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anavoliselenu · 5 years ago

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freedom cha 18

SELENA POV

"The Freedom to kill is the right to every human being, even if it produces the worst consequences." –Mark Twain

All things Twilight related belong to Stephanie MEyer.

I took the makeup brush and ran it over my eyelid, artfully smudging my skin with eye shadow. I was going for a different kind of look than normal and I wasn't sure how I liked it so far.

"Alice, are you sure this is what the magazine said?" I asked, looking at her in the reflection of my bathroom mirror.

"I think so. Maybe you're using too much. It looks funny." Her face scrunched up.

"Why do you read that garbage?"

"It's not garbage! Here, let me try." Alice took the brush and began doing my makeup herself.

"I don't like this." I sat with my hands in my lap. "I'm just going to wipe it off before the night is over."

"But you promised we could at least try it," Alice said. "And it doesn't look that bad."

"Yes, it does," I argued.

We were currently getting ready for a birthday party for a rather wealthy philanthropist named Conner Dunn. He was an older man with his hands in everything from education to public policy to medical wellbeing. He was very influential in the community, and the Biebers had been invited to attend his small gathering. He also happened to be one of Justin's professors at Brown, and one of his favorites. The only ones not joining us were Alec, Jane, Carlisle, and Esme.

We were more than happy to go.

Emmett had told me that a lot of Justin's college buddies would be there since they all knew Mr. Dunn as well. I couldn't believe my ears at first until he pulled out a Dartmouth yearbook and showed me a very young, smiling Justin in a fraternity picture, with Greek letters spelled across his chest on a sweatshirt. I nearly fell out of my chair.

The Justin I knew would never be social enough to be in a fraternity, especially one with manly bonding. He explained that he just joined because Jasper and Emmett had, but he was glad he did. The connections were invaluable, he said. I couldn't wait to hear about College Justin stories.

"There, I'm done," Alice sighed proudly.

"I'm not wearing all of this makeup." I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a clown, all thanks to Alice's new fashion magazine. She decided I was her test dummy.

"I agree," Rose said, shaking her head.

I reached for one of the makeup wipes and began taking it all off. I was more a natural kind of girl and Justin preferred it that way too. This was ridiculous. Once my face was free of powders and liquids, I started again.

Five minutes later, I was finished and I had a healthy glow, nothing overly done or dramatic.

I pulled my hair out of its pins and let it fall over my shoulders, styling it simply. I stood up and smoothed out my dress. It was black and fitted around my body until it fell at the knee. It was actually kind of sexy, but I didn't realize that until I put it on.

"Wow, your boobs look great in that," Alice commented, looking at me in the mirror.

"Thank you." I shrugged.

"I wish I was pregnant just for the breasts." Alice hung her head, gazing at her own chest.

I watched Rosalie's face fall slightly. I glared at Alice who rolled her eyes. Rose walked out of the bathroom, sniffling.

"Why did you have to do that?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to," she replied. "I wasn't trying to make her sad."

"You know she's sensitive about that topic."

"I'm not going to shut my mouth every time I want to talk about babies. That's stupid. She's been crying for five years on my shoulder. I understand, but millions of women can't have kids. They don't bawl their eyes out every second," Alice ranted.

"I'll go do damage control." I headed into the bedroom where Rose was sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I'm sorry about this." She shook her head. "I hate crying."

"I know you do." I sat down, rubbing her back. "She didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"When you… lost the first one, was it hard for you?" Rose blew her nose.

"Incredibly hard. I didn't know how to handle it. I would just cry for days and I was so young."

"Do you think about it now?"

I nodded. "Sometimes. Roman and Sophia would have an older sibling. It's so strange to think that."

"I'm sorry we never helped you through it."

"I know you are, but you have us here if you ever need anything."

"Thank you so much." Rose hugged me tightly. "I just kind of want to be alone for a minute."

"Okay, we'll be in the bathroom."

I got up and let her be so that she could have a good cry.

I thought about Elizabeth a lot, but didn't shed many tears anymore. Only when I really contemplated how my future might have changed if she was here. It was hard for me, but harder for Rosalie. She had lost so many now, and I couldn't imagine the pain she went through.

Alice was finishing up her hair when I went back to the bathroom.

"You're being really insensitive," I told her.

"I am not. I love her like a sister, but I can't stand it when she gets all depressed like that. It brings down my mood."

"Because it's all about Alice?" I said sarcastically, pulling on my red stiletto heels. They were very high, but I could do it.

She didn't bother acknowledge me.

Rosalie pulled herself together and joined us in the bathroom to finish up getting ready. She smiled and put on her usual joyful face, but she was hurting so much. I tried to be as comforting as I could. She and Alice were my older sisters, for all intents and purposes. I loved them both fiercely, and it hurt when one of them were in pain.

