. With one quick jerk, his blood spilled to the dirt of the trench. His body thudded softly, as did the other two bodies down the ditch line. "Alpha Five," I grunted, kneeling down to look toward the cabin. "You're clear to proceed," I hissed. "Ten-four," Harry called, and it didn't take long until we were joined by him, Ned, and Phillip, a fairly young agent of Eleazar's, although he was holding his own just fine. "Beta Teams One and Two, move forward into your second positions and fucking hold them," I ordered. "Ten-four," Manny answered, as did Beta Two's leader. "Edward, hold your position," Bella ordered in my ear. "You've got a pair of heat sources walking the fence line and what looks like two more coming out the gate." "On it," I answered her, snapping my fingers to Alec and Harry, because they were the farthest down the trench and could easily sneak up behind the two walking the fence. Sam and Phillip took the two coming from the gate, and in less than thirty seconds, four more bodies fell to the bottom of the ditch. "We're clear, sweetness," I told her, unable not to speak to her that way. Having her in my ear was giving me the same team feelings as if she were in the fucking trench with me. "Good," she grunted. "Carlisle's still clearing his trench. El's is clear, but they're taking the first nest now. Emmett has cleared his, but he still needs to set up in position to take out that second nest." "Am I clear to take the gate?" I asked her.

"Yes," Alice chimed in. "You've got two at the gate...two in the guard shack. Go, go, go." Alec, Sam, and I crawled up out of the trench, leaving Harry's team to watch our backs. There were two guards on either side of the gate and one guard station. My next goal was to get us inside that fucking shack for cover first. Someone would notice if the two at the gate suddenly were no longer there. We paused just on the other side of the treeline at the same time that Eleazar called the first nest captured. "Alphas One, Three, and Five..." he barked. "You're covered. The southeast end of the compound is completely clear," he stated, which meant he not only killed the men in his assigned trench, but he'd taken out every guard on the bird's nest and whoever was walking the fence line. He would be able to cover my team, my dad's, and Harry's from his high perch. "I've got a gun turret in my sight," my dad stated, which meant he'd finally finished clearing his trench. "I've also got movement in the tents closest to my fence line." "Don't move, Carlisle," Alice snapped. "Every last one of you needs to watch those tents once you're inside. Got me?" "Ma'am," Eleazar answered for us. "I don't want to make a single fucking sound until the last minute, because if we can clear the trenches, the fence, and that guarded gate, then we can let Emmett take that last bird's nest." He waited long enough to hear every team answer him, and then said, "Alpha One...take that guard shack. Now!" Running at a crouch, Alec and I made our way to the back door of the guard shack. Two men inside were seated on stools, drinking coffee. They were sitting facing the gate itself, but weren't paying all that much attention to just who was coming in the door behind them; their conversation about the last women they were with was more important. "The bitch was pissed that I'd tied her up and left her there," one chuckled, and I rolled my eyes to Alec, who was shaking his head. "Aw, hell...the hotel's cleaning lady would've found her. What the fuck was she worried about?" the other one chuckled. "The Do Not Disturb sign I left on the door," the first one laughed. I smirked, because I knew Alec well enough to know that he just couldn't let that conversation go without saying something, and I was so fucking right. "Tsk, tsk, that's no fucking way to treat a lady, boys," he told them in a low voice, and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, we snatched them off of their stools, cutting their throats so that they couldn't make a fucking sound. We dropped their bodies to the shack floor. "Nice," Jasper chuckled over the radio, which meant he'd watched the whole thing through his scope. "Alec, is rudeness punishable by death?" "It should be," he chortled softly, looking out the guard shack window with me. "If that's the case," Bella chuckled, "there's this girl at my doctor's office..." I grinned, shaking my head. "Bella..." "You name the time, Bellissima," he snickered, squeezing my shoulder. "Okay, Alpha Five, get ready to cut the fence. I want you ready to take out those turrets. Okay?" Eleazar stated, and for a split second, I envied his overlooking view of the entire compound. I turned to Alec, pointing out the window. "Sam's in position on the other side of the gate. When he moves, we move. Got me?" I asked, and he nodded. I turned back out the window. "Sam, on you." This would be the touchiest part of the first phase. We knew this. We knew that as out in the open as the the gate was, we were taking a chance at being seen. "Everyone, brace yourselves," Eleazar warned. "When Alpha One takes that gate, Emmett, you blow that bird's nest away." Again, he waited until we all agreed, and then said, "Now, Edward." Sam stepped from the shadows at the same time we walked out of the guard shack. Before either of them could react, someone from inside the compound called out. "The gate! The gate!" "Aw, fuck," I groaned, taking my Glock from my shoulder holster, and pulling the trigger at the man's head in front of me at the same time Sam snapped the neck of the guard in front of him. "Now, Em. Now!" Eleazar said, and our silence was completely shattered. The sweet, hissing sound of the RPG that Emmett fired was followed by a huge explosion and screams for backup. Men

poured out of the cabin, the shed, the tents, and even the fucking tractor trailer at the back of the property. Gunfire sounded from every direction, including the machine gun turrets at three different locations. My team dove for cover behind a fallen tree, lifting our automatic weapons into position at the same time Harry called that his fence was open. "Go, Harry," I snapped, firing off several rounds at the men piling out of the house. They fell immediately to the porch floor. "We'll cover your asses. Go!" Alec aimed toward the turret in the middle, taking out the gunner, who was quickly replaced by the man beside him. "Emmett, that next nest! Fire, now!" Eleazar ordered, because my dad's team was being held down at the fence line, due to the fire that was aimed his way. "On it," Emmett growled, and then grunted, as a fiery trail arched sweetly through the canopy, finally destroying a tree at the far end corner of the property. Harry's team made it to the guard shack, and he pulled the pin on a grenade, tossing it at the closest turret. "Alpha One and Alpha Four," Eleazar called. "I need those tents and that back shed cleared. Go, go, go." It was smart thinking on El's part, really. He was sending my team in from the front and Emmett's team in from the back, catching the trailer, some of the tents, and the shed in the middle. Harry's team, who was going straight up the middle, launched another grenade at the third turret at the same time my father called out that he'd taken the second. All the machine guns were ours. Bullets zinged in from every direction, coming mostly from the house and the shed, as my team ran from safety point to safety point. However, there were calls from the Beta team that they were catching a few runners. "Fuck this shit!" Mickey growled, and I watched from my location just east of the guard shack as she threw a grenade through the cabin window so hard that a professional baseball pitcher would have envied her. A whole bedroom was now exposed, as well as several enemies. "Got 'em," Eleazar called, taking down three men at the same time Mickey and my father took down the rest. "Edward, watch yourself," Bella warned. "You've got too much movement in that shed and behind it. Emmett, watch that trailer, but watch that friendly fire, too. You don't want to kill each other!" "Ten-four," we both answered her, my team sending a spray of bullets all through the treeline, fence, and tents surrounding the shed. "Em, stand your ground and watch the back side of the shed and trailer," I snapped, pulling the pin on a grenade and tossing it between two sets of tents, which took out a few hidden enemies, as my team and I took cover behind some trees. "I'm working my way to you. We'll take that shed at the same time. Got me?" "Got it, Eddie," he answered, calling out orders to his own team. "Take out that trailer, Emmett," Eleazar order. "Blow the whole thing to hell." "Carlisle!" Bella called over the radio. "You've got movement out the rear entry of the house. Beta Team Two, watch it!" "I see 'em," Spike answered, and something small exploded inside the cabin. "Sam, I see movement on your right," Alice advised. "Forty degrees east. The clump of trees. See him?" "I do," I answered her, mainly because I was just fucking used to her over the top details. To me, they were fucking perfect. "Right...there," I growled, aiming at the spot Alice was talking about. The three of us fired into the brush, ducking when a grenade went off, but a body fell forward, no longer moving. "Asshole was going to blow us up," Alec scoffed, shaking his head. "Can't imagine why," Sam said wryly. I grinned, ignoring their sarcasm. "Em, what's the status on the trailer?" "Thirty seconds and counting," he grunted. "Everyone, brace yourselves." "Jasper, the second floor window," Bella advised. "And would you look at that?" Jasper drawled. "If I don't see our little cowardly friend Walter up in there..." "No shit?" Bella gasp. "Take the fucking shot," she ordered.

"Oh, Bellissima's out for blood," Alec sang, grinning as we worked our way closer to where a handful of enemies were hiding behind a few old cars. "No shot, no shot, but..." Jasper paused when the trailer that Emmett had set with explosives lit up the night sky and the surrounding forest. "Damn, that's pretty," Emmett crooned over the radio. "Makes me want to hum Glory, Glory, Hallelujah," he chuckled. "Jazz?" Bella called again. "The shot?" "Fuck, no need," he gasped. "Someone just put a gun to his head inside that top room and pulled the fucking trigger. I don't have a line of sight for who, but Walter's down...out. Gone." "Do not underestimate Lilith," Bella snapped. "Carlisle!" "I know, Bells," he said, trying to soothe her. "We're closing in on the house. I need Beta Team Two to rush forward...watch the back." "Ten-four," one of them said. "Beta One, go ahead and close in on the front gate," Eleazar ordered. "We're pushing through the front part of the compound. Edward, Emmett...I need that shed taken." Shots zinged around us, and I growled. "Hang on! Fuck, we're held down temporarily," I grumbled, taking the RPG that Sam was handing me. "Maybe I'll luck the fuck out and there will be gas still left in those old beater cars." I loaded the weapon, locked my sight on the first car, and pulled the trigger. The old Buick bowed up, sending three men scattering and four dead. Metal and glass, rubber and seat cushions rained down all around us, but at least the fuckers could no longer hide behind the fucking car. "I've got strays," I ordered, and Alec and Sam opened fire, as did a sniper shot from behind me. "You're clear to that fucking picnic table, Ed," Eleazar grunted. "Right, girls?" "Yes," Bella stated, "but you've got a shit-ton of activity in that shed. There's no telling what's in it. Watch yourselves." "Yes, ma'am," I stated, weaving with Sam and Alec to the overturned table. I knelt behind it for cover. "Emmett, we're on point." "We are, too," he answered right back. "Bella, give me an update on everyone else. What do you see?" I ordered. "Spike's setting charges on the cabin. Carlisle and Mickey are working through every room of the house, coming through the front, with Beta Two coming in the back. Beta One is working their way to you, catching a few strays here and there, but your back is covered. Emmett is now at the back of the shed. Harry's team is about forty yards from you, but is in position to help you," she rattled off, and that shit couldn't have been easy. "Perfect, sweetness, thank you," I sighed, giving the shed door a wary glance. "Harry, move in toward the shed. We'll take it at the same time. Watch for Em on the other side when we crack this bitch open like a lobster. Got me?" "How you want to do this, Ed?" Emmett asked. "I want you to turn the lights on in the kitchen. My team and Harry's will step on the roaches," I ordered, pulling my rifle around from my back and setting it on the edge of the table. Alec and Sam followed suit. "On my mark, Em!" "Sir," he grunted, and I knew him well enough to know that his RPG was already loaded. He usually kept it that way. "El! Two snipers my way," I called. "Keep one on that fucking cabin!" "We've got you, Ed," Eleazar stated, and then ordered Beta One to move in and spread out behind me. "I'm blowing this cabin the second you crack open that shed," Spike advised. Shots rang out from inside the house, and we all froze for just a moment, looking that way. My father and Mickey came tumbling out the doors, Mickey ordering, "Blow it now! That bitch is hiding inside somewhere!" One or the both of them were hurt, I couldn't quite tell, but they fell to the ground inside one of the machine gun turrets behind the safety of the sandbags. "Dad?" "I'm okay, son... Go! Finish this shit!" he snapped.

"Em, Spike...on three," I growled, turning my head back to the shed and aiming my weapon. "One...two...three!" It looked like fucking World War III when the entire place fucking blew. Em's RPG not only shattered the back wall of the shed, but it blew open the front, as well. The cabin, which Spike had rigged with plastic explosives or TNT or some shit, actually shifted on its foundations. A ball of fire billowed high in the air when the rooftop of the cabin collapsed in on itself. "Fire at will!" I ordered, because anyone that was inside that fucking shed started to run, firing at us with handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Eleazar and Eric picked off plenty with smooth precision. Alec and Sam opened fire on a group of about six men that decided to head for the woods. They didn't make it past the edge of the shed. Four men ran blindly and shot blindly straight out the shed's front door, and I fired rapid shots, taking them down in a heap in front of me. Harry's men caught another wave, and the place fell quiet. "Don't fucking move, Edward," Alice and Bella both barked into the radio. "You've still got heat sources inside. Got me?" Bella snapped. "Ma'am," I panted, not from weariness, but from the adrenaline that was coursing through me. A few shots rang out from the back of the shed, Emmett calling, "I've got movement!" "They're heading your way, Edward," Bella stated. "Two...from behind the door." I'm really not sure exactly what the fuck happened next. My team got ready to take the two sons of bitches out, but the two that stepped into the doorway of the shed caused a panic in Sam. One man raised a rocket launcher at the same time the other opened fire with an automatic rifle. The table we'd been hiding behind disintegrated. "Eddie, get down!" Sam yelled, knocking me to the ground, his heavy body covering mine. A whirlwind of bullets opened fire all at once in a fairly short burst, and stopped just as quickly as it started. It was then that the pain hit me full force, and when I noticed that Sam wasn't moving. ~oOo~

BELLA
It seemed the whole dining room had stopped fucking breathing, because all communication over the radio had gone eerily silent. My eyes scanned the cameras. Jasper's team was suddenly on their feet, climbing down out of the bird's nest. Spike's camera showed that Carlisle and Mickey were wounded, but okay. Manny's camera shook as he and his team ran toward the shed. Harry was holding his position. Emmett was still holding steady at the back of the property, but Sam's camera showed...nothing. "Christ," I breathed, pacing behind my girls and Aunt Kate, where I'm pretty sure I'd worn a groove in the carpet. "Someone better start talking...and I mean right fucking now..." I muttered, mainly to my girls, but I'm pretty sure the sound traveled over the headset. At that point, the radio exploded with activity. "Report in! All of you!" Eleazar ordered as he followed Jasper's running form. "Beta One is fine...one minor injury," Manny breathed heavily, and I could see by his camera that he was kneeling over a man that was holding his arm. "Beta Two...fine." "Alpha Three...two with minor injuries," Carlisle snapped, and from the look of his face through Spike's camera, he was pissed, but his attention was aimed elsewhere. "Alpha Five...clear," Harry added. "Alpha Four...all accounted for. No injuries," Emmett panted, running through the destroyed shed. "My section is clear." I could practically see Rose's body sag in relief, but then we all realized that Alpha One hadn't checked in. I shook my head. "Someone better give me a status on Alpha One..." "Clear," Alec's voice came over the radio, and it was soft, subdued. "One casualty, one injury." The girls forced me into a chair when my knees gave out, my voice almost a squeak when I said, "Edward?"

"Answer her!" Edward growled over the radio. "Christ!" "Shit, Bells," Emmett sighed. "Eddie's hurt, but Sam...he didn't make it." My head fell to my hands as I wasn't really sure what I was feeling. There was panic at the thought of Edward hurt, there was relief at the belligerent tone of his voice, and there was the ultimate sadness at the loss of a man that I had truly come to love. "How hurt?" I asked over the radio. "Give me my fucking earpiece, for fuck's sake," Edward snapped, and I almost smiled at his crankiness, if it weren't so fucking serious. "Baby, I'm fine, okay? It's just...fuck, shrapnel." "Emmett, show me!" I commanded, leaning in toward the screen when Emmett knelt next to Edward. Edward had Jasper, Eleazar, and Alec holding his leg and tying a tourniquet around his upper thigh, where what looked to be a piece of wood was lodged. Edward was in pain, but the wound was on the outside of his leg, not near the femoral artery, and he was cursing like a fucking sailor. "Fuck, baby," he growled, fighting off everyone that was near him. "I swear I'll be okay. Please, please don't panic..." I nodded, though I knew he couldn't see me, because he was more worried about me than his own personal well being. "And Sam?" I whispered, though I knew he could hear me. The radio went quiet again, but this time, I could see Edward give pointed looks to everyone, and Alec answered, "Sam died...protecting Ed... He saw them step from the shadows, shoved me out of the way, and launched himself at Edward. He took the bullet aimed for Edward at the same time we dove from the RPG." I shook my head, tugging off my headset and throwing it down onto the table. I turned around to see Esme leaning in the doorway, practically gnawing on her thumbnail. I flew to her, because I didn't know what I wanted more to throw up, or scream. "Kate," Esme said softly as her arms wrapped around me, "I know they need to clean up, sort through things at the cabin. But you tell them I said to bring all injured men back to this house ASAP." "I got it," Alice said softly, and she switched the radio on to speaker. "Eleazar, come in." "Yes, Alice," he sighed. "Esme wants all wounded back here immediately," she told him. Through Jasper's camera, I watched as Eleazar stood up, surveying his surroundings. He scratched his head, and then nodded. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. Ed's losing some blood, and I think Carlisle needs looking at. And they're not the only ones." "Come on, sweetie," Esme sighed. "You can help me get ready for them." I nodded, but turned to my girls. "Keep watching the thermal. And tell me the second they're heading this way." "Got it, Bells," Mack said, her own nasty habit coming back as she practically chewed her nails down to nothing. Hell, I didn't even have it in me to stop her. Rose and Aunt Kate got up from the table to join us. With Obie's and Tom's help, we pulled out every towel, every medical supply, and every blanket Aunt Kate owned, not to mention Esme's own supplies. Rose cleaned whatever equipment Esme handed her, disinfecting it with alcohol. The living room furniture was all moved aside, and Obie set up folding tables. "They're on the way," Alice said, peeking in the door. "They said to tell you that you've got three with minor injuries, and two not so minor." She winced when she looked at me. "Edward's bleeding pretty badly, Carlisle and Mickey have some pretty bad bullet grazes, a man named Smith got caught in the arm, and Felix was hit...they didn't know it when Em checked in for his team. He's got a through and through, they said." Esme nodded, spreading sheets over the tables. "We'll handle it," she stated, calmer than I'd expected her to be, though she always handled emergencies better than any of us. "They also said to tell you that they're sending Jasper and Alec with them to help you," Alice continued. "The rest are going to clean up the compound before heading back." "Fine," I sighed, sorting through bandages and meds. "I need one of you to stay on the radio and monitor the video as best you can, and one of you out here when they come in." "No prob," Alice stated. "I'll see what Mack wants..."

"And shit," I sighed, glancing up at the clock. "By the time they get here, the sun will be coming up." I spun to look at Esme. "Bethy can't see her dad hurt or Carlisle. She'll freak the hell out." "We'll figure it out, Bells," Rose said calmly. "Caleb will be up by then, too." It was the longest fucking wait I'd ever had to endure. I paced, I threw up twice and then I paced some more. Alec checked in two times on the top of each hour as he drove, but he couldn't give updates on anyone, because Jasper was in the back with them all. I needed to fucking see my husband, needed to fucking touch him. I knew he was worried more about me than himself, but every time they said he was losing blood, my heart sank. I was rooted to the front steps of the house as I wrapped my arms around my middle. "Child, you need to calm down," Aunt Kate soothed, plopping down next to me. She pulled me to her, whispering, "You can't make yourself sick, Bella. You have to stay calm for the baby." "I know," I sniffled, fighting with all that I had not to panic. "It's harder when he's not in front of me." She smiled, kissing the side of my head. "Right, when he's fighting you tooth and nail." I chuckled, biting my bottom lip. "Yes, well... At least then I know he's okay." "Exactly," she chuckled, and we both looked up when one of the trucks pulled into the drive. We were up off the steps together instantly. Aunt Kate ordered Alec to back up to the front door, which he did, practically tearing up the front lawn in the process. Tom and Obie bolted out the front door, with Esme close behind them, as Jasper slung the back door of the truck open. Inside was fucking chaos. "I can fucking walk, Obie," Mickey growled, pointing behind her. "Help Jasper get Edward in the house. Tom, help me with Carlisle." "You got him?" I asked, stopping them all to look at Carlisle's leg, and she nodded. "Talk to me, Carlisle." "I'll live. It's just a graze, sweetheart, but if my son doesn't set eyes on you soon, he's going to tear the fucking truck apart," he said, rolling his eyes. I dove inside the truck, narrowly missing Felix and the man from Beta One. Falling on my knees beside my husband, I grabbed his face. "Hey," I said, giving his leg a glance. Two rough hands grasped my face. "Love, I'm okay. I promise." I kissed his palm and nodded, but he was pale and a little shaky. Jasper started to move him, with Obie at his shoulders, but I said, "Wait! Don't move him yet. Let me see this leg." I wasn't Esme; I couldn't look at a wound and see just how bad it was, but even I could tell the shrapnel in Edward's leg was lodged in the muscle. I could also see that even though he was losing blood, it wasn't in spurts. I tightened his tourniquet a little tighter, causing him to wince. "Sorry, baby," I soothed, rubbing his arm. I looked to Jasper. "Get him inside onto one of the tables. Carefully. Try not to jar him too much, because I don't want that...thing moving until Esme can look at it." "Got it," Jasper said, his face grim. "Hang on, Ed." With a nod to Obie, they lifted Edward up by his shoulders and lower legs. I turned around, my heart sinking when I saw a covered form at the very back of the truck behind the cab. "Sam," Felix said sadly, slipping off the end of the truck and offering me a hand. "Edward wouldn't be here without him," he stated, waving me forward. He was holding his arm, but he seemed okay. "Come on, I'll help you out." I took his hand and stepped down. "Let me see," I said, reaching for his shoulder. "No," he grunted, moving away from me. "I've had worse. Go inside. I'll let you look after you've taken care of Edward." "Goddamn it!" my husband's foul mouth echoed out the front door, and I bolted inside. The living room was a mess. Rose and Mickey were cleaning up Carlisle's leg. Aunt Kate was tending to the Beta team member, but it was taking three people to work on Edward. I darted around everyone, grabbing his paint covered face again. "Hey, let them look at you," I growled low, yanking off his hat and tossing to the floor. "I know it hurts, baby, but your daughter is asleep right down the hall. You do not want her seeing this."

He flinched, but nodded as I wiped the sweat from his brow. "I need to see this wound," Esme ordered, "and I need to see if he's hurt anywhere else." Edward winced, hissing at the movement when we started removing his vest and his boots. Jasper and I worked efficiently and as quickly as we could, while Esme cut his pants up the leg at the same time I cut his shirt off. She was just about to remove the tourniquet, but gave me a pointed look first. "Edward, eyes on me, baby," I said, cupping his face with one hand and running my fingers through his hair with the other. "She's going to give you something for the pain, okay?" I asked him as Esme got a syringe ready, and he nodded slowly, deep, pain-filled eyes boring into mine. "I'm sorry about Sam," he murmured, reaching for my face. "Not now, baby," I sighed, shaking my head at him. "It wasn't your fault, sweetheart." "You're keeping him calm, Bells," Jasper whispered in my ear, stepping just close enough to block Edward's sight of his own leg. "Keep it up, because she's about to take that shard out. Hangin' in there, Ed?" he asked, and Edward nodded sharply, his mouth in a tight, thin line. Edward's face scrunched up in pain when Esme plunged the needle into his leg. She pulled away the belt that someone had strapped around his upper thigh, and with one last glance to me, she proceeded to work the piece of wood out of his leg. I nodded, taking one of Edward's hands in mine. His eyes were now a little glazed, but he must've been able to feel something, because his whole body shook and a low, grunting growl escaped him through gritted teeth. "Squeeze our hands, baby," I whispered to him as I placed kisses on Edward's jaw, the face paint be damned. Jasper picked up Edward's other hand, both of us wincing at the strength Edward squeezed against us, his knuckles white with the pressure he was putting on us. I could almost feel when Esme had gotten the biggest part of it out of him, because his whole body relaxed. "Jasper, reach back and apply pressure for me," Esme ordered. Jasper did as he was told, pushing down on Edward's leg with a clean towel with one hand, while still holding Edward's hand with his other. "Good job," I breathed against his skin. "Look at me," I told him, and his tired eyes rolled my way. "She's cleaning you up, Edward, and then you'll get stitched up. It's almost over, baby." "'Kay," he sighed, and I could tell that the morphine that she'd shot him up with was now really starting to work, because his eyes were a brilliant, but glazed over green. "Love you, sweetness," he mumbled. I snickered, kissing his nose. "Love you, too, Edward. Keep still for me, okay?" Esme numbed his leg in order to clean the wound of all debris. Just before she made the first stitch, she glanced up to me. "No major blood vessels, but his muscle will have to heal on its own. He'll be fine, sweetie," she soothed. "No running for a while." I smiled in relief and her teasing of him, even though he was pretty out of it at this point. My body sagged with it, and I leaned over Edward, fighting my tears and letting out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Oh, shit, Bells," Jasper gasped, his eyes wide as they looked behind me. My head spun and my heart sank, because my daughter was taking in every-fucking-thing in that living room, with tears coursing down her face. "Bethy," I breathed, letting go of Edward's hand. "Jazz, stay with him, please," I begged, and he nodded as I scooped her up as quickly as I could and took her into the kitchen. "D-Daddy?" she gasped, tears filling her eyes. "What's wrong wif Daddy? Why's he bleedin'?" she asked, her voice getting louder. "Shh, pretty girl," I soothed her, setting her on the counter. "Daddy got hurt, but he's okay." "I want to see him," she cried, fighting me to get down, but I held her fast. "I want Daddy!" "Shh, baby," I said, my own tears threatening to fall. "Not now, but soon, Bethy. I promise." "Poppy," she sobbed as Carlisle hobbled into the kitchen, his face unreadable. "I want Daddy," she told him, reaching for

him. "Easy, little one," he soothed her, coming to stand beside me. "Give Gamma and Mommy a chance to fix him up, and then you can see him." "No!" she wailed, and not for the first time was I fucking grateful that Edward had made it home, even though he was hurt, because my daughter couldn't live without him. "Let's go for a walk," he told her, and my head spun to look at him. He chuckled when I raised an eyebrow at him, glancing down at his leg, before he kissed my cheek. "I'm fine," he snickered, pulling back to look at me. "I'm okay. Get back in there. Bethy and I are going to get some air." "Poppy, no," Bethy argued, shaking her head. "Elizabeth Renee," I said, cupping her face. "I promise as soon as Gamma says so, you can see Daddy, but he's sleeping right now, okay?" She hiccuped a sob, sniffling a little, but finally wrapped her arms around Carlisle's neck, letting him pull her off the counter. He seemed to be walking gingerly, but made his way out the front door. I walked back into the living room and checked on Edward first. "He's out," Jasper chuckled. "Like gone. Esme gave him a little more morphine after she finished the stitches and wrapped him up. Want him in his room?" "Let him stay for now," I sighed, running my fingers through Edward's hair. "We'll move him in a bit, and I'll have to clean him up before his daughter sees him again." "Right," he agreed with a nod. "That face cream shit will take this off," he told me, pointing to his own painted face. "Got it," I murmured, catching a glimpse of Felix in the doorway. I pointed to him and the closest table. "You next. Sit." He grinned and nodded, obeying me instantly. "I'm yours to command." ~oOo~ I wiped the last of the face paint away, gazing down at my husband's strong features. His long eyelashes rested against his skin. His stubble was thick and prickly. His mouth was almost in a pout as he continued to sleep. With Jasper's and Alec's help, we'd moved him into our bed, where I stripped the rest of his ruined clothes off, leaving him in his boxers. I'd washed his face and his hands, and still, he slept on. The bleeding had stopped once Esme had cleaned his wound and stitched it, and I knew without looking that underneath the covers was a wide white bandage that wrapped around his thigh from just above his knee almost to his hip. It had been several hours since everyone had been patched up. Eleazar had checked in, stating they were pretty sure they'd gotten everyone, and that even Johnny Thornhill the man behind my husband's wound was dead. They were still cleaning up, having called in some extra agents to wipe the area clean. Carlisle had eventually handed Bethy over to Esme, who'd fed her, dressed her, and calmed her down. If I wasn't mistaken, they were out with Tom, feeding Goliath and the rest of the horses. "I will make sure Edward makes it home to you. I swear it." Sam's last words to me echoed through my mind, and my tears couldn't be stopped. He'd fulfilled his promise to me by sacrificing his own life so that mine could come home to me. I traced Edward's features, thinking that he was my life him and Bethy and my new little one. But Edward was a gift to me, because it could just as easily have been him under a sheet inside that truck. With that last thought, my tears came unhindered and unstoppable. I crawled up on my side of the bed, aching to wrap myself around my husband, but not wanting to disturb him. I closed my eyes, fighting tears and aftermath hysteria and panic and grief and all hormone related freakouts. "What's this, sweetness?" Edward's raspy voice met my ears, as a calloused finger wiped away a tear. My eyes opened to see his head turned my way, and all I could do was shake my head. "Come here," he whispered, and as gently as we both could, we wrapped around each other. "I'm okay, baby." "I know." "Then please don't cry," he begged, and I felt kisses drop to the top of my head. "Can't help it," I sniffled, nuzzling his neck and drowning in his pulse, his scent, and his warmth.

He chuckled slightly, kissing my head again. "Hormones?" "Among the many reasons," I said, unable to not smile when he was teasing me. "Let me see your face, baby," he requested, pulling my chin up with his fingers. "Tell me the damage." I smiled at his nonchalance, but I sat up a bit and faced him. "You're out of commission, sir... At least for a little while. Your leg was easy to stitch, but the muscle will take time to mend itself, according to Esme. The bleeding has stopped, I just about had a nervous breakdown, and if it weren't for Sam, you wouldn't be here." A flicker of pain crossed his features, and he shook his head slowly. "Fuck," he sighed, his head falling back to the headboard. "Sam. What was he fucking thinking?" "He was thinking that he'd made me a promise to me," I sobbed. "I didn't ask him to, but he did it anyway." Edward's head lifted, and he reached for my face, wiping my tears away. Warm, still a touch hazy, green eyes gazed at me with sympathy and love. His thumb traveled under my eyes, and he tilted his head at me. "I'm sorry, love," he sighed. "I'm really fucking sorry." He pulled me to him, and I finally let it all go the worry, the panic, all of it because Edward was safe, his arms wrapped around me. He was whispering that he loved me, that he was okay, and that he was sorry about Sam, because he knew really I'd liked the gruff, dangerous looking man. When my tears finally came to somewhat of an end, I sat up straight. I grasped his face, kissing his lips roughly. "Never fucking scare me like that again," I growled against his mouth. He snorted a bit, but kissed me back. "Yes, ma'am." He winced when we both shifted, and I pulled completely away from him. "No, don't go," he begged, sounding like a child. "I'm okay. You didn't hurt me. And shit, love...you need to rest." I shook my head and sighed. "No, you need to see someone that wants to make sure you're okay. Are you up for visitors?" "Christ! Bethy," he whispered, his face paling. "What happened?" "She woke up right about the time you got knocked out," I told him, scrambling off the bed. "She saw you, Edward." "Shit," he hissed. "Just her...no one else right now. Okay?" I nodded, opening the door and heading down the hallway. I found her in the now clean living room, sitting on her Poppy's lap. They weren't alone; they were surrounded by Jasper, Alec, Rose, and Makenna, all watching baseball, and he was teaching her the game. "Mommy, Poppy's telling me what a h-home r-run is," she struggled. I grinned, but waved her to me. "Someone wants to see you, pretty girl," I told her as she scrambled down from Carlisle's lap. "Daddy?" she whispered, her eyes wide. Heads spun my way, but it was Carlisle that asked the question. "How is he?" "Sore and weak, but awake," I said simply, turning back to Bethy. "Yes, Daddy," I told her, scooping her up and stealing her from the room. Just before I opened the door, I made her look at me. "He's very sore, baby, so no bouncing on him or jumping on the bed, okay?" "Okay, Mommy," she said softly, her eyes a touch fearful. I set her down and opened the door to our room. Bethy bolted in, but stopped just before the bed. "Hey, little sweetness. Come here," he told her, pointing to the spot I'd just left at his side. She scrambled up onto the bed, crawling to him. "Wh-What happened, D-Daddy?" she asked him, letting him pull her as close as he wanted. Her tiny hands touched his face, his chest, even his hair, giving him her own examination. "I got hurt, but I'm okay, baby," he told her, pulling the covers away a bit so she could see the bandage. "My band-aid is bigger than yours," he teased her, pointing to her knee from where she'd fallen in the barn. She giggled, looking from his leg to his face. "You want princess or camo?" she asked him, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Gamma didn't give me a choice," he chuckled, kissing her head. "Mommy said I scared both of you. I'm sorry about that," he whispered against her head, but his eyes locked with mine as I stood at the edge of the bed.

"You were bleedin'," she told him, tilting her head at him. "Like when I falled." I smiled at her, because that meant she didn't see all of the damage. "Does he pass inspection, pretty girl?" I asked her, and Edward chuckled as she sat up on her knees, grasping his face. "He looks okay," she told me seriously. "Can you walk, Daddy?" "Not yet," he said, still chuckling at her. She was about to say something else, when Edward's stomach gave a fierce growl. She gasped, and then giggled, pressing her ear to his stomach. "Angry bears, Daddy," she teased him. "Like Mommy's did!" "I'm starving," he laughed, picking up her arm and pretending to gnaw on it, which only resulted in her squealing into laughter. I could have smothered them both in kisses. Seriously. I could already see that this wasn't like he'd described getting hurt in the Air Force. This time, he had two people to take care of him. "Bethy, go tell Aunt Kate or Uncle Alec to get something for Daddy to eat, okay?" She turned to her dad, leaning on his chest. "I had a sandwich and tater chips," she told him. "Want that?" He grinned and nodded, wincing just a bit when she bounded off the bed. "Okay, be wight back," she yelled, bolting out the door and down the hallway. I watched his face as the smile fell, and he looked up at me. "In pain?" I asked, and he nodded, but reached out for my hand before I could go get Esme. "You need to rest, baby," he pleaded, pulling me close enough to place a warm hand on my stomach. "Please?" I took a deep breath and let it out, but finally nodded. "When you've had something to eat and something for the pain, I'll relax, Edward," I vowed to him, leaning over to kiss his forehead, nose, and chin. "Until then, I just... I can't." He frowned and huffed out a frustrated sigh. "I promise to behave, to eat, and to stay still if you stay with me." "You? Behave?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I sincerely doubt it, mister." He grinned, looking up at me through long, dark eyelashes. "Okay, well, I'll eat and be still." I giggled, because I couldn't help it. He was safe and alive, silly and sweet, and not at all going to behave, I could see that much. In fact, I could well imagine he was going to be a hellacious patient. I nodded, suddenly needing to do something. "Let me check on our girl and get Esme to give you something for pain. I'll be right back, okay?" I asked, kissing his lips softly. "Sure, love," he said with a small nod. I walked down the hallway, glancing out the window to see just who I needed to. As I ran through the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of Bethy helping her Uncle Alec make Edward's lunch. I flew out the front door just as Tom and Obie were about to move Sam's body under the direction of Aunt Kate. "What are you" I asked, but Aunt Kate stopped me. "Easy, child," she crooned, tucking my hair back. "He has no family. I thought we'd put him next to Garrett. They were friends, you know." She pointed toward the back field where Garrett was buried. I nodded, stepping closer to the truck. "Can I..." I huffed, turning to look at her with begging eyes. "Of course, Bella," she said softly and sadly, waving both men to her. "Come, boys. We'll see what we can dress him in..." I waited until they left me alone, and then crawled into the back of the truck. I swallowed thickly, tugging the sheet away from Sam's face. He looked like he was sleeping, like a slumbering gentle giant. I reached out, touching the scars that frightened most people but had endeared him to me during a time when I needed to not feel so alone. He'd taken on a protective fatherly role in my life a guardian. He'd been kind and comforting, when most people wouldn't have talked to him. He'd told amazing stories about Carlisle, Alec, and Edward, making me laugh at their antics from years and years ago. But his most recent feat was his most noble one, and leaning down over him, I placed a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you, Sam."

A/N... Some of you stated that if we lost Sam...or Alec, or if anything happened to Edward...that you'd stop

reading. I understand. And if that's what you choose to do, then that's totally your call. Though, I will tell you the story isn't over. I'm looking at about 4-5 more chapters. I understand reading a story where you're so emotionally involved that it's upsetting when it doesn't go the way you want it. I get it. But I can't force you to stay with me... Okay...to sum up... The cabin is dust, though a body count is still up in the air. Edward's wounded, but fine, Carlisle's fine, Mickey's fine, and Felix will live. There's still the clean up, recovery, and an all around deep breath of relief. As you can figure out, they will be in Alaska for a few, just until Edward can fly. And I'm sorry for the loss of Sam. However, this is how the story went from the beginning. For such a small part, he was a big deal... These round of thanks will be different... JenRar...yeah, yeah, that little addition you suggested NAILED it. As I'm sure the next suggestion will too. Thank you...for making me laugh when I didn't think it was so damn funny. GooberLou...Thank you, even though Sam was your man to begin with and you actually threw shit at me. Despite the fact that you were hating it, thank you for walking me through this part...you'll get what you want in the end. I promise. MedusaInNY... I've been told that les16 is sending you my way should something like this should happen. Okay...I'm ready. LOL I can't change it, nor do I want to, because this was how the story goes. But thank you for all that you do for my blog, BEFORE you kick my ass. ;) As I'm writing this, I'm still working on chapter 21. IF that is finished in the next day, then THIS will post early. Tuesday, if I reach my goal. If not, then Wednesday as usual. Either way, I'd love to hear what you have to say...and I can take the yelling. I'm sure it's not the first time, and probably won't be the last. Review please...and until next time, later.

*Chapter 21*: Chapter 21

A/N... "Where's that bitch Lilith?" You guys were one singular mind, one burning question. LOL You guys have trusted me this far, so please, please have patience. You know I wouldn't dare let that shit just slide, right? Good! So have faith, have a touch more patience, and let's check in on our healing Mercward. This is rated M for Mercward crankiness, for sure, but a touch of citrusy goodness, too. I've been told to warn you that you will need TISSUES just for the first part of this chapter. I'll let you get on with it, but see me at the bottom...
CHAPTER 21

EDWARD
As the sun set, I shifted on my crutches. I wasn't sure what I was feeling as Bethy, Bella, and the rest of the girls placed flowers on a freshly covered grave. My girls were beautiful and sad, and I wasn't sure what my daughter understood, because this was her first taste of the reality of life. This was her first funeral. I didn't know what she'd take away from it. My own first taste came with the death of a grandparent at about her age, but it didn't really hit me until I lost my mother. I suddenly went from being a starry eyed kid, to seeing the world for what it really was fucking cruel and harsh. At least, sometimes it could be fucking cruel. And then there were moments when I realized that the world would try to make shit back up to you by handing you something amazing to keep, to hold. My leg gave a dull, deep throb, and I winced, shifting on my crutches again. It had been three days since Esme had removed the shrapnel in my leg. It had taken that long for everyone involved to catch up on sleep, because I'm pretty sure my wife wasn't the only one that had stayed up for practically two days straight. The men were no better. Those that had stuck around at the cabin had a shit-ton of work to do, cleaning up, making it look like something it actually wasn't because technically, while Eleazar had the authority to capture and destroy a threat, he didn't have the authority to do it in another country and accounting for every body that we'd left there. We'd destroyed them all, and then some. Walter's and Johnny Thornhill's bodies were both recovered, and it seemed even Lilith had fallen victim, because they'd found the burned remains of a woman inside the closet of the top floor bedroom. And there wasn't a life lost back at that fucking cabin that I had remorse over except the man we were burying today. I hadn't given much thought at the time as to why Sam had requested to be on my team, why he'd stuck to me like glue and watched my ass like a hawk. Apparently, he'd seen Bella's worry and taken it on as his own personal mission to make sure his "little one" got everything she ever wanted, and what she wanted most was me home safe. He knew that. And I was pretty fucking sure that Bella being pregnant just made him all the more protective of her, which by proxy, included me. I shifted again, frowning down at the ground, until a warm hand landed lightly on my shoulder. "You're in pain, son," Esme whispered, her eyes filled with concern. "Let's get you back and off that leg." "When they're done, I'll go," I sighed, begging her silently to understand, which, of course, she did. Bethy ran through the wildflowers, still holding a couple in her hands. She was wearing a sweet yellow dress, something that was a rarity for my little tomboy. I smiled down at her, hating the fucking fact that I couldn't kneel down to her level or scoop her up, so Esme did it for me, lifting her up for me. "Did you see my flowers, Daddy?" she asked, holding them out for me. "I did, little sweetness," I told her, leaning on one crutch and tucking the ones she had into her hair. "There... That's better." "Mommy's sad," she whispered, looking back over her shoulder, and then back to me. "She is," I agreed. "She's going to miss Mr. Sam. They were friends." "Oh," she sighed, a little dip appearing between her brows. She didn't say much else, but we all looked up when the girls walked away from the gravesite together. Esme looked up at me, but jiggled Bethy. "Let's get Daddy back inside and off that leg of his, and we'll get you something to eat. What do you say?" She smiled, glancing up at me. "Mommy says you hafta behave," she stated, pointing a finger at me. "Don't I know it," I growled, leaning in to kiss her neck just to hear her giggle. It was the best fucking sound, and I needed it in my ears. It seemed too long since the last time I'd heard it, even though I was sure it had only been hours. By the time I made it back to the living room, my whole body seemed to be covered in sweat. I was shaking with the

exertion. "Christ, son," my dad breathed, launching up from the chair and helping me to the sofa. "Too soon," he whispered in my ear. "I couldn't not go," I hissed back at him. "He fucking saved my life, Dad." He took my crutches, leaned them against the far wall, and helped me situate myself on the couch. "That's not what I meant," he growled back, aware that everyone was just around the corner in the kitchen. "I meant, they would've waited for you. They buried him the next day, but they were waiting on the funeral until you said so." "Well, it's done now." I sighed in relief that my leg's throbbing had slowed down, my head falling back to the pillows behind me. "Bella needed closure." "Maybe you did, too," he murmured, raising an eyebrow at me when my head shot up to look at him. I exhaled roughly, shrugging one shoulder. "Maybe I did," I told him. He frowned down at me. "You owe it to him not to feel guilty over this. He made a decision one I, myself, am grateful for. He'd lived a long, dangerous life, killed many enemies. Let him go out with this most excellent of good deeds, Edward. You are living the life he never got to have. Give him that." I wrinkled my nose and sighed again. I looked into the kitchen to see my daughter laughing with her uncles as everyone made their plates for lunch. My wife, though her grief was still there, was smirking at Emmett as he made a broccoli tree forest on his plate for Bethy's entertainment, using mashed potatoes as the foundation. Alec, of course, was dramatically insulted, because he'd cooked the food, which only resulted in a backhanded slap to Emmett's shoulder. And that exchange got the results they both wanted laughter from all the girls. I huffed a small laugh, glancing up at my dad. "You're right." "I know I'm right. I'm old, and I've seen too much shit," he teased with a sharp laugh. "But I do know about this situation. Trust me. I knew Sam for a long time. Your life isn't the only one he saved just the last one." I nodded, swallowing thickly, because I was truly grateful. I just wished the man was around for me to thank. "Oh," my dad said, before walking away. "And he left Bella a letter. Aunt Kate's supposed to give it to her today. I want to warn you. I don't know what's in it, but I'm sure it won't be easy for her." "Oh, damn," I groaned. "Okay." I glanced past him to see Bella carrying a plate of food, heading my way. "Shh," I said, smacking at my dad to get out of the way. "Move! I've got this really hot nurse..." "Who's gonna kick your ass if you keep that shit up," he chuckled, shaking his head and heading into the kitchen. "Without a doubt," Bella giggled, sitting on the edge of the couch. "I'm not your nurse, Edward," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, but you'd look really fucking sexy in those white stocking things..." I purred, leaning in to kiss her neck with an open mouth. "Keep it up, baby," she warned, raising a very dangerous eyebrow at me and setting the plate of food on my chest. "It's a long time before you're cleared for any...physical activity." "Dammit," I grumbled, my head falling back to the pillows. "Fucking tease... This is torture. That's it! You're a teasing torture," I told her, pouting like a child, but I couldn't help but smile when she laughed. "Eat, Edward," she chuckled. "You need the protein, Esme said. You lost a fair amount of blood, and you need your strength back." I opened my mouth to say something about strength and stamina and protein, but snapped it closed again when she gave me the "if you don't fucking cut that shit out while everyone's in the room" glare. I smiled instead, picking up my fork. "Thank you, baby," I sang, blinking innocently up at her as she stood up. "Mmhm," she said, pursing her lips. "Behave, Edward." I grinned, because God, I just loved her, loved messing with her. Sometimes, she was easy to rattle, and other times, she could probably kick my ass for it. And then there were times when she could turn my bullshit around on me, and that was when she truly was a teasing torture. But it was us, and I think she secretly adored it. By the time I'd taken my third bite, everyone had gathered in the living room. It was just our crew. Our family. Eleazar and his men were still going strong, making sure that everything was getting cleaned up under the guise of a drug deal gone wrong, or a meth lab explosion, or some shit. We trusted him completely to keep us out of it, to tell us if anything was fucked up, and to call us if he had any problems. He also was working on shutting down the Georgia and Florida D.O.A.

groups. He wanted them all dispersed. Bethy sat on the floor, setting her plate on the coffee table in front of Esme. My dad, Alec, Jasper, and Emmett dragged a few chairs in from the dining room, and the rest of the girls all squeezed in to the loveseat. I felt badly that I took up the whole sofa, but no one was complaining. Bella came back to me, sitting back down on the edge of the couch by my hip. Conversations ranged from future plans, to baby showers which caused my wife to positively beam to how soon Gravity would start taking cases after my recovery. It was a subdued celebratory mood in the room. We so wanted to be happy that the shit was over, but Sam's absence was never more obvious than in these moments. Even though he was a quiet man by nature, he would almost absorb the laughter, the teasing, the snarky remarks like a sponge, usually from the back of the room as he wore a silly ass smile on his face. When plates were cleared away, I pulled Bella as close as I could, watching Bethy through the doorway as she played with her dollhouse on the dining room table. Bella leaned back against my chest, and I couldn't help but pull her closer, placing my hand on her stomach. Again, I was fucking grateful that I was there, that I was just fucking able to touch my girls, my new little one. "Let me know if I hurt you," she said softly as talk of baseball waged around us, my dad flipping on the TV to the game. "You're okay," I whispered against her head, dropping a kiss and inhaling the flowery/fruity smell of her. And she was okay. Hell, she hardly weighed much to me to begin with, but my leg was propped up on a pillow, safely caged against the soft cushions of the couch. She laid her head on my chest, resting her chin on her hands. "Did you mean what you said?" she asked, giggling when I raised an eyebrow at her. "About how sexy you'd be in a nurse's uniform? Yes!" I said with a cheesy grin. "No, you ass!" she laughed softly. "About building a new room for the baby." I chuckled, simply because I loved that sound coming from her, but I answered her honestly. "Yeah, I think it would be best. Don't you? I mean, we've got the room to expand, we'll need the spare room for my dad and Esme...or whoever, and this one will need their own space. I can't imagine them sharing a room, baby," I told her, jerking my chin toward Bethy. "That's like throwing Daniel into the lions' den." Bella grinned, giving our daughter a loving glance, but turned back to me. "She is an independent soul, huh?" My eyes fell to Bethy, who was completely content to play by herself, though she loved it when she was with us, too. She hummed, moved dolls from the first floor to the second floor and back again. Her eyes were happy, green, and I could see the beginning stages of a habit that she shared with her mother she was biting her bottom lip. I smiled and shook my head. "She gets that from us both," I stated, because I was just as content when I was in my wood shop. "Mmhm," Bella hummed with a nod. "Everyone keeps telling me that we need a boy," she giggled. "That would be...amazing, but honestly, I don't care," I chuckled, giving a glance over to Emmett, who was making silly faces at Caleb and smiling when tiny hands smacked at his face in excitement, only to turn him around to tell him about the game on TV. "As long as you are healthy and he or she is healthy...I'm so fucking good that it's not even funny." Bella nodded. "Yeah, that's kinda how I feel about it, too." She sighed, giving another long look over to Bethy. "We need to tell her. She's going to pick up on things soon. She's not stupid." I huffed a laugh. "No, she's definitely not stupid. She scares me, actually. She'll be smarter than us soon; mark my words." Bella giggled again. "You're probably right." I took a deep breath and let it out. Somehow, telling Bethy that she was going to be a big sister made it all real. But I didn't just want to blurt it out. "We need to...plan that conversation, love," I started, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind Bella's ear. "Just the two of us alone a day just for her or something. I don't want it thrown at her. She's still so clingy to us after all she's been through." "I agree," Bella sighed. "I was thinking...when you're better... Why don't we take her to that little clearing where your birdhouses are? A picnic, away from the house." We knew we were staying at Aunt Kate's for at least a few weeks. We had no choice, until I was stronger. I needed to be able to fly us home, and at this point, I couldn't even pull my ass up into the pilot seat. I hated being injured, but we couldn't be at a better place for my recovery. "Yeah," I said slowly, loving the fuck out of that idea. "Perfect, sweetness," I whispered, lifting my head just enough in order

to kiss her lips. "I like it." I glanced up when Aunt Kate entered the room, my heart sinking at the sight of a folded piece of paper in her hand. I wasn't sure what Sam could have said to my wife, but I didn't want her upset, either. The room came to a standstill when she knelt in front of Bella. "Bella-child, Sam left this for you," she said softly, her eyes a deep blue with grief. Bella sat up, a dip appearing between her brows and a long nervous sigh escaping her. She took the note, turning to me, but all I could do was run my hand over her hair and down her back. "You don't have to read it now, love," I told her, and it seemed to echo in the crowded room. "You can wait." Bella shook her head and thanked Aunt Kate. I wasn't sure how long she stared at that innocent looking piece of fucking paper, but she finally unfolded it, holding it so that I could read it over her shoulder. She skimmed through it, and then read it aloud to everyone in the room.

Dear Miss Bella, If you're reading this, please don't be sad for me, little one. I regret many things in my life, but I don't regret this. I just hope that I succeeded in my promise to you and that Edward's reading this with you. I didn't have a wife or children, but I could see in you the little girl I'd always imagined...smart, sweet, and so very open. I didn't have much family to speak of, but what I did have was the chance to work alongside a group of the best soldiers, the smartest women, and the closest friends I'd ever had. My only wish was that I'd known some of you longer than I did. When we met the first time, after all that you'd been through, it shocked me that my face didn't send you running, but for the first time in many, many years, someone saw me...really saw me. I will forever be grateful for that, little one. I couldn't go into this fight, knowing how upset you were, knowing that you were about to bring another precious life into this world, and allow that happiness to shatter, should something happen to Edward. I've lived a long and sometimes lonely life, so I couldn't let that happen to you. You don't deserve it; in fact, you never deserved any of the bad things that have happened to you. So I had to make sure the one thing that made you the happiest came back to you. Do not feel guilty. Do not feel sad. I've never asked you for anything, little one, but I'm asking that you take this gift without guilt and run with it. Live. Love. Be happy. For me. And tell Little Eddie to take extra care of you, because I give you my permission to stomp him if he doesn't. Thank you, Miss Bella, for making me remember the man behind the scars, Sam
Bella's voice hitched on his name, and I pulled her to me as best I could. I knew he'd cared about her, but I wasn't ever quite sure how he saw her. Now that I did, my respect for him exploded. He saw her as his own, he saw her like my own father saw her, and he saw her as someone that had walked through hell and deserved to never have to suffer it again. Suddenly, my chest felt lighter, because he'd prepared himself for exactly what had happened. He had gone into the fight by my side, but wholly my protector, if only to send me home to her. I glanced around the room, my eyes locking with my dad's. With one nod, I told him he was right, and I silently sent Sam a final thank you. ~oOo~

BELLA
"Edward Cullen, stop squirming," I scolded him, glaring up from changing the bandage on his leg. "I can't help it," he grumped, frowning down at me. "It fucking itches and tickles every time you do this shit. And I think you're doing it on purpose." I fought my smile and won, because if he thought for a second that I was laughing at him, he would only get crankier. We'd learned the hard way that changing his bandages needed to be done at night, after Bethy was in bed, and while no one could hear his complaints, because the first few changes had been pretty bad. He was sore to the touch, the muscle ached, and he was already over just sitting around. My husband didn't just sit around. So add in bored to all of the above, and he was a real ray of fucking sunshine still a week and a half after he'd been hurt. "I'm not doing it on purpose, baby," I said in the most calm and placating tone I could muster. "I have to wrap the gauze all the way around your leg. It keeps it clean." He harrumphed, rolling his eyes at me. "The least you could do is move your hand a few inches over."

I sighed, finally allowing my eyes to take him in. My poor, poor insatiable husband was having...problems. And the worst part was that I wanted it just as badly, but we couldn't. Any sudden movement to his leg, and he would cry out. His stitches were still so very tender, and I didn't want him breaking any of them. I couldn't even imagine explaining that to Esme, though I'm sure with as agitated as Edward had been lately, she'd almost need no explanation. I locked gazes with dark and needy a deep green filled with carnal knowledge so vast that my girly parts ached for him. My whole body yearned for him. My entire being wanted nothing more than to give in to him, to use him to calm my raging hormones, to revel that he was alive and still mine, and allow my desire to make him feel good. I wanted nothing more, but I couldn't risk hurting him further, and I absolutely cringed every time he winced in pain. "Don't," I groaned, shaking my head. "Don't do that, Edward. That's not fair." I whispered the last three words, going back to his bandage. "I don't fucking like it any more than you do." He shut up after that, his remorseful, but hungry eyes watching me as I secured the gauze wrap, gathered up the old dressing, and got up to throw it away in the bathroom. I wasn't mad at him, though he hadn't exactly been pleasant all day, because he'd watched all of us work around him on the farm. Edward didn't like to feel helpless, so the more work that got done around him, the surlier he became. And when my husband was feeling off kilter, he liked to drown it in me, and therein lied the problem. He couldn't. It wasn't like we hadn't tried, because Edward and I were desperate for each other, but the first time I'd touched him, he'd hissed in pain. That had been a few days after Sam's funeral, and even though Edward was getting stronger every day, I couldn't stand the thought of hurting him, of causing further damage. I ignored his stare as I left the room and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in the kitchen and the pain meds from the cabinet which were now over the counter, because Edward refused anything stronger. I came back in the room, dumped both items on his nightstand, and locked myself in the bathroom in order to stop myself from giving into him. In all reality, I needed a cold fucking shower, because a needy Edward just did things to me, but instead, I tossed my hair up into a messy bun and quickly showered the day away. By the time I stepped back into the bedroom, dressed for bed in one of Edward's t-shirts and a pair of his boxers, the deep, hungry need in his eyes had been replaced with a childlike sadness. "Y-You're m-mad a-at m-me," he sputtered, looking down at his hands and back up at me. "I'm not mad..." I snapped, closing my eyes, because it damn well sounded like I was. "I'm not," I sighed, shaking my head to clear it, because that sound that sweet, honest stutter could quite possibly be my undoing. I rubbed my temple, before taking out a few pills. "Here. It's time for these," I instructed, finally allowing myself another glance at him. "I-If I t-take th-these, w-will y-you s-sit w-with m-me?" he bargained sweetly, though I didn't answer him right away. "We can put the TV on or something. I promise to behave." I finally chuckled at him, because God, it must suck to be bored all damn day, in pain and knowing Edward like I did horny. I chuckled again at that last thought. "Yeah, baby," I said with a nod, and immediately, he downed the pills and half the bottle of water. "Just let me check on Bethy, and I'll be right back. Find something good on," I told him, putting the remote from his nightstand into his hands. Bethy was sound asleep, her little body curled around Mr. Bunny. She'd had a busy day, along with the rest of us, but the only brief break in Edward's bad mood had been given to us by her. She'd fed him lunch with a sweet smile and giggle. She'd perched herself on the arm of the recliner and fed him chicken nuggets one by fucking one, even going as far as dipping them in sauce for him. The only light in the bedroom was the bluish glow of the TV when I walked back in the room. I crawled gently into my side of the bed. "Your lunch partner is out cold," I told him, unable to not lay my head on his chest to watch TV. It would've been like trying to sever a limb. He chuckled. "She insisted on feeding me," he said softly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and dropping a long, heavy kiss to the top of my head. "She just wants to take care of you. You've ingrained it into her head that if you ignore the pain, it doesn't exist," I explained, because she basically had told me that when she stole his lunch plate and ran off with it. "She wanted to distract you." I felt his smile against the crown of my head, but he didn't say anything. He'd apparently found a marathon of my favorite crime show, and we watched in silence for a little while. I was pretty sure I wasn't following the plot at all because I was hyper-aware of him. I knew what he wanted, and I could almost feel it rolling just beneath the surface of his smooth, warm skin. I could feel in the hand that rubbed my back from between my shoulder blades to just this shy of my ass, grazing his fingers along the skin exposed at the small of my back due to my shirt riding up. I could feel it in the way that he played with my fingers, feeling each one, tracing my bones, my palm, my wrist.

It was pure control between us. I almost wanted to laugh about it, if I didn't need him so much. I was willing to take what I was getting at just that moment, until the scene changed on the screen. Two cops, obviously forever attracted to one another, finally consummated their relationship, and it was all on screen. Edward's whole body tensed, his fingers linked with mine, but I wanted to groan when the hand on my back slipped just under the waistband of the boxers I was wearing. My own hand skimmed up the muscles of his stomach to his chest, where I balled it up into a fist, fighting the last thin thread of my control. I wanted to arch back against the hand on my ass, I wanted to grind against his uninjured leg, and I wanted to fucking kiss him senseless. I realized there was no fighting it. I just didn't know how we could do it. My head shot up, and Edward pulled his touch away quickly. "I-I'm s-sorry, l-love," he whispered, looking contrite, but the stutter was all I could take. "Fuck," I hissed, giving up all hope and diving for his mouth. There was no preamble to this kiss. No starting pecks, no nips, no chaste beginnings to it whatsoever. It was open and wet, needy and deep. It was out of control, with tongues slipping together. Hums, whimpers, and sweet deep moans gushed from us both, and I practically used my grip on his hair to pull myself up closer to his face. It took all I fucking had not to crawl on top of him, straddle him. His strong fingers wove into my hair at the side of my head at the same time his hand glided completely into my boxers. Gripping and squeezing, he kneaded my bottom until I was beginning to sweat as I fought everything in me. I broke away from his mouth, and we were panting as I pressed my forehead to his. "How?" I growled breathlessly. "Just... How, dammit?" I thought he would laugh at my desperation, but he didn't. He seemed to take some sort of mental inventory, as his eyes never left mine. I'd considered the sixty-nine position, but I knew he'd never be able not to move with that one. Plus, I didn't want to stop fucking kissing him. We seemed to be on the same page, because he barely blurted out, "God, please just touch me," before crashing back into me. His rough, calloused hands skimmed up my shirt, bunching it up until we finally broke for air, and then he tugged it off over my head. By now, I was kneeling next to his torso, my hand ghosting down his chest and slipping under the waistband of his boxers. I whimpered, pulling back to look down at his cock, because Holy fucking God, he was hard. "Edward," I breathed, arching closer to him when his hands splayed on my back, bringing my chest closer to his mouth. "That won't take long, sweetness," he murmured, locking eyes with me as his mouth captured my nipple. "God, I just fucking want you..." he mumbled against my skin. With that said, his teeth dragged over my nipple, causing me to hiss. Skimming his hands down my back, he pushed at my shorts until they were down around my knees as I knelt beside him. My own hand wrapped around his cock, and he twitched hard and heavy in my hand at the same time his fingers discovered just how much I'd been holding back. "Jesus," he gasped, looking up at me as his middle finger circled my very wet entrance. "Fuck, baby," he groaned as my hand gripped him firmly, gliding up and down his shaft. He slipped one hand back into my hair, nipping roughly at my neck. "Goddamn, slow down, sweetness. I want to take care of you, too. Please, please come for me hard and fast." He sank two fingers deep inside of me, causing my rhythm on his cock to falter as my head fell back. His thumb swirled heavily over my clit, causing my hips to grind against his hand. I pressed myself harder and harder against him. My free hand gripped his neck, and I bit down on my lip when his fingers curled inside me, hitting that amazing spot that only he could touch. "Mm, look at you," he crooned, his eyes dark and gleaming. "So fucking beautiful..." A sweet but cocky half smile quirked up on his beautiful face. "Oh, baby...just fucking come for me. I've never been so damn close..." Suddenly, I realized that this was so much like our beginning, a time when I could barely let him touch me, that my breathing caught hard in my throat. My climax hit me hard and fast, just like he wanted, but with it came gratefulness, love, and a deluge of overwhelming memories. All of it crashed down over me like a tidal wave, because I really didn't know how I'd have lived without the man in my arms that was currently telling me how fucking gorgeous I was and that he loved me. I just didn't. He was my rock, and I was his. I hid my face from him by burying my nose in his hair at the side of his head, because I could feel the sob building in the back of my throat. I could also feel him close really close and he came with a soft rumble to his voice, my name mixed in with a plethora of curse words. I felt his warm arms slip around me, his breathing heavy, but the tense, stiff feeling of his muscles was completely gone.

And my sob ripped through me. "Baby... did I hurt you?" he asked, immediately trying to pull me back to look at me. I wasn't having it. I clung to him, wrapping my arm around his head and almost gripping his hair as I just inhaled him, everything about him. Maybe it was just hitting me how close I'd come to losing him, and maybe it was the hormones, but fuck, I didn't care, and I wasn't really sure it mattered. "No," I cried, finally letting him peel me off his head. I went no farther than his face, grasping it gently in both hands. He was so fucking handsome, but it wasn't just his looks; it was that deep green that was gazing up at me, helpless as to why I was crying. It was the young boy looking up at me that I'd met so long ago. It was all the history we had that could have just fucking disappeared in the blink of a fucking eye. "I just... Shit, I don't know," I groaned, kissing his lips roughly. "I could've lost you," I said weakly, sniffling a bit. "I can't..." I huffed a deep, deep breath, trying to relax, but it only took one thing said from him to make it all better. "But you didn't," he soothed softly, lightly tracing his fingers across my cheeks, tucking my hair back, and wiping my tears away a constant comforting touch and something he'd been doing for me for what seemed like a lifetime. It grounded me, made me focus on him and the reality, not the panic. I nodded, closing my eyes when he kissed my forehead, my cheek, and my nose. "I know." I slowly calmed down, letting his touches and sweet kisses do the job. "I love you," I whispered. He chuckled softly. "Oh, sweetness, I love you, too." "I need to get you something to clean up," I muttered, smirking when he grinned like an idiot, because he'd gotten his way. I wanted to roll my eyes at him as I tugged my t-shirt back on and pulled up my boxers, but I couldn't, because the harsh edge around his eyes, the clench to his jaw that had been there for the last few days and that had slowly increased all day it was all gone. He let me go, and I grabbed a towel from the bathroom, handing it over to him. When he was finished, I took the towel back, tossing it in the dirty clothes. By the time I came back, he was wincing and shifting around. I came to a standstill and grimaced as I watched him, worrying my bottom lip. "I think the more important question is...did I hurt you?" "No, baby," he grunted as he shifted again, gesturing to the bed for me to join him. "I just want to hold you, and I needed to move to do that." "'Kay," I said, sounding a little like Bethy, but I didn't like him in pain, so I didn't move yet. "Your sweet ass here. Now. Quit worrying," he ordered, pointing to the spot beside him again, but it was laced with a laugh and topped off with a sweet smile. I grinned, crawling in bed beside him and letting him pull me closer, mold me to where was most comfortable for him, which was his healthy side, his chest, his shoulder. Snuggling into his neck, I felt the last of my freakout ebb away, but it completely vanished when Edward started talking. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere...obviously," he whispered against my cheek. "I'm okay, and thank you." I giggled a bit at the thank you. "I'm sorry..." "I'm not," he sighed, kissing my cheek again, his fingers making slow circles over my shoulder and back. "I get it. It was a fucking scary close call." I nodded, running my hand down his arm. I could tell by his voice that he still felt a little guilty over Sam, despite the letter he'd left us, telling us not to be. And there was a part of me that wondered if both of us would always look at each other and just...know know that we'd been given a true gift. I hugged him closer and nodded again. I tilted my head just a bit in order to kiss his jaw. "I'm just really glad I have you." "Me, too, love." With one last kiss to my forehead, with one more nuzzle to his neck, we both sighed contentedly, pretty much falling asleep instantly. ~oOo~ "Here, Daddy," Bethy chirped, handing Edward a bottle of water. He couldn't kneel down to her yet, but he braced his hand on the cross bar of the fence to bend over, kissing the top of her head and putting all his weight on his strong leg.

"Thank you, little sweetness," he said, uncapping the bottle and practically draining the whole thing. He was just in a pair of jeans, work boots, and his backwards baseball cap, despite the coolness of the evening. I bit my lip as droplets of water dripped down his chest, only to disappear into the top of those jeans into where I had limited access as of late, due to his injury. "Where's mine?" Jasper laughed, holding out his hands dramatically. "What am I? Chopped liver?" "Sorry, Unca Jazz!" she giggled, running across the yard, up the steps, and into the house, only to bolt out the screen door with another bottle. "Gosh!" Jasper scoffed teasingly, rolling his eyes and taking the bottle from her. "Do I have to hobble around here like some people to get better service?" he asked, jerking a thumb behind him. Edward laughed, shaking his head and grabbing the next replacement board for the fence he and Jasper were working on. "No!" she giggled, and before she could move, Jasper scooped her up and tickled her relentlessly. "Stop!" she squealed happily, her little legs kicking. I chuckled at the sight, because it didn't take long to draw Poppy, Uncle Alec, and Uncle Emmett into the situation. Soon, they were all loving on her, asking her where their water was, and I couldn't resist. "Elizabeth Renee," I yelled from my seat on the front porch. "You tell those boys to get their own water. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you have to serve them." Her eyes lit up, and the green sparkled into sharp mischief. She spun to all of them, pointing a warning finger. "Yeah, whwhat Mommy s-said!" she snapped, turning on her heel to walk toward me. Edward beamed with pride, saying nothing as the boys groaned and muttered shit under their breath. I caught phrases like "women's lib" and "bra burning bullshit." I giggled, wrapping up my girl when she made it to me. "That's my girl," I praised her, pulling her into my lap. "Except for Daddy, right?" she whispered with a giggle. "That's right. Except for Daddy," I chuckled, kissing her forehead. "You take him whatever you want to take him, pretty girl." She'd spoiled him endlessly since he'd been hurt. She lived to care for him, make him laugh, and take his mind off the pain, which had slowly decreased. We'd been at the farm now for about three weeks, and Edward was healing pretty quickly. He limped, because the muscle in his leg was weak, but mending. The stitches had come out a few days ago, leaving a scar, but I'm not sure Edward gave the thing much thought. He didn't need the crutches anymore, but he wasn't exactly running around, although he could do small chores now, which helped his crankiness level. He was limited on kneeling down, bending, and heavy lifting, not to mention steps and stairs were a challenge, but all in all, he was well on his way to recovery. "Swing, Mommy," Bethy requested, picking up a lock of my hair and playing with it. "Sure, baby," I said, standing up with her in my arms. I sat down on the swing, keeping her straddling my lap. Bethy focused more on trying to braid a lock of my hair than looking at me. My heart seemed to expand every time I held her like this. She was such a beautiful girl, and at this point, the blend of Edward and me was starting to create a look that was just...Bethy. Her green eyes were framed with long, dark eyelashes, like Edward's, but their shape was like mine. It didn't matter that she had my nose and freckles, or Edward's crooked little smile, because she was starting to lose that baby look, starting to look like a big girl, instead. She was growing up, and it excited me and scared me, but I also wondered what kind of big sister she'd make, what kind of teenager, and then grown woman. I shook my head at the thought. "What did you do with Mr. Tom and Mr. Obie today?" I asked her, because she'd taken Mickey's hand just after breakfast and had been busy ever since. "Gave Goliaff and S-Samson a baff," she stated as I brushed her long hair off of her shoulders, sweeping my fingers through it down her back. "And then we got a place ready for Maia to have puppies." I grinned, because Maia was from Tia's last litter, the dog that I'd cared for the first time I'd come to the farm. Tia was no longer with us, but Maia looked just like her, which was most likely the reason Aunt Kate had kept her. "Yeah?" I asked, smiling at her fervent nod. "Did they say how long?" Bethy shrugged one shoulder. "Mr. Obie said soon." "Well, you wanted to see puppies before we came here. Guess you're getting that wish, huh?"

"Yeah," she said slowly, beaming like the best of sunny days. As I gazed down at her happy face, I realized we needed to tell her about the new baby, and soon. We'd put it off, and everyone had done a pretty good job of not speaking about my being pregnant in front of her, but I was afraid it would happen eventually. She was aware of where babies came from, but not how they got there. I was hoping to use that to our advantage when we finally did let her in on the news. I pushed the swing with my toe, tugging Bethy closer. She laid her head on my shoulder, nuzzling her forehead to my neck like she used to do when she was a baby. The gentle swinging and my fingers through her hair were slowly putting my baby girl out. I smiled, kissing the top of her head when a sweet, deep contented sigh pushed out against my skin. "Dinner's almost read... Oh," Esme said, cutting off when she saw Bethy was asleep. She smiled, sitting down next to me. "I think Mickey wore her out today," I said softly, my fingers gliding gently up and down her back. "I'll wake her for dinner. Otherwise, she'll be up at the crack of dawn." Esme chuckled and nodded, turning her attention to the fence repairs not far away. "He's getting stronger. Can he fly yet?" she asked, turning back to me. "He says no," I said with a shrug. "Honestly, I just think it hurts to get in." "Or maybe he wants to be strong enough to take care of you when he gets you home," she suggested, wearing that wise, knowing expression she had when a conversation may be more than just a chat. "You might be right," I allowed, placing another kiss to Bethy's head. "That wouldn't surprise me." "And she needs to know," Esme added, raising an eyebrow at me. I nodded, inhaling Bethy's hair. She smelled like hay and little girl and sunshine. "I was just thinking about it. We wanted to do it together...alone. Spend the day with her, you know?" "You should do it before you go home, sweetheart," she sighed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Give her time to get used to the idea." I nodded again, agreeing wholeheartedly. "She's smart, but she's selfish when it comes to me and Edward. I just hope she can get used to it quickly." "Hmm," Esme mused, running a hand lightly down Bethy's hair and back. "Maybe use Caleb as an example. She's been really good with him." "Is this an...I want a boy thing?" I snickered. "No, it's a...she's used to a baby around the house thing," she teased, winking at my soft laugh. "She's had no choice, because Caleb has been practically living with us since he was born." "Huh," I sighed, nodding slowly. "I hadn't thought of that." "But I still want a boy," Esme whispered conspiratorially, causing me to giggle. My gaze slipped to the fence, watching my husband begin to clean up for the day. At least he was trying to help. I watched as he flinched, turning too quickly, almost dropping the two boards in his hand. Carlisle took them from him and set them down, pointing to the house with one hand and squeezing Edward's shoulder with the other. I didn't have to hear the conversation to know that he had just been told to call it a day. The man didn't say it aloud, but I knew that Edward's close call the night of the fight had scared the ever loving shit out of his dad. It was all over his face every time he looked at him the first few days of Edward's recovery. Edward gingerly made his way toward the house, his limp pronounced, but not enough that he needed help. When he got to the steps, Esme got up and ran to him. "I've got this," he grunted, gripping the post. "And I've got you," she laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist. "No need to kill yourself all damn day, son. I know you want to be mean and tough, but that'll be hard to accomplish when you're flat on your ass." He grinned, because she just did that to him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he leaned on her to get up the four steps of the front porch. I snickered softly at the two of them, smothering it into Bethy's hair. He exhaled roughly once he'd made it to the top, his eyes glancing up to me. All pain or weariness faded at the sight of his daughter out like a light. "Oh, my girls," he chuckled softly, his brow furrowed as he made his way to us. "Man, she's just...gone!" he whispered. "Sit and rest," Esme told him. "I'll call everyone in when dinner's ready."

I stopped the swing long enough for Edward to sit down next to us. I held back my groan when he wrapped an arm around me, because God, I loved the smell of him when he'd worked around wood all day. It was sweet, like fresh cut lumber, heavy, like all man, and comforting, like the smell of your own pillow. I leaned my head back to his arm, turning toward him in order to receive a sweet kiss. "She just sort of...settled in," I giggled, rubbing Bethy's back. "I'll wake her up in a minute, but I miss holding her like this." Edward grinned, kissing the side of my head. He placed his palm flat on his daughter's head, and then brushed a lock of hair from her face. I watched him as he just looked at her. The unconditional love there was just breathtaking. I don't even think he was aware of the fact that it was written all over his face. Unable to resist, I leaned over, kissing his jaw. "Are you working on that tomorrow?" I asked him, jerking my chin toward the fence. He shrugged, bending his arm and setting his head on his hand. "I suppose." "Well, can you cut out early or go in late?" I giggled, like it was real damn job. He chuckled. "Stealing me away, are you?" "We are," I told him with a nod. "It's time to tell her, Edward." Realizing that we'd discussed having that particular conversation in the little clearing, I spoke quickly. "We don't have to go out there if you aren't up to it, but we need to tell her." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Tomorrow," he said with a nod. "I think the clearing would work. I could ride Samson out there. He has a smoother gait." "You sure?" "Yeah...I mean, I use my strong leg to get on and off, so it should be okay," he said, shrugging one shoulder. He paused for a moment, and then locked gazes with me. "I-I'd l-like t-to d-do i-it th-there," he sputtered sweetly. "Okay." I didn't argue with that. At all. I knew it was an important, private place to him, and this was a very important, private conversation we were going to have as a family, so I let him make the call. "The clearing, it is." "She can ride with you," he added, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. He turned to me, kissing me again, only this time, it was deeper a sweep of his tongue, a graze of his teeth. "Been wantin' to do that all damn day," he whispered in my ear, before sitting back. He winced sharply, shaking his head. "Bath for you later, mister," I ordered, frowning at him, even though he was chuckling. I worried that he'd pushed too hard, too fast, and I couldn't slow him down if I tried, but I could make sure that he didn't wake up the next morning feeling like he'd been run over by a train. Bethy shifted a little at the sound of his laughter, and I figured it was a good of time as any to wake her. "Hey, sleepy girl," I crooned, touching her face, her back, and her hands. "Wake up, baby. You need dinner and bath..." She pushed herself up, using my shoulders. "Hi, Daddy," she said, yawning adorably. "Hi, sleeping beauty," he chuckled, cupping her face. "There's a rumor going around, little sweetness," he started, pulling her to him. "Huh?" she muttered sleepily, but went to him willingly. "I hear that Aunt Kate made your favorite dinner," he whispered to her. Her eyebrows shot up so fast, I couldn't help but laugh. "Chilwi dogs?" she whispered back, grasping his face as if she could force the truth from him. "That very thing," he chuckled. "You know...she's the one who taught me how to make the chili in the first place..." She grinned up at him, biting at her bottom lip. "But will you make mine for me?" "Oh, yeah!" he sang back to her. "Like I could let someone mess it up," he scoffed, rolling his eyes at her dramatically. I laughed at the two of them, standing up from the swing. "Come on, my sillies. Let's get hands washed and help Aunt Kate and Esme with the table," I said, scooping Bethy up off of Edward's lap, because he couldn't stand with her yet something I know bothered him greatly. I smooched at her neck loudly, causing her to squeal and giggle, and then set her down. "Go wash those hands, Bethy. I don't even want to know all that you've touched today!" I yelled, as she was already yanking open the screen door.

I held out my hand, offering it to him to help him up. He took it, and together, we had him standing. He wrapped an arm around me, and I could tell he was tired. "What did she touch all day?" he asked with a chuckle. "Don't ask," I snorted, shaking my head and opening the screen door, "but don't be surprised if in a week or so, she isn't asking for a puppy." He groaned, shaking his head, but walked on into the house. "Yeah...'cause that's just what we need..." I smacked his ass and laughed. "Exactly, but consider yourself warned." ~oOo~

EDWARD
"You made these, Daddy?" Bethy asked as she wandered slowly around the clearing. She was so fucking cute. We'd woken to a chilly morning, so she was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a little gray FBI hoodie that Wes had given her, which Bella loved for her to wear. Her hands were shoved deep into her front pouch pocket as she gazed up at the birdhouses I'd made for my mother. "I did, baby," I said, looking around with her. "A long time ago..." My voice trailed off, because the place just meant something to me. It was the place my mother liked to escape, the place she'd bring me when there was a serious talk ahead of us, like my dad getting shipped back out, or her cancer, or even just to ask me how school was. And it was the reason I'd wanted to bring Bethy here for this conversation. I turned to see Bella tying the horses off to the side. We didn't run them, so they were still full of energy. "Come on, little sweetness. Help me with the blanket." I held out my hand, and she took it, keeping pace with me as I limped to the picnic basket. "We don't need you and Mommy getting cold, right?" "No," she giggled, shaking her head. As she helped me spread out the blanket, I realized I was fucking clueless as to how to tell her. I glanced up at Bella, who seemed to be well aware of my discomfort. "We'll just be simple and honest, baby," she soothed, rubbing my arm. "Do you need help sitting?" I shook my head and slowly maneuvered my body to the blanket, groaning when my leg gave a jolt. I'd been warned by Esme that the sharp, stinging zaps of pain that I felt were my nerve endings reattaching. The dull throbbing ache was my muscle rebuilding, strengthening. Honestly, it all fucking hurt, but it was nice to know the difference. Bella pulled out a thermos, pouring the three of us hot chocolate, simply because she missed coffee like a bitch and had to have something to replace it. If I didn't know what to say, it sure seemed Bella did, because she asked Bethy a question that I wasn't expecting. "Pretty girl, how do you like having baby Caleb around?" I smiled, hiding it behind my mug, as Bethy's face scrunched up as she thought it over. A wide range of emotions seemed to play on her face disgust, intrigue, humor. It was all there, but the answer was hilarious. "He smells funny," she stated with a shrug. Bella and I laughed, and I nudged Bethy with my shoe, because I caught on to where Bella was coming from. "Yeah, but I think what Mommy's asking is... What would you think if there was another baby like Caleb around?" Bethy shrugged, indifferent to the question. "Caleb's always around." "Well, yes," Bella said, playing with a lock of Bethy's hair. "But when we go home, Caleb will go home with Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett. What if another baby came to be with us? You'd be a sister." Bethy looked between us. Her eyebrows raised up slightly, and then they furrowed. "Do I have to?" I chuckled, looking to Bella, and then back to Bethy. "Okay, so yeah, little sweetness. You kinda do. We wanted to tell you that soon, you'll have a little brother or sister." And suddenly, my really smart girl caught on, because it wasn't that long ago that Rose had been pregnant, her big belly that kicked a fascination for Bethy. It wasn't that long ago that we'd been in the hospital when Caleb was born.

Bethy crawled to Bella, clambering up into her lap. "There's a baby in there?" she asked in a whisper, pointing to Bella's stomach. "Whoa," Bella giggled, looking to me. She turned back to our daughter, cupping her face and kissing her forehead. "Yes, pretty girl." "Your tummy's smaller than Aunt Rose's was," Bethy pointed out, looking skeptical. "Not for long," I muttered. Bella kicked my shoe, much to Bethy's amusement. "My tummy will get bigger as the baby grows, Bethy," Bella explained, giving me a dangerously raised eyebrow. "Kind of like Maia's tummy now that she's about to have puppies." "You were gorgeous pregnant," I chuckled, laying down beside them on my good side. "That wasn't an insult, Bella." I placed my hand on Bella's stomach, remembering the feel of Bethy's kick; suddenly, I couldn't wait to feel this one. A tiny, cold hand pressed over mine, and Bethy asked, "Here?" I nodded, taking my hand from under hers and pressing it to Bella's stomach. "Here. He's really small right now and sleeping, so we have to wait." "How long?" she asked, leaning closer. "Until he's ready. Months," I told her. "But we have to get ready for him. You know, make room, buy lots of baby stuff, and you can tell him all about what to expect when he gets here," I whispered. "I can?" Bethy asked, rubbing Bella's stomach. "Mmhm, watch this," I said with a grin, because Bella laughed softly above me as I leaned to her stomach. "Hey, little one," I called softly, placing a kiss over her shirt. "I'd like you to meet your big sister, Bethy." Bethy giggled, deciding to kiss Bella's stomach, too. "Hi, baby!" she sang softly, and it was all I could do to not scoop her up and kiss her to death. I felt Bella's kiss to the top of my head, and I looked up to see tears welling up in her eyes as she looked away from us, out over the clearing. I pushed myself up a bit, worried that I'd done something wrong. "What's this? W-Was th-that t-too m-much?" I asked, wiping a tear away and kissing her lips. She sniffled, laughing a bit at the same time, and shook her head. "No... No, Edward. That was perfect."

A/N... Oh, now Bethy knows. Edward's getting a little better, and as you can tell, I'm kind of skipping a bit of time. As funny as it could be, hearing Mercward's every bitch and moan about being bored and sore could get old, so his healing will be in stages. Ah, Sam's letter... A beautiful suggestion by my beta JenRar...and I made her cry. I'm not sure if that was a good thing. Lol But it worked perfectly, and it came when I was having a rough start to this chapter. Eleazar is still cleaning up on a pretty large scale, our poor couple is being cockblocked a bit with his injury, and there are puppies on the way. That about sums it up, right? LOL XD The answer to that burning question you guys are so crazed to hear will be in the next chapter. And it's complete and already back from the beta, so my next posting will be on Wednesday. I need to thank JenRar again for that brilliant suggestion and for all the suggestions you've sent my way as of late... Hmm... I need to thank GooberLou for prereading this... Yeah, she cried, too. And to MedusaInNY for just all sorts of shit besides my blog I'm still a chickenshit and haven't answered that request yet. LMAO Okay, so we'll see you Wednesday. I wanted to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews from the last chapter. Your encouragement on what was a really, REALLY hard chapter to write was so very sweet and kind and just what I needed. Thank you. A lot! I love you all for it. MUWAH! Until Wednesday... Later. :)

*Chapter 22*: Chapter 22

A/N... I do believe that you'll find the answer you're looking for in this chapter, not that it solves anything yet. However, the story isn't over, so just hang in there, my vengeful peeps. ;) The chapter should be rated M for all sorts of Mercward naughtiness I cracked myself up with this one. Time moves on a bit, not much, but a bit. I think you guys can keep up. So... LEMON warning and a very HIGH Bethy cuteness level. Just all sorts of Bethy fluff. See me at the bottom...Enjoy.
CHAPTER 22

EDWARD
"What do you mean it wasn't Lilith in that fucking cabin?" I asked, speaking slow and deep, practically seething. Eleazar flinched, tossing a file my way. My wife caught it as it slid to her. "It wasn't. We accounted for Walter Bridges and Johnny Thornhill, but the body of the woman inside that cabin was not Lilith Laray. The DNA didn't match." "Who was she?" Bella asked softly from the end of the table. "A Jane Doe...unknown," he answered her. "She could've been with Thornhill, but we're not sure." "She doesn't matter. Lilith does," I growled, pacing in the dining room simply because I could, because it didn't hurt my leg as much any more. "This bitch is dead. Lilith needs to be, too." "Edward, sit down, please," Bella requested calmly without even looking my way, and then turned her attention to the file folder, speaking to Eleazar. "Alice enhanced the camera that Jasper was wearing the night of the fight. It's impossible to see who shot Walter. All you can tell is that it is a woman..." My head spun to her as I took my seat beside her, because that shit was news to me. I didn't think Bella or the girls had even looked back on that fight. They just seemed so fucking relieved that it was over. I felt small, warm fingers link with mine, giving them a squeeze. Eleazar took a deep breath and let it out. He turned to my dad, who was looking over Bella's other shoulder at the file. "It is quite possible that Thornhill decided Walter and Lilith were too much trouble, had drawn too much attention. It would explain why someone on their side shot Walter, instead of letting us have him." "A hit?" my dad clarified, sitting up straighter. "So then you're assuming Lilith was already dead...before we even approached the cabin." "We think so," El sighed, shaking his head, and then shrugging. "We're not sure. She's not popped up on any radar, but she's done that before. She doesn't use credit cards, rent cars in her name, or even get hotel rooms." Bella huffed a deep, frustrated sigh. "But you don't know." When El shook his head no, she closed the file folder, but kept her hand on top of it. "Alice!" she called. "On it already, Bells!" Alice gushed, rushing into the room with a laptop. She plopped down in a chair, typing furiously. "Okay, okay, okay... How do you want it done?" "False police search," Bella sneered, glaring at Eleazar. She was daring him to counter her on this. "Send it out like a wanted poster, or even a missing person flier whatever you think would get the most response. Send it to every police station between the cabin and Seattle. She doesn't know any other place." Eleazar grinned evilly, nodding slowly. "As you wish, Bella." She turned to my dad. "When we get home, I want you to come take a look at something with me. I have an idea. Plus, you need to meet Preacher..." "You think she'd go back to her old neighborhood?" I asked, my mouth hanging open. "She'd be stupid to do it, but she always seems to go back there," Bella chuckled. "That gang is looking for her, but it doesn't hurt to let them know she may be still around." The wickedly sexy, vengeful smile that curled up on my wife's face was fucking stunning. I found myself shifting in my seat, though it didn't take much from her these days to make me hard. We hadn't been able to do much more than touch, due to my injury. I still couldn't put the majority of my weight on it, and certain pressures on it were excruciating. Under normal circumstances, I lived to see my wife's mouth wrapped around my cock, but really, I just wanted her. I wanted to bury myself deep inside of her and never come out. Of all the things that my injury didn't allow me to do, that was what bothered

me the most. I couldn't give a shit if I never was able to fly again, but fuck, I needed to be able to make love to my wife. "Without Walter, she's kinda powerless," I stated, shrugging a bit and trying to focus on the conversation and not her hand rubbing innocently on my thigh. "Not that she's a saint, but she's bat-shit crazy, so without Walter to guide her..." "She's likely to fuck up," Bella finished for me. "That's if she's still alive." "For now? Let's assume she is," my dad concluded, a dark look passing over his face. I didn't like the idea that the crazy bitch could possibly still be out there. Until Lilith was on a slab in the morgue, security around my family would not relent, especially since I could barely walk, much less fight to save them. "Mommy!" Bethy practically yelled, bursting into the screen door, poor Aunt Kate right behind her. My daughter was beaming like the brightest sunny day, and it changed the feel of the room instantly from tense to happy. "My goodness," Bella chuckled, catching her, because Bethy was running at top speed. "What's this all about, pretty girl?" she asked, scooping her up onto her lap. I chuckled as Bethy, with bright pink cheeks, tried to catch her breath. She grasped her mother's face, panting and swallowing, before she blurted out, "P-P-Puppies!" Bella grinned and stood up. "Well, this I have to see. I missed out the last time," she said, hitching Bethy up onto her hip. "How many, baby?" she asked her. "Five," Bethy answered, holding up her hand and showing all five fingers as they walked back outside. The rest of us looked to Aunt Kate, who was nodding with a surprised look on her face, most likely because Bethy could count. "Never underestimate my minions," Alice chuckled from behind her laptop, barely giving Aunt Kate a glance. "Just wait...I'll get ahold of Caleb and the new little one, too!" I laughed, ruffling her hair, and then kissed the top of her head. "You should sell that computer game of yours, pixie. Every parent should be so lucky." "Psh!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's the parents that need training. My own had no clue what to do with me when I started talking in full sentences at nine months old. Even less when I was reading at two years old. And don't get me started about what they were like when I graduated high school at eleven." I chuckled down at her, leaning to her ear. "And at twelve, you robbed the U.S. of two and a half million dollars. Hmmm, where is it, Ali?" She grinned, evil and secretive. "Where is what?" I laughed, because no one knew that answer. I wasn't even sure Jasper knew. It was one of those things about her that we just loved. She was so fucking smart, and the fact that she could possibly be sitting on money that she'd scammed at twelve years old, mind you out from under the smartest people in the country just added to her whole persona. "You know," my dad chuckled, pointing to her, "that shit is probably sitting in a bank somewhere, and now worth ten times more. But we'll never know." He laughed, because she wasn't saying anything. "It's like... Whatever happened to Jimmy Hoffa?" I laughed, my head falling back. "Isn't he buried in the endzone of Giants Stadium?" she asked, giving Eleazar a raised eyebrow. He grinned, and I could tell he probably knew shit due to his career that would blow all our minds. "Tell me where the money is, and I'll tell you just what happened to Jimmy Hoffa," he bargained. "Forget Hoffa... Was Jeffrey Dahmer's shanking in prison a setup?" she asked, her eyes lighting up, because her thirst for serial killer knowledge was endless. "No idea what you're talking about," Eleazar chuckled, shrugging dramatically. "Then... What money?" she countered with another grin. "Touch, Alice... Touch," he snickered. "Oh damn," I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'm suddenly glad I don't know shit." My dad chuckled. "No kidding." I was just about to walk out to the barn to join my girls when he stopped me. "Oh, Esme wanted to see you."

"Okay," I sighed, knowing she probably wanted to check my leg. Instead of turning right to go outside, I turned left and headed toward their room. I knocked lightly on the door, hearing her tell me to come in. I opened the door, finding her sitting on the bed, folding clothes. "Dad said you wanted to see me," I told her. "Yes, son. Close the door and come here," she ordered. "Sit," she said, patting a spot on the bed in front of her. She shoved all the clothes out of the way. "I wanted to see this leg." I nodded, pulling up the leg of my shorts so she could take a look. She knelt in front of me, her strong, knowledgeable fingers tracing the angry red scar on the side of my leg. She applied pressure around it, causing me to wince and hiss. She wrapped her hands around my calf, lifting the entire leg up, bending it closer and closer until I shook my head. She sat back on her heels, pulling my shorts back down. "It looks good, Edward. It's right where it needs to be. You're not limping as much, you're able to put some weight on it, and I saw you were able to pick Bethy up yesterday." I nodded, frowning a bit. "Yeah, it still hurts deep inside when I do certain things. Turning a specific way, steps...and no ladders...at all." "Inside," she mused, her brow furrowing, but she nodded. "That's to be expected, son. The muscle is reattaching itself. It wasn't a large sever, but it was pretty far in there. It heals on the inside, just like the outside," she said, making sure I was listening. She smirked, grabbing my bicep. "Make a muscle, big guy," she chuckled, and I flexed it for her. "You didn't get this overnight, sweetie. Understand?" she asked, and I nodded. "You had to work on it, build it up. I'm sure there were days when you could barely lift it after a workout." I grinned, nodding at her. "There were days I couldn't get out of bed." "Exactly," she laughed, patting my arm and letting go. "Okay, so this leg works the same way. You have to make it remember. Muscle has memory. If you went a few days without working out, then when you finally did, the muscle would pump right back up. The problem you're having is that this muscle's memory was removed temporarily. Once it's truly back together, it will remember again." "So I should push it?" I asked as she stood up in front of me. "I mean...like a workout. Like push through the pain." "Not to the point of agony, Edward," she replied, shaking her head. "It's one thing to feel the burn, as they say, but another to tear it while it's still healing." I frowned, because ladders, turning, and steps weren't my biggest concern. That shit would happen eventually. "What worries you?" she asked, sitting next to me. I shook my head, not sure I was comfortable even sharing this issue with her. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, because I knew for a fucking fact that it would never leave the room. I just felt I was being impatient with my own fucking body. "Nothing," I sighed, starting to stand up. "I just want to be back to what I was before. That's all." She stopped me from getting up, studying my face intently. "You know anything you tell me..." "I know," I interrupted her abruptly. "I know," I groaned, softening my tone and running a hand through my hair. "I just... I can't..." I huffed, finally giving in and looking over at her. "I miss my wife," I muttered, begging her silently not to make me elaborate; it just wasn't me. Understanding flickered over her features, and she nodded. "Can you..." "A few things...but not..." She smiled warmly, patting my arm. "But not intercourse." "Aw, Esme," I whined at the word like a preteen boy, putting my head in my hands and fisting my hair. She snickered softly, wrapping a loving arm around my shoulders. "Time, Edward. Make the muscle in your leg remember. You have to build back up to it, sweetie." I nodded, not bothering to look up yet. "'Kay." "Is there a problem with erec..." "No!" I snapped, shaking my head and looking up at her as she fought her smile. "There's no problem there. In fact, she drives me crazy, and half the time, she doesn't even know it." The words came tumbling out of me, but fuck, it was the truth. "If anything, I have the opposite problem..." "Is Bella pushing?"

"No, she's perfect and patient. More patient than me. And she can't stand it if I'm hurting," I admitted softly. She smiled again, but not in a teasing manner. "I believe I've had this conversation before with you two. I said it then, and I'll say it now... Try," she urged softly. "Bella was at her wits end when you were in that fight, even worse when she heard you were hurt. She's probably terrified of even the mere idea of you in pain. You forget so soon what her association with pain is?" I grimaced, shaking my head. "No, but I didn't think of it that way." "Try," she said again. "You'll find a way, but she needs to know that you're okay. That she's not hurting you." She sighed, rubbing her finger across her bottom lip as she thought. "My suggestion is to take it slow...get to a certain point and stop. Then assess how you feel, how that leg feels. Don't rush. If you rush, then you really could cause yourself a set-back." I nodded, because that made much more sense than waiting or mauling poor Bella to death. Esme putting it into workout terms helped me, too. "Thanks," I sighed, finally standing up and wincing a bit at the movement. "Anytime, son," she called after me as I left the room. I found my wife and daughter in the barn, giggling together over small, gray, grunting newborn puppies. I smiled as I took in the scene. Tom and Obie had used bales of hay to create a safe place for Maia to give birth. They'd used one of the empty stalls, closing it off with a fence of hay in order to keep the wandering pups safely inside until the mother was ready for them to come out. Bella was sitting with her back to me with Bethy on her lap, their feet inside the pin, and I couldn't help but join them. Maneuvering the best I could, I straddled the hay, keeping them both between my legs. "Hi, Daddy! Look!" she whispered, pointing to the litter. "I see, baby," I chuckled, wrapping my arms around them both and pressing my lips to Bella's temple. "Where'd you run off to?" Bella asked, smirking up at me. "I thought you were right behind us." "Esme wanted to see my leg," I told her, setting my chin on her shoulder, and before she could ask, because I knew she would, I continued. "I'm right where I'm supposed to be, she said." "Good, Edward. That's really good," she said with a bright smile. I pressed my lips to her cheek, simply because I couldn't resist when something so simple made her happy. "She said I needed to keep building the muscle," I said with a shrug. "Like a workout." "And the pain?" "All normal," I stated, kissing her again. "She says you worry too much." "She did not!" Bella gasped, smacking my arm when I laughed at her. "She would never!" "No, she didn't," I chuckled. "You got in twouble, Daddy!" Bethy pointed out, laughing like it was the funniest shit ever. I grinned, tweaking her nose. "Every day, little sweetness. Trust me." Bella giggled, shaking her head at us and patting Bethy's bottom. "It's time to get washed up, pretty girl. I'm sure dinner's almost ready." "Aw," she protested, giving the now sleeping pile of puppies a longing look. Cupping her face and smiling at her, I said, "They'll still be here in the morning, baby. I promise." Begrudgingly, she allowed Bella to set her outside the little pin. My wife stood up, offering me a hand. "Nope," I grunted, pushing myself up with my arms first, and then letting my legs take over. "I got this." Once I was standing straight, I scooped Bethy up, tossing her onto my shoulder. "Come on, little sweetness. Are all puppies accounted for? You're not sneaking any out, are you?" I asked her, tickling her all over relentlessly until she squealed, her little legs kicking. "Don't make me pat you down against the wall." "No, Daddy! They're all there!" "Good. Then dinner time, little soldier," I ordered in a growl against her neck. "Yes, sir!"

~oOo~ I snapped awake from my dream, sweat pouring down my face. Fuck, I hadn't had the dream about the little Iranian girl in years. But it had changed, morphed into something else, something fucking scarier. I'd started out in the little desert village, but when the kid pulled the pin on the grenade, it was Sam that fell on her, not Mike Newton. However, my goal to reach the other side of the small town was replaced with finding my girls. And I couldn't. They weren't any-fucking-where. I'd stepped through a broken down doorway of what was once someone's home, but inside, it was my own house. It was in a fucking shambles. Shattered windows, turned over furniture, pictures off the wall all of it screamed trouble. The hallways and bedrooms were empty, and there was blood everywhere. Even in a crib I'd never seen before. It was Bella's and Bethy's calls for me from the edge of the woods outside that snapped me awake, because I couldn't tell if it was coming from inside my mind or from reality. I sat up in bed, rubbing my sore leg and giving a glance next to me. Bella was sound asleep on her stomach, her beautiful, peaceful face aimed my way. I leaned down, kissing her hand that rested on my pillow, and then got up. Walking silently to Bethy's room, I peeked in. She was just as asleep, just as peaceful as her mother was. She'd kicked her covers off, so I tugged them back over her and Mr. Bunny, giving her head the lightest of kisses. Just touching them both pushed the fear away that the dream had evoked in me. Just seeing them, hearing their soft breathing made it all okay. My heart settled down, my stomach stopped churning, and my breathing was easier. I took a piss, washed my face with still slightly shaky hands, and then sat back down on the edge of the bed. It was too early to get up, but I had a feeling that it would be some time before I'd get back to fucking sleep. I was deciding whether to lay back down or go watch TV in the other room, when Bella shifted behind me. "Edward," she breathed, and for a split second, I thought I'd woken her, but when I shifted to lay beside her, I could tell she was still asleep. Her beautiful leg had escaped the covers, searching for me. Her hand gripped my pillow, and I wanted to moan when she called my name again. I knew that sound. And as her whole body shifted again, her hips rolling just slightly, I knew why she was calling my name in her sleep. "Fuck," I groaned, my head falling back to my pillow. As if I didn't want her just as fucking badly. "Trade you dreams, sweetness," I muttered wryly to the ceiling, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. Bella shifted closer, and I should have gotten up and left the room. I should have let her sleep, because she needed it. I should have let her have her dream in peace and privacy, but suddenly, I was jealous of whatever the fuck was going on in that amazing head of hers. "Edward," she whispered again, and my good intentions, my last thread of control snapped. I didn't know what I could do about it, but I had to give my girl something. Reaching down to her exposed ankle, I skimmed my hand flat up her leg, pushing the covers completely out of the way. Her shirt had ridden up, revealing smooth skin and her strong back. My boxer shorts that she insisted on wearing to bed had dropped just a bit, and my whole body shuddered at the sight of just the mere hint of the crack of her ass. Leaning forward, I dropped a kiss to it, swirling my tongue from there up her spine. When I got to her ribs, my eyes glanced toward her face. "What am I doing to you, sweetness?" I asked her softly, not expecting an answer, before sucking on her skin. Putting all my weight on my good side, I tucked her hair behind her ear, taking her earlobe into my mouth. "Mmm, I'd better be fucking you good, baby," I groaned when her whole body rolled again. "You make sure I take care of you," I told her, dropping more kisses to her neck. I wasn't sure what I wanted more to see the outcome of the dream, or to wake her up and take over. I wanted to do what Esme had said and try. I wanted to see Bella's face awake and aware when she said my name like she was currently doing. But the dirty bastard inside of me also wanted to see if she'd actually come in her sleep a thought that made my dick so hard, it was almost painful. A whimper escaped her, and she rolled onto her back, her shirt still bunched up around her breasts. "Christ," I breathed, shaking my head, because goddamn, she was just fucking gorgeous, and so fucking turned on, I could barely stand it. Her nipples were hard, her hand was clenching by my head, and her legs shifted just a bit. I leaned down to her bare belly, whispering, "Oh little one, please don't pay any attention to what happens next. I'm about to do really naughty things to your mom...things you shouldn't know about yet." I leaned over my wife, my hand replacing my lips on her stomach, only to skim underneath that shirt to cup her breast. Bella arched up, offering me more, but I nipped and licked up her neck to her ear. I wanted her awake. Fuck, I needed her awake. And soon. "Bella, baby," I crooned in her ear, taking a chance and sliding my injured thigh between her legs. She immediately

ground her sex against me. I winced just a little, hitching her leg higher so that it was around my hip and away from my injury. "God, you're killing me, love. Please wake up," I begged softly, kissing her neck, her jaw, her chin all with long, wet, open mouth kisses. I wanted my mouth on her everywhere. I pinched her nipple lightly, rolling it between my thumb and forefinger, gently dragging my teeth across the soft spot just behind her ear. That did it. That woke her up, because suddenly, small, warm fingers wove themselves into my hair. I pulled back to see confused, but lust darkened eyes staring up at me. "Edward," she panted, pulling me closer. "What are you..." Before she could finish, my mouth was on hers, consuming her, claiming her. One of my hands gripped her hair, while the other skimmed down her side and around to the waistband of her boxers, sliding inside to cup and knead her ass and bringing her closer to my now throbbing dick. Twirling my tongue with hers, my hand slipped farther between her legs, and I moaned shamelessly at how wet she was. Gliding my fingers over every inch of her folds and both entrances, my tongue assaulted her mouth, because she was absolutely fucking soaked. "Fuck, baby," I panted, pressing my forehead to hers. "What was I doing to you, sweetness?" If I thought she'd be embarrassed at having her dream discovered, I was wrong, because all she said was, "Everything," before pulling my mouth back to hers. My eyes rolled back in my head when she ground her heat against me again, her leg slipping just a little. I reached back, hitching it up higher, and nipped at her neck. "That stays there," I commanded as softly as I could. "Edward, we shouldn't..." she started, but I cut her off with another deep, devouring kiss. "Oh, yes, we fucking should," I growled into her neck. "We'll take it step by step, but I have to fucking have you, Bella..." I felt her smile against my bare shoulder, and I moaned when she dragged her teeth across my skin up to my neck. Arriving at my ear, she swirled an open mouth kiss, suckling slightly on my earlobe. "Then do you really want to know what you were doing to me in my dream, baby?" she asked, her voice so fucking sexy that my head hit her shoulder. "Yes, yes...for God's sake... Yes," I panted. A small giggle escaped her, but she pushed me back just enough to tug her shirt off. "Your mouth...it was everywhere, Edward," she stated softly, falling back down flat on the bed and pulling me to her. I cupped her breast, locking gazes with her before dragging my tongue flat across her nipple. Her whole body shuddered. "Like this, baby?" I asked her, doing it again, only to switch to the other one. "Yes," she hissed, bucking slightly. I nipped and licked down her sternum to her stomach, gripping the waistband of her shorts. "What about in here, love? Did I make it this far?" "Oh yeah," she purred, grinning and lifting her hips to help me tug the last of her clothes off. "You held me down, wouldn't let me move when you licked my pussy." I grunted a half-laugh, half-moan at her choice of words. My girl could be so fucking naughty, and I loved every second of it. Slipping a bit down her body, I let my lower half lay flat, while bracing myself on my elbows. I knew what she wanted, so running my hands lightly on the inside of her thighs, I finally spread her legs, bending them up to her stomach. She was spread wide open for me as I held her by the back of her thighs, my hands and some of my weight holding her down. She was so fucking wet, so turned on, that I licked my lips in anticipation of tasting her. I locked eyes with her again, asking, "Like this, love?" as I bent slowly toward where she smelled so fucking delicious, flicking my tongue out to the inside of her thigh to gather her juices, only to do it to the other side. "More, baby," she breathed, gripping the sheets at her side. "You did more." "Oh," I chuckled, darkly against her mound. "I just bet I did." Finally giving in to her begging eyes, her heavy breathing, even her hips that tried to fight me, I swiped my tongue from one end of her to the other, my tongue flat, only to swirl it around her clit. My eyes never left hers, never broke from her gaze as I did it again, stopping this time to suckle her flavor at the source, tongue delving inside of her as far as I could. I felt her

clench around me, her thighs tensing. Attaching my mouth to her clit and sucking hard, I nipped lightly with my teeth, because all I wanted was for her to come, and come hard. Watching her fall apart while unable to move was amazing. Hands gripped at our sheets, nipples hardened even further, and my girl's toes curled. Bella's head pressed back into her pillow as her breathing caught in her throat, my name escaping her in one long, slow, fucking sexy, gasping cry. I licked, I sucked, and I nipped at her, riding her climax spasms for as long as her body would give them to me. Wiping my mouth, I moved back up to her as best I could. I grabbed her hand when it reached for me. "No, not this," I said, kissing her fingers. "And not this," I growled against her mouth. "I really need you, baby." Her brow furrowed with worry for just a second, giving my leg a quick glance. "Tell me, Edward." I knew I couldn't kneel on my knees, so I shifted until my back was propped up against the headboard of the bed. "Come here," I sighed, pulling her face to mine with my hands on either side of her beautiful, worried face. "I need you to do this. It has to be all you, sweetness, but God, I need to fuck you." She whimpered, grasping my face and leaning over me. I turned her head, sliding my tongue into her mouth, still tasting her pussy and now her sweet tongue, too. Small, warm hands ghosted down my chest, over my abs, finally reaching the waistband of my boxers. Bella pulled back from me, licking her lips and pressing her forehead to mine. "Then these have to go, baby." I nodded, almost frantically, and she eased down my body, careful of where she touched, where she braced her hands. Gripping the fabric, she looked up at me to lift, and I did with my stronger leg, allowing her to quickly tug my underwear off. "Was I fucking you in your dream, Bella?" I asked her as she dragged her fingertips up my uninjured thigh on her way back up to my face. "Mmmhm," she hummed, nodding slowly, her eyes almost black as I threaded my fingers into her hair on either side of her face. "Yup." I grinned when she popped the "p" of the word. "How, sweetness? How was I taking you?" "Hmm," she sighed, giving my body a hungry gaze from my face all the way down to my feet and slowly dragging her eyes back to mine. "Doesn't matter," she stated softly. "I'm pretty sure that the reality is about to be far better." I nodded, agreeing to that without a problem. I grasped her hips, pulling her to me. "Brace your hands on that headboard for a second, love," I told her. "We're going to do this slow, baby. Okay?" I asked, and she nodded, letting me move her where I wanted her. It wasn't her weight or her movements; it was where here legs were positioned that was important. One wrong shift, and her foot could kick against my injury. I was so fucking hard by the time my dick was trapped between my stomach and hers, I was leaking like a sieve. "This leg," I said, patting the side of her thigh, "stays bent by my hip, baby. The other one doesn't matter." She nodded, swallowing nervously, her hands leaving the headboard to brace on my shoulders instead. "I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart," she whispered, cupping my face and running her fingers through my hair. "You won't," I vowed, turning my head and kissing her palm. "I trust you completely, love." Her whole body gave a shudder. "God, I want you so badly, Edward...but I don't..." I swallowed and nodded, knowing the feeling. "Me, too." Lifting her up, we locked eyes when my tip slipped just inside her entrance. Most of her weight was braced onto my shoulders, her forehead pressed to mine, and we both let out a long, low moan as I slid her down over me. I gripped her ass, holding her still for just a moment, and she seemed to know I needed to control this part. My breathing was heavy, because I was surrounded by the heat, the grip, and the wetness that I'd missed so fucking much. My eyes rolled back and my mouth fell open as her insides gave a sharp flutter around me. "Edward," she breathed, and my eyes met hers when I heard the emotion in it. "I love you..." "Oh God, baby, I love you so much," I panted, kissing her wildly and gripping her hips to move. "Fuck, I've missed you...like this," I grunted against her lips. The last time we'd truly made love was the night before the fight. Afterward, it was touches and mouths, but there was nothing...fucking nothing...that compared to being inside of her. It had been weeks since we'd been together a little over a month. Hell, I wasn't sure we'd ever gone that long. I found that I could move with her somewhat, using my stronger leg to push up. Neither of us were going to last long,

because it had just been too fucking long. Her position allowed me to kiss the ever loving shit out of her, to cup her ass and squeeze, to pull her harder down onto me, and it allowed me wide open access to her clit. She used my shoulders, my neck to ride me hard, and that was just fine by me. But it was when she bent to my cheek, nipping with her teeth and swirling her tongue down to my ear that I finally knew it was almost over. "Come for me, Edward," she whispered, licking up the shell of my ear. "Please, baby. I know you need it..." Her voice was soothing, sexy, and all things I needed to hear at one time. I felt my dick harden even further, my balls constrict, because that sound alone could cause me to come undone. Gripping her ass with one hand and rubbing her clit with the other, I said, "Not without you... Let go, Bella..." Our mouths were just barely touching when we both let go. Hard. My hands on her ass were gripping so hard that I was afraid she'd be bruised by morning, but she didn't seem to care as she shattered in my arms. I spilled heavily inside of her, my head falling back to the headboard as we both came to a standstill. I let out a long, shuddering breath as she ran her fingers through my hair. Bella's gaze was filled with pride aimed my way, with love, with sated bliss. She leaned in, kissing my nose sweetly, only to pull back again. I wanted to thank her, kiss her, but my body was completely sated, numb, and not obeying any movement commands that I was trying to give it. She smirked, letting a small giggle out. "Oh yeah... That was definitely better than any damn dream..." ~oOo~

BELLA
"Edward," I sighed, knowing he was awake, and placed a kiss to his shoulder blade. "Baby, it's time to go home." His large, warm hand picked up mine from his waist and twined our fingers together. "I know," he sighed, rolling onto his back and gazing up at the ceiling. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his chest. "I was just thinking about that." "Rose and Em were talking about it last night. Jasper needs to check on his father in Texas before he and Alice go back to Washington. Wes is going crazy without Makenna. And I think even Carlisle's been talking to his office," she explained in a hurry. "If you can't fly..." "No, I think I'm okay," he interrupted softly. "Mickey's staying?" "Yeah. She wants time with Aunt Kate and Obie," I answered, resting my chin on my hands so that I could look up at him. "Alec is coming back with us." He nodded again, staying quiet for a moment. He looked back at me. "And what about Lilith, baby?" I wrinkled my nose, because I had a feeling that we were still in Alaska simply for safety reasons at this point. It had been two weeks since I'd set Alice on the task of sending out alerts to police stations in both Canada and the U.S. There had barely been any results. One station not far from the cabin called back, because they remembered seeing her, but they couldn't narrow down whether it was the time before the fight or after. Edward's leg had shown vast improvement. He treated every day, every chore around the farm as a workout, strengthening it, using it. He'd grumbled and bitched the next day, but he barely walked with a limp, stairs and steps were no issue, and he could even kneel down to Bethy's level again. "She's out there alone," I started with a shrug. "There's no one thinking for her, planning for her. And she isn't exactly stable. Knowing her, she probably took up drugs again after all this shit." "Aren't you the one that said never to underestimate her?" he asked, his voice a little sharp. "I did," I admitted, finally sitting up completely next to him. "I'm not giving her any slack, and Bethy is not going back to Mrs. Cope's yet, but we can take precautions." I sighed at his frown, his furrowed brow, knowing he was worried, but he wasn't thinking logically. "Sweetheart, I need to get back to my doctor. And it's about to turn really cold up here. It's just turned October. I really don't want Bethy here when the temperature drops." A fierce face of determination crossed his handsome features, and he sat up next to me. "Okay, but I'm asking Alec to stay with us. Just for a while, okay?" "That's perfectly fine, Edward. I just think we've kept these people from their lives long enough. They're kinda waiting for you," I told him. He scoffed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, but I stopped him, forcing him to look at me. "They are waiting for you, because they know it's our house, our office that we'll all be going back to. And even though Eleazar is still hunting down the rest of the D.O.A., he's also working with Alice to find Lilith or hopefully, the bitch's remains." He grinned at my growling tone, but didn't interrupt me. "They know when it comes to her meaning mine and Bethy's safety

 that you're in charge. They've practically said it, baby. They want to make sure you're okay before they leave us. Even your dad." His gaze snapped to mine when I said those last three words. And suddenly, he grimaced and groaned. "My dad," he sighed. "He and Esme never even got their fucking honeymoon." I giggled at that, but it was true. "They'd stop the world for us, and you know it. Maybe we can make it up to them at Christmas or something. It's at our house this year." He chuckled, pointing a finger at me. "Someplace warm, someplace quiet for them. Maybe a place where we can't call them." "Done," I laughed, grabbing his finger and kissing the tip. He looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "What are you working on with him, anyway?" I smiled, biting my bottom lip, because I had taken an idea to my godfather, something I think he was really considering, because he'd already started making calls. "I'll tell you if he decides to do it. I promise." He shrugged, pulling me to his lap a place I'd missed being able to sit for the weeks that he was hurt and sobered quickly. "Whatever. I'm not worried about you two. I'm worried about Lilith's crazy ass." "Same rules as always, Edward. Armed everywhere we go and constant sharp eyes," I stated. "Definitely," he agreed, looking down between us. His warm hand met my belly. "Wh-What a-about w-work?" he asked softly, gazing back up at me. Why he was nervously stuttering, I had no clue, but I kissed him for it anyway. Maybe he was concerned for my health and all I'd been through, or maybe the thought of working and running into Lilith was too much to consider, but I understood it all, either way. "Right now, I don't know," I answered as honestly as I could. "I'd like to get back to my doctor, get settled back home with Bethy on some sort of normal schedule, and take it from there. I can't answer that any other way." "Fair enough, sweetness," he said, kissing my lips softly. "I'm with you, whatever you decide, love. But I can't wait to see the little bean again," he chuckled, his eyes so very bright, so very happy. I giggled. "I know, right?" He smacked my bottom lightly, giving me that sweet, panty dropping, deliciously sexy, crooked smile of his. "Okay, baby. Let's go get our sleepy girl, make some breakfast, and we'll call a family meeting." ~oOo~ "Tell us how you want to do this, son," Carlisle stated, taking a bite of his eggs. "If Lilith is still out there, then you're right, she may still try something." Edward nodded, and I turned my gaze out the dining room window. Bethy had already dressed, eaten breakfast, and was now running in the front yard with five very fat, very young Husky puppies at her heels. I couldn't help but shake my head and smile, because it seemed that Maia was just as concerned with Bethy as she was all of her offspring. She'd step in front of them all if it looked like they were going too far or heading toward something she deemed dangerous, like the rose bushes. "Ed, if you want to go home, I'll station men at your place," Wes offered over the phone. The discussion concerning everyone heading home had become a full blown meeting. Eleazar, Benny, and Wes had all been called and were on speakerphone. Every member of our crew and family were just as concerned about safety as they were about getting back to their lives. "And I have no problem staying with you two for however long you need," Alec added with a one shouldered shrug. "Thank you, Alec," both Edward and I said at the same time, my breath fogging up the window briefly. "Bethy and Bella would be the only target that Lilith would try for," Rose stated, and I turned to face her as she fed Caleb a bottle. "But without Walter, she's going to be struggling and unstable." Edward paced, not saying anything as he ran a nervous hand through his hair. I knew he was worried with Lilith still being out there, almost to the point of being unreasonable. He wasn't unwilling to go home; he just didn't want to do so blindly. For his own personal sanity, he needed to make sure that his wife, his child, and his crew were safe. I completely understood him and was willing to concede this decision to him; however, I just didn't want Bethy in Alaska when the place started to get really fucking cold. It probably didn't help that he felt weak, felt that his leg would keep him from being at his best. He'd never say it, but I knew that was a part of his indecisiveness. He'd been the same way when he'd pulled the ligaments in his knee while Miller was still looking for me. Edward didn't like to be in situations where he felt himself weak.

At all. Edward liked control at all times. I sighed, shaking my head. "What about the beach safe house, Edward? Would that make you feel better?" I offered, and his head snapped up. "I thought you wanted to go home, Bella," he countered. "I do, but this seems to have taken on a bigger debate than I anticipated." I huffed a humorless laugh. "I'm willing to place mine and Bethy's safety in your hands, but there are things we need to consider, baby." "I know," he groaned, his gaze softening. "You have to get to your doctor, and we need to get Bethy out of the cold weather. I get it. I just..." He stopped, shook his head, and ran another hand through his hair. He finally turned to his dad. "What would you do?" Not one to jump to an answer, Carlisle looked around the room, his gaze landing on Alice, who hadn't looked up from her computer during the entire discussion. In fact, she was taking a bite of toast without even looking at it. "Alice, any word? At all?" he asked her. "Besides the one small police station not far from the cabin, no." The finality to her voice practically echoed in the full room of people. Carlisle looked to me, and then to his son; however, he spoke to the phone. "El, you're currently dismantling the rest of D.O.A., yes?" "Georgia is being raided today. Florida is already done," he said. "Without Thornhill, they were a mess. They were basically running blind, and they had no clue they were even being watched." "Benny, Wes," Carlisle continued. "You can set up how many men at the Forks house?" "Whatever you need," Benny answered instantly. "I can put them on rotating shifts. Hell, I can put a man with Bella and Bethy, if that's what you want." I groaned, rolling my eyes, and Alec chuckled. I wanted a bodyguard like I wanted a hole in my head. "I think I can handle that if Edward's not available," Alec told them all, still laughing at my put-out face, and even Edward cracked a smile on that one. Carlisle rubbed his chin slowly, finally taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I'd go home, son. I'd let Alice keep watching, let Benny station men at the house, and I wouldn't let the girls go anywhere alone. I'd be cautious, but I think that Lilith is alone." He glanced up at me when I tsked at the the last statement he'd made. "I'm not underestimating her, sweetheart, but I have more faith in my son's, Alec's, and your ability to protect yourselves. You're smarter, quicker, and obviously saner than she is. All of you have seen more, been through more, so you know what to expect in certain situations, and that makes you more dangerous than she is. Go home, but be careful." It seemed we all turned to Edward at that statement, but his eyes left his dad to lock with mine. "Nowhere alone," he stated firmly, pointing a finger at me. "You'll be armed at all times, got me?" "That's fine, Edward," I told him, nodding a bit. "I mean it, Bella. If you and Bethy are only going to the store, you'll take either myself or Alec with you." His voice came out in the tone of an order, his face fierce. I smirked, shaking my head. "Yes, sir." He snorted and rolled his eyes, changing his tone when everyone chuckled. "Please?" he asked simply. "Yes, Edward," I laughed softly, turning back to the window. "Now, we just have to tear our daughter away from her new friends." ~oOo~ "You can't take him, little sweetness," Edward said, kneeling in front of Bethy. "They're too young to be away from their mother, baby." Everyone was waiting on us, the chopper checked, ready, and loaded. Bethy had only asked to say goodbye to the puppies, though once she had a hand on them, she wasn't willing to give them up. The deep dip between her eyebrows only increased as he spoke to her, and it didn't help that she had a tenacious grip on a happily sleeping, almost black puppy. "Why can't we stay here?" she countered softly, gazing up at him for all the answers in the world.

He smiled at her, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Because it's time to go back home, Bethy. I know you like the puppies, but he can't be away from his mom yet. He's way too young," Edward reasoned again, this time placing a warm, gentle hand on the little dog. "You wouldn't want to be away from your mommy yet, right?" Big, sad, green eyes gazed up at me, and she slowly shook her head. She shifted on her feet, kicking hay with her sneaker, only to gaze back up at him, pressing her nose to the puppy's soft head. It wasn't like he could cave to that look, because everything he was telling her was true. His head turned my way, his face pleading for help when she gave him the most pitiful face I'd ever seen her use on him. I giggled softly to myself and knelt beside him. "Pretty girl, we don't want you to leave him, but if you take him away from his mom, then he could get sick. He needs her more than you need him right now. You want to be able to play with him the next time you come here, right?" I asked her, cupping her face, and she nodded. "Then he has to stay, baby. I know it's hard," I told her. Edward held out his hands, and reluctantly, she set the puppy gently down. "And you know what else?" he asked her in a whisper, absentmindedly running a soft hand over the dog. "What?" she asked him, mirroring his whisper. "He can't be in the co-pilot seat, little sweetness. There's only room for one, and I need you in it," he told her firmly. "What will I do without you?" Boy, I don't know who played whom more her or him. He knew that she couldn't resist being his "co-pilot," and she knew he could barely tell her no when she gave him "the face." They truly were two peas in a pod. I couldn't imagine what powers she'd wield over him once she truly understood what she was capable of. She was quiet for a moment, and finally looked from the puppy to him. "I need my hat, Daddy," she stated, which caused us both to chuckle. "Yes, ma'am," he said with a grin, standing up to nestle the puppy back into the pile of its siblings. "I'm pretty sure we can take care of that, little sweetness," he told her, scooping her up, "because you can't fly without it." He tapped his own backwards cap, and she giggled up at him. We stepped out of the barn, and Edward set Bethy on her feet to run to Aunt Kate. "Elizabeth Renee," she crooned, kissing her cheek. "You be good. And stop growing!" "Unca Em says I can't help it," she argued with a smile. "He says I'm getting too big on purpose." "You are," Emmett growled. "You're only growing because I told you not to!" "Nu-uh!" she laughed. "Uh-huh!" he sang back. "Nice, Em," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "You just sank to a three-year-old's level." Rose raised an eyebrow at me, silently asking me if this fact surprised me, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, Bambina," Alec said, holding out his arms for her. "I'll get you strapped in." She went to him willingly, leaving the rest of us to hugs and goodbyes. Emmett, Rose, Caleb, Makenna, Carlisle, and Esme were all taking a private plane back to Seattle. Jasper and Alice were flying out to Texas for a few days, just to check on his father. Alec was riding with us, and Mickey was staying at the farm with Obie. Edward opened the side door of the chopper, helping me up into the back, and I turned to him, saying, "Easy on my stomach, fly boy, okay?" He grinned, biting at his bottom lip a bit, before placing a warm hand on my stomach. "I'll do my best, sweetness. I promise." I kissed his lips softly, smiling against them. "You always do, Edward. I never doubt it." My statement meant more than just flying, more than just prying puppies out of our daughter's hand, and I locked gazes with him to make sure that he knew that, because I knew he was worried. His eyes were warm, sweet, and as green as the firs around us. He needed to know that we trusted him, depended on him, and we couldn't be more grateful that we still had him. He also needed to know that we couldn't put him in danger any more than he could allow it to happen to us, that we'd all fight to keep each other safe. He nodded once, kissing me one more time a little more firmly. "Strap in, love. Let's go home."

A/N... Going home. It's about time. I know some of you are worried about Lilith. I'm with Carlisle on this one. Ah,

and our couple finally found a way. LOL Thank God, because Mercward just might've exploded. ;) Coming up... I just had to let you know that the next chapter got away from me. It sort of took a life of its own. If my calculations are correction, I'm looking at 25 chapters and then an Epilogue and then this story is finished. I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this. I need to thank GooberLou, who let's me throw the most ridiculous ideas at her, so that she can say, "Ummm, no." LOL And to MedusaInNY for the blog, but for emergency emails, too! Thank you for that last one. It's perfect. The next posting will be on Sunday. It's finished, so we'll see you then. Let me know what you're thinking. And until next time, later! :)

*Chapter 23*: Chapter 23

A/N... I know that you guys don't want this story to end, though you want Lilith gone. Like DEAD, gone. Again, I say... PATIENCE. I know most of you have asked for another sequel in the Gravity Series, because you're just not ready to let Mercward go. Believe me, I understand. However, I'm not making any promises on that. At all. And for those of you that really know me, then you know a plot bunny could strike at any time, and that goes for the Angel Series, as well. So as of right now, the answer to the question that you've all been asking... "What's next?" No freakin' idea, but don't write me off. Now, this chapter was another one of those that kind of wrote itself. It took off in a direction I wasn't prepared for, so it actually pushed my outline out a chapter. Like I said...25 chapters plus the epi. Time has moved on a bit. This is two weeks home from Aunt Kate's, a little bit before Halloween, and another doctor's appointment, not to mention you'll see what Carlisle and Bella are working on together. Enjoy it. I'll see you at the bottom.
CHAPTER 23

BELLA
"You know, I didn't sign up for all this heavy labor," Alec growled, rolling his eyes and hammering a nail into the board. "I'm a special ops soldier, capesce? Not a construction worker...not a farm hand," he continued to bitch, but Jasper's and Edward's unstoppable laughter just made him smile. "Hmm, but they look so freakin' good doing those things," Alice muttered from the deck chair beside me, and we snorted into shameless giggles, because it was so fucking true. It was just me and Alice on the porch at the moment. Rose and Emmett were spending some time with their parents, showing off baby Caleb now that they could. Makenna and Wes probably hadn't seen the light of day since we got back to Washington, and Carlisle had gone back to Twi Towers with Esme. We'd been home for about two weeks. Edward had immediately gotten to work on the baby's new room. Instead of hiring a crew, he wanted to work on it himself, only bringing in outside resources when it was something he couldn't do himself, like pouring the concrete foundation, the wiring, and he'd most likely get someone to do the roof, as well. Everything else, he insisted that he try. I was proud of him, because he was treating it as a rehabilitation thing for his leg, but he was willing to admit when he couldn't do it alone, like today. Today, they were building the frames for the outer walls...in just jeans, on a rare sunny day, sweating and flexing. I brought my mug of warm tea to my lips, trying to tamper down my horny hormones. They were out of control. "And he's so working the fact that Abby's mother is just inside the house," I added in a mutter. "Alec's been salivating since she stepped onto the damn property." I chuckled, rubbing my hand over my now just barely there baby bump. It was just big enough to make all my clothes not fit, and just small enough that Edward's hand could still spread over it though his hand wasn't the only thing he put there, because just under my shirt was a love bite that would make a hooker blush. "No shit, the sly dog," Alice laughed softly, her eyes flickering from the computer screen on her lap, to the boys, and then back to me. "That's some thick-ass charm he's workin'." I smirked, but it was true. "Five bucks says he invites her to Preacher's Halloween Fundraiser." "Oh yeah," she agreed, going back to her computer, where she was still looking for Lilith. Carlisle had finally agreed to my suggestion. Once he met Preacher, saw the neighborhood, and witnessed what a wonderful thing the rec center was, he latched on to my idea with a tenacity that only he could pull off. The two of us got together with Hannah in the charities department of Twi Tech, and she was right on board. Carlisle sought out Walter Bridges Sr., bought the big ass warehouse that was abandoned not to mention a few other buildings and it was now being turned into housing for the homeless. Not only would it help that rundown community, it would give them jobs, stability, and something to take care of, because he was basically giving it to them. He also was putting in a few businesses a small grocery store, a gas station, and a storage facility for Twi Tech. All of it meant more jobs closer to home, easier shopping, and more security, because when Carlisle Cullen wanted to build something, the city of Seattle protected it. The shelter would be finished first, but it needed funds, so Hannah had set up a Halloween party, turning the warehouse, the rec center, and the space in between into a small festival for the local kids and their families. Gravity would be working alongside Twi Tech's security people to make sure everyone stayed safe and no one decided to

"act the fool," as Preacher worried. "Is Edward going to let you work it?" Alice whispered. "Uh...no, not really," I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'm going, but only because my name is on this whole thing Carlisle insisted and because Preacher fell in love with Bethy and invited her. So she's determined to dress up, get candy, and see 'the big pweacher guy' again." I grinned at Alice's laugh. "You should've seen them. It was hilarious, because she's so small and he's so damn big. She comes to his kneecap!" "So it's a family thing for you two?" I shook my head after taking a sip of tea. "We'll be armed, we'll patrol, but anything major is all on him. He made me swear it. In fact, he really wants me and Bethy with Preacher, Carlisle, Alec, or himself the whole time." We both looked up when two little brunettes darted back into the yard, a colorful blur of squeals and laughter. Sarah Carmichael walked out right behind them, wearing a wry smile and shaking her head. She'd offered to take the girls inside when the said they had to potty and wanted something to drink. She took her seat next to me as the girls resumed their playing. For everything that she'd been through, with the kidnapping of Bethy and Abby, I had been afraid that she would hate us, but that simply wasn't the case. Yes, she'd been frantic, but the story that little Abby had told her, plus the fact that we'd returned her daughter to her unharmed, had given her a little perspective. Once she'd heard the whole story from Wes and Benny, she'd understood completely and without anger, because apparently, her now deceased husband had been a cop in Olympia. She was well aware of the hazards of what a dangerous career could bring down on a family. Nathan Carmichael had been interviewing witnesses for a murder case, had finished up for the day, and was meeting his wife and daughter for dinner. He'd been followed and had been shot down in the parking lot of the restaurant just as they were about to head home. Abby had been less than a year old; she didn't remember a thing, but Sarah did. All of it. In fact, it was the reason she'd moved to a small town after he'd died. As soon as Sarah had heard we were back in Forks, she'd called me, wanting to get the girls together. She'd stopped mine and Edward's profuse apologies, because she said we'd more than made up for it by risking our lives to get Abby and Bethy back. She wouldn't hear another word of it. Looking at her right then, I truly felt for her, due to my own close call with Edward. She was alone, raising a beautiful little girl, struggling just to get through. She was still young, very pretty, with long, dark hair and hazel eyes. From what I could gather from just our casual conversations, she didn't make friends easily and she seemed fairly lonely. Again, my heart went out to her, because as I glanced across the porch, Edward's green gaze locked with mine, causing my whole body to shake with the gratefulness that consumed me. My hand rubbed my little bump softly as I fought running to him. "How far along are you?" Sarah asked, eying my hand knowingly. I smiled, looking down, and then back to her. "Almost three months." She grinned and nodded. "During all this, you get good news," she chuckled, shaking her head, because Alice and I had caught her up to speed on what was really going on with Abby's kidnappers. "Congratulations," she said, and I thanked her. Alice giggled, looking up from her computer. "It was a shock, that's for sure, though I think Edward was just about to explode from pride." We all chuckled, glancing over at the three working men. Alec and Jasper were holding the first wall frame so Edward could secure it in place. Muscles flexed, sweat dripped, smiles of pride flashed across handsome faces, and I was pretty sure that I was way too hormonal to be sitting there for much longer. "Oh, he's really trying to kill me today," I muttered, shaking my head, which only caused Alice's head to fall back with her laughter. "Shut it, pixie," I snorted, rolling my eyes as she only laughed harder. "When I was pregnant with Abby," Sarah said with a wry smile, chuckling at our exchange, "Nate had to change clothes at the precinct." She grinned over at me. "There was something about the uniform that sent my hormones into overdrive. I made him late just about every day." We all snorted into loud laughter, causing all the boys to look our way, as well as the girls to pause their pretend tea party from under the tree house. I wiped tears away from my eyes, saying, "Yeah, but this one..." I pointed toward the construction, keeping my voice low. "He's been through this before, and he knows exactly what he's doing to drive me crazy." Sarah giggled. "I bet."

"Hey, Bellissima?" Alec called sweetly, and I had to fight to keep from rolling my eyes. When I looked over at him, he asked, "Would you check my sauce? It should be just about done." "Stop it," Sarah snorted. "He cooks?" "They all do," Alice and I muttered wryly. "Sure, but you're in charge, Uncle Alec," I yelled back, raising an eyebrow at him and pointing to the two girls. He grinned and nodded. The three of us went inside the kitchen. Alice and Sarah sat down on stools, while I checked the slow, simmering, yummy goodness that was Alec's spaghetti sauce. He made that shit from scratch, using his grandmother's old recipe, but he swore it had to cook all damn day. Really, I think he just liked to drive the whole house into a frenzy with just how good it smelled. "What's his story?" Sarah asked, and Alice's head snapped around. I smiled, pulling a pot out to start the water for the pasta. "He's obviously Italian, former Air Force, been working with Edward's dad for years, but he now works for me in security. He's amazing with Bethy," I said, turning around to look at Sarah. "Amazing," I reiterated. "He's a ridiculous flirt, outrageously handsome, but one of the most loyal people I know. I don't know what we would have done without him these last few years. Honestly." That was the fucking truth. I'd met Alec just after Edward and Carlisle had pulled me out of Miller's basement. He'd been semi-retired from working for Carlisle, but had come back and been with us ever since. He treated me with the utmost respect, adored Bethy beyond belief, and loved Edward like a younger brother. Alice nodded silently, looking over at Sarah. "He's just shy of forty, owns his grandmother's old house in Brooklyn, an apartment in Seattle, and drives a fixed up, street racing RX8...sexiest car I've ever seen, though right now, he's driving a rental SUV. No wife, no kids, not even a dog. He's staying here right now to help with security." "Not even an ex?" she gasped, glancing out the window and back. "No," Alice and I both sighed sadly, because that very topic had come up with me and my girls more than once. We adored Alec, thinking his sweet, flirty ways were adorable. I was pretty sure he'd left his fair share of broken hearts along the way, but I got the feeling there were less than he bragged about in front of the guys. "I won't lie to you," I told her, pulling out a pan to start the garlic bread, simply because I was fucking starving. "Alec...he has a way with women." "I'm not blind, Bella," Sarah chuckled. "And I haven't exactly been alone for three years just...picky as to who my daughter sees." I smirked over at her, laying the bread out and sticking the tray in the oven. I glanced out the window, motioning her to look. "But then there's this," I snickered, watching her face take in the front yard. I cracked the window so she could hear them. "Unca Alec!" Bethy laughed, her face turning pink as he, Edward, and Jasper sat with the girls on their picnic blanket. "You hafta put it on!" she told him, holding out the big floppy hat. "Hey, I've worn it...you can, too," Jasper scolded him, wearing a shit-eating grin. We all chuckled as we watched, because Edward took the big pink feather boa and tied it around his head like a headband, and Jasper slapped the hat onto Alec's head before donning a flowery apron. The two little girls were in hysterics, their little hands covering their faces. My boys lived to hear that sound especially Edward. "Shit, I just love it when Bethy makes them do that!" Alice giggled, going back to her stool. I looked over at Sarah. "He's not a saint, but he's a damn good guy," I stated, shrugging one shoulder, because that pretty much summed up every man in my life from Carlisle and Edward, to Jasper, Alec, and Emmett. They were my family. "And he's just about to trip over himself to flirt with you." She smiled, blushing a bit, but nodded that she'd heard me. Just before I closed the window, I yelled, "Come on, ladies, take a break and eat something!" Edward's head fell back with his laugh, but he stood up, tugging the boa off his head. He shot a glance toward the house, telling the two girls to wash up. Tiny feet pounded through my house and down the hall, but three sets of heavy boots thumped into the kitchen. Suddenly, the kitchen was overwhelmingly full of tall, handsome men, all smelling like sun and grass and lumber, tugging their t-shirts on over their heads. "It's good, Bellissima, yeah?" Alec asked, washing his hands and picking up the lid of the pot.

"I'm starving, Alec. It could be a buffalo, and I'd be okay with it," I teased him. "I think you let it cook so long that I eat like three plates before it's all over." "That's my girl," Edward chuckled, wrapping arms around me from behind, his hand immediately seeking out its place on my stomach for just a moment. "I want him strong, love," he growled huskily in my ear so that no one else heard him, placing a sweet, but over too soon kiss to my neck. "You want me huge," I countered with a laugh as he picked me up and set me on a stool. "That, too," he said with a sexy ass grin and a wink. "Sit, baby. I'll make yours."

Him. I smirked, shaking my head at that. Ever since we'd told Bethy that I was pregnant, our little bean had suddenly become a him. Edward was building his room, his crib. However, discussions for names were mutually put on hold until
we knew for sure. I'd teased Edward once over it, telling him that he could be offending another girl, but he'd only smiled sweetly and shrugged, saying that was fine, it was just more girls for him to love. "Mommy!" Bethy gushed, rushing into the kitchen. "I w-want... I w-want to g-go as a c-cat for Halloween," she sputtered excitedly. "When we go see Pweacher again." I smiled down at her, pulling her to my lap. "A cat, huh?" I verified, and she nodded vehemently. "Well, I think we can do that." "I'm going as a ballerina," Abby said softly, and we all looked at her. She was still so very shy, but she was finally comfortable around us enough to speak up. "She's coming wif us, wight, Mommy?" Bethy asked, looking around the room at all the adults, and finally landing on her dad. "If she wants to, little sweetness," he chuckled, setting two plates full of pasta and garlic bread in front of me and Bethy. "I think that's up to her mom." "Trick or Treating?" Sarah asked, but just like I'd thought he would, Alec answered. "No, there's a Halloween block party that Carlisle's throwing as a fundraiser in Seattle. We'll be heading up security, but there'll be games, food, and I think...a haunted house." He growled the last words to Bethy, who grinned at him as she twirled her noodles just like he'd taught her. "If you'd like to go, I'd personally see to it that no ghosts, ghouls, or goblins bother you," he vowed smoothly, placing a hand over his heart. "Sarebbe il mio onore, signore... It would be my honor, ladies..." Edward smirked, popping a piece of garlic bread into his mouth and chewing it slowly while he watched them, as he sat down next to me and Bethy. Jasper grinned, shaking his head as he stared down at his plate. I wanted to laugh, because Alec was turning the Italian charm on thick, but one look at Sarah, and I knew she was done for. Abby giggled at him, and I was sure that was all it took, because Sarah glanced down at her, and then back to him. Sarah spoke to her daughter first. "You want to go with Bethy?" she asked, and Abby nodded happily, causing Bethy to look up at Sarah with a pleading face. Sarah smiled shyly, but nodded at Alec. "Okay, that'd be great. Thank you." Alec's smile could have lit the entire city of Seattle, and I had to take an enormous bite of pasta to hide my amusement, but Edward caught it, leaning to my ear. "Oh, he's smooth. Just wait until that night..." he whispered in a soft chuckle as the girls squealed in happiness, drowning him out a bit. I grinned, giggling and leaning into him. He kissed my temple, smiling against my skin as he said, "She won't know what hit her." When dinner was over, Alec walked Sarah and Abby to their car, making sure the security that Wes had set up let them out okay. Once he was back inside the house, I folded my arms across my chest, leaning a hip against my counter as Edward and Jasper finally let out their laughter at his antics, but as funny as it was at the moment, I wasn't so sure what his intentions were. Alec caught my stare, sobering up quickly. "Don't just use her, Alec," I warned him, raising an eyebrow. "She's been through some...not so nice things. She's not a toy. She's a single mother... That's two lives you're messing with." He started to say something as he shook his head, but I went on, and he snapped his mouth closed. "It's all fun and games with adults, but Abby isn't along for the ride. Got me?" Edward and Jasper sobered up quickly at the change in conversation, looking between us. "Bellissima, it's not like that," he countered, holding up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "I would have already asked her out, but the timing was off, amore." He frowned, shoving his hands into his front pockets. "It was during all the kidnapping stuff. I would have been an ass, asking her the day that Benny returned Abby back to her. And I couldn't hurt the little one any more than I could my Bambina." Edward's eyebrows shot up when Alec jerked his chin toward the living room where Bethy was watching a movie.

I huffed, shaking my head. "I know your reputation, Alec. I'm just thinking that's not what Sarah's all about, okay?" "I consider myself completely warned, Bella," he chuckled, his smile creeping back up on his face. "This isn't like that," he said again. "I want...more." My eyes flashed to Edward. "I've heard that before, Alec," I murmured, rolling my eyes at Edward's chuckle. "Watch out, you'll be married soon..." I teased him, narrowing my eyes at my amused husband. "And then...it's all over, buddy!" Alec smirked, shaking his head at me. "I'll be on my best behavior, Bellissima. I promise." I shook my head, waving him off, not knowing if that was a good thing or not. After what I'd just witnessed, I was pretty sure that Alec's idea of behaving was somewhat similar to Edward's. They were both shamelessly charming, and I could well imagine just what they were capable of together back in the day. "He was a bad influence on you," I playfully growled at Edward. He grinned, shooting a look to Alec. "Yes, ma'am. He was." As I left the room, I heard Edward mutter, "It's best to just nod and smile, man. Seriously." ~oOo~

EDWARD
"While we're in town, I need to make a stop at some point," I told Bella, glancing over at her as I drove through the streets of Seattle. "Sure," she sighed, but chuckled. "It seems we'll be busy all day." I smiled at her chuckle, because it was true. We had a meeting with Preacher to go over the last minute guidelines for his security before the party tomorrow night. Bella had a check up at her doctor's office, and we had to pick Bethy up from my dad's apartment, because Esme was taking her to find the perfect cat costume for the fundraiser thankfully, only the kids had to dress up. But I needed to do one more thing before we went back home. I pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office, shutting off the engine. I held my hand out to Bella. "Gun," I said wryly, which caused her to burst into sweet laughter. "No," she grumped dramatically. "It'll be justifiable homicide, baby." I grinned, shaking my head. "Gun, sweetness. I'm not having you arrested while pregnant with my child. Mindy isn't worth the hell I'd bring down on the county jail should something happen to you." Bella scoffed at me, rolling her eyes, all while fighting her smile, and handed over her nine mil. "Fine...whatever." I kissed her temple and got out of the car, stowing her gun in my inside jacket pocket as I walked around the SUV to help her out of the car. "Come on, love. This will be the best part of the day." Mindy wasn't even at the front desk when we checked in, but we did see her on our way back to the examination room. Her eyes wouldn't meet mine, and that was just fine with me, because I wasn't sure what my wife would do to her if she stared like she had the last time. I knew Bella. It wasn't the fact that the girl had crushed on me later in high school, or maybe even found me attractive now; it was the cruelty in which she treated me over my stutter, my being the new kid in school and being different. Bella had zero patience for that bullshit at twelve years old, so it only was exacerbated as an adult. According to my wife, people were allowed and should be encouraged to be different. It made us interesting; it made us...us. Stutters, scars, quirky personality traits, shocking intelligence, fierce and almost blind loyalty...Bella surrounded herself with people with these traits. She loved us all without trying to change us. I kissed her forehead at that last thought, just as the doctor walked in. "You know, that's what got you here," Dr. Sandler snarked, giving us a wry smile. Bella and I chuckled, but I sat back, linking our fingers together. Dr. Sandler was a calm, sarcastic woman. She'd delivered Bethy, so Bella wouldn't hear of going to anyone else. "You missed your last appointment, Isabella," she stated, flipping through the chart and tsking at the same time. "Sorry, family emergency," Bella mumbled, and I squeezed her hand a bit. "Well, then, this should be interesting, because there'll be huge differences this time." The doctor lifted Bella's shirt and proceeded to smear the chilly goo over her belly. A heavy whirring met my ears, and I knew enough, remembered enough from Bella being pregnant with Bethy to know that what we were listening to was a strong heartbeat.

I grinned, shaking my head, because right then, it was all too real. "Sounds good, Dad," Dr. Sandler teased, most likely due to the shit-eating grin I was wearing, but we all turned our attention to the small screen in front of us. "Not a bean anymore, guys," she chuckled, glancing at us. "I'm seeing arms, legs, toes, fingers, a strong little heart...but not quite everything. It seems you've got a shy one." Bella and I both chuckled, but it was true. The baby seemed to be curled up, hiding his or her face. We knew it was possible to find out this early what we were having, but it was rare. And I wasn't disappointed by any means, because seeing the tiny version of my new little one was just about my favorite thing. "Looks perfect," the doctor sighed contentedly, giving us a warm smile. "I still want to check a few things, but I see no problems at this stage. You're heading into the second trimester just brilliantly." Bella smiled and nodded, and as soon as her stomach was cleaned up and the picture was printed, the doctor "poked and prodded," as my wife liked to say. And again, we got a thumbs up and an all clear. Once we were back in the car, I handed Bella her gun back, which made her laugh again, but in all reality, she would need to have it on her when we got to Preacher's. I chuckled against her temple as she stowed it away, but I couldn't resist her stomach. "He looked good, love... Strong," I teased her. Honestly, we didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl, but everyone seemed to be pulling for a boy, which was what had started the whole he thing in the first place. She giggled, leaning her head back to the headrest. "Drive, Edward. That names list is still on hold, pal." I laughed, kissing her cheek and rubbing her belly one more time. ~oOo~ "I don't think we'll have any problem covering every section," Alec said, pointing to the two main buildings and where the games and some small rides were currently being put together. "We'll put a few men at each entrance, a few in the game area, and scatter the rest of us throughout the place." This was what Alec was really good at. He'd been working security for years before he joined back up with me and my dad, so we let him lead. "I think we should look like security," Emmett stated, his face serious. "I think that we should pose as a visual deterrent, as well as a physical one." "I agree with that," Bella added, giving the entire area a long, slow glance. "Shoulder harnesses, name badges, and everyone dress the same..." she murmured, her eyes dragging over each section. "The only one I don't think that needs to do that is Carlisle, because he'll be a public figure here." "Now, we'll have local police working with us," Alec said. "They'll patrol the streets surrounding the neighborhood, and they are who we'll be calling should something happen." He looked around at the twenty or so men and women that were listening to him. "You have the right to escort anyone causing a problem out of the function. You have the right to suggest arrest once they are outside the party. Understood?" There were murmurs of consent, but one guy spoke up. "Do you think there will be a lot of trouble?" he asked. It was Preacher who answered. "Yes and no," he sighed, stepping forward. "There is a part of this community that is extremely excited about these next few things. They need the work, a place to live, a chance to get back on their feet. There are more of them than the troublemakers that are out there." "How's Reggie feel?" Bella asked, turning to him. "Oh, he's fine with it. His...um, clientele range all over the city anyway," Preacher scoffed, rolling his eyes. "He's actually got a young cousin that wants to work in the shelter, so he can't really complain. However, he was very interested with that last bit of news you had me pass on to Sharky." Bella grinned, patting his big arm. "I bet he was. Lilith owes him how much?" "A hundred grand, if not more," he chuckled. "You really think she'll come back here?" "I'm surprised Sharky hasn't heard from her yet," she stated with a shrug. "He was always her connection, so I think it's just a waiting game for us. She'll show up eventually." I sighed, shaking my head, because the mere thought of that crazy bitch still roaming around the streets made me angry. I looked to Preacher. "Her target would be Bella. Period." I turned to the security crew, as well as Emmett, Jasper, and Alec. "Keep your eyes peeled, your heads clear. I'm not kidding. This is the perfect type of situation that she'd approach,

because she could hide in the numbers." I wasn't fucking stupid. I knew Bella was hoping this whole function would draw Lilith in, like a fly to honey. It wasn't that the community help wasn't a brilliant idea, because it was, but the fact that it was Lilith's old neighborhood didn't help my nerves. "Well," Jasper drawled, eying me, and then Bella. "She's kinda on this committee, too, right?" he asked, and we all nodded, but he turned to me. "So let's keep her with Carlisle and Esme. We'll post you with them, too. Stick to the main areas." He pointed to Bella. "Nowhere alone, Bells. In fact, if you stayed in the rec center all night, I wouldn't bitch about it." She chuckled, nodding. "I hadn't planned on a nighttime stroll through the back streets, Jazz," she snarked at him. "The only reason I'm coming is because we're all here, and it's something that's needed here. Wes is Carlisle's personal guard on this. I'll be surrounded every step, and it's only a few hours." Preacher studied my face, because I was shaking my head. "You're worried?" "Yeah," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "If it were up to me, she and my daughter would be home...if not locked in a room," I growled at her, rolling my eyes at her scoff. Preacher chuckled. "Is it the neighborhood? Or Lilith?" "The neighborhood is fine," I said, because as many times as we'd been there, we were always welcomed. "I really don't like that we haven't heard from Lilith. Nothing's showing up on any searches, she hasn't popped up on any radar, and they haven't found her dead anywhere. Until I get my hands on her, even a trip to the store makes me nervous." Alec chuckled, squeezing my shoulder. "Easy, kid. We've got some media coverage making this pretty out in the open, we've got more than enough security, including the police, and we've got a local drug gang out for Lilith's head. What more do we need?" That caused a round of laughter, even from me, because all of that was true. We really couldn't be safer. Still... I turned to Preacher. "Reggie... Is he coming?" I asked him. "Probably not the way you mean," Preacher snickered. "He'll be controlling the streets around us, though. He already said it. He's getting the same vibe you are, son. He thinks this will draw Lilith in." "Okay," I sighed, thinking if I couldn't catch her, at least someone could, and somehow, I couldn't find it in me to give a shit whether it was a gang or not. "Then I guess we'll see you back here tomorrow night." I stuck out my hand, and he took it firmly. "Miss Isabella!" we heard behind us, and I couldn't help but smile. Miss Geneva was waddling her way quickly toward my wife. "Look at you, child!" "Hi, Miss Geneva," Bella said, wrapping her up in a hug. "Green Bay Packers today, I see." The old woman shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. "I likes my football players, girl. They're big, strong...handsome," she whispered with a wink, giving Preacher a side glance. "Don't care what color they are, neither. Could just about eat a quarterback up with a spoon." Bella giggled, as did some of the other women on the security team. "How are you?" "I've got me a job!" she said, beaming. "Gonna run the kitchen at the shelter. Just wait until you taste my meatloaf." I chuckled, shaking my head, because she was a fantastic character. She was spunky, full of life, even though she had to be well into her late seventies and had been living on the streets for who knew how long. She never wore anything other than oversized football jerseys from every team, it seemed. She didn't have a tooth in her head, but her smile was so fucking infectious that you couldn't help but like her. "I see you brought my handsome thing, Isabella," she said, catching sight of me. She cupped my face. "You doin' okay there, gorgeous?" I laughed. "Yes, ma'am. Just fine." "Good." She beamed, her eyes flickering back to Bella. "And I can see why..." she gasped, eying Bella's hand as she placed a hand on her stomach. "Mmm, mmm, makin' pretty babies," she crooned, grinning at Bella's laugh. "Let me see you," she ordered, cupping my wife's face, giving her stomach the lightest of touches. "I'm thinking girl, but it's too soon to tell. Come back to me in a few months..." "Don't believe her," Preacher chuckled in my ear. "She called my first son a girl, and that was after we'd already seen the sonogram." I laughed, but hid it behind my hand. "Got it. Thanks."

"Lord, Miss Geneva, what do you need?" Preacher sighed, but gave her a placating smile. Even he couldn't get upset with her when she flitted from one subject to the next at lightning speed. "They need you over at the rec center to tell them where you want something or other. I don't know," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest like a pouting child. "And Sharky's here to see you." That got our attention, but we looked to Preacher. "They probably want to know where the DJ is going, so tell them anywhere out of the way," he said to the old woman. "Yeah, that's it," she grumped, shaking her head and waving at all of us as she waddled back across the parking lot. Alec dismissed everyone, but Jasper, Emmett, Alec, Bella, and I all followed Preacher toward the rec center, finding Sharky, who was pacing nervously that is, until he saw Bella. A smile lit his features. "Ah, Miss Bella," he crooned, bowing to her. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you." She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I'm pretty sure I do, but I owe you a thank you, I think. You pulled her away from me." His tongue clucked, and he shook his head. "Crazy cow," he scoffed. "Never did like the bi..." He stopped, giving Preacher a side glance. "My bad, Preach." The large man smirked, waving him off. "What'choo got for me, Terrance?" Sharky flinched at the sound of his real name, but I'd be willing to bet he'd never correct Preacher on it. Ever. "Reggie said to tell you he's been getting some strange reports back. There's a woman looking to buy, but no money. Not just powder, either. She wants a weapon." "Lilith?" Bella asked, her eyebrows raising high. "Maybe. He's not sure," Sharky replied, shrugging a shoulder. "He don't know her, but I do. I haven't heard nothin' from her." "With what happened the last time, she may avoid you," Bella told him, and he nodded at her. "Anyway," Sharky said, turning back to Preacher, "she's approaching the new guys. The last one tried to call me and Reggie, but she ran off before he could get us." He grimaced before he said the next thing. "He said to tell you that he's taking her, whether you like it or not." Preacher snorted, looking to me, and then back to Reggie. "Those are the things I don't want to know, Terrance." "But I do," Alec added, stepping forward. "You tell him that if he wants to take her, that's fine, but we need to know about it. We need proof." "He figured that much," Sharky stated. "He'll have boys in their cars driving these streets all day, all night...not to mention that party you're throwin'." "I thought you were getting out of this life, Sharky," Bella said shrewdly, her eyes narrowing on him. "Yeah, well... I've recently found myself a freakin' middle man," he huffed, shifting on his feet like an admonished child. "We got you, Miss Bella. Don't you sweat it. Some of us remember what she did to her little girl, you know. Killin' babies don't fly around here." My eyebrows shot up, and I looked to Preacher. His face was grim, letting me know that Sharky was telling the truth. I'd completely forgotten that it was in this very neighborhood where all this shit started, where Lilith had killed her youngest little girl and kidnapped her oldest from her foster parents. It all came back to this very neighborhood. These people had seen her fucked up bullshit for a long time. "What'choo do to your own body is your thing...what'choo do to a kid... Well, that's a whole 'nother story here," Sharky finished. "See, Reggie's mom worked at that hotel Lilith was livin' in. He knows all about her." "Oh," Bella said, frowning a bit. "It all comes full circle, doesn't it?" she muttered to herself, and I couldn't help but pull her closer. Preacher huffed a heavy exhale. "It can, Bella. It certainly can." ~oOo~

BELLA
Edward and I were quiet as he drove through the crowded city streets. I knew he was worried. I knew that placing us all in one spot was making him nervous, but I'd taken what Carlisle had said to heart. We were stronger, smarter, and quicker than Lilith had ever thought about being. We were more experienced, calmer, and in control. It was these things that I focused on, put my faith in, because I knew I'd be surrounded by the best.

In all reality, I wished that we didn't have to go to this function at all, but Hannah had convinced Carlisle that a holiday would bring in more money. It wouldn't just be the neighborhood people at the fundraiser; people with pull and large bank accounts had been invited, too. The whole thing was to encourage the restructure of worn down areas of the city. "You're mad," I stated in a whisper, looking up at him when he stopped at a red light. "Not at all, sweetness," he sighed, picking up my hand and kissing the back of it. "I'm worried, love. But I'm not sure that would change no matter what we were doing even if we just took Bethy trick-or-treating in Forks." I smiled and nodded. "To be honest... I don't want you far from us tomorrow night, Edward." He turned to me, his eyes darkening just a bit. "I wasn't planning on it. Our main crew will pretty much be around the entire time, Bella. And it wouldn't surprise me if Wes hasn't added a few undercovers in there." "Yeah, Makenna is pretty damn sure he's working something out." He pulled into a parking lot, turning off the car and shifting my direction. "Here's what I want, baby. I want you and Bethy in my sights at all times. We'll wear radios, go in armed, and work this function for the shortest time we can get away with. Got me?" "Perfectly," I answered him, leaning over and kissing his lips. "In fact, I want two guns on you. Just in case," he added, cupping my face and rubbing a thumb along my cheekbone. "Take your nine, but take the forty-five, too. Stash it in a purse or something, but take it." "Okay," I agreed. "Do you think we're nervous over nothing?" "No." He gave me almost a scathing look, because mine and Bethy's safety was his top priority. "No, Bella. I don't. I'd rather go in with a tank and not need anything." I giggled at the thought, which softened his features. "Fine, a tank, it is," I said, and he laughed, pulling the keys from the ignition of the Volvo. "Where are we?" I asked, but stopped when I realized what we were doing. "Oh," I sighed sadly. "I didn't even think..." "I-It's s-something I-I n-need t-to d-do," he sputtered, giving the building in front of us a dark look. "I-It's o-only r-right, Bella." "Okay," I soothed, running my fingers through his hair. "Do you want me there? Or to wait out here?" "N-No, c-come," he said, suddenly sounding like the young boy I'd first met. I smiled, kissing his cheek softly. "Is this where you got the others?" "Yes." He looked to me, his eyes holding an old sadness. "I got them all here." I nodded, not saying anything, because there wasn't anything to say. This was all Edward. It was something that meant something to him, and I wouldn't take it away from him for all the money in the world. It was his way of giving thanks, of paying homage, of showing respect. Without a word, he led me into the tattoo shop. It was dark, but clean, with only one person sitting at a table along the side. Heavy music played from a small set of speakers on the table, but it was the man behind the desk that my eyes fell to, because he smiled widely at the sight of my husband. "Cullen!" he said with a grin, standing up and making his way toward us. "You swore to me no more tats, bro. You finally getting that crest on your back we talked about?" The guy was about Edward's age, completely bald, and seemed to be covered in a rainbow of colorful ink including his bald head. He had piercings in his eyebrows, his ears, his lips, and his chin. But his smile was warm and friendly as he took my husband's hand firmly while slapping his shoulder. "No," Edward laughed, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Barry, I'd like you to meet my wife, Bella. Bella, this is Barry Godwin. He and I were stationed overseas together. His uncle owned the shop at that time." I smiled, shaking the man's hand. "It's nice to meet you." "Holy hell, me, too!" he gushed with a big ass grin. "Oh, I always knew someone would tie him down one day. How'd you do it?" he asked in a exaggerated whisper. I giggled, more at Edward's pink cheeks and eye roll than at Barry's amusement. "Pure talent," I told him, which caused Edward to bark out a laugh. "Thatta girl," Barry said, winking at me, but he turned back to Edward. "What can I do for you, bro?"

"I need another star, Barry," he said, his voice low, subdued, and his friend seemed to understand, his jovial face sobering just a bit. "Gotcha. Well, off with the shirt, Ed," he ordered, gesturing to the closest chair. "I'm sure I can match Uncle Howard's work..." he muttered. Edward shirked off his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and draped them both across an empty chair. Barry walked to a file cabinet and tugged it open, pulling out a manila folder. "Same shit, Ed. You gotta sign my papers first," Barry muttered, leaving the file open. "Yeah, no problem," Edward said from the chair he was now sitting in. Once all the paperwork was signed, Barry leaned Edward back just a bit, and they talked about where they were going to put the next star in honor of Sam. A heavy sadness fell over me, and I just couldn't watch. Turning to face the walls that were covered in examples, I tried to drown out the noise of the needle by losing myself in the artwork. I didn't like Edward in pain, and the reason he was doing it made it all a little worse for me. Sam may have saved Edward's life, but in Edward's heart, he'd lost another man under his command. My eyes fell to the counter, to a file folder with Cullen written on the tab. Barry had left its contents spread out along the top. There were permission forms and sketches of Edward's current tattoo, but there was also another sketch that caught my eye. I picked it up, and my eyebrows shot up. I thought right away that it must have been the crest that Barry had asked about when we first walked in. It was beautiful work; it was the Cullen crest, but it was more. The scroll work around the actual crest itself was gorgeous. The center had the pawing lion, a ribbon with the name written on it, and the three shamrocks that represented the Irish heritage that Carlisle had descended from. "Pretty, huh?" Barry asked from across the room as he changed the ink in the needle. "Tell him he should get it. I worked damn hard on that sketch." I huffed a laugh, looking at the drawing again, and then back up to Edward's amused face. "You don't want this?" I asked, holding it up as I walked to them. "I just never got it," Edward chuckled, clearly a touch embarrassed. "I'd brought him the crest years ago, but just decided that I didn't really need it." I narrowed my eyes at my husband, and I could tell that there was more to that answer than he was saying in front of his friend. I wasn't a huge fan of what Barry looked like. Covering every inch of skin wasn't all that appealing to me, but to each their own. I liked Edward's tattoo, because...well, it was Edward; it meant something. However, the drawing in my hand had me intrigued. "Where?" I asked, holding it up again and eying Edward's beautiful skin warily, because it shouldn't be allowed to cover up some of my favorite parts. "I said his shoulder blade," Barry said, sitting Edward up straight as he pressed gauze to my husband's new star. "Let me see," I said softly, and Barry lifted the gauze gently. It was positioned at the bottom, the Air Force ribbon now surrounded by four stars. In a weird way, it balanced the whole thing out. I wanted to kiss Edward, make this better, but I knew nothing would, so I simply touched his fingers with my own, letting him squeeze me for support. "You're done, Ed," Barry said, taking the cash Edward handed him once he was standing. I looked at the sketch again, and then my husband's glorious back as he turned to pick up his shirt. Broad shoulders narrowed to his waist; muscles rolled beautifully under smooth skin, and if I wasn't mistaken, a couple of light nail scratches from the night before, which caused me to smirk. There wasn't a chance in hell ink was going to cover that pure, natural piece of art. Nope. No way. "No...not the shoulder blade," I stated firmly, which caused both men to turn to me, both highly amused. I handed Barry his sketch back, but Edward stopped me. "Where, love?" he asked, setting his shirt back down. "Do you want it?" I countered, because I didn't really have an answer, but he only shrugged at my question. "You must have at some point, baby." "I did," he sighed, taking the picture from Barry, who was quiet as he waited. "I'd thought about it when I started working for my dad." He looked to Barry. "You did add to it. Looks good."

"Told you," Barry chuckled, slapping his arm. Edward looked conflicted, but he looked to me. "If you want me to..." I grinned, shaking my head. "It's not my skin, Edward." He chuckled, nodding, and handed the paper back to Barry before turning back to me. "Yeah, but if I did it... Where?" he asked. I smirked at him, but studied his body not that I didn't have the damn thing memorized. "Here," I said softly, placing a hand on his upper arm on the same side of his body as the other tattoo. "Ooh, she's right, because the scroll work would wrap around your bicep like a cuff," Barry said, smiling and holding the paper to Edward's arm. "Nice, Bella," he muttered. We both looked to Edward, who seemed to be mulling it over. His brow was furrowed, and he swallowed thickly. "Not today," Edward stated with a finality to his voice, and I knew what that meant. He was giving the day and the added star just to Sam. Something fun or just something Edward wanted could wait. Once he was dressed, we waved goodbye to Barry and got back in the car. I turned to Edward, stopping him before he cranked the engine. "Why that picture?" I asked, knowing he didn't do much without meaning. "And why not get it?" Edward smiled a bit, though I noted it was a touch sad. "My mother loved that crest, used to tease my dad that it was the reason she wanted to become a Cullen something about the proud lion, she always told me. My dad's parents were proud of their lineage, so it was everywhere in their house when I was young." His voice was soft, the tone it usually took on when he spoke of his mother. "I thought she'd love the idea of me and my dad working together, that we were protecting each other. I got the first one just before I went overseas. I thought that one would represent a new start after my injury and dismissal from the Air Force." "But you didn't do it... Why?" I urged, because Edward very rarely set his mind to something and didn't follow through with it. "Time, really," he sighed, reaching up to brush a stray hair from my face. "I was working for him, out of the country, or simply relaxing at my house. I just never did it. Before I knew it, it just wasn't a priority." He sighed, shrugged, but went on. "And then I couldn't decide where," he chuckled, giving me a wink when I giggled. I studied his handsome face and reached up to drag my fingertips lightly over his stubbly chin. "If you still want it, get it." "Not today," he said again with a shake of his head. "But thank you. You really don't mind?" I giggled, because in all honesty, the damn thing would be amazingly sexy wrapped around his strong bicep. "No, Edward," I said with a smile. "I don't mind. Just not on your back," I growled, pointing a finger at him. He chuckled, kissing me quickly and cranking the car. "Yes, ma'am." ~oOo~ "That tickles, Mommy," Bethy giggled, wriggling her nose as I finished up her kitty nose and whiskers. I laughed, kissing her forehead. "Yeah, but you're so cute," I told her. "Hold still for one more minute, my little wiggle worm." Once her little black nose and whiskers were in place, I picked up the headband and slipped in onto her head, using it to keep her hair away from her face. The little ears on top just finished off her costume perfectly. "Oh, your dad may just kiss you to death, pretty girl," I giggled, setting her down. "Go show him." "Okay," she laughed, tearing out of my bathroom and down the hall, calling for Edward. I grabbed my jacket, and my nine mil, stowing it in the leg holster around my thigh and over my leggings the only thing that really fit anymore thanks to my little bump and then picked up the forty-five that Edward had insisted I carry. I tucked it into my coat, feeling slightly weighted down, but secure, nonetheless. I walked into the kitchen to see both my loves in all black my little cat, and my personal bodyguard. He'd picked her up and set her on the kitchen counter, smiling at her like he wanted to just smooch her to pieces. He was wearing black dress pants, a tight, black, long sleeve shirt, and his gun was already strapped in his shoulder holster. He was going for large and intimidating, but at the moment, he just looked too cute, tugging on his daughter's tail. "Gamma did awesome, little sweetness," he chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Mommy did my whiskers," she told him, playing with the name badge hanging from his belt. "But I like my ears," she giggled.

"Me, too," he told her, running a hand down her hair and patting her leotard clad legs. He looked up when I walked into the room. "Oh, too much," he chuckled, shaking his head, his brow furrowing adorably. "I know, right?" I laughed. "Esme ended up making most of her costume, because she didn't like the store ones." He gave his daughter one last look, another kiss to her forehead, and then set her down on the floor. "We'd better get going. Alec said he'd meet us there at the front," he stated, picking up the keys from the counter. "Emmett and Jasper are already there?" I asked, smiling when Edward tugged me closer. "Yeah," he sighed, dropping a sweet, but rather deep kiss to my mouth. "The girls, too," he whispered, kissing me again; this time, his hand covered my stomach. "This outfit actually shows him off," he murmured sexily in my ear, before opening his mouth to the soft spot just below it. I grinned at the him again, shaking my head and pulling away from him just a little. "God, if it's a girl, she's going to be so pissed at you." He laughed. "I'm sure she'll forgive me. I can be very persuasive." He bent down, placing a kiss over my dress, and then asked, "Isn't that right, little one?" "Ain't that the truth," I muttered wryly, leaning in to his chuckling kiss to my head once he stood back up. The drive to the fundraiser was full of Bethy's excitable chatter. She knew all her uncles, her grandparents, and even baby Caleb would be there, not to mention how happy it made her that Abby would be going, as well. By the time we arrived and caught sight of the small welcoming committee that was waiting for us, she was about to jump clean out of her skin. I grinned at the sight of Preacher kneeling down to her and Abby's level to hug them and welcome them sweetly, because he still dwarfed them with his huge shoulders. Edward leaned into whatever Alec was telling him, nodding once before addressing me, Sarah, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rose, who was holding baby Caleb, who was dressed in the cutest of teddy bear costumes. "My dad's inside," Edward started. "He wants to speak to the press and give the media their pictures. After that, we'll walk the festival with him." We all nodded in agreement, but then he knelt down to Bethy and Abby. "I have some rules, ladies. Okay?" he said, his voice so very sweet when talking to them. Bethy nodded, used to his mannerisms, but Abby blinked up at him, wide-eyed. She was too cute, dressed in all pink with a frilly tutu. Her usual dark hair was twisted up into a tight bun. She made an absolutely adorable ballerina. "Girls, I don't want you going anywhere without a grownup, okay?" he asked, and waited until they nodded. "We'll play all the games, do all the things you want, but you have to wait for one of us to be with you. All right?" "Yes, Mr. Edward," Abby whispered, nodding slowly. "Okay, Daddy," Bethy chirped, grabbing his hand. "Let's go see Poppy, and then we'll play." He stood up, keeping Bethy's hand in his and reaching for mine. Just before we walked inside the fair, I caught sight of Sharky leaning casually against a light pole across the street. He tipped up his chin in greeting, his eyes flickering to a car that was slowly driving by a car filled to capacity with very large men. Sharky smirked, giving me a wink and silently telling me that the place was completely surrounded by both good and bad guys though this time, we were all on the same page should something happen. We passed by witches, ghosts, and superheroes as we made our way to the front of the warehouse about to be turned homeless shelter. Just before we joined the small crowd of media and business people standing around Carlisle, Emmett stopped us, holding out his hand. "Take these," he said, giving each of us a small earpiece. "Good," Edward praised, immediately putting his in. "Who are we patched into?" "Benny," Wes said, walking up with Makenna on his arm. "He'll be listening in for me. We've got three extra men roaming around already." "Even better," Alec stated, tucking his into his ear. I put mine in, chuckling, "Hey, Benny." "Ah, Bella. Try to stay out of trouble for me, huh?" he said softly in my ear. "What? And ruin everyone's fun?" I laughed. "Never!" They all chuckled even Edward, who wrapped an arm around my shoulders. A noise from the podium drew our attention to Carlisle.

Edward scooped Bethy up so she could see her Poppy, but gave the first of what I was sure would be many commands before the night was over. "Okay, everyone...on me. Eyes sharp. Spread out. Stay safe."

A/N... Oh, I'm well aware of what you're thinking. There's no need to panic, get upset, or yell about it. ;) It all boils down to the next chapter, really. Edward got another star in honor of Sam added to his tattoo, but if you want to see what the sketch looks like that Bella found, you can find it and a picture of Alec's sexy ass car on my blog. www(dot)drotuno(dot)blogspot(dot)com Alec's fallen for Sarah (Abby's mother)...and Bella's pregnancy is looking good. Big thanks to JenRar for the help with how big the baby bump would be at 3 months and for beta'ing this for me. HUGE thanks to GooberLou for pre-reading and finding me Alec's car. And MedusaInNY gets big hugs and smooches for taking the Cullen crest I sent her and giving me that sexy ass tattoo. Gah! Not to mention all the on the fly blogish things she does. The next chapter is done...the outcome is set. It'll be a helluva ride, though. It will post Wednesday, so let me hear from you guys, okay? We're getting closer to the end of this, so I love hearing all your thoughts, worries, and yelling. ;) Until Wednesday... Later! :)

*Chapter 24*: Chapter 24

A/N... I'm pretty sure you guys have this chapter kinda figured out, just from your reviews (smooches for those, BTW), but what you're not sure about is the HOW. (rubs hands together and grins evilly) lol So...that being said, this chapter is rated M for violence, foul language, and Mercward yummy-ness, because as we all know, Edward dressed for his job is just hot, but add in his Daddy side, he sky rockets to another level of sexy. Top it off with him in work mode, and hearts may flatline. LOL Back to the Halloween Fundraiser, yeah? And see me at the bottom...
CHAPTER 24

EDWARD
"West entrance clear." "Games area clear." "Domestic disturbance at the rec center, but it's breaking up now." "I've got a group of teenagers I'm keepin' an eye on by the haunted house. They look like they're just bein' pains in the asses." I snorted at that last check in, but looked over the gaming area. I could see Emmett standing guard just outside the rec center, the couple that had been fighting now gone. Jasper was walking slowly along the line of small childrens' rides. Alec wasn't far from the main entrance or from the girls. Bella, Alice, Rose, Sarah, and Makenna were all watching Abby, Bethy, and a handful of other little kids their age play some sort of treasure hunt, where they were all rooting around in some hay to find candy or prizes or some shit. I grinned, trying my damnedest to fight it, when my baby girl was ruthless in that game. Sometimes, she was way too much like me though her cleverness at being able to find whatever she was hunting came from Bella, I was sure. I chuckled silently when she stood up hay sticking to her everywhere proclaiming to have found the big prize. "God, she's just like you," my dad chuckled from beside me. "I half expect her to punch some-damn-body." I laughed, my head falling back to the post I was leaning against. "Wait for it. High school's a bitch," I chuckled, giving him a glance, before resuming my scan of the games. "That's very true," he snickered quietly. "Anything?" he asked, because he wasn't wearing an earpiece. "Nah," I sighed, shaking my head. "A few small things, but normal. Some drunk and disorderlies, Em broke up a couple fighting over some stupid shit, and the guard at the east entrance has been keeping an eye on some rowdy kids, but nothing major. Shouldn't you be posing for pictures or something?" He grinned and shook his head. "Those are done. I should be talking to that group right over there," he said, jerking his chin toward a small crowd of about eight people. They were dressed like they had money, carried themselves like they owned the fucking world, and gave some of the people around them a snobby, scathing look. "But they're kinda assholes," he chuckled. "I just want their money for this project, not idiots inviting me to play golf and shit. Do I look like I play golf?" I grinned and shrugged. "No, but hell, I don't know. Maybe. They don't know you past the big office and the BMW, Dad. You'd really scare the shit out them if they knew what you used to do, what you're capable of." "You think?" he asked, almost beaming like a kid, and I rolled my eyes at him, causing him to squeeze my shoulder and laugh. "Ed," Alec called, and my head shot up to his position. "You've got a single woman, hood covering her face...two o'clock." I spun my head to the right, locking sights on who he was talking about. I narrowed my eyes on the woman, trying to see if it was Lilith. I couldn't quite tell with the hood blocking her face, but the body type seemed wrong. She seemed too tall, her legs too muscular for Lilith's skinny ass. A little kid ran by the woman, causing her to look up so I could see her face, and I shook my head. The girl was too young, too pretty to be the bitch we were looking for. "Negative," I answered. "Not her." "Ten-four," he replied. My dad and I stayed quiet, just watching the little kids playing, the parents smiling, and the neighborhood folks losing themselves in something fun for just one night. "Gorgeous!" I heard to my left, and I didn't even have to look to know who it was.

"You just gotta meet this lady," I chuckled, shaking my head. "This one woman may be the reason behind Bella's whole idea for this neighborhood. I swear to God." My dad grinned as he watched Miss Geneva waddle her way to us. "Hi, Miss Geneva," I said, hugging her when she finally got to me. "Ah, Miami Dolphins today..." She grinned, all toothless and mischievous. "I'm going to retire down there one day. Where's my girl?" "She's with our daughter," I said, pointing at the cotton candy stall. "Miss Geneva, meet my father, Carlisle. He's the one that's doing all of this," I told her, waving a hand around and turning to my dad. "She's going to be running the kitchen at the shelter once it's finished." "Goodness gracious, Lord Almighty," she gushed, beaming up at him. "Well, now I know where Gorgeous here gets his looks. How you doin'?" Yup, you couldn't help but love her. My dad chuckled, but shook her hand. "I'm just fine, Miss Geneva. It's nice to meet you." He leaned to her ear. "And he got his looks from his mother." I grinned, rolling my eyes, and shook my head when she burst into a sweet, childlike giggle. My eyes scanned the games area again, getting nods from Emmett and Jasper, but my attention was at the tiny boulder that ran into my legs. "Hi, D-Daddy!" Bethy panted, because she'd run all the way to me. "D-Did you s-see me w-win?" I scooped her up, kissing her cheek and avoiding the face paint that made up her kitty nose and whiskers. "I did. What'd you win, little sweetness?" She held out her hand to show me a bag of candy. "Candy, but Mommy says I can't have it yet." I smiled. "Well, if Mommy says no..." I shrugged, because I could see my little one was hyper on cotton candy and life alone, so I was pretty sure chocolate would probably send her to the moon and back. "She's the boss, you know," I whispered to her. Miss Geneva chuckled, gazing up at my daughter. "Say hi to Miss Geneva, Bethy," I told her, and my little girl smiled and waved. "Aren't you just a beautiful thing?" Miss Geneva gushed, patting Bethy's hand. "That's what Daddy says. He says I'm as pretty as Mommy," Bethy answered, grabbing my face. "Wight?" "That's right," I grunted, kissing her neck just to hear her giggle. Miss Geneva laughed at us. "Both my girls are beautiful," I told her, patting her leotard covered leg. "You cold, baby?" "Uh uh," she said, shaking her head and wrapping her arms around my neck. "I'm okay." "Good," I told her, turning my attention back to the games area and listening to a few more check ins. My dad was telling Miss Geneva all about what to expect once the shelter was opened, but he was slowly walking her toward the assholes he'd been avoiding. I chuckled, thinking he was brilliant, because if anyone could win over those people for donations, it was Miss Geneva. "What's funny, Daddy?" Bethy asked, tilting her head at me. "Your Poppy. He's being silly," I told her, picking up her hand and kissing her fingers. I looked up to see my wife walking our way. God, she was beautiful, starting to show that sweet little bump in the front. I couldn't help but smile at her. She was wearing a pretty, flowery dress covered in orange-ish, fall like colors, black legging things, and without even looking, I knew she had her gun strapped to one of her fantastic thighs, because there was no fucking way she had it anywhere else that I could see. And I was totally looking. She brushed a hair away from her face, her skin practically glowing as she smiled at me and Bethy. "Hey," Bella sighed, kissing us both, but turning to Bethy. "You're not bugging Daddy while he's working?" "No," I answered for her. "She's fine. She was just telling all about winning some big ole prize." Bethy grinned, biting her bottom lip, before saying, "Daddy says you're the boss." I chuckled at Bella's smirk and glance up to me. "Really, Edward?" she laughed, shaking her head. "You just didn't want to tell her she couldn't have a mountain of candy."

"Yup," I said, nodding like a kid. "You're so right about that." "Coward," she snorted, but her smile at me was stunning. "What I was coming over here to ask was... Would you watch her for a minute? The girls and I need the restroom." I chuckled. "You mean you need the restroom." I knew for a fact that she'd gone before we left the house and once along the way. My poor girl's system was all out of whack. "Not funny, baby," she growled, rolling her eyes. "It's not exactly a party going on in here," she said, gesturing to her own body. "Mmm, but it could be," I crooned in her ear, kissing her neck. "Don't tease, Edward," she warned, but the sexy ass little giggle that she let escape made me kiss her sweet skin again. "Fine, and yes, I've got her. But where?" I asked, looking around for where the bathrooms could possibly be. "They said right inside the rec center," she answered, pointing toward where Emmett was standing. "We're all armed, except for Sarah, so don't worry." "I'll always worry," I muttered, jerking my chin at Emmett, who could hear the conversation just fine, so he knew I was sending the girls his way. "What about Abby?" "She's staying with Alec," Bella answered, her amusement at that barely contained as she raised an eyebrow at me. "So... You two can play the next game." "Which one?" I asked Bethy, tickling her tummy. "The wing toss, Daddy," she giggled, pointing to a game just a few feet away. "Yes, ma'am," I told her, handing Bethy's bag of candy to Bella, where it immediately was stowed away in her jacket pocket. "Come on, little sweetness," I grunted, setting her on my shoulders. "Let's kick this game's butt!" "Yeah!" Bethy cheered, her small hands holding onto my face for support. "Edward!" Bella chided, but laughed as she walked away from us to get back to the girls. I made my way to the game that Bethy wanted to play, my eyes scanning around us. I couldn't help but smirk when Sarah handed Abby off to Alec. For a split second, he looked a little lost, a little proud, and then extremely happy when Abby giggled up at him. My old friend was looking to settle down, and I'd had no clue, but I could see it in his face, his eyes that he wanted more with Sarah. The man was a lady killer. I'd seen him in action, but this... This was different. He caught sight of me and Bethy and joined us at the ring toss game. "Not one word, kid," Alec warned, raising an eyebrow at me at the same time we set both girls down. "Not one. Bellissima has already threatened my manhood." I laughed, slapping his shoulder. "Oh, that she did," I chuckled. "You sure about this? She's kinda right, you know. It's not just...one woman." He looked down at the two giggling girls who were waiting for us, and then back up to me. "Yeah," he said really slowly, a smile spreading over his face, "I'm sure, kid." If I could have told him how scary and perfect and fucking fantastic it was to have a family, we'd have been there all night. I could see by the look on his face that he was in territory that he wasn't used to, but he was determined to try. He was also looking to me for help, because this was where I had experience and he didn't. I knelt down behind Bethy, but looked to both girls. "Okay, ladies. What are we playing for?" "The bear, Daddy," Bethy said, pointing behind the woman that was running the game to a big brown bear wearing a red bow. "You, too, Abby?" I asked, because she was a quiet little thing, not always speaking up when she was nervous. "Yes, Mr. Edward," she whispered, nodding a bit. "Okay. Bears, it is," I said, standing up and paying the attendant, who was smiling at us all. She was an older woman she looked to be in her mid-fifties and she set the girls up with rings, while I spoke over the radio. "Everyone check in, please," I ordered, giving a long, slow scan around me. Most everyone checked in immediately with an all clear. "J?" I asked, looking for Jasper.

"We're good. Just had to walk out a guy harassing a bunch of girls," he sighed, and I saw him make his way back through the entrance. "Benny? What's going on out there?" I asked, because he was parked down one of the old streets. "Lots of activity from Reggie's boys. Sharky's left his post, but we lost sight of them," he stated. "Could be a deal gone bad, but I put an agent on it." "Keep me posted, Ben, okay?" I asked, glancing back to the girls, but Alec was helping them and giving me a chance to check in. A few more check ins sounded over the radio, but I didn't hear from the girls. "Bella? Rose?" "We're in the rec center now, Edward," Alice piped in over the earpiece. "Bella may kill someone, 'cause the line is a mile long." I grinned. "Hang in there, sweetness," I chuckled, knowing how she could be at this stage of her pregnancy. "I'm trying," she laughed, though I could tell she was anxious. "I'm up next. Note to Carlisle. They need bigger bathrooms. Three stalls aren't enough," she growled dramatically. "I'll tell him," I said with a smile. "Emmett, keep an eye on that rec center." "On it, Ed," he replied back. The girls cheered, and I spun to see that they'd both won, though I was pretty sure that Alec had helped them. From the look on the attendant's face, I was most likely right. "That's my girl!" I laughed, picking up Bethy and teddy bear as she beamed at me. "Another one, Daddy!" she commanded. I laughed, kissing her cheek. "No, that's enough toys for you, little sweetness," I growled playfully against her skin. I set her down onto the asphalt, taking her hand in mine. Alec did the same with Abby, because I was expecting the girls back any second. I looked to the rec center, and Emmett wasn't on post. I glanced around to see Jasper back in front of the rides, and my father and Esme, who was holding Caleb, talking to Preacher, but not the girls. Just as I was about to ask for Em to check in, he popped around the corner with what looked like one of Reggie's boys talking to him animatedly. Suddenly, Benny's voice sounded over the radio. "Christ," he snapped. "Ed, we have a problem! One of Reggie's boys was found dead in an alley. From what they can tell me, he's been dead about an hour. That was the last time they heard from him." "Copy," I snapped, turning to Alec. "They'll come in if it's her..." My sentence was cut off when I heard something that gave me chills. "Well, well, well... Look who's pregnant..." "Lilith..." Bella's voice carried over the radio, but it was a mere whisper. Alec and I froze, our eyes locked for just a mere second, before the radio exploded. I spun to the opposite side of the game area. "Dad!" I called, and his head shot up. Scooping the kids up, Alec and I rushed to him. "Take them," I snapped, handing Bethy to my dad, while Alec handed Abby to Preacher. "She's here," I hissed to my dad. Preacher's head snapped up. "Lilith?" "Yes," I said, turning back to my dad. "You get them someplace safe. Don't let them out of your sight," I ordered him. "Daddy?" Bethy called, holding her arms out. "Baby, stay with Poppy, please. It's really, really important that you do that for me. Okay?" I asked her, kissing her quickly. It was all I could do to keep my voice calm for her, because I knew we were scaring her. I spun away from her without waiting for her answer, Alec right by my side as we ran toward the rec center at full speed, doing our best not to run into anyone. "Emmett, check in, dammit!" "Rec center, Ed," he answered. "Where do you want me, bro?"

"Inside. Go," I ordered, pulling my gun out of its holster, and the guys followed suit. "I want this building emptied. Now!" I snapped, pointing to two other exits. I turned to the closest worker. "Get these main lights on. And get all these kids outside as quickly as you can. Okay?" He was a young kid, but he nodded, wide-eyed, spinning on his heel to slam open the breaker box in the far corner. Bright lights glowed into life, and the music died. "Okay, I need everyone to exit the building, calmly, but quickly," Emmett ordered in his booming voice. "Everything's just fine, but we need you outside," he commanded, and thankfully, they were all listening to him. "I got that back exit, Ed," Jasper stated, bursting through the doors, barely avoiding knocking over a little boy just trying to do what Emmett was telling him. "Let's get this bitch," he snapped, shaking his head as he ran toward the other side of the basketball court. Alec and I dodged kids left and right as we made our way to the back hallway, finding the girls trying to open a locked bathroom. Rose had pulled out her gun and was just about to shoot the lock. "Don't!" I snapped, shaking my head. "You could miss. It could ricochet inside, Rose." The girls backed away from the door, letting me through. "I'm sorry, Edward. We didn't know the bitch was in there," she said, putting her gun down. "Suddenly, this little kid got shoved out the door, and the lock clicked." I nodded, putting my ear to the door, but I couldn't hear shit. Nothing. "Fuck, Bella... If you can hear me, I need to know what's up, sweetness," I breathed, trying to stay calm, but having a fuck-ton of trouble doing it. "I'll tear this fucking door off the fucking hinges. I swear I will. But I need to know..." My girl only said one word. "Go." I waved everyone back, and my shoulder met the bathroom door with more force than I probably needed, because the damn thing snapped off the doorjamb, falling to the bathroom floor. Five guns pointed inside what was a completely empty room. "Shit," I hissed, running a hand through my hair. "Where'd you go, baby?" I asked, but I was pretty damn sure she couldn't answer. ~oOo~

BELLA
God, I had to pee so damn bad. I was practically dancing in front of the door. Edward had told me to hang in there, but shit, I was about to drown. The girls laughed at me, but I knew they understood, because hell, they'd seen me go through this before. "Shut it," I snapped, smirking at Makenna's laughter. "It's really not funny when they tap dance on your bladder like that," Sarah groaned in sympathy. "Abby drove me crazy," she stated with a laugh, shaking her head. "Caleb waited until the worse possible moment to shift around," Rose said with a grin. "I swear, it was like he'd bide his time until I was nowhere near a damn bathroom." We all chuckled, but my head snapped up when the door opened. I heard the girls' laughter as I bolted in, finding the first empty stall. My eyes practically rolled back with the relief that came. As I fixed my clothes, I heard the water run, a gasp, and then the door open and shut quickly. But it was the sound of the lock that brought my mind and nerves to complete attention. Before I could grab either gun on my person, my stall door was kicked open, and an old, rusty revolver was immediately pressed to my forehead. Lilith had never looked so ragged as she did standing in front of me. She looked totally on edge, completely wasted, and utterly insane. Her eyes were wild as she took in my entire being, shaking her head slowly. "Well, well, well... Look who's pregnant," she slurred, sneering at me. "Lilith," I started. I could barely hear her tell me to shut up due to all the activity that exploded inside my earpiece, but be damned if I was taking it off. Lilith put a finger to her lips, pointing toward a storage closet at the end of the room. Glancing inside, I saw how she'd gotten into the bathroom the ceiling. One rectangular tile had been shoved aside, and she'd used the shelves to climb down. She must've been waiting for me all night.

Jerking the gun toward the ceiling, Lilith motioned for me to climb up. My hands clenched at my sides, itching to just grab one of the guns on me, but I knew she'd flip the fuck out. She'd kill me right there without hesitation, without remorse, so I climbed, hearing my husband's voice call for Emmett, hearing Benny order the festival shut down, and fighting with all that I had not to say anything with the next words Edward spoke to me. "Fuck, Bella... If you can hear me, I need to know what's up, sweetness," he sang, and I could tell he was trying to remain calm, but his close proximity made me want to call out to him. Lilith poked the muzzle of her gun to the back of my head, and I climbed up the shelves quickly, wanting to give myself space and time, but she was right on my heels. If she saw my leg holster, she didn't make mention of it. To be honest, she looked too tweaked out to be able to be that observant. "I'll tear this fucking door off the fucking hinges. I swear I will. But I need to know..." Edward warned softly in my ear, and I could just imagine his fierce gaze narrowed in on the bathroom door. I had to wait; I had to make sure that Lilith didn't hear me, but that Edward followed. The problem was that Lilith shut the closet door behind her. Once we were both crawling along the ceiling, I finally gave him something. "Go." It was barely a whisper, but he heard me, and I could faintly hear the door shatter down below. "What did you say?" Lilith asked in a harsh whisper, gripping my hair. "I said... Where are we going?" I snapped back, my lip curling in hatred as I glared at her over my shoulder. "To that ladder, and then climb down," she stated, jerking her chin toward the far wall in front of me. "Go, bitch, or I'll kill you up here and leave your body to rot like a dead rat." I snorted, rolling my eyes at her dramatics, but I continued to crawl across the ceiling. I made my way to where the ceiling stopped, looking down to where there was an empty space between the walls, all the way down into darkness. There was a perfect view out a dusty window down to the festival below. She had been watching all night. "Go," she growled, poking my head again with her gun. One quick glance at it, and I saw that it was completely loaded, but so damn old that it looked like it would barely fire. "Where the fuck did you get that gun? The bottom of the damn bay?" I asked her, unable to refrain from picking on her. That had been my problem with her from the very beginning, from the first time I'd met her. "Climb, Bella," she snapped, looking over her shoulder. It seemed to take forever to climb down to solid ground. As soon as my feet hit the bottom, I glanced around to see that we were in some sort of tunnel. I shook my head, because I was pretty sure no one knew about this shit. "Speaking of rats," I muttered, looking down the barrel of that gun again. "You sure do know your way around like one. Live in the sewer, too?" That earned me a blow to the head with the butt of that gun, and I grunted with the dull throb it left me with, but I met her gaze again. "Walk," she ordered, gesturing behind me. "Dammit, Bella," Edward growled over the headset. "Do not egg her on, baby. We're right behind you. Okay?" "Okay," I said, answering them both and giving the ladder I'd just climbed down a longing glance upwards. "But if you get that one small chance, sweetness, you take it," he ordered in my ear. "Fucking tear her apart. Got me?" I grinned ahead of me, where Lilith couldn't see. Edward's worry was there, laced in his tone, but his command, his faith in me boosted me just a little. As we walked, I listened to my crew and the outside security people speak over the radio. "Move, move, move!" Alice growled, and I could hear her typing furiously. "Damn it, Benny. We need satellite on this shit. Pull up street cameras. I'll have the thermal up in thirty seconds." "Raulson, I need to know where Sharky is," Benny barked over the radio, also typing like a fiend. "We think she's gone underground. I need to know where that shit leads. How many fucking tunnels do these people have under there?" "Sir!" the man answered. Lilith and I came to the end of the tunnel to see blocks broken and pulled away, leading into either another tunnel or another building. "In, bitch," she ordered, practically shoving me through.

I came out onto the other side to see we were back inside the boiler room of the warehouse. There was still damage from the small gas explosion being cleaned up. The walls and the roof above us were sooty and black, there were pipes both broken and new, waiting to be installed laying everywhere, and all the water that had leaked was now gone. "I knew they wouldn't let anyone in here," Lilith chuckled maniacally, shaking her head. "This shit's still under construction." I laughed softly at her, because she just totally gave my man the answer to where we were. I had to turn away from her to hide it. "That's it!" Alice and Edward said at the same time. "The warehouse. Go, go, go. I want that bitch surrounded," Edward growled. "She won't leave that building. Understood?" "Sir," I heard copied back. Every voice I knew answered him Jasper, Alec, Emmett, Rose, and Makenna. The only one I didn't hear was Carlisle, though it didn't take long. "Bring them all with you!" Edward snapped. "Son, the festival is disbursed, the police are covering the surrounding streets, and you've got thirteen members of a S.W.A.T. Team at your command. They are on, in, and next to the surrounding buildings. Copy?" Carlisle stated, his voice sure, angry, and just plain focused. "Yes, sir, and Bethy?" he asked. "Just fine," he soothed his son, and my feet faltered when Lilith shoved me toward the steps leading up into what was becoming a shelter instead of an old warehouse. "Bella, if you can hear me... They need a clean shot, sweetheart. You be so careful, but try and space yourself from her." "Everyone on me," Edward ordered. "Do not take any shot until my fucking say. Are we clear?" "Sir!" it seemed a thousand voices called back to him. I winced at the panic in Edward's tone, because I hadn't said anything in awhile. But I also knew that it was quite possible that my husband wanted to end this himself. When I reached the top of the steps, I saw my one brief opportunity, because there was construction shit everywhere. Stacks of lumber, pallets of drywall, boxes of unopened furniture, and forklifts to move it all. It was a large open space, but there were plenty of hiding spaces. I couldn't fight her, knowing that a wrong punch, a stray bullet, or a bad fall could hurt my baby, but I could damn well get away from this crazy bitch. Lilith jabbed that gun into my head one more time, and I made my move. Swinging my elbow back as hard and as fast as I could, I nailed Lilith in the stomach. Spinning quickly, I brought my foot to her head, sending her reeling backward. I didn't pull a gun; I ran. It was the only way to keep her away from my unborn child. A loud pop echoed in the warehouse, and I smiled as I slid behind a forklift. "One." ~oOo~

EDWARD
"One," my girl said over the radio. We all shut the fuck up; even Alec and I came to a standstill in the long, fucking dark ass tunnel we were running down. "One, one, one," Alice chanted. "What'd she..." "She's counting bullets, Edward!" Rose stated. "Bells, what's she got?" "Revolver," Bella panted, "and boy, she's pissed." My heart just about shot up into my throat at the sound of Bella's voice finally able to really fucking answer us. I wasn't sure what got her to that point, but fucking-A, I was grateful. "You can't hide, Bella!" Lilith yelled, firing off another round. "Why didn't you just leave me alone?" Bella chuckled, and I shook my head, because she just couldn't help herself with this bitch. "Lilith, I was hired to find you. You were a job to me. It's not like you gave two shits about those kids," she answered, and then grunted. "Bella," I warned, finally reaching the end of the tunnel. "I'm keeping her back to that boiler room door," she answered me. "I can't fire at her, Edward."

I winced, looking over at Alec, whose face was pissed off and determined. "She's protecting her whole body. One wrong shot, one wrong fall, and she could hurt the baby." "Yes," Bella sighed, and I could hear her worry for just a second. "Oh, sweetness," I groaned, bracing my hand on the wall before stepping into the boiler room, because I knew under normal circumstances, my girl would've already taken the bitch out. Bella couldn't take that chance with how this had all come down. "I've got you, baby, okay?" "Yeah," she whispered again. "It's not just that!" Lilith yelled, firing off another shot. "Three," Alice and Rose chanted softly. "Three more," Bella whispered, almost to herself. "You kept coming and fucking coming!" Lilith continued, firing another. "Weren't you the one that showed up at my father-in-law's wedding? Really?" Bella asked, and I could hear her grunt again. Alec and I plastered ourselves on either side of the doorway, waiting for our opportunity. "Edward, listen," Alice said in my ear. "Go," I breathed. "I see where you and Alec are. Bella is straight out, almost a direct line from the office doors. Lilith is pacing slowly, about a hundred and twenty five feet from where you are, one o'clock. Got me?" Alec peeked slowly around the corner, shaking his head. "How does she do that?" he mouthed to me. I smiled, shrugging. "Perfect, Alice. Thank you. Still beautiful...don't care what you say." Alice's sweet giggle met my ears as I took my own quick glimpse out into the warehouse. It was dark, the only light filtering in coming from the street lamps outside. There were two small emergency lights at the far end, but they weren't helping my situation. Using silent hand signals, I told Alec to take the left side of the building, to stay low, to wait for my command. He nodded, slipping silently past me and immediately darting behind a few boxes. "Didn't you take my daughter?" Bella yelled, and I watched a brief flash of orange dart from one stack of drywall to a pallet of insulation. "You were free, and you came to me, Lilith. You touched my family!" I flinched as another shot echoed loudly in the warehouse. "One more," Bella, Alice, and I muttered to ourselves. "Keep her talking, love," I whispered, finally stepping a foot into that warehouse. "One more, and she's defenseless." "I know, I know," she sighed, and I glanced up when she bolted from her current hiding spot to a new one, much farther down from me. I raised my weapon, flicking the safety off and using both hands to aim, but my view of Lilith was blocked by a forklift. "I don't get it," Lilith growled, and I ducked down when she spun in one spot. "How could you end up with everything and I have nothing?" "By your own fucking choice, Lilith," Bella answered her. "You chose to kill Bree. You chose to take Ashley from Jason and Amber, knowing that she was fucking safer with them than she ever was with you! And you chose to make the biggest fucking mistake of them all and touch my child. You brought this all on yourself, Lilith. I had nothing to do with it." I took a chance and glanced around the box I was hiding behind, seeing that I had Lilith in front of me. A straight fucking shot. I raised my gun, but at the last second, Lilith moved. "Shit," I breathed, plastering my back to the box and slipping down to the other end to peek around the side. "No shot, no shot..." "I'm about to give you one, Edward," Bella stated softly, and before I could protest, warn her, or even blink, she stood up from behind a stack of plywood. "But I will make sure you pay for it," Bella said, her voice even and deadly, and she lifted her nine mil, flicking the safety off.

It only took a second for me to see what she did. She'd scared Lilith by sneaking up behind her and closer to her than the other woman had expected, causing that one final bullet to squeeze wildly out from her gun somewhere off into the warehouse. I raised my gun, yelling, "Bella, down!" My girl slid back behind the plywood at the same time Lilith spun my way. I smiled at her when all her gun did was click, an empty and hollow sound echoing in our ears, but I pulled my own trigger. Three rapid shots fired off my gun before Lilith hit the floor. ~oOo~

BELLA
Silence hung heavily for just a moment, my ears ringing from the loud fire of Edward's weapon. I shook my head, gave myself a quick assessment, only to finally peek out from my last hiding spot. Edward loomed angry and fierce over Lilith's body, his weapon still at the ready. He nudged her with his foot, causing her head to loll to the side, but I could see from where I was that his shot had been perfect, right in the middle of her forehead, along with two to the center of her chest. She'd never stood a chance against him. "Clear," he grunted out, his voice raspy, his breathing heavy. I couldn't move from just the sight of him. It was like watching a movie, where the lead guy finally takes a breath once all the fucking dust settled. He was beautiful and scary at the same time. He was tall and larger than life at the moment, because it seemed like every muscle he had was pumped, flexed, and simmering hotly just beneath his skin and the tight shirt he was wearing. His sharp jaw clenched and unclenched as he glared down at her, his eyes barely containing the green I loved so much. His empty hand was balled up into a tight fist, practically shaking with how hard he was squeezing it. He never looked more the hero than he did in that single moment. "Edward," I breathed, and his head finally snapped up, his gaze softening to warm, sweet, and concerned. "Christ, Bella," he groaned, running the few feet that was between us and falling to his knees in front of me. "Tell me you're okay." I nodded, letting him pull me onto his lap when he sat back on his heels. I wrapped my arms around his neck, just breathing him in. He smelled like his cologne and sweat, like freshly fired gun powder. The metallic sound of gun hitting concrete met my ears, and warm, firm hands rubbed my back, my sides, and finally, my shoulders. He cupped my face, pulling me back a bit so he could look into my eyes. "You're okay?" he asked again, kissing my forehead ever so lightly where Lilith had hit me, rubbing my back, and finally rubbing our little bump gently. I nodded again, grasping either side of his face and kissing him soundly. "Yeah, I'm okay," I breathed against his mouth. Doors burst open from what seemed like all directions at once, and a ton of people piled into the warehouse, calling clear as they checked each section. Alec was the first to make it to us, and he was holding his arm. "What happened?" I asked, refusing to remove myself from Edward's lap at the moment. "That last stray shot," he growled, rolling his eyes. "Pinged off a forklift. I'm fine. Don't even ask," he scoffed. Edward and I laughed softly at him, because I could see that it was just a small graze. In fact, there wasn't even much blood. I leaned into my husband, wrapping my arms around him and glancing over his shoulder to watch several men check out Lilith's body. Some looked like police, others, FBI, but in the far back corner, I saw Sharky wearing a smug ass smile. He jerked his chin my way, only to leave out the side door. "She's gone, baby," Edward soothed me, picking me up. I sighed, touching my toes to the ground, because I wasn't sure if he could carry me, no matter how badly I wanted it. My forehead hit his chest as the breath of relief left me in a rush, my knees giving out just a little. "It's over," I sighed, squeezing back the tears of just stress and worry and hormones. I felt a kiss to my head and strong arms scooping me up again. "Yes, sweetness. It's over." ~oOo~ "Look up for me," the EMT requested softly shining a light in my eyes. "Good. Are you hurt anywhere else, ma'am?" he asked, but I shook my head no. "How far along are you?"

"Twelve weeks," I said, barely seeing him, because I felt a little numb that it was all over. But before he could suggest it, I said, "I'm fine. I didn't fall or overdo it. It was just my head. Okay?" He smiled warmly. "Yes, ma'am. I tell most women that they know their bodies better than anyone. If you want, we can take you in, but it's up to you." I was shaking my head no before he even finished speaking. "No, I just want my daughter. And how's Alec?" "The bullet graze?" he asked. "Oh, he's fine. Cursed me out when I cleaned him up, but he didn't even need stitches. Looks like the bullet disintegrated when it bounced off something... It barely nicked him." I sighed, nodding when he handed me a cold pack, gesturing to my head. "Use that, and I won't take you in," he threatened with a sweet smile and a wink, because Edward was a pacing lion not four yards from us as he spoke to Benny, Wes, and Carlisle. I heard a squeal of familiar laughter, and my head spun to find its whereabouts. I couldn't help but smile, watching Preacher with two three-year-old little girls climbing all over him. He was so damn big that the man looked like a human jungle gym. He was play-fighting with them, teaching them how to ball up a fist and throw a punch at his open palm. My daughter was currently draped over his shoulders, putting what looked like the sleeper hold on him, but he was so large that she could barely get her arms around him. And he looked like he was enjoying every single second of it. I giggled, shaking my head, but kept the pack on it. "He offered to watch the girls," Esme said softly from beside me. "Carlisle was about to lose his mind not able to hear anything, so Preacher offered to help. He took the girls, and I already had Caleb. He's a good man." "He's awesome," I chuckled, and it broke into a real laugh as the two girls tried to tackle him to the grass. I could feel Esme's eyes on me, assessing me, so I locked gazes with her. "I'm okay." "Good," she sighed, kissing the top of my head. I sat quietly, watching everything. The carnival games and rides were being dismantled, the last few remaining security people left to go home, and my crew gave statements to officers. However, Benny had taken charge of the night, because we'd filed a restraining order through him from the very beginning, so Lilith's death was self defense plain and simple. My heart sank or clenched or some shit when the coroners emerged from the warehouse with a gurney. A black bag lay on top, zipped closed, and I let out a long, slow breath. I didn't know what I was feeling more relief that she was gone and out of our lives, sadness at the waste of life she'd had, because she'd had every-fucking-thing and threw it away, or gratefulness to the strong, noble man currently walking my way. Edward said nothing as he took the cold pack from me, pressing it gently to the knot I was now sporting. He stepped between my legs, and I pressed my cheek to his chest, letting his heavy, strong heartbeat soothe whatever I was feeling, which was most likely all of the above. "She'll be fine, Mr. Cullen," the EMT told him from somewhere behind me. "She should stay awake for a few hours, but other than that, she's fine." "Thank you," my husband said, his voice rumbling through his chest. It seemed to surround me, ground me as I gripped his shirt. "Dad wants us to stay at the apartment with them tonight, sweetness," he whispered against the top of my head. "Esme wants to keep an eye on you. I told them that was okay." "Okay," I mumbled into his shirt. "You panicked," he stated. "I did." I sighed, pulling back to gaze up into beautiful, worried green. "It wasn't just me I was protecting." He nodded, like he had assumed as much. "I didn't expect her in the damn bathroom," I huffed, rolling my eyes. "I expected her at my house, really, or to show up at the opening of the shelter," I said, gesturing behind him. "Not crawling around in ceilings and tunnels like a cockroach." Edward swallowed nervously, but nodded again. He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "She might have done that, but she was high, love. She killed one of Reggie's young dealers and took his stash and his weapon. She got in through a basement tunnel that no one knew about not even Sharky." I pursed my lips and shook my head. "So if she'd have stayed clean, then she might have thought shit through? No, she was just...crazy. She never saw anything she did was wrong going all the way back to Bree." "Let's just say the cocain she stole didn't exactly help that ailment," he said wryly, raising a sexy ass eyebrow. I grinned, shaking my head. Leave it to Edward to make me laugh at the end of it all. He broke into a wide smile, his head

falling back a bit as he pulled me closer. He let out a soft laugh, shaking his own head. "Christ, Bella," he sighed against my hair. "I'm just glad you're okay...both of you," he said, his warm hand cupping my belly, my little bump. "Mommy, Daddy!" Bethy chirped, and Edward and I both turned to look up at her way up at her because she was riding atop Preacher's shoulders while he carried Abby in his huge arms. Preacher set Abby down so that she could run to her mother, who was currently making sure that Alec's arm was okay. "Hi, baby." I chuckled as she squeaked when Preacher playfully pretended to drop her, only to set her on my lap. "I always wanted one little girl," Preacher said wistfully. "Instead, I got two rough and tumble boys." "I'm rough and tumble," Bethy countered, causing us all to laugh. "Indeed you are, little sweetness," Edward chuckled, kissing the top of her head, but he turned back to Preacher. "Thank you," he said sincerely, shaking the big man's hand. "Whatever you need to finish this place, just let us know." "And I think you owe me a bathroom door, too," Preacher teased, clapping a grinning Edward on the shoulder and giving me a wink. "We did pretty good tonight, despite the interruption, Edward, but I'll keep the offer in mind. Your father has offered to match whatever donations we brought in, so I think we'll finish on time." He started to walk away, but stopped and turned back to us. "I hope to see you at the ribbon cutting. I'd be interested to know if Miss Geneva's right or not...boy or girl." Edward and I chuckled, nodding, and waved to him. "Boy," Bethy piped up, grinning up at Preacher and rubbing my stomach. "Gamma says I'm gonna have a brother. I hafta tell him to stay outta my room, though. No boys allowed." We all chuckled at her, and I couldn't help but wrap her up and smooch her face all over. My stomach gave a fierce growl, which caused Bethy to gasp and Edward to chuckle. "Ooh, angwy beaws again, Mommy," Bethy giggled, cupping my face. "Yeah, well, cotton candy just doesn't do it for me, pretty girl," I laughed, scooping her up so that she was cradled in my arms. "Maybe I need...belly meat..." "No!" she screamed into hysterical laughter, kicking her feet as I pretended to bite at her tummy. "Not my belly meat!" Edward's deep, sweet chuckle met my ears. "Come on, my pretty girls. Let's go feed Mommy before she starts on arms and legs, huh?" he asked, giving me a wink and taking Bethy out of my arms, only to toss her over his strong shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I slid carefully down from the gurney that I'd been sitting on, taking his free hand and linking our fingers together. I gave one last glance to the coroner van, one more deep breath escaping me as Edward led us to the car. My family was finally safe.

A/N... Lilith is no more, and it was Edward that pulled the trigger. Some of you were thinking Bella should torture her and others thought Reggie would get to her, but I'm thinking this was better. Edward gets closure and peace of mind. So only one more regular chapter and then the epi. I'm sure there are a few loose ends that still need to be tied up in those two chapters, don't you? Hmm? :) And I'm sure you guys will tell me all about them. In fact, I can't even give you a coming up, because it would spoil it for you. I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this and who answered some strange questions on this one, and I didn't even go in the direction that I'd asked about. Thanks to GooberLou for pre-reading, and giving me all sorts of reasons as to who should shoot Lilith, because it wasn't decided until I actually started to write the chapter. And to MedusaInNY for banners and pics and advice and love and smooches. Oh yeah, and my blog, too. :D The next chapter is done and is being beta'd as this posts. And there will be a pic tease on my blog... drotuno(dot)blogspot(dot)com ...and on Twitter, so watch for them in the days coming up. So Sunday will be the next update. Yup, Sunday will be the last regular chapter of S&I, which makes a week from today the very end. I know, I know... You want more...more Mercward, more Angelward, just...anything more. ;) I love you for it. Here's what I know... There will be more outtakes from Angelward. I have 3 ideas already brewing and one of those is itching to get written. As for other projects, I'm not sure. But never count me out. I just hate telling you one thing and then not be able to follow through. Okay? Good. Now, let me hear all about our hero. Until Sunday... Later! :)

*Chapter 25*: Chapter 25

A/N... All together now... "Ding Dong the witch is dead..." LMAO I should count how many times I had that sent to me after the last chapter! XD It was awesome! Glad you approved of her demise and of course, of who pulled the trigger. So, my friends, this is the last regular chapter of Sin & Innocence. I know, I know...don't even say it. I've been an emotional mess over it for the last week or so. I've dragged my feet, picked GooberLou's brain until she's about stupid. I'm sad that it's at an end. But, alas, as all good things must do...it comes to an end. This is citrusy, fluffy, and a touch emotional. You MAY need tissues for some things and for maybe the drool over the deliciousness of Mercward. Lol Please, please see me at the bottom when you're done...
CHAPTER 25

BELLA
"Mrs. Cope says that Bethy hasn't missed much, that she's caught up just fine in class," Edward said, his back to me as he flipped over my eggs. I nodded silently behind him, sleepily dipping my spoon back into the jar of peanut butter and bringing it straight to my mouth. I was barely listening to a word he said, because he was cooking...in just basketball shorts and his backwards baseball cap just like he had the first time he'd cooked for me. His ass was so fucking perfect that I was willing to bet a quarter would bounce off of it, and then I tried to remember if I had any quarters in my purse, because I suddenly wanted to try that shit, for real minus the shorts. I smiled with the spoon still in my mouth, but my eyes traveled up his strong back to his broad shoulders, finally landing on the new, dark, just about healed ink on his upper arm. He'd gone the day after the Halloween fundraiser, considering we were already in Seattle, and gotten it done by Barry. He hadn't wanted to put it off any longer something about "new starts" and "finished fucking business." I didn't care why; the damn thing was fuck-hot on him. Just sexy and dark, bold and rough, all black and smooth scrolls all cuffed around his bicep. It was a touch of his history for him, a memory of his mother, and an enormous turn on for me, which only grew every time he flexed that damn arm. I wanted to trace my tongue over every curl, every inch of the lion, and every swirl, and I found myself licking my lips as I stared at it. "Are you listening?" he asked, taking the jar of peanut butter from me. "To what?" "Um, me," he laughed. "And if you'll wait, love, I'm making your breakfast." "I was hungry," I huffed, swinging my legs on either side of him as I sat on the counter. "You let me sleep through breakfast with you and Bethy." He'd already been up early, gone for a run, showered, woken up our daughter to get her ready to go Mrs. Cope's, made her breakfast and her lunch, dropped her off, stopped at the hardware store, and was already back making my breakfast. The man didn't stop some mornings, and I'd slept through it all. Hell, I was still in just his t-shirt and hadn't done a damn thing. "You needed the sleep," he said, snatching up the jar and putting the lid on it before I could stick my spoon back in it. "We all eat out of this, you know." "They make more, you know," I countered, grinning up at him. "A million brands on one shelf. It's an amazing, but very American, over-indulgent concept." He laughed, rolling his eyes, and stashed the jar back in the cabinet. "Nevertheless, maybe I don't want your slobber in it when I make my midnight PB and J." "You've never complained about my slobber before, Edward," I chuckled. "Why start now?" He barked a laugh, his cheeks tinging a touch of pink as he plated my eggs, toast, and sausage. "Eat...real fucking food, sweetness," he ordered with a sexy ass raised eyebrow, taking away my licked clean spoon and handing me the plate and a fork. "And I'll tell you where I really want your slobber to be, besides in my jar of damn peanut butter." I giggled, taking a huge bite of eggs as he sat on the stool next to me. He shot me an amused look before opening the paper. God, I just fucking loved that man. He put up with two women twenty-four-seven. He tolerated my pregnant mood swings, my irrational food cravings that went so far beyond a simple jar of peanut butter that it wasn't even funny, and my most recent decision to give Gravity a few weeks rest at least until after the holidays because I just felt everyone involved with us needed a damn break for once, including us. He had no problem offering to cook not just for

Thanksgiving, which was right around the corner, but for Christmas, too. He never missed one doctor's appointment with me, nor did anything at Bethy's school go unnoticed. I leaned over, pressing a kiss to his forehead, just below his hat. "Love you," I said simply, taking a bite of toast. A sweet, warm smile curled up on the corners of his mouth, and finally, his eyes shot to mine. "Love you, too. How did you sleep?" he asked, setting the paper down and pulling at me until I slid with a squeak down the counter in front of him. "Better. Heartburn's a bitch," I said, taking another bite of eggs. "Maybe tacos at one in the morning...bad idea, sweetness," he chuckled, shaking his head and rubbing the outside of my bare legs at the same time. "Yeah," I grimaced. "Don't let me do that again. No matter how hard I beg." He laughed, picking up my leg and pressing a kiss to my knee. "It beats barbecue ribs at two in the morning," he said with a grin. "At least this time, your cravings are easier to make in a snack emergency." "I know. With Bethy, I was way out there," I giggled, setting my perfectly clean plate down on the counter next to us, leaving my hands free to cup his handsome face. "Think we'll find out today?" I asked him, having no doubt he'd understand what I meant. Edward smiled, pulling me to the edge of the counter so that my legs were on either side of his chest. He leaned in, pressing a long, sweet kiss to my growing bump. "He's awfully shy, sweetness. Aren't you little man?" he crooned, dropping another kiss, before replacing it with his hand. I giggled, because the he hadn't stopped, only I had joined in. "He's like his dad when I first met him, then," I teased, rubbing my fingertips lightly over his stubble, down his neck to his shoulders. "Oh," he groaned, his brow wrinkling. "I was shy. Terribly shy." "You were freakin' cute, was what you were," I laughed, tugging off his hat and setting on the counter. "All that cuteness...and too shy to use it." He nodded, smiling like the sweet boy I'd once met. "That's very true," he agreed softly, leaning into kiss my belly again. "We'll have work on that with you, little one. Your sister will eat you up if you're too shy." "Nah," I scoffed softly, shaking my head. "She'll probably watch him like hawk, tear anyone up that dares mess with him, and we'll be called to school on a daily basis." Edward laughed, his forehead pressing to my chest and his arms wrapping completely around me. "That's probably really close to the truth..." "It probably is," I chuckled, running my fingers through his hair again. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, setting my cheek there, only to glance down at his new tattoo. I knew some parts of it were still tender and itchy, but for the most part, it was healed. I traced my finger lightly along one of the smooth, flowing scrolls, and Edward pulled back to look. "It's just about healed," I said softly, and he nodded, looking between me and his arm. "You like it?" "It's a little too late if I don't," he chuckled. "But yeah, it's better than what I'd brought to Barry." He paused for a moment, watching my finger trace its edges. "When I decided to get it, I knew what I was about to start doing for my dad. I knew it was...dangerous, but also I knew men that lost themselves to it. They became killers, hitmen. I didn't want that, but..." "You thought this would remind you of where you came from remind you of your mom?" He huffed, shaking his head and looking a touch pained, but he looked up at me. "I was damn close to becoming one of those men when I came to get you, Bella. So fucking close..." I smiled sadly at him, brushing his hair from his forehead and placing a kiss there. "Wh-When I-I sh-shot L-Lilith," he said, pausing when his stutter was too much, but it didn't help, "I-I d-did w-with a s-smile on m-my f-fucking f-face..." "Hey," I soothed, cupping his face and making him look up at me. "That does not make you a monster, Edward. It makes you my hero. You saved me...and this one." I pulled his hand from my hip, placing it on my stomach. "So don't you dare tell me that you felt badly or that you were wrong. You were so far from wrong, baby." I knew my Edward, but I also knew from experience the pride of finally catching a bad guy. His smile when he shot Lilith was for that, not in any menacing way simply pride at stopping someone that had hurt us but Edward carried things differently than other people.

"So," I sighed, bringing his arm up a bit, "this is for me, too? To remind yourself that family comes first...always?" He nodded, looking almost childlike when he did it. "Always." "No matter if they eat peanut butter from the jar? Even if they're cranky and pregnant and can't help themselves at ten o'clock in the morning?" He grinned, standing up in front of me, but not leaving the cage of my legs. "No matter what." I chuckled softly, pressing my lips to the center of the lion with reverence and love. "Then its meaning outshines its beauty, Edward, because you've always put us first. Ink, or no ink." Warm, calloused hands slid softly on either side of my face, thumbs rubbing gently across my cheekbones. Edward's forehead thumped to mine, and his eyes closed. My own hands couldn't stay away from his skin soft and smooth along his ribs, hard and contoured over his chest and stomach, and warm and strong up and down his back. But it wasn't enough for me, so slowly I tilted my head, pressing my lips to his as my fingers dipped stealthily just under the waistband of his shorts and underwear at the small of his back. Edward threaded his fingers into my hair, and suddenly, we were lost. Just gone. I knew him well enough to know that this was a thank you, a relief of putting something that had been bugging him into a different perspective. Warm, wet lips met my own. He tasted of coffee, and I was sure I tasted like breakfast, but neither of us cared. My legs locked around his upper thighs, knowing that his injury was no longer an issue, and I pulled him closer. At the same time, he turned my head, his tongue claiming me, tasting me, and growing ravenous. My hips finally rolled, finding him hard and straining against me, causing both of us to moan wantonly. Edward broke away from my mouth, dragging long, slow kisses to my ear. "Sweetness...doctor appointment," he reminded, not that he slowed down, not that his hands didn't slip under my shirt, finding me in just a pair of underwear. "Don't stop," I gasped against his throat at the same time I was pushing and shoving at his shorts. "We have time. We'll make fucking time." He chuckled so damn sexily, opening his mouth to the soft spot just behind my ear as his hands slid up my skin, finally cupping my breasts. God, I was so fucking sensitive when his thumbs brushed across my nipples that I cried out. "First, you raid the peanut butter, and now, you want to be fucked on our counter?" he asked, and I felt his wicked smile against the skin of my neck. "God, yes," I growled, pulling his face back. "It's not the first time, Edward," I told him, gripping the front of his shorts. "Uh, no," he breathed, watching my hands as I pushed his shorts down as far as I could, using my feet to shove them father. "Definitely not the first, and it better not be the fucking last," he groaned, gathering up my t-shirt and tugging it off over my head. "Lay back all the way, baby," he said, grasping my underwear. I hissed when my back met the cold marble of the counter, but lifted my hips so that my underwear could be swiftly removed. Edward stepped back between my legs, his hands ghosting all over me my breasts, my sides, my thighs, and finally my stomach, where it was undeniable that I was pregnant. Some days, I felt fat and miserable, but when Edward gazed down at me like he was doing right then, I never felt more beautiful, because he said it every time. "Fuck, so gorgeous," he whispered, shaking his head, both hands cupping our baby. He leaned over the counter, bracing those strong arms on either side of me, to place one long, slow kiss to my stomach, swirling his tongue over my skin, just below my bellybutton. I moaned at the sight of him, at the feeling of his hair lightly brushing across my skin as he kissed scars that had long been forgotten. He was looming over the lower half of my body, his biceps and that sexy ass fucking tattoo flexing and rolling under his skin. His chest twitched with how badly he was holding back, and his cock stood proudly at attention trapped between us. It was so close, yet so fucking far away. "Now, Edward. Inside, now!" I whispered, gripping his wrists, because it was what I could reach. Edward stood up tall, rubbing the outside of my legs, only to slide slowly to the inside. "Open up for me, sweetness," he ordered in that low, carnal tone at the same time that he set my heels on the edge of the counter. "Mmm," he crooned, smiling as he dragged his tongue along his bottom lip, while slipping his cock teasingly through my folds. "Oh, always so wet for me, love. Me, or hormones?" I let out a breathy, but incredulous laugh, because it was him, hormones, stars in alignment, and the position of the sun, as far as I was concerned. It was every-fucking-thing. The man merely had to smile my way, and I fucking wanted him. He smiled, giving the inside of my thigh a kiss. "Don't answer that," he chuckled sexily. "I don't care. Just as long as you never stop wanting me..."

"Edward," I whispered, locking eyes with him as he positioned himself at my entrance. I reached for him, and he gave me his hands, linking all our fingers together as he slid completely inside of me. "Oh, God..." My back arched, and I squeezed his hands as that feeling of perfect completion took over my entire being. My eyes rolled back into my head as we lost ourselves in our own damn kitchen. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Does it hurt?" Bethy asked softly, and I couldn't help but peek into the living room to see what my girls were up to. I grinned as Bethy was giving her mother's growing belly a complete investigation as they lay on the sofa. Both were dressed for bed, both my brunettes had their hair down in long, soft waves, and both were just fucking adorable as Bethy's tiny hands moved over Bella's almost four months along stomach, her little brow furrowed as pushed the shirt up a bit. The movie they'd been watching was over, the credits rolling silently up the screen, but apparently, my daughter had gotten curious. "No, pretty girl," Bella chuckled, reaching up to twirl a lock of Bethy's hair around her fingers. "It's not a tummy-ache," she told her, tickling her neck, which caused Bethy to squeak and fold in on herself. "I wanna know if it's a boy or a girl," Bethy stated, practically pouting by folding her arms across her chest. Our daughter couldn't quite decide what she wanted a brother or a sister. It was a tough debate for her, really. With a girl, they could share toys, dolls, and clothes a built in future playmate. Yet, she was used to Caleb, so a boy was the easiest concept for her to imagine. In fact, she missed having him around all the time now that everyone had gone back to their normal routines and lives. "Soon, baby," Bella giggled, meeting my eyes as I stood in the hallway, because we knew, but the announcement wasn't to be made until the next day, when everyone would be at our house for Thanksgiving. "Can't we get a puppy instead?" Bethy huffed, looking rather belligerent about the whole thing. I laughed along with Bella, who said, "No, we can't. One major addition to the family at a time, please, Miss Elizabeth. When you're older and when this one gets here, then we'll think about it, okay?" Bethy had not given up hope on the prospect of getting one of Aunt Kate's puppies, but we just thought the adjustment to the baby would be a big enough fucking deal without adding house training a Husky into the mix. After a long discussion, an angry three-year-old, and a call to Aunt Kate, who told us she was most likely going to breed Maia again in the spring, we'd decided to wait. Esme said that once the baby arrived, Bethy might feel left out, so a puppy might give her something to focus on while our attention was on the new little one. Bella and I were completely undecided. "Maybe for your birthday, little sweetness," I hedged, coming to kneel beside them by the couch. "You have to wait, baby." "How old will you be?" Bella asked, slipping sweetly into another subject in order to distract her. "Four," she said, holding up all five fingers. I grinned, tugging her tiny thumb down. "Four." "Oh yeah," she giggled, sounding a little like her Aunt Alice, which caused Bella and me to laugh with her. Her big green eyes locked onto my face, and she reached up and rubbed my jaw. "You got paint on you, Daddy." "I'm sure I do," I sighed, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. "If it's not paint, it's stain. If it's not stain, it's wood glue." I leaned over and pressed a kiss to Bella's stomach, which was still exposed from Bethy's examination. "You're high maintenance, little one. And you're not even here yet." Both girls giggled, and Bella leaned over to kiss my forehead. "How's it going, handyman?" she chuckled against my skin. "It's going fine, and no...you can't help. No fumes, remember?" I growled, pointing a finger at her. "I know, I know," she sighed, smirking at me. "I'm just making sure you're not killing yourself over it. Someone can sleep on the couch tomorrow, if it comes down to it." "Well, most likely, someone will have to, baby," I told her. "Dad and Esme will stay at his house here in Forks. In fact, they're probably already there. Aunt Kate can take the guest room, and we'll throw a blow up mattress in the new room for Mickey and Obie, because I'll air it out overnight. If Tom decides to come, he can have the couch." "Well, that works," she said, pushing herself up a bit. "Rose and Emmett are leaving early from Seattle in the morning. When they're done here, they're going to Portland to see Rose's parents for the rest of the weekend. Alec, if I'm not mistaken, is already in Forks," she said, raising an eyebrow at me at that last statement. I grinned and nodded, because Alec and Sarah's relationship had only blossomed since Halloween. Abby adored him,

adopting the name Uncle Alec for him, just like Bethy. He loved it every fucking second of it. I'm pretty sure hearts were breaking all over the fucking country, too, because that man was officially off the market heart, body, and soul. He'd fallen for two really sweet girls. And as I looked at my own, I couldn't blame him one fucking bit, because sometimes, they made you feel like the best thing since sliced bread. "Who does that leave?" I asked, looking up at Bella, because the list was a mile fucking long this year. "Wes and Makenna," she answered, pulling Bethy closer and curling her to her side so that she could run her fingers lovingly through our daughter's hair. "They'll be here about the same time as Rose and Emmett. Alice and Jasper will be here first thing. Jasper promised to help you with the tables and setting up a fire pit, and Alice promised to help me get the guest rooms ready." "Not if the paint isn't dry," I warned her. "I get it!" she giggled softly. "All brain cells on mine and this one's part will stay intact. However, you'll be stupid by the end of the week, Edward. Call it a night, baby." I chuckled and nodded in agreement, giving her tummy a loving caress, but noticed that our daughter was slowly fading out for the night. Her eyes were drooping, getting heavier with each pass of her mother's fingers through her hair. "Hey," I purred softly, tilting Bethy's chin up. "Bedtime, little soldier," I whispered without much authority, because I was pretty sure I didn't need it. "Yes, sir." She yawned widely, pushing herself up a bit and reaching for me after she kissed Bella goodnight. I stood up, scooping her into my arms and placing a kiss to her temple when she lay her head on my shoulder. "Only sweet dreams," I whispered, and she could only nod against my neck. I walked her down the hall to her room, tucking her into bed. With one last kiss to her forehead, I said, "Love you." "Love you, too, Daddy," she mumbled, curling Mr. Bunny to her, and I was pretty sure she was out before I was back down the hall. Bella hadn't moved from the sofa, but she shifted a bit so that I could fall in between her and the back cushions. I wrapped my arms around her, kissing the back of her head. "You're sure?" I asked cryptically as I spread my fingers out over her belly, because I knew she'd understand. "Oh, yeah," she said, turning her head to nuzzle my jaw. "I'm very sure. Are you okay with it?" I chuckled, shaking my head and rolling my eyes, finally locking gazes with her. "Most definitely." "Good," she said with a sweet, sweet grin. "Now, help me up, and you go shower. You smell like a hardware store." I laughed, smooching her neck loudly, before helping her to her feet. "Yeah," I said, standing up beside her. "And then bed, because tomorrow is going to be a long day." ~oOo~ "Abby, Abby, bo-babby...Banana fanna, fo fabby. Fee fi fo mabby... Abby," Bethy, Abby, and Emmett sang loudly from the front yard. I snorted, rolled my eyes as the big lug taught them the Name Game. It could only end badly, which was thirty seconds later, when he opened his fat fucking mouth. "Now...Buck!" he boomed, his head spinning when several voices bellowed. "Emmett, don't you dare!" Rose, Bella, and Mickey all snapped at the same time. Oh, but it was so too fucking late, because the girls burst into it. "Banana fanna fo fuck," they chirped, not even giving it another thought, but Alec smacked Emmett on the back of the head. "Stunad," he muttered, giving Emmett dark look after calling him stupid in Italian, and I was pretty fucking sure that if Alec hadn't gotten to him, my dad would have, because his face was just as appalled. All of this could be seen from the open windows as I worked in the kitchen with Aunt Kate. Everything was just about ready; we were just waiting on a few things, and the turkey needed to be cut. Bella, Rose, and Makenna were trying to get plastic table cloths to cover the length of three long tables pushed together, Mickey and Jasper were adding wood to the fire pit, and my dad, Eleazar, and Kurt were all chatting on the front porch. "Dad!" I called through the screen door. "Come cut this thing."

He chuckled, shaking his head and tugging open the door. "It's your house." "It's Mom's tradition," I countered with a laugh, slapping his back once he was over the threshold. "So get to it, old man. I've been cooking the damn thing since four o'clock this morning. The least you could do is slice it!" "It's a good thing I taught you to cook, Edward Anthony," Aunt Kate chuckled, rolling her eyes at my dad. "You'd have grown up on delivery pizza." I grinned, glad to have someone in my corner when it came to my father's lack of culinary talent. "Yeah, see?" "Shut up, son. It's not like you're malnourished," he growled back, but he was fighting his smile. My father picked up the knife and began to slice the turkey, but he glanced up at me. "If I'm doing this, you have to do the toast." "I know," I said, my voice serious, but I went about setting out plates and silverware all in plastic, because be damned if I was washing this many fucking dishes. "I think he's hiding something, Carlisle," Aunt Kate whispered dramatically. "He and Bella have been secretive all damn morning." I grinned, shooting a wink her way. "Nosy thing," I teased her, which only caused her to chuckle and wrap an arm around my waist. My dad, however, glared at me, studying me, and finally muttered, "This ought to be fucking good." Once he finished cutting the bird, I called everyone in to make their plates. There wasn't enough room inside my house for them to eat, so Jasper had helped me set up the long tables outside, starting a fire in a pit close by in case the day turned chilly. However, the weather was playing nice, for once. It was a crisp, clear day, the fire only adding to everyone's happy moods. It seemed the removal of threats had caused everyone to be almost giddy Emmett more than anyone, because he was currently encouraging the two girls to roast marshmallows, which sent Bethy into the house like her hair was on fire. "D-Daddy!" she gushed, her cheeks pink with having played outside just about all morning. "Unca Em says w-we shshould woast marshmawwows," she said, diving into the cabinets. "Whoa, slow down, little sweetness," I chuckled, because she was in high gear and the word marshmallow coming from her might have been the best pronunciation of a word yet. "Dinner first. Then we'll talk s'mores, baby." "Aw, but..." "No... No aw-buts," I laughed, shaking my head and setting her on a stool. "I'll make your plate, Bethy. You're just like your mother... real food first. Then we'll talk dessert." "Hey!" Bella laughed and chided at the same time, causing the house full of people to laugh. "I have an excuse!" she growled, rolling her eyes at me. "So does she," Rose chuckled. "She's only three." Bella walked up to Bethy, smooshing her face lovingly with her hands and kissing her sweet, puckered lips. "They're picking on us, pretty girl. Just because chocolate and melted marshmallows are so very tempting, far beyond turkey and stuffing." Bethy giggled and nodded. "Daddy says dinner first." "Unfortunately, he's right, baby," Bella sighed dramatically. "But I'm with you on the s'mores thing. See me after dinner," she whispered conspiratorially. "Okay," my baby girl whispered back. It didn't take long for everyone to make their plate, walk back to the table, and take a seat. It was the largest party Bella and I had thrown yet, but the absence of Sam was glaringly obvious. I sighed, gazing at friends that were considered family our crew and I took in the new faces to the table, like Kurt, Sarah, and Abby. It was holidays like this, when everyone was here, that the missing faces floated through my mind more. My mother, who would have loved a big gathering like this, loved family and non-family alike. Charlie, who had sacrificed every-fuckingthing for Bella to live a somewhat happy and normal life; I knew she missed him, missed out on knowing the real him that had only been discovered after his death. And Sam, who had no family to speak of, who had attached himself to us like a quiet guardian angel, who'd loved my wife like a daughter, and who would have sat at the farthest corner of the table, just to be able to watch everyone in his usual silent way. He would have taken in everything, smiling at jabs and insults and funny stories.

I felt a warm hand take mine, linking our fingers together. I glanced over at Bella, swallowing nervously. "You'll be fine," she whispered, leaning in to kiss my cheek. I nodded, but stood up, holding up my beer. The conversations came to a pause as everyone looked up at me. "My mother had a tradition," I started, bracing one hand on Bella's shoulder, but it was her soothing hand on mine that gave me strength at the mention of my mom. "She wanted to truly give thanks on Thanksgiving. She was grateful for a lot of things." I sighed, meeting Esme's warm, calm gaze, and then my father's. "It's been...a really strange year," I said, looking down the table. I sighed a deep breath, because someone had purposefully left an empty seat at the end of the table; I'd have been willing to bet that Alec, Em, and Jasper had coordinated it. "We've had good things happen, like the addition of Caleb and my own little one on the way," I said, smiling when loud echoes of jovial agreement burst from the table. "We've had close calls," I added, my voice deeper than I meant it to be, because my eyes fell to my girls. "And we lost good men," I stated with a frown, because Sam and Elam had lost their lives in this last mission. I looked around the table, picking up my glass. "My mom's tradition was to give a thank you toast for what we are grateful for, but I don't have just one this year. I have three." I paused, looking to Bella for strength, because this shit wasn't easy for me. "My first thank you is to all of you, for your help, your hard work, and the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get my girls back, to finish something that was bigger than we expected." Everyone raised their glass or beer, but they didn't drink. "My second thank you is to Sam," I rasped, swallowing again. "I'm pretty damn sure that I wouldn't be here without him, and I'm also pretty sure that some others are sitting at this table because of him, so he should be honored today," I stated, and we all raised our glasses again although this time, silently. It took me a second to speak again, because this was the biggest thank you I had. I looked down at my wife, offering her a hand. "Stand up for me, baby," I whispered, my brow furrowing. "And my last thank you is to my wife," I said, unable to keep the grin from spreading across my face. She giggled and rolled her eyes at me as she leaned into me, which caused chuckles to erupt softly around the table. "She's given me everything a beautiful daughter, a perfect home, and now, she's giving me" I paused, laughing just once and shaking my head, because I was just stupidly happy "a son." I looked up when the table exploded in cheers, but I held my hand up, so they tried their best to shut up. "I'd like to introduce to you" I chuckled, rubbing Bella's stomach that was getting bigger and more beautiful by the day "Samuel Masen Cullen." ~oOo~

BELLA
There was an almost comical pause, before the whole table erupted, because Edward had slapped down the last sonogram pictures without shame, which caused me to laugh. They'd all placed their bets on boy or girl, I was sure of it, so I buried my face into Edward's chest the minute money started changing hands once everyone had taken their drink. My girls squealed and launched themselves at me, tugging me away from Edward, who had been pulled into Esme's and Carlisle's arms. They all started babbling at one time. "For real?" Makenna squeaked, her face bright and happy. "Like for real, for real?" "And here I was, betting pretty boy could only make girls," Mickey teased, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Nice, Bells," Rose chuckled, kissing the side of my head. "God, Edward looks like he's about to just float away," she whispered in my ear, and I couldn't help but nod in agreement, because I felt the same damn way. "A boy, a boy, a boy," Alice chanted in a squeal, while grinning like a loon, bouncing on her toes, and then diving into my arms. I was passed around from Jasper to Emmett, who lifted me up, only to be yelled at by Edward and Carlisle to not be so rough. Alec whispered a congratulations against my forehead, and then it was Eleazar, who handed me off to Aunt Kate. On and on it went Kurt, Sarah, Obie, Tom until finally, I was wrapped up by Carlisle's warm, strong arms that were practically shaking. "Hell, yes, a grandson," he growled, cupping my face and grinning when I giggled up at him, because he loved his grand title of Poppy. "Oh, I'm so teaching him to fish," he chuckled, shaking his head. "He's not even here yet," Esme chided, rolling her eyes and taking me from him. "Oh ho," she chuckled. "We got our wish, huh, sweetie?" I grinned and nodded, swiping at happy tears. And again, visions of little hiking boots, small cargo shorts, and tiny backwards baseball caps flew through my mind. I saw chubby cheeks paired with a crooked smile and crazy hair the same shade as Edward's. "Why Masen, sweetheart? Edward wouldn't say," Carlisle asked once Esme had taken a step back. His gaze shot to his son on the other side of the table, but it seemed everyone heard the question and quieted for the answer.

"Because Edward was already taken," I teased, swiping at tears, but grinned when Emmett chuckled. "Sam gave me a gift. I wanted some part of that gift to be attached to his name." "Huh, and I would've expected Charles," Esme mused. "Charlie hated his name," Carlisle and I stated at the same time, which caused us to laugh together. "Something about a tuna commercial on TV and the fact that the name had been overused in the family," Carlisle said with a laugh. "Yeah, there was a Charles in every generation," I stated, my nose wrinkling. "I'm not sure if that's tradition or lack of imagination. I'm honoring him by not using his name." Carlisle laughed, wrapping me in a hug again. "And we were not using Anthony," Edward growled softly from behind me. "Not a chance." "That was your mother's doing," Carlisle chuckled, squeezing his shoulder. "It's a strong name, you two. I'm so happy for you." "You wanted grandkids, old man," Edward teased, which made me look for Bethy. She and Abby were sitting together at the table, but they were just watching all the adults with wide-eyes. My little girl looked slightly lost in it all, so I waved her to me. She scuttled around everyone, dodging adult sets of legs left and right, and I scooped her up to walk her away from the table a bit, letting everyone sit back down to their plates. I sat down with her on the front porch steps, brushing her hair from her face. "It's a brother, pretty girl," I told her softly, watching as she tilted her head at me a bit. "What do you think?" She smiled, biting her bottom lip. "A boy, like Caleb?" I nodded, and Edward came to kneel beside us, practically wrapping us up in his arms. "Yup, a boy, just like Caleb," I told her. "That's okay," she sighed dramatically, which caused us to chuckle, but her warm hand met my belly. "You can't come in my room, 'cause Mommy says no boys allowed," she said loudly. "And I'm still Daddy's co-pilot," she huffed. A laugh barked out of me, but I looked to Edward. He was looking at his daughter with so much love, it was breathtaking and slightly heartbreaking, if I were to be honest. We knew that this would be an adjustment for her, that it would be a gradual thing to show her that we loved her just as much as Samuel. Bethy had to learn to share her parents with a little brother, and it probably wouldn't be easy, but at that moment, Edward gave it all to her, because there was no way he could take away the one thing the two of them loved so much. I could see it in his face. He just couldn't. He placed a hand on her head, leaning in to kiss the top of it. "Of course you are, little sweetness," he whispered to her, because his voice was filled with emotion. "That will never change," he sighed against her hair. "You'll outrank him," I chuckled, kissing Edward's temple, but tilting Bethy's head up. "You're older, you've been here longer, and you'll be in charge, pretty girl," I explained, giving Edward a second to relax, but he chuckled at the way I'd put it and nodded in agreement. Bethy's tummy gave a long growl, and we all laughed, but I couldn't help myself. "Oh, now who's hiding angry bears, huh?" I chuckled, tickling her sides so that she squealed into hysterics, her little face turning pink as she laughed so hard, writhing on my lap. Edward scooped her up, but gave her a raised eyebrow. "You know what that means, don't you?" he asked her in a low, deep voice, and she shook her head frantically. "It means...you're...growing," he growled, bending her upside down so that he could ravish her belly with raspberries and tickle her with his stubble. "No, no, no!" she screamed, her whole body squirming and wriggling his his grasp. Her poor face was crimson, but her smile was infectious. "I'm not, Daddy!" "You are," he accused, making sure his stubbly chin teased her bellybutton just right, and the poor thing couldn't decide whether to curl up or try and get away. He finally righted her, and she sagged in his arms, which caused him to chuckle. "Time to eat, little soldier," he ordered, using his commanding tone. "Yes, sir," she sighed, still trying to catch her breath. She grasped his face, frowning at him. "No more tickling," she ordered, sounding just like him. "Yes, ma'am," he laughed, setting her on her feet, but he turned to me once she ran off. "Come on, sweetness. You need to eat, too."

I grinned, kissing his sharp jaw, purring, "Yes, sir." ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Uh...no, I'm so not going shopping on Black Friday," Bella snorted, rolling her eyes, but she pulled Bethy back to her chest as they roasted marshmallows together. "There is nothing on this planet I need to fight a million people in line for." "I'm just thinking of this computer..." Alice said dreamily. "It's like half price..." "No, Alice," Jasper and Bella said at the same time. "You have enough computer equipment," Bella added, kissing the top of Bethy's head when the marshmallows looked done. "Anything you need, we'll talk about after the new year." She pulled the stick from the fire, bouncing Bethy on her knee. "Okay, pretty girl. Have you got our chocolate and graham crackers ready?" "Yup!" Bethy chirped, eying those golden marshmallows with a look just this shy of a hawk spotting a mouse. In her hands was a paper plate with two sets of crackers and chocolate just waiting to become the warm, gooey mess that only a s'more could be. I grinned, shaking my head, because my girls loved their snacks popcorn, chips, candy...s'mores and I loved them, so it was just about impossible not to kiss them to death when they were up to no good together. There were less people at the house now. Aunt Kate, Mickey, Obie, and Tom were spending the night, before driving back to Seattle to catch their flight back to Alaska the next day. Alice and Jasper, who only lived right around the corner, were still there, and so were my dad and Esme. Everyone else had gone home or on to other family commitments. But we were all sitting quietly around the fire and roasting marshmallows, most likely for Bethy's sake. Bella and Bethy were sitting at the foot of the chaise, and I was at the back, just watching them. Actually, I was waiting for one of them to offer up a bite of one of those bad boys, because once they smooshed them together, I had to admit they looked fucking delicious. "Here, Daddy," Bethy said, crawling up the chaise to my lap. "Want some?" "Which part?" I chuckled, shaking my head. "The part smeared all over your face, or this hand?" I asked her, holding up her arm that had her s'more in a tight, oozing grip. "You're wearing more of it than you're eating, little sweetness." She giggled from what used to be my injured leg, holding out her hand, and I took a bite, knowing she wouldn't eat a whole one anyway. "Definitely gonna need a bath before bed, pretty girl," Bella chuckled, scooting back between my legs and leaning against my chest. "I've got that," Esme chuckled, having watched the whole exchange. "Finish up, sweet one, and we'll get you cleaned up. It's just about bedtime, right?" "Right," I said with a nod, taking another bite Bethy offered me. Both my girls giggled when it dripped messily down my chin. "Nice," Bella chuckled, reaching up to wipe it off with her thumb, only to scoop it into her own mouth. I smirked at her, shaking my head, because I could practically read her mind or her darkening eyes, really. "Shut it, Edward," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Not letting it go to waste," she muttered, squirming when I tickled her side at the lie. "All done," Bethy sang, holding up two empty, but chocolatey, sticky hands. "Don't move, baby," I chuckled, grasping her wrists and standing her up. "Now, let Gamma give you a bath, okay?" "Okay, Daddy," she agreed, and started toward me for kisses. "Oh no," I laughed, holding her back. "I'll smooch on you all you want...when you're clean." She grinned, and it was evil and beautiful, just like her mother when she got a crazy idea. And Bella saw it instantly, bursting into laughter, joined by everyone else at the fire. "Elizabeth Renee, stop right there," she ordered in a giggle. "Don't do it. It's bad enough I'll be fighting the chocolate stains on your clothes. I don't need a whole load." She popped the last bite of her own dessert into her mouth and stood up from my lap. "Come on, baby. I'll strip you in the laundry room. Plus, I need to get towels and stuff for everyone." "Bells, we'll see you tomorrow," Alice said, standing up from Jasper's lap and hugging her.

"Yeah, we'll be here in time to see Aunt Kate and Mickey off before they leave," Jasper added, giving me a fist bump. Everyone at the fire started to get up, following Esme, Bella, and Bethy into the house, leaving just me and my dad. "Come on, son," he chuckled, standing up. "I'll help you put this fire out." "I gotta lock up my wood shop, too," I sighed, groaning when I stood, because it had been a long day. A good one, but a really fucking long one. "Go ahead. I've got this," he said, picking up a bucket of water. I nodded, ran a hand through my hair, and walked away. I stepped under the awning of my wood shop, taking in the new crib I'd started the minute we'd gotten home from Alaska. Bella had said we could use Bethy's, but it just seemed like something I needed to do. Maybe I just wanted each of my children to have something unique. Bethy's was currently sealed tight down in the basement, and it totally fit her light wood, sturdy, but ornate. I ran my hand slowly over the smooth wood, the subtle arch, and down the side. This one would be different dark stain, simple curves, masculine. I was using teak, instead of the maple that I'd used on Bethy's. "Damn, that's really good, son," my dad said from the doorway. "Thanks," I said softly, picking up the tarp to cover it, but stopped. I took one long look at it, and then met my father's eyes. "Why am I more nervous about a boy than I ever was with Bethy?" I asked, practically blurting out the question, because this was the first time we'd had a minute for me to ask, and I felt only he would understand. He smiled warmly and shook his head. "Because Bethy is an extension of Bella," he answered simply. "You've taken care of Bella since the beginning, so Bethy was easy. Another little damsel in distress, so to speak." I grinned, huffing a laugh. "I guess." "Sons are different," he sighed, running his fingers over each little rail. "Not better, or more; just different. They carry on the name, they take longer to figure themselves out, they end up carrying more responsibility on their shoulders, and they need guidance, because they have to become a man, a husband, a father, eventually." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and I realized he was talking about me, not my son that was on the way. "You're nervous, because you don't want to fuck that up." I snorted and nodded. "Yeah. I just...I don't want him to make the same mistakes I did." My dad chuckled, locking eyes with me. "That's all I wished for you, you know. But there's something that strokes the ego when your son wants to mimic everything you do." He paused for a moment, leaning on the crib. "Your mother's last request of me was to let you be what you wanted, to just be there for you when you fell. She never wanted to stifle anything about you, Edward. Ever. If you had wanted to play baseball the rest of your life, I'd have been in the fucking stands at every game. Does that make sense?" I nodded, swallowing back emotions that had been building in me since I'd found out the baby was going to be a Samuel instead of a Samantha, because once Bella and I truly talked names, neither of us could think of anything else but honoring Sam once again, we were always on the same damn page but Masen was something she'd surprised me with. My girl was determined to have my history, my name linked on our son somehow, someway. I tossed the tarp over the crib, and he helped me make sure it was completely covered before speaking again. "Listen, son," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "If you love Samuel even a fucking fraction of how much you love Bethy, you'll be just fine. You are an amazing father, Edward. I'd like to take credit for some of that, but I see Elizabeth in you when you're with Bethy." I knew he was just exaggerating the example, because even I knew it was written all over my fucking face that I was already lost to Samuel, and he wasn't even here yet. Suddenly, I missed my mother with an all consuming ache, which in turn made me need my wife. I needed to hear her voice telling me everything was okay, that we'd be fine, that I wouldn't fuck this up. "Liz had to be both father and mother to you while I was overseas, and she did a damn good job," he whispered, squeezing my shoulder. "Don't doubt yourself, son. But if you do, just take a step back and listen to Bella, because she won't let you fuck up. You know that." "Thanks, Dad," I sighed, reaching up to tug the wood shop door down, locking it. I took a deep breath and let it out, because he'd helped just like I'd thought he would. We didn't always talk like this when I was younger, but I'd come to realize that as I got older, I was able to tell him shit that no one else would get things about our jobs, my fears. It may have been just my mother and me for the first part of my growing up, but once she was gone, he'd stepped in better than I think he gave himself credit. "Mmhm," he hummed, and we walked back toward the house. Once we were inside, he grinned up at me. "I'm totally

stealing a turkey sandwich. Don't tell Esme," he whispered, giving me a slap on the back, before diving into the kitchen like it was a black ops mission. I snorted into a soft laugh, rolling my eyes at him. "You're welcome to stay, but you'll have to bunk on the floor. There's an air mattress in the laundry room." "Nah, but thanks. We're staying in town. We'll be back tomorrow to see Kate off," he said, not even bothering to remove his head from inside the fridge. "But I'll lock up when we leave." "Yes, sir," I chuckled, walking through the living room. Tom, Obie, and Mickey were all camped out, watching a movie, and I waved as I passed them by. My first stop down the hall was Bethy's room. I leaned in the doorway, just watching my girls. Bethy was situated between Bella's legs so that she could brush out our daughter's now clean hair. Bethy's wide yawns and watery eyes told me she was just about done for the day. "Hi, Daddy," my little one said, yawning again. "I'm clean now." I grinned, stepping into the room. "Good, because I just wasn't sure how much longer I could live without kisses," I told her with a shrug, sitting down next to Bella, who was chuckling at us. She set the brush down, and Bethy crawled up on my lap. She grasped my face and kissed my cheek. "Better now, Daddy?" she asked, tilting her head just a bit, but she yawned widely again. "Absolutely," I said, grinning at her. "Bedtime, little soldier," I told her, scooping her up, and Bella and I pulled back the covers so that we could set her into bed. "Yes, sir," she giggled, puckering her lips adorably, and I couldn't resist them. I pressed my forehead to hers, whispering, "Only sweet dreams, baby." "'Kay," she sighed, her eyes dropping farther and farther closed. "Love you." "Love you, too," Bella and I both said, kissing her forehead one at a time. I could hear Esme and Aunt Kate in the guest room as Bella and I made our way down the hall, laughing like they were lifetime friends. It made me smile, because I was pretty fucking sure that my Aunt Kate missed my mother just as much as my dad and I did, but as she had a tendency to do, Esme was starting to fill that role. I closed the door to our room, leaning back against it, almost weary with happiness and contentment. Despite having an amazing set of friends and family, despite the beautiful little girl asleep down the hall curled around her Mr. Bunny, and despite the son currently on his way that I could barely wait to meet, my life all boiled down to the woman in front of me at the end of every day. "You okay, baby?" Bella asked, her brow wrinkling as she kicked off her sneakers and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You look...lost." I smiled a little and shrugged. "I-I f-feel th-that w-way s-sometimes," I admitted softy, walking to her and tugging my t-shirt off over my head. "Lean back, love. I'll help." I knew it was getting harder for her to bend down, to do simple things like taking off socks. Touching her toes had gone to the wayside about three weeks ago, something that made her ecstatic and frustrated at the same time. Bella scooted to the middle of the bed and lifted her feet for me with a giggle. "Thanks," she snickered, when I pulled off each sock and dropped them to the floor, but I didn't stop there. Gliding my hands slowly up her leggings, I grasped the waistband and removed those, as well, leaving her in an oversized shirt-dress like thing. I reached for the hem of that, too, and Bella chuckled. "Edward," she chided in a whisper, most likely because we had a house full of fucking people, but I didn't give a shit. My house, my rules, my time, my wife. "I-I w-want t-to s-see him," I whispered back, and she sobered up, holding her arms up so that I could take her shirt off. She was wearing a pretty pink underwear set with black lace, and it seemed to be a fan-fucking-tastic representative of her personality. Sweet and naughty, strong and fragile, perfect and flawed all at the same damn time. And fuck, she was beautiful. I crawled up her body, bracing one arm by her head and slipping the other underneath her back to scoot her farther up onto the bed. She grinned up at me, biting on her bottom lip, but seemed to be letting me have the moment. I sat back on my heels between her legs, just looking at her.

I raked a thumb lightly over her old scar on her thigh, remembering how this had all started, how I'd obtained the best thing that had ever happened to me. I bent forward, placing a kiss to her ever growing belly and dragging my lips across the scar that was left from Bethy's birth. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" Bella asked softly, running her fingers through my hair. "Talk to me, baby." I smiled against her stomach, rubbing my stubble across her sensitive skin and chuckling when she writhed under me with a laugh. "Samuel, tell Mommy that she needs to relax." Bella grinned down at me, shaking her head. "Tell her she's the prettiest thing Daddy's ever seen," I whispered, my eyes never leaving the sweet, chocolate brown in front of me. "Tell her that of all the things to give thanks for, it's her." "Edward," she whispered, reaching for me, but I shook my head, because I wasn't done. "We aren't perfect, little man," I sighed, closing my eyes as I placed soft, random kisses to her belly. "We're kind of pains in the asses, actually, but we love you already." I smiled at Bella's laughter, but went on. "You can be, do, think, feel whatever you want to, Samuel," I said, remembering saying this very same thing to Bethy at about this stage in Bella's pregnancy. "The world is yours for the taking, pal. And I promise that someone will always have your back." Apparently, Bella couldn't take it, so she sat up enough to cup my face, only to fall back with me. She kissed me softly, slowly merging into an urgent feel. She tasted my top lip, my bottom lip, her tongue begging for entrance, and I opened up for her, a moan leaving us both as we drank from each other like we'd never kissed before. I shifted my weight to the side of her, not wanting to squish her, and I threaded my fingers into her hair, pulling her head to the side so that I could kiss that sweet spot that drove her crazy. Warm, wet kisses met the skin of my shoulder, and I pulled back to watch as she pressed her sweet lips to the ink on my chest at the same time her fingers traced the new one on my arm. She liked the significance of it, but I knew fucking deep down that she found that shit sexy, which wasn't a bad thing, either. I'd told my dad once that I didn't think any woman would ever understand my job, my past, my mistakes. His answer to me echoed back in my head as I watched Bella remind me silently that we could always come back to us, to this, to each other, no matter how overwhelming shit could get. She always seemed to just get it always seemed to understand that I didn't always have words to express myself in the right way. My girl and I kissed like two teens making out, but I couldn't stop myself. Slowly, my shoes, my socks, my jeans, and her underwear all hit the floor. Soft laughter ghosted out from us as we tried to be quiet, but teasing hands, nipping teeth, and wet lips caused gasps when certain places were touched a certain way. And that shit wasn't always easy to contain. I felt my anxiety, my worries, my fears of raising a son ebb away with each kiss, each giggle that I could evoke from Bella. Nothing fucking mattered when we were together, because there wasn't a fucking thing we couldn't get through. And as I finally slipped deep inside of her, my memory echoed back to me again. "The things I've donethat I've seen" I grimaced, shaking my head. "No one understands that shit. Fuck, I don't

even understand it."

"The right womanshe'll take that all away," my dad said sagely. God, he was so fucking right.

A/N... Yeah...I was kind of a mess writing this. I'm even worse with the epilogue as far as my emotions go, but I'm giving you the longest epi I've ever written on any story. There were a fair amount of loose ends. Okay, first... Who's got quarters? Because the cook in the kitchen is too much to resist. LOL Second... IT'S A BOY! :D Samuel Masen Cullen will make his appearance in the epi, I promise you guys, so don't worry. My thank yous the really long ones will be at the end of the final chapter. But I need to thank my usual suspects. JenRar for beta'ing this for me. GooberLou for ever so much more than pre-reading. And MedusaInNY, who is currently MIA, and I miss you like crazy, but thanks for all the stuff you do. My goal is to have the epi done by Wednesday, which is probable, because it's almost done. (See? Told you I've been dragging my feet!) Anyway, please, PLEASE let me know what you think, and I'll see you most likely Wednesday. Until then... Later! :)

*Chapter 26*: Chapter 26 Epilogue

A/N... Okay, guys, here's the last and final chapter of Sin & Innocence. :( I know, I know. I've been a wreck this whole week anticipating this final post. My nerves are shot, because I hope that you've enjoyed this ride. I think that you're expecting a long jump in time, just from your reviews, but I think you'll be surprised at just the route I took. There were some loose ends that needed touching on, and I've been holding the one thing back that you've all seemed to forget. ;) I've really loved getting to know new names, playing with you guys on Twitter, and every single last review you guys have sent my way. I've enjoyed teasing you, laughing with you, and watching my closer friends squirm with every cliffie. LOL I love you all, and I hope that you'll stick around with me, because I'm not done writing, just taking a break. And I really hope you'll see me at the bottom.
CHAPTER 26 Epilogue Three months later... January...

BELLA
"Him moved, Mommy!" Bethy gasped, her eyes wide as her hand was splayed flat on my stomach. "Him did," I giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear. I laughed, not because she hadn't felt Samuel kick before, but because he'd kicked her in the back while we were laying together on the couch. It was like he was shoving her off of him. The sibling rivalry had already started. "What's so funny?" Edward asked, emerging from the hallway. He was dressed in heavy boots, jeans, and a thick hoodie, because he said that if he didn't shovel the snow off the sidewalk, someone and he wasn't naming names would end up on their ass. Personally, I think it was himself he was referring to, but he would never admit it. And he was a damn good sight for sore eyes, because he'd just gotten back from helping Jasper and Emmett make some emergency repairs to Jasper's dad's house. A storm had damaged the roof pretty badly, and the boys offered to help. Edward had flown them all to Texas, and it had taken almost four days to get it finished. "Him kicked me!" Bethy told him, her voice incredulous and clearly offended, and I had to hide my laugh behind my hand. Edward grinned, shaking his head and kneeling next to us. "Ah, he did, huh?" he asked, placing a warm hand to my stomach, but I moved it to where the wriggling was still going on. "There, baby," I told him, watching as his face softened to a loving expression. "Easy, Samuel," he crooned, placing a kiss over my shirt and rubbing my stomach soothingly. "We all have to share Mommy. Enjoy having her all to yourself for now, buddy," he chuckled, giving me a wink. "And you can totally blame the chili dogs for lunch on your sister." "He has to like chilwi dogs," Bethy stated, and I half expected her to roll her eyes. "Who doesn't like chilwi dogs?" "You tell him, little sweetness," he chuckled, kissing her sweet nose before standing up. He cupped my face, bending down to kiss my lips. "I'm going to shovel the snow. And then I'm going to try and finish the changing table. Okay, love?" "You're staining in the winter?" I asked him. He laughed, shaking his head. "I had heaters in there, but it's stained. I just need to add the knobs and attach the top part. I didn't get a chance before I left." "Oh," I sighed, nodding a bit. "I should waddle out to the office and check on the girls. They had a few security jobs and one prospective client call to make." "Just...don't overdo it, sweetness," he ordered, helping me to my feet. "The doc said..." "I know," I whined, rolling my eyes up to his. "I'm only walking in there. It's not like I'm guarding some rock star. And I should thank you for setting Alec on me for four days like a rabid mother hen." He smirked, but nodded, walking me to the front door, because there wasn't a force of nature that could stop his overprotectiveness. Not that I wanted him to stop, because it was one of his most loving features.

"Come on, Bethy," I called her. "Maybe Aunt Makenna will have a new art project for you." "Yay!" she sang, hopping down from the couch and bolting out the door, her little boots leaving sweet footprints in the snow all the way to Gravity's office door, which she swung open and darted in. Edward made sure I didn't slip down the porch steps, keeping a firm hand on my elbow as he walked me across the yard. Again, I wasn't stopping him, because he was right about the doctor. Dr. Sandler had made it perfectly clear when we went for my five month check up that I was to take it easy. My blood pressure was just a touch too high, not to mention this baby was bigger than Bethy had been, so my feet were constantly swollen, and my back was throbbing by the end of the day. I wasn't to really work, other than desk work, I wasn't to pick Bethy up, nor was I allowed to drive. I was just this shy of being ordered to bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy, so I had to truly watch myself. I took a deep breath at that last thought, looking up at Edward and pulling my oversized jacket closer around me. "I promise to sit inside and behave," I vowed, grinning up at him. "As if that's possible," he chuckled, cupping my face and kissing my lips. His nose wrinkled as he let out a deep exhale, causing his breath to puff around him in the cold, crisp air. "I know you're bored, baby. I know this is hard. It won't be much longer." "I'm not arguing, Edward, but God, I am really bored," I giggled, shaking my head. "At least let me live vicariously through my employees," I begged, grabbing both sides of his face. "Please?" He laughed and let me squish his face as I kissed him roughly. "That's fine, baby," he said, still laughing. "Just don't walk back without someone with you. Got me?" "Yes, sir," I purred, kissing him again. He pointed a finger at me. "You're to be merely a figurehead in there. No stress, no pacing, no running off to save the world." "I'm six months pregnant, Edward. Besides the stress, how much of that other shit do you think I could do?" I laughed, my head falling back. "You'd find a way," he muttered, pouting like a child. "Just...do something harmless, like paperwork or some shit." "Okay," I chuckled, starting for the office door, but stopped and turned to him. "Hey... I really missed you, you know." His smile could have lit up the sky on Fourth of July, but he closed the remaining distance, his hands slipping up either side of my face. He pressed his forehead to mine, capturing my mouth in a searing kiss. The things his lips and tongue did made the chilly weather non-existent. He broke away from my mouth, which caused me to whimper, but his voice was sweet, smooth, sexy, like melted chocolate. "Oh, sweetness," he sighed, his eyes still closed, "I fucking hated it. How the blue hell did I sleep before I met you?" I giggled, rubbing his scruffy jaw lightly. "You had to suffer in order to appreciate the good shit," I said, chuckling when a laugh from him pushed out against my cheek. "You are the definition of good shit, baby," he laughed, kissing me quickly and grabbing the doorknob. "Here, love. Get inside before you catch a chill. I'll be out here if you need me." The place was its usual busy, noisy self. Rose was on the phone, leaning back in her chair as Caleb played in his playpen next to her desk. Makenna had already set Bethy up at the conference table with paper and crayons, having gone back into the computer room with Alice. And it was that room I was aiming for. Makenna held my chair as I sat down next to her, while Alice was busy on the radio. Up on her screen was the layout of an arena marked with locations for where our security would be for a concert coming up that night in Portland. Our boys had been hired to be the personal security for the band. "How's he doing?" I whispered to Mack, because I knew she'd understand who I was talking about. "Kurt, check in," she said over her headset, giving me a wry smile. "Kurt here," he stated. "I'm with Alec. We're picking up the subject now at the airport." I grinned, because he sounded good, calm, even though this was his first real job. I'd told Alec that I wanted Kurt to shadow him for the first few jobs, because he was our most experienced. It had been Wes' suggestion to hire him, train him, even teach him guns. Kurt's record both mental and criminal had held him back, and he'd been having a hard time getting back to school and finding a decent job. His father had worried that he'd fall back into the wrong crowd again. So after a very long, very detailed discussion with my crew, we'd sat down and had a talk with him.

Jasper, Emmett, and Edward had taught Kurt guns how to shoot, clean, and handle them. I'd enrolled him in a martial arts class first thing, because he'd needed not only the discipline, but the ability to defend himself. Alice had taught him everything else how our company worked, what type of jobs we took, and how, no matter what, all things stay within the company. He'd taken to it like a fish to water. All of it. He was young, easy to teach, and eager as hell to prove himself. He also knew that he was filling some damn big shoes, because he was taking Sam's place on the team, and Kurt felt honored. Mack handed me a headset, and I tugged it on, saying, "Deep breaths, Kurt. You'll be fine, honey." "Thanks, Bella," he chuckled nervously. "Bells!" I heard over the radio. "How ya feelin', darlin'?" Jasper crooned. "Like a giant balloon," I chuckled. "But I'm good. You boys be careful and have a good night, okay?" "Yes, ma'am," they all called back. I pulled off the headset and set it down onto the desk, looking up at Rose as she leaned in the doorway. "You look like hell," she teased with a wink. "Thanks. You, too," I laughed, shrugging. "I don't sleep well without Edward. And there are only so many cartoon movies a mom can take without snapping," I said, tapping my temple. "We should've just stayed together," Alice muttered, looking about the same as Rose. "The house was too damn quiet without Jazz's snores." We all laughed, but it was true. Our men were our guardians, sometimes our cooks, and our best friends. It had been that way from the moment we'd met them. We looked up at the security camera when an alert sounded that the front gate was being opened. I recognized Carlisle's BMW instantly, but he wasn't alone. Another car pulled in right behind him, which turned out to be Eleazar. Both men exited their vehicles, but it was Eleazar that spoke first. "I should kick your ass all over these damn woods, son," he growled loud enough for us to hear him from our spots inside, pointing a finger at my husband. "You can fucking try," Edward sneered, shrugging. "Oh, hell," Rose, Alice, and I muttered together, heading for the door. "Makenna, stay with Bethy and Caleb, please," Rose stated before letting us outside. "Yeah, sure," she said quietly, but I was pretty sure her eyes weren't leaving the security cameras. We quietly fell out of the office doors, Rose holding onto me as we made our way closer to the three men through the snow. Edward was leaning against the outside wall of his wood shop, the snow shovel casually gripped in his hand. "How the fuck did you do it, Edward?" Eleazar snapped, his face red with anger and venom as he glared at him. "Do what?" "You know fucking well what! Where were you last week?" Eleazar asked, his demeanor calming down just a bit, because my husband wasn't flinching. At all. "Texas," Edward stated nonchalantly with a shrug. "Jasper's father needed some repairs done on his house after a storm. Em, J, and I flew down there to help." "Mmhm," El sneered, eying him with disbelief. "You just happened to fly down to Texas at the same time I'm transporting prisoners to Guantanamo Bay, knowing that we stop off in Texas for a refuel." My eyebrows shot up, and my head spun to Rose. "They didn't," I hissed to her. She sighed, shaking her head and shrugging. Alice grunted, folding her arms across her chest as we continued to listen. "How'd you know? How'd you do it, Edward?" El asked, now sounding resigned to it all. "El," Carlisle finally interrupted, placing a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder. "Christ, son, did you order and carry out a hit on Kenny Porter?"

The name alone seemed to cause Edward's smooth mask to slip and shatter, because his fist pounded and cracked the shed wall next to him. "Did you think I'd fucking forget?" he yelled, throwing the shovel down to the ground. "He put a fucking gun to my girls' heads. He threatened Bethy, starved her, gave her cough medicine to shut her up, and he laughed through it all, Dad! Bethy still has nightmares about 'The Mean Man.'" I grimaced, but he was right. Bethy would occasionally dart into our room late at night, squirming her way in between us after having a nightmare. They were fewer now than they were at the beginning, but I knew they bothered Edward. How much it bothered him, I'd had no idea. Until now. El sighed, his hands falling to his sides in a defeated gesture. "Dammit, Edward," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "He would have spent the remainder of his life locked up as a terrorist." "Not. Good. Enough," Edward growled. Again, his fist pounded the side of the wood shop. "You're just lucky I waited until you finished your case. You can have the other two witnesses. Kenny was dead the second he put the gun to Bethy's head the day he took her from me. Right fucking in front of me." Edward stood tall, practically swelling up as he stepped closer to Eleazar. "Now... Are you here to arrest me for something?" "Hell, no!" Eleazar scoffed, waving him off, but Carlisle stepped forward anyway, placing himself as a shield to his son. "I don't have any fucking proof it was you. It was a flawless fucking hit. Made it look like suicide." Edward's mouth twitched in pride, but he said nothing as he picked his shovel back up, his eyes catching sight of us. Suddenly, guilt flooded his face. Rose sighed, saying, "I had a feeling something was up. Those three were awfully secretive the day before they left." "I can't say that I blame them," Alice murmured, shrugging when we looked to her. "I can't, Bells. I'm sorry. Jasper said he'd never seen Edward so broken as he watched Bethy with a gun to her head drive away. Something about that kidnapping changed us all." I rubbed my stomach where Samuel was kicking just a bit. He seemed to react when my emotions were flying high good ones or bad. And at the moment, I wasn't sure what I was feeling, except a touch betrayed. Edward could've told me what he'd been planning. Rose and Alice went back inside the office as Edward made his way toward me, and I had a feeling Jasper and Emmett were about to get an ear full. Carlisle walked Eleazar to his car, and they were still talking when my husband came to stand in front of me. "Bella, I..." he started, but I held a hand up. "Don't," I said, eying his now bleeding hand. "Take me back to the house." He huffed, but gently took my arm and guided me through the slippery snow and up the front porch steps. Once we were inside, I turned on him. "Bathroom, now. I'll clean that hand up," I told him. He nodded, his shoulders slumping a bit as I followed him down the hall to our room. He said nothing until he plopped himself down on the closed toilet. He looked up at me, his eyes deep green and remorseful. "I-I'm s-sorry I-I d-didn't t-tell y-you," he sputtered softly, looking at his feet and not my eyes. I reached up, grasping the zipper of his hoodie, and tugged it down, revealing a plain white t-shirt underneath. He shirked out of it, carefully working his now injured hand through the sleeve. I set his arm on the vanity, and I could feel his eyes on me as I got out the first aid kit. "That was really fucking dumb, Edward," I said softly, shaking my head and starting to clean his knuckles. "You could've messed up. He could've arrested you, for real." "I wouldn't have..." I raised an eyebrow at him. "Now is not the time for you to get all smug and shit. How'd you know when to go?" "Felix," he muttered, looking away from me. "He knew what I wanted, and he agreed. He did it behind El's back as a favor to me for Bethy. He was with the transporting team and allowed us a...window of opportunity." "And Jasper's dad... Was that all bullshit?" "No," he snorted humorlessly. "No, just really good timing and an excellent cover." I dabbed antibacterial medicine on the split skin, looking over at him. "I would think that you could let it go after Lilith. That should've been enough," I told him, but he was still staring toward the shower and not me. "That's the last blatant hit you're

pulling, Edward. I mean it." His head snapped around, and he finally met my gaze. His eyes were sharp, but still filled with worry, like an admonished child. The man was terrified of my temper, but his ass was fearless when it came to going to prison for killing an insignificant idiot that had threatened his family. "Look, I get it," I sighed, picking up a roll of gauze. "Believe me, I almost pulled the trigger on Kenny myself when you guys were interrogating him, but you are not a mercenary anymore. You wanted out. You'll stay out. Now that everyone involved in that bullshit is gone, you can officially retire that case. Got me?" He nodded slowly, his eyes flickering from my face, to his hand, to my belly, but he still stayed quiet. Only his fingers twitched when I wrapped his hand. I let out a deep breath, grasping his strong jaw and forcing him to look at me. "I almost lost you, Edward. I won't go through that again. Something could've gone wrong with just the three of you," I said, picking up his wounded hand to make sure it was wrapped well enough. "I told you this before. You work for me, or not at all, or even make furniture all damn day, but your sense of revenge is too much. I thought the way things went down with Lilith upset you, and then you go and pull this?" "It's finished, Bella," he stated simply, but firmly, his brow furrowing. "This was different. I just... I couldn't..." "I know," I huffed, shaking my head. "To be honest, I'd forgotten all about him. He was a disgusting troll of a man. He could've rotted away in Cuba, baby." "No," he growled softly, his uninjured hand balling in a fist, and I saw what watching his child get taken had really done to my husband. It had scared the shit out of him. He'd felt useless, like a failure, because he couldn't get to his baby when she'd needed him the most. He couldn't have prevented any of the shit that Bethy had gone through while she was out of his sight, and he probably would live out his whole life seeing the muzzle of a gun pressed to a three-year-old's head every time he closed his eyes. And it had probably all boiled over when Felix had called him. Edward had seen a means to an end. "I'm sorry," I whispered, cupping his face. "It's my fault all this shit with Lilith started in the first place. I'm sorry about all of it. You have no idea. Bethy, you, Sam... It's all my doing, because I just couldn't keep my mouth shut back then." "No, Bella," he gasped, pulling me between his legs. "No one blames you, baby. I swear. Lilith made a choice, just like Kenny did." He wrapped his arms around me, placing kisses on my belly, only to set his chin on top of it, like it was a shelf. "I had to end it, sweetness. I just couldn't let him get away with it, and he was still pompous at the end. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. I'm sorry that it upset you. It's the last time it will ever happen again." I kissed his forehead, breathing in deep the smell of him all crisp outdoors, sanded wood, and shampoo. "I love that you can protect us, Edward. I love that you wouldn't let a fly near us. That's a part of you that I love deeply, but a pure hit without letting us in on it could've ended badly." "Alec knew." I huffed a humorless laugh. "Of course, he did." Edward smirked, but let me pull back from him a bit to continue. "In an emergency, our lives are in your hands. Promise me that you're done. You wanted to be done, baby." "I do. I am," he urged, his face the picture of sincerity. "Kenny was the end of it." I studied his face and saw that he meant it. He could now tell his daughter that "The Mean Man" was completely gone, dead, and buried the next time she had a bad dream. He'd needed to fix it. And he had. Permanently. It wasn't what he'd done that had me upset; it was that he'd gone behind my back. He could've gotten hurt or killed or even arrested, and I wouldn't have known why until it was all over. I caught a glimpse of his newest tattoo, the Cullen family crest, peeking out just below his white t-shirt. Its meaning was family first. And that's what he'd done put his family ahead of everything else. He'd taken care of the last remaining threat no matter that the asshole would've been in prison the rest of his life. It didn't fucking matter to Edward. I reached out and traced my finger along the graceful scroll, understanding completely. Yes, he'd been upset when he'd shot Lilith, but he'd stopped her just in time, pride filling him when he'd succeeded in catching her. Yes, he'd lied about where he'd been, but he'd done it protecting me, because stress was just something that I couldn't handle, and nothing could happen to me or Samuel as far as my husband was concerned. But it was Bethy's nightmares that had caused this hit, this hiccup in judgment, because it was the harshest reminder of it all. It was a slap in his face every time she crawled up in our bed, clinging to her daddy like hell itself was on her tail. And for that alone, I just...got it. "Don't lie to me again," I stated softly, letting it all go, because it was done and there wasn't anything I could do about it. In fact, deep down, I was proud of him, in a way; he'd completely closed the book on one scary ass turn of events. "I wouldn't have been able to get to you, to help you, if something had gone wrong." "I won't, baby," he vowed, shaking his head and pressing another kiss to my stomach. "Samuel, tell Mommy that no one has my back like she does, but that" he grinned up at me "she shouldn't be stressed out."

"Shut up," I laughed and groaned at the same time, rolling my eyes. "Being all cute right now won't help you." He chuckled, his cheeks turning a touch pink. "Fine," he sighed, his forehead landing on my stomach. "I love you. I'm sorry. It's all over, sweetness. I needed to end it. All of it." I nodded and sighed, and again, I couldn't blame him. Alice was right. Bethy's kidnapping had changed us all. We'd become vigilant and vengeful, angry, and so very scared. Hell, I could imagine that Jasper and Emmett had only added fuel to the fire once they'd found out about Kenny's move from Washington to Cuba. Samuel gave one good kick, just about where Edward's forehead rested, and we both laughed. Edward pulled back and rubbed his fingers gently over the spot. I giggled. "Yeah, and that goes for me, too." "Fair enough...both of you," Edward chuckled, kissing my belly, and then pulling me down to his lips. "It's you, love. Always you that I want to work with. Not make furniture, not bum about the house all day...you." "Good. Then behave, please." "I will. I promise." ~oOo~

EDWARD
Three months later... March "Mr. Cullen?" I heard behind me as I paced like a fiend in Bella's hospital room. I was still in the hospital scrubs I'd been wearing when they'd booted me from the delivery room. My head snapped around to see Dr. Sandler, and my heart flew and sank at the same time. "He's perfectly healthy," she said with a bright smile, handing Samuel over to me. "We may have taken him early, but you wouldn't know it. He's eight pounds and ten ounces of strong boy." I blinked back tears, my arms shaking as I took him gently from her. And God, he was just fucking flawless. He blinked up at me with giant brown eyes just like his mother's, and I could see that his hair was just a shade darker than mine. "Bella?" I rasped, looking up at the doc. "She's good and stable, but as you know, she's out. We'll bring her back in a few minutes," she answered calmly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "She's fine, Edward. We took him early, because he was putting too much stress on her." I nodded, swallowing nervously and looking back down at my son. Bella had tried so fucking hard to stay calm, even going as far as confining herself to bed the last few weeks, but Samuel had just taken his toll on her, and as I looked at him, I could see why. He was big and strong. He squirmed against the blanket they had him swaddled in, murmuring his displeasure at being away from her. "Patience, buddy," I sighed, pressing my lips to his forehead. "I want to see her, too." "You know," Dr. Sandler said with a wry smile, "there's this obnoxious group of people out in my waiting room..." I grinned, shaking my head. "Yeah, I can't take them anywhere, really." She chuckled and nodded. "Yes, well... Perhaps if you showed them proof, they might calm down. Because there's this short thing in there that can't be still to save her life," she stated proudly, because she'd been the doc to deliver Bethy. "Got it," I chuckled, kissing Samuel's forehead again. I looked back up at her. "Thank you. Will you..." "I will personally come and get you when we bring Bella back to this room, Edward," she urged, grasping my shoulders and steering me out into the hallway. "Go brag, Dad. He's as pretty as his parents." I laughed, because we'd picked the best doctor for mine and Bella's personalities alone, not to mention she was a phenomenal OB-GYN. She'd known exactly what both of us had needed to hear for the last nine months. She'd never held back her displeasure on something, but she'd stayed calm, used humor to get us to focus, and had never let us panic. "I'm going, I'm going," I said, shooting her a wink on my way down the corridor. I gazed down at Samuel, who seemed to be just a touch overwhelmed at all the bright lights and movement, but whispered, "Oh, brace yourself, little man. This will be...something." Using my shoulder, I silently pushed the waiting room door open, shaking my head at the sight before me. My entire family and crew had pretty much taken over the whole damn room. Jasper sat with Alice in the farthest corner, her head on his shoulder. Emmett was on the floor with baby Caleb, who was the crawling definition of trouble these days, while Makenna,

Wes, and Rose were all trying to occupy Bethy's time with books, toys, and crayons. And that was just one side of the room. On the other side, there was Alec and Sarah who had just gotten married the month prior in a quick little ceremony and Abby, who was giggling with Kurt over some game they were playing on his phone. Aunt Kate, Mickey, and Obie all were staring up at the TV in the corner, though all three of them had glazed-over eyes, obviously not seeing a damn thing that was playing. Esme and Eleazar were huddled together in the corner, deep in quiet conversation. They were all worried, because this had been an emergency, and I was pretty sure they'd all panicked when the doc said she was taking Samuel early. Not that my ass was any better, because I'd just about fallen apart in the delivery room. But the most important figure was at the window, his forehead practically pressed to the glass as he gazed unseeingly out into the rainy Seattle weather. My dad was nervously wringing his hands behind his back, his color just this shy of ashen, because his love for me and Bella knew no bounds. He was almost sick with worry. "Daddy!" I heard, and all eyes landed on me. I put a finger to my lips, and Bethy grinned and nodded, but she was the first one to make it to us. I knelt down, and she stepped closer to take a look. "Here, big sis," I said, kissing her temple. "Your little brother is just perfect," I told her, but it was for the rest of the room, as well, and I could feel a touch of the tension leave them. "He's cute," she giggled, using my shoulder to pull herself closer. "He still smells funny." I laughed, kissing her neck loudly. "You were cute and smelled funny, too." "Nuh uh," she sang, still giggling. "Where's Mommy?" Leave to the now four-year-old to ask the tough question, because despite my happiness with the bundle in my arms, I was pretty damn sure my worry was all over my fucking face, like a neon sign. I placed my hand on the back of her head, pressing my lips to her forehead, squeezing my eyes closed as I inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo. The memories of alarms and beeping in the delivery room made my whole body shake. "Edward, son?" my dad urged, his voice just a touch shaky. I nodded that I'd heard him, but I answered my daughter. "Mommy's sleeping," I told her. "She started to get really weak, so they decided that Samuel should come home early with us. They had to give her something to calm down and go to sleep. She'll be awake soon, little sweetness." Another release of tension left the room, and a few of the girls sat down in relief. Esme let a small sniffle out, and I glanced up at her, and then back to Bethy, because my little girl was looking at me like she didn't believe me. She could spot bullshit a mile away just like her mother. "Relax, baby," I sighed, cupping her face and making her look me in the eye. "I'm worried, too, but they tell me Mommy will be just fine." She nodded, blinking up at me with pure trust and hope. I finally stood up to show off my son. Most of the statements made me laugh, and they came at me from every direction. "He looks just like Bethy when she was born!" "Oh, the chubby cheeks!" "He's got Bella's eyes." "But your hair!" I laughed at the last one, because we tugged off Samuel's little cap, and sure enough, his hair went everywhere, just like my own. But it was my dad's voice that stopped us all. "He looks just like you the day you were born," he said, begging me with silent, pleading eyes to let him hold my son. "Here, Poppy," I sighed, handing him over. "Can you remember that far back, old man?" "Shut up, son," he laughed, rolling his eyes. "You're not that old. Hell, I'm not that old." I grinned, but felt a tug on my sleeve, and I let Esme pull me away from everyone. "What happened?" she asked, cupping my face. "You look sick with worry." "She..." I sighed, shaking my head and looking down at my feet. "She started to fail. So it escalated from just monitoring

her cramping, to taking Samuel...like that," I whispered, snapping my fingers. "Fuck, Esme... I've never been so scared. All these alarms went off, she couldn't speak... Even when Bella's had guns to her head, I'd never been that scared." "It was an enemy you couldn't fight, son. That's why," she soothed, rubbing my upper arm. "What do they say?" "That she's fine, stable," I rasped, squeezing my eyes closed. "She's in recovery." "Then you have to trust them, Edward," she said, always the calm voice. I was shaking my head before she even finished. "I'll feel better when she tells me what for. When she's awake and ordering me around, then I'll be okay." She grinned, letting a sniffly chuckle out. "Fair enough, son." "Will you and Dad stay?" I suddenly burst out. "I know that everyone has to get back eventually, but will you..." "Of course," she stated, kissing my cheek. "We'll keep Bethy, too. Okay?" I nodded, swallowing thickly, but we both looked up when Dr. Sandler leaned in the door of the waiting room. "Do I have to give you something to calm down, Edward?" she snarked, rolling her eyes. "She's fine. And she's back in her room. She's still sleeping, but she'll come around in a bit." I grinned, because the whole room had chuckled at her question to me. I took Samuel back from my father, placing a relieved kiss to his little hand that had escaped his wrap. "Can I see her?" I asked. "Yes, of course." "Daddy," Bethy gushed, rushing to me, but my dad scooped her up. "Not yet, little one," he crooned to her. "You can see Mommy soon, but let's go downstairs and see what kind of ice cream we can find, huh?" "Strawberry?" she asked him, and I chuckled, because my baby girl couldn't get enough strawberry ice cream. "One can always hope for strawberry, Bambina," Alec laughed, touching her chin with his fingers. "No, chocolate," Abby said softly, grinning up at Alec, who scooped her up with a laugh. "Screw this!" Emmett boomed. "There's a shop right around the corner. We're all going," he sang, bouncing a giggling Caleb who was the spitting image of his father, all the way down to his dimply grin in his big arms, but on his way by, he whispered just to me. "Go... Go be with your girl. We'll get out of your hair for a few, huh?" I nodded, following the doc back down to Bella's room. ~oOo~

BELLA
I struggled to come up out of the deep foggy feeling that seemed to surround me. I felt heavy and listless, unable to open my eyes just yet. My body felt like it was weighed down, achy and sore with every breath I took, but it was the sharp sound of an infant's unhappiness that brought me back to the present.

Samuel.
"Easy, Samuel," I heard the sweetest voice soothe a voice I associated with calm and comfort. "She'll wake up soon. She's the strongest person I know, pal. Trust me on that." Samuel seemed to gurgle back an argument, which only caused my husband to chuckle softly. "Oh, I see how it is," he snickered. "You're gonna be Mommy's boy, aren't you? Can't say that I blame you..." I wanted to laugh at them both. It took all I had to wrench open my eyes, only to squeeze them shut again in order to make them focus. When I could finally see around my room, my gaze locked on my two men. Edward was practically curled around Samuel, sitting lengthways along the sofa at the window. His knees were bent up, his feet flat, and his back propped against the arm, but his arms were wrapped around a noisy, squirming bundle of blue blankets. "She's beautiful and smart...and so brave, little man. You have no idea what she went through to get you here," he whispered, but I could hear the fear, the worry, the stress taking a toll on him. I winced, remembering how I hadn't been able to move, to speak. I remembered them telling Edward they were taking

Samuel right then, but after that, things were blurry. Although, I was pretty sure that my husband had meant every difficult step throughout my pregnancy. "Sh-She already l-loves y-you s-so m-much," he sputtered to Samuel, his voice cracking just a bit. "And that's a big deal, buddy, because when Mommy loves someone, I'm not sure there's anything she won't do for them." I blinked back tears, shook my head, and finally said, "Hey..." My voice was soft and raspy, but his head shot up. "Christ, Bella," he gasped, carefully getting up from the sofa and leaning over me, our son still in the crook of his arm. "I was so worried, baby." "Is he? I mean... Is everything..." I started, unsure of what I was asking, because it had been really scary the last few moments I was awake. "Oh, God," Edward said, his brow wrinkling, but the sweetest, biggest smile crept up his handsome face. "He's fucking perfect, love. Here," he said, sitting gingerly on the edge of my bed. "I think it's time you two met... um, face to face," he chuckled, shifting around until he could lay Samuel across my chest. Tears streamed down my face at the little clone of his father all except for my eyes. Samuel was every dream, every imagining that I'd had since I'd found out I was pregnant again, only more. He was Edward made over, and he was just...perfect. "Hey, Samuel," I sniffled and smiled at the same time, leaning into Edward's kiss to my temple. Wearily, I lifted my arms in order to hold him. "You have to be the handsomest man I've ever seen," I giggled softly, tracing his sweet features. Edward laughed, pressing his forehead to my temple, but he let out a long, shaky breath in my ear, like he'd been holding it in forever. "Fuck, sweetness, I'm glad you're okay. You scared the shit out of me. Don't ever fucking do that again." I nodded silently, turning to nuzzle his scruffy face, because I knew it had been pretty fucking hectic in the delivery room. "I'm sorry," I whispered, trying to kiss whatever part of my husband I could reach, finally making contact with his chin. "What happened?" He huffed, pushing himself up again and swallowing nervously as he fiddled with Samuel's blanket, his hat, only to finally let one tiny hand wrap around his finger, his brow furrowing just a bit. "He was ready," he said simply, shrugging one shoulder. "He was draining you, Bella, but they tell me you're fine, and he's fine. He's over eight pounds of strong boy," he said, grinning when Samuel let out a long contented sigh as he gazed up at me. "See, bud? I told you Mommy was gorgeous," he whispered, kissing my head again, only this time, his hand cupped my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I need to let them know you're awake, baby." "No...not yet," I gushed, shaking my head. "Let me have you two...just for a minute. Okay?" I knew there was most likely a huge group of people waiting to hear something. I knew my baby girl was probably climbing the walls. And I knew eventually, life had to shift into a completely different gear, but I just wanted, for one quiet moment, to cuddle with my boys. "Sure, love," Edward soothed, tracing his fingers down my cheek, under my chin, only to bring my lips softly to his. He shifted again, carefully and slowly laying himself along my side. He slipped his arm underneath my head, curling both of us to him. "Who's here?" I asked. "Everyone," he chuckled. "And then some." I smiled and nodded, finally leaning down to kiss a drifting off Samuel. "And Bethy?" "Thinks he smells funny, but that he's 'cute.'" I giggled, my head falling back to his arm, and I turned to face him. "Did you tell her she was both?" "I did," he laughed. "She didn't take the news so well." "I bet not," I snickered. "You can't tell a girl she smells funny, Edward. What's wrong with you?" He chuckled, burying his face in my hair. "She wants to see you, baby. She's probably climbing up one side of my dad and down the other, because he was brilliant enough to take all the kids for ice cream." I nodded, sighed, and looked up at him. "Okay," I finally relented, closing my eyes when his lips pressed to my forehead. He slowly extricated himself from us, but reached for Samuel. "Let's let him sleep, Bella. He's had a busy day." He grinned when I giggled, shooting a wink my way, but he rolled the bassinet next to the hospital bed, laying Samuel down so gently that he barely even stirred. He stood up tall, and it was then I noticed that he'd changed back into his regular clothes jeans and a button-down black

shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His shoulders were broad, proud as he gazed down at his son, though he carried himself like he was exhausted. His hair was in such a sexy disarray that I could only imagine how many times he'd pulled at it in frustration. He gave me my favorite crooked smile, ran hand through his hair probably for the millionth time, and said, "I'll be right back, sweetness." Just watching him walk toward the door made me realize that something was missing, something hadn't been acknowledged since I'd opened my eyes. His hand reached for the door, but I stopped him, because he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, like he was just a touch lost, and like he'd just run the length of forty football fields. He was strong and tall, he was handsome and sweet, and he was the pillar we all leaned on. Suddenly, my love for Edward was overwhelming. "Edward, wait," I said, tears streaming down my face. "I'm really sorry I scared you. I love you so much." He was across the room in an instant, his hands bracing on either side of my head as he pressed his lips to mine frantically. "God, Bella," he rasped, emotions finally releasing from him. "It's okay, love. You don't have to apologize to me. You did so fucking well," he whispered urgently against my lips. "I-I'm j-just g-glad y-you're b-both o-okay," he sputtered sweetly. "I love you, too...so fucking much." I cupped both sides of his face, gazing up at him. "You needed to know..." He smiled, shaking his head, but kissed me softly. "Oh, I know... You've done it all for me, love. I really know..." I nodded, kissing him before he pulled away to stand back up. "Now, let me go get them before we have a riot in the waiting room," he said, rubbing his face roughly. He picked up my hand, kissing the top of it. "They've been worried about you." With that said, he gave me one last glance and walked out into the hallway. I turned my head, watching my baby sleep, and sighed in perfect contentment. We'd made it through every bump you could possibly imagine, just to get to where we were. My nose wrinkled at the bad times, but I chuckled at some of the good, all while staring at Samuel. The door swung open, and I grinned as Edward came in with Bethy tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and she was giving him hell. "Down, Daddy," she commanded. "I want to see Mommy...the right way. Not upside down!" "You didn't tell me that," he countered back to her, spinning her down to the floor. I covered my mouth to smother my laugh when she glared up at him once before turning around. "Mommy!" she sang, rushing to the side of the bed. "Hi, pretty girl," I said, reaching out to twirl her hair around my finger. "Are you being a good girl?" "Yup!" she said, nodding fervently. "Poppy got us ice cweam, and I arm westled Unca Em in order to get to see you first." I laughed. "And you won?" "Yup," she said again, beaming like a ray of sunshine. "The matches are still going on," Edward chuckled, jerking a thumb behind him. "My money's on Esme." "I don't blame you," I giggled, looking up when a nurse came into the room. "Can we go home now, Mommy?" she asked, giving the nurse a scathing look when the woman stepped in front of her, but Edward scooped her up in order for her to see me. "Soon, little sweetness," he crooned to her, kissing her neck. "We all want Mommy home soon...it's been a long twentyfour hours." I locked eyes with him for a moment, smiling softly at my family. I wondered if only for a moment how much would change with the addition of Samuel. I wondered where I'd have ended up without the strong, sweet, handsome man standing in front of me, currently telling his daughter in an adorable whisper what the nurse was doing to me. The nurse smirked, giving me a wink as she took my blood pressure. "Thought that man of yours was gonna blow the place up when you gave us a bit of trouble, Mrs. Cullen," she teased, though she was looking only at me. I laughed, covering my face, because I couldn't imagine what he'd have done had something gone wrong. He was sweet, polite, and kind. He was the best husband and father a woman could even conceive existing, but he would have lost his

mind had something gone wrong. She had no idea how true her words were. Edward chuckled, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. I waved her closer, giving Edward a wink. "I'm sure we're all lucky that we didn't have to find out." Edward gave me warning in the the form of a deadly raised eyebrow and a sexy ass tilt to his head, but before he could say anything, my hospital doors flew open, allowing in everyone. I grinned up at them all, leaning into hugs, snickering at exaggerated hushes, and shaking my head at them all trying to get to me. They were for all intents and purposes my crazy family, my closest friends. But it was the warm, firm hand linking its fingers with mine that I held onto, and as I glanced over to Edward, closing my eyes as he placed a long slow kiss to my forehead, I couldn't feel luckier than I did right then. ~oOo~ A year later... March My eyes rolled back into my head when a warm, strong, calloused hand slipped stealthily underneath my t-shirt, cupping my breast fully and causing my nipple to peak high and hard. For a brief moment, I was reminded of the very first time I'd ever stayed at Edward's home over five years prior. He always seemed to wake up warm, snuggly, amorous. If we happened to be in bed at the same time, he'd wake up groping, kissing, grinding. He was hard, pressing himself closer to me and dragging his teeth along the spot just below my ear that drove me crazy. He whispered of dangerous, naughty things in a raspy voice that dripped sex, carnal longing, and love things I wanted every time he uttered them. Nothing had changed. "Baby, we have people coming..." I groaned, my ass arching back to him, seeking something, anything. My body reacted against my will when it came to him, and it probably always would. "The only one I care about...coming is you, sweetness," he rumbled in my ear, dragging his tongue up the shell of it. I laughed softly and moaned at the same time, feeling his smile against the skin of my neck. "Birthday party, Edward... Remember?" "Yup," he grunted, gliding his flattened hand down my stomach and diving underneath the waistband of my underwear. "I remember..." My breath caught sharply in my throat when his fingers seemed to seek out exactly where I wanted him, so I rolled onto my back, my legs falling open, despite how much we had to do today. My eyes locked with dark, needy, and slightly mischievous ones, and I couldn't help but pull him closer. Broad strong shoulders loomed over me, Edward's elbow braced at my head, while the other hand continued its exploration of just how much he affected me. "Mm, so wet, love. Were you dreaming about me again?" he crooned, his voice velvet and smooth against my throat. "Maybe," I teased, weaving my fingers into his hair and pulling his face to mine. I was just about to kiss him stupid, despite the fact that neither of us had been up yet. Morning breath was not important when a hard, strong, sexy ass man was grinding his cock against your leg as he told you how he wanted to take you six ways from Sunday. I just couldn't care about the tiny details at that point. Hell, I could barely remember my name at the moment. But it was the sound of tiny thumping feet that caused everything to come to a standstill. I grinned, but sighed in defeat, my head falling back to my pillow as poor Edward's fell to my chest, a small huffing laugh escaping him as he tried to calm himself down. My girly parts screamed in protest when his hand left my underwear. Our door flew open, and I watched as my handsome boy padded into the room on two chunky, yet still a touch wobbly legs. "Guess it's time for a big boy bed," I muttered, pushing Edward off of me. "Yeah, it's finished," he sighed back, but his loving gaze at our little boy was hard to miss. "I'll set it up today." Our one year old was too smart and too strong for his own good. He'd been escaping his crib for a few weeks now, and his most favorite morning activity was running to us first thing. Samuel loved his morning kisses. "Muh-ma! Da'ee!" Samuel chirped from the side of the bed as he patted the mattress, wearing camo footie pajama bottoms and a camo shirt that read, "My mommy loves bad boys" a hilarious gift from his Aunt Alice. "There's my birthday boy," I sang, reaching down and pulling him up onto the bed. He curled into me with a giggle, his little body wriggling closer and closer, because he was my cuddle monster. Where Bethy was on the go twenty-four-seven, it seemed, Samuel was my sweet, snuggly one. He was shy and funny. He was quiet and so very smart. And he was still the spitting image of Edward, except for the deep, chocolate eyes that matched my own.

Edward chuckled, stretching out beside us and propping his head up on his hand, his elbow on my pillow. "Escaped again, huh, little man?" "Yeah," Samuel said softly with a sweet grin and a tilt to his head. "Tell Daddy you're just too cool to be contained," I giggled, smooching his neck until he squealed and writhed in my lap. "Coo', Da'ee..." he giggled, which made his dad laugh. "I'm convinced you're part...monkey," Edward growled, pulling his son to him and tickling his tummy. "No!" Samuel laughed, sitting up straight between us when his dad stopped tickling him. I giggled at them both, because I couldn't help it. They were practically identical, and so very cute. I reached up, trying to calm Samuel's hair, but it was of no use. Sleep combined with its natural craziness made it impossible to keep down. "Don't bother," Edward murmured wryly. "It won't do any good." I laughed, kissing his cheek. "Experience talking, baby?" "You have no idea," he chuckled, shaking his head and sighing deeply as he pressed his lips to the top of Samuel's head. He turned to me, kissing the side of my neck. "Since I can't finish what I so wanted to, I might as well get shit started for the day," he crooned in my ear, giving my skin one last open mouthed kiss. "Shit!" Samuel piped up, and I rolled my eyes up to Edward. He barked a laugh, getting up from the bed. "Hundred bucks in the swear jar. Got it," he stated wryly, still wearing a ginormous grin. I turned to my baby boy. "Let's get you changed and dressed, okay, buddy? You've got peeps to see today," I told him, scooping him up and clambering off the bed. Samuel nodded, giving me a sweet giggling, "Peeps!" ~oOo~ "Oh, it's like Mini-Me," Rose chuckled, gesturing across the yard. "Wow, you're one to talk," I laughed, my head falling back. "Have you looked at your two boys lately?" "I know, right?" she snickered, shaking her head. "Even worse, Caleb has Emmett's sense of humor," she chortled, pointing toward the grill just as a now two-year-old Caleb decided to squirt his dad with a water gun, which only resulted in a chase through my yard. However, Emmett was letting his son think he was getting away. But it was the wood shop my eyes fell back to, and I couldn't help but grin. Edward was pulling out the parts of Samuel's new big boy bed that he'd been working on for weeks, getting it ready to take into the house, but it was the shadow at his feet that was too much. Both were dressed in black cargo shorts, sneakers, white t-shirts, and of course, black backwards baseball caps. I totally did that shit on purpose. Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward slowly took apart Samuel's crib, storing it in the basement. Piece by piece, they carried the new bed in, setting it up with the mattress we'd bought a month back. We'd known it was time, though it seemed awful fitting to set it up on his first birthday. Emmett called that the hotdogs and burgers were done, and more people than I knew what to do with joined him at the tables we'd pushed together. I got up from my seat on the porch swing and walked down the hallway to see how Samuel's room looked. I leaned in the doorway, watching Edward attach the safety rails to the new bed. All his help including the tiny one had left him at the mention of food. "They won't work," I chuckled, shrugging when he looked at me over his shoulder. "He'll still escape." "Well, he sleeps like a ticking clock," he laughed, standing up straight and gazing down at his work. "He rotates all damn night." My eyes raked down my husband and right back up, because he'd started something that morning, and I desperately needed him to finish it. He was just hot, standing there in a shirt that clung to every muscle, his capable hands slowly picking up all his tools. "Hmm, we should try that rotating thing...every direction on the bed," I purred, leaning against the wall and looking up through my lashes. I wanted to laugh when his head spun my way like it was on a swivel, his eyes darkening instantly. He smirked sexily, his eyebrow raising as he walked to me after dropping the tools back onto the mattress. "Mmhm,

we...can," he rumbled, bracing his hands on either side of my head. "I'm sure we...have." I grinned, nodding slowly. "Oh, I'm sure we have, too. I'm just...saying..." "I created a monster this morning, didn't I?" he asked, his voice taking on a whole different tone as he skimmed his nose down my cheek to my neck. "I'm sorry I couldn't finish what I started, love. Believe me, I so wanted to see you come for me. I love hearing you cry out my name first thing in the fucking morning." My whole body shivered at the pure sensual mood that was practically oozing from him. It was like the man could flip a switch. Or maybe I'd flipped the switch, and he'd just run with it. I moaned, because I couldn't help it when his body pressed to mine, when his fingers slipped into my hair almost forcefully, when his lips nipped with teasing kisses. I definitely couldn't ignore the way he breathed me in, like he needed the scent on my skin in order to stay alive, and the way that he smelled like sunshine and cut lumber and smoke from the grill. The hint of beer on his tongue was the last straw. I gripped the sides of his t-shirt, pulling him closer at the same time he dove for my mouth. Frantic, hurried, wet sounds filled the small room as we kissed like maniacs, like teens sneaking off from the adults, not wanting to get busted copping a feel. Warm hands cupped my ass at the same time hips pressed to mine. Tongues slipped and swirled together, imitating what Edward wanted to do to me with other parts of our bodies. My own fingers found their way to just inside the back of Edward's shorts kneading at his ass and causing him to buck into me a little and not his hair, because for some twisted, kinky reason, I wanted that damned hat to stay on when he took me hard. "Mommy!" Bethy's voice rang from the front door. "Gamma says it's time for Sammy's cake!" Edward's forehead fell to my shoulder, a hissing, but snickering, "Fuck," leaving his lips. I couldn't help but laugh, my head falling back to the wall with a soft thump. "Christ, Edward, this so isn't over..." I warned him, hugging his strong shoulders close when he laughed against my skin. "Right," he agreed, kissing my cheek, my nose, and finally, my lips, "but apparently, we shouldn't be alone together..." I grinned, pushing him off of me, calling, "Coming, Bethy." "No, you aren't," Edward said with a pout, rolling his eyes at my laugh. "You could've been, but you're not..." "Is that the word of the day, baby?" I cracked up, leaving him alone in Samuel's room to clear his...head. By the time I reached the screen door, all I heard was, "It should be, dammit!" I was still laughing by the time I made it to the table. ~oOo~

EDWARD
"Sammy started it!" Bethy protested as we marched both kids into the bathroom. "Cake!" Samuel chimed in just to add fuel to the fire, I was sure of it. He may have been only a year old, but he'd already learned how to push his sister's buttons. "He's a year old, Bethy," Bella sighed, but her amusement could barely be contained, because the food fight had been hilarious. "And he threw cake at me!" my daughter countered, sounding just like her mother when she argued back. I had to bite back my laugh and my smile, only shaking my head as I practically frog-marched my daughter down the hall. Hell, I was afraid to barely touch her, because she was covered in cake and icing and what looked like potato salad. The party had been damn fun. Our whole family and crew had shown up, bringing their own kids. There had been hotdogs and burgers, sodas and beer, even chips and dip, but it was the birthday cake that had brought us to this moment, brought us to a tub filling with bubbles and warm water. My son while everyone's back was turned as they'd started to leave for the night, mind you had decided that he'd needed more birthday cake...by the tiny fistful, of course. However, when his big sister had told him not to, he'd taken his tiny fist and tossed it at her. And boy, she'd been pissed, resulting in the cake fight of the fucking century. "Strip!" Bella ordered, pointing to Bethy, her voice leaving no room for argument as she proceeded to remove Samuel's clothes. I chuckled softly at Bethy's put-out face, but knelt in front of her. "Here, little sweetness," I sighed, still smiling, but gathering up her shirt in order to wrench it off her head.

"He started it," she whispered just to me, jerking a thumb behind her, which made Bella finally crack a smile. "Sometimes, it's best not to interrupt a man and his snacks, baby," I chuckled, shrugging a shoulder. "It would be like me taking away your bowl of popcorn when you're watching a movie." "You wouldn't!" she gasped. "No, but it's the same idea, Bethy," I laughed. "It was his cake, his birthday. He was partying the best way he knew how." "Cake!" Samuel piped up again, grabbing Bella's face with two pudgy hands. "I didn't throw cake when I was a baby!" she huffed, holding up her arms once we had her stripped. "Yes, you did," Bella and I chanted together as I set her into the tub. The butterball that was my son was already in, covered in bubbles and happily splashing with a toy helicopter in his hand. "Took me forever to get the cake off the walls of the kitchen," Bella muttered, her eyes rolling when I laughed again, but she looked up at me. "Have you got...this?" she huffed, gesturing to the slick kid filled tub. "I need to make up Samuel's new bed." "Yes, love," I snickered, smacking her behind on the way out the bathroom, which resulted in a glare from her and giggles from the kids. "Mommy's mad," Bethy whispered, making a pyramid shaped tower of bubbles. "Mommy's...frustrated. I'm pretty sure it's my fault," I whispered back as I sat on the stool by the tub, because it was true. What had started as a glorious make out session first thing that morning had turned into an all day tease. All day. All fucking day. I wanted Bella almost to the point of pouting and tears, but there had been zero opportunity, and when there was, something or someone would interrupt. She'd caught me alone in Samuel's room as I put his bed together, I'd caught her in the laundry room as she rummaged around for candles in the junk drawer. She'd cornered me in the wood shed, and on and on. If we'd have gotten some sort of release, it might have been funny, but by now, all I wanted was the kids in their beds and my wife in ours. It didn't take long to get the two of them to get clean. Bethy was quite capable of washing herself, and Samuel was more than cooperative for me. Once I had them out and wrapped in towels, I set them free. "Little naked people on the loose," I called to Bella, who giggled from down the hall. "Got it!" she called back as I let the water out of the tub. "Bethy...pajamas, please," she ordered. "'Kay, Mommy." After making Samuel's drink cup, I made my way back into his room. He was a giggly, yet sleepy little mess as Bella smooched all over his belly. His chubby legs and arms writhed as he tried to roll away from her. I sat down on the edge of the bed, handing over his sippy cup. Immediately, he popped it into his mouth, and then dropped it on the bed for later. I brushed his hair from his forehead, placing a long kiss there. "Goodnight, little soldier," I told him, though he hadn't quite gotten the grasp of the routine yet. "Da'ee," he sang, smiling up at me. "Love you," I whispered, kissing his hands and pulling the covers up around him, only for Bella to take my place when I left for Bethy's room. "Bed, little sergeant!" I grunted, smiling when she giggled and dove under her covers. "Yes, sir!" she laughed back, which caused Bella to chuckle from the doorway. Bethy had been rather upset when Samuel interrupted her bedtime routine, so the only way I could placate her was to give her a promotion to Staff Sergeant skipping three ranks, mind you. I had told her that she was in charge, that she was more experienced and had to show Samuel the ropes, and she'd latched onto it with a sweet giggle and an, "Okay, Daddy." "Only sweet dreams, little sweetness," I told her, kissing her adorably puckered lips. "Yes, sir," she said, a wide yawn taking over her face as I tucked her in. "Love you, Daddy." "Love you, too," I said, turning out her light once Bella had covered her in kisses. Bella started for the living room, but I caught her.

"Uh, no," I ordered, spinning her around toward our own bedroom door. "Alec brought the presents in, Esme loaded the dishwasher, the garbage is bagged up. Anything else...tomorrow," I growled low in her ear. A sweet laugh escaped her when once I had our door shut, she found herself pressed against it. "Edward," she giggled, her head falling back with a soft thump. "Uh uh," I chastised her softly as my lips hovered over hers. "I have some serious making up to do." She grinned, happy and sweet, though her eyes darkened just a touch as her hands slipped up around my neck. I reached down, cupping her bottom and lifting her into my arms, only to press her back into the door. "Where was I?" I asked her. "Which time?" she laughed, kissing my lips roughly. "Doesn't fucking matter," I growled, unable to not kiss her stupid. With almost a sigh of relief from both of us, I finally claimed her mouth, grinding against her. Hips rolled, whimpers pushed out against cheeks, and my cock grew hard and throbbing immediately. Bella pulled away from me with an almost gasp of air. She was just fucking gorgeous as she looked ravenous for me. With already kiss-bruised lips and flushed cheeks, I couldn't help but kiss her again, just because I finally fucking could. "Bed," she finally ordered, panting as she lightly traced my jaw, my chin, my bottom lip. "Yes, ma'am," I conceded gratefully, yanking her from the door, only to tumble her onto our bed. I grinned down at her, bracing my arms on either side of her head, because I loved that this part of our relationship had never waned, had never fizzled out. We had two beautiful kids, tough jobs, and had been married for almost five years, and I wanted the woman that was currently tugging at my t-shirt more now than I had when I first met her. And that was fucking saying something. "I love you, sweetness," I told her, pulling off my hat in order to reach behind me and tug my shirt off over my head. "Love you, too, Edward," she said with the sweetest of smiles. It didn't take long for all our clothes to be scattered along the bed and the floor beside it. And I fell back into her embrace with a chuckle, because we both seemed so damned desperate to finish what I'd started what seemed like forever ago. "Let's see now... Where was I?" I asked with false sincerity and a furrow to my brow. "Doesn't matter, so start over," she giggled, tracing her tongue along the ink on my arm, but her eyes were locked onto mine. However, she reached blindly beside her, her hand grabbing my baseball cap and thrusting at me. "But the fucking hat stays on."

A/N...So Kenny is gone and Kurt now works for Gravity. Those were two loose ends that I felt needed clearing up. For those of you Alec fans...he married Sarah! Yay! :) I only skipped ahead a year, if only to give myself leeway, in case the plot bunnies attack. And they always attack. Trust me. I also wanted to show how our little man arrived, and prove that just because our fave couple was parenting two little ones, they hadn't lost that oomph that they always had. Plus, I couldn't help but toss in some sibling rivalry. LOL Not to mention Samuel's t-shirt that said "My Mommy loves bad boys," which was totally GooberLou's idea and I loved her for it. Now the big thank yous... JenRar... for every damn panicked email, every what if question, and every hilarious comment we've shared...Thank you. I couldn't have done the Gravity series or a ton of other things without you. I bow to you, and love you like crazy. GooberLou... I don't even know where to begin with you. You're the captain of the Mercward debate team, first of all, because you've argued and guided me through all of it. You've let me root around in your brain, throwing ideas no matter how fucking stupid at you and you weren't afraid to tell me... "Don't do that!" LOL I'm sure it's not over...and you're totally welcome for Kenny. XD I'm sure you'd have been plenty pissed had he lived. Flove you hard! MedusaInNY... Oh, my voice of calm reason. I love you. It's more than the blog and pictures and banners. It's the random emails that ask me if I'm hanging in there. It's the defense wall you put up when Sam died, and I hid behind you without shame. LOL It's the warm hugs you send my way just when I need them the most. Thank you, my friend.

And thank you for every review, every Tweet, every PM, every alert, and every favorited story. You guys have no idea how much they mean to me. Your outrage, your tears shed, your laughter, your hope for what was to come next... all of it pushed me harder to make this a better story. You humble me and I thank you all. Each and every one of you. As far as upcoming projects. I'm working on an outtake for Angelward. For those of you that have read him, it will slip right in to where the last one-shot left off. This was an idea I'd had a long time ago, but never got a chance to add it into the series. I hope you guys will take a look when it posts. Like I said, I'm not done writing. Never done. So put me on alert and keep an eye out. You never know what will pop into my head next. ;) Okay...for Mercward...let me hear you one more time. And until the next time. Later! :)