I held the banister of the staircase as I went down slowly, trying not to fall before I even got out of the door.

"Hot stuff." Emmett catcalled as we descended. "I like what I see."

Rosalie ran to him like a schoolgirl. Alice did the same with Jasper.

Justin was in the corner, shaded in darkness like some kind of mysterious enigma. He had a flute of champagne held close to his face, his lips in a smirk. He was in a pewter gray suit with a skinny black tie; perfectly formal without trying too hard. His hair was styled, yet disheveled at the same time, as it always was.

"What exactly are you trying to do to me?" he asked when I walked towards him. "Mrs. Bieber, you are going to be turning heads tonight."

"I want to turn your head." I pushed him gently against the wall.

"Your hormones are getting the best of you again." He chuckled. "We talked about this over aggressive sexual nature."

"I can't help it."

"You know what would set your outfit off even more?" He pulled me closer to him.

"What is that?"

Justin reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a strand of shining diamonds.

"You bought me another gift?" I exhaled in surprise, watching the jewels sparkle. "Wow."

"I've had it for a while. I forgot to give it to you on Valentine's. You distracted me with those chocolate dipped strawberries."

The color in my face rose as I remembered that particular night of sexual debauchery.

He turned me around and moved my hair, placing the necklace around me before fastening it.

He kissed my bare shoulder. "Beautiful."

There was a knock at the door, interrupting our moment.

"The elder Mr. and Mrs. Bieber." Gioni presented Carlisle and Esme in the foyer like this was some kind of grand ball.

"We've come to babysit." Esme held up her bags of gifts for Roman and Sophia. "I'm so excited and Carlisle will be on his best behavior."

"I haven't cared for a baby in thirty years." He shrugged. "I'm sure it's not that different."

We had made headway on rebuilding some sort of relationship with them. It wasn't as solid as before, but Justin had toned down his anger. I don't think he saw them as enemies anymore, so it was getting better. He was finally comfortable in leaving the babies alone with Carlisle and Esme, who opted out of the birthday party tonight. Of course, they would be under the watchful eye of Katy Nana, but I was sure everything would be fine.

There was light talk as we drank a little and prepared to leave. Justin wanted to go, but we were about half an hour early. I knew if I just kept him entertained throughout the night, he wouldn't get aggravated. He didn't do well in social settings like parties. Too many people made him anxious, which made him grouchy and angry. No one wanted to see that.

The catalyst that pushed us out of the door was when Bosco ran and almost knocked me over. Thankfully, Justin caught me when my heels slipped on the marble flooring. Bosco was just excited with the commotion in the house, but Justin nearly forced us into the cars and the dog into the basement.

Justin actually drove this time, letting William have the night off with his wife. We took a silver Bentley that had plush seats and lots of leg room. I seemed like a miniature doll compared to the expansive dashboard and extra-large gadgets of the car.

The lights of the city came into view and Justin began to fidget. I knew something was up.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him.

"Um, yeah." He cracked his neck.

"You're lying."

"I just don't know what to expect tonight."

"Why?"

"These guys… I haven't seen them since college and most of them weren't that upstanding then. I just don't how they will react to me."

"Sounds like a college reunion. Just loosen up. Don't be so serious all the time."

"You're right." He sighed.

The party was held at a conference center near the water. It was on the edge of the docks so we could see the water as we parked. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I liked what I saw so far.

I opened the door and made sure I had the gift of wine we brought before stepping out. Justin was there immediately to help me.

"Those are kind of high, Selena." He pointed to my shoes. "You going to be okay?"

"Yes," I glared, "I'm not going to fall over and die."

"Just checking." He chuckled.

The rest of the group parked slightly after us and we walked inside. We had arrived during social and cocktail hour so no one had sat down to dinner yet. I placed our gift on the table filled with wrapped presents and bags.

Justin handed me a drink. "Amaretto sour."

"Thank you." I took a sip. It was good. Really good.

"There's an open bar tonight so I plan to take full advantage." He drank some of the clear liquid in his glass. It smelled like gin and tonic.

"So, where is this famous teacher who you look up to so much? I have to meet him," I said.

"Are you going to embarrass me?" He grinned.

"Of course not. I just want to know the college you. I have a feeling he was quite different."

"That he was. And wild." Justin put his hand on the small of my back, pushing us into a larger ballroom.

Almost immediately, several different men accosted him. They all looked to be about the same age and of the same mold; rich, smart, products of fine homes, and extremely attractive.

"Oh, brother." Justin ran a hand through his hair and then put on a smile.

"Eddie!" A massive man nearly ran over to us. He was almost as big as Emmett. "What the fuck are you doing here? I didn't think I would ever see you again."

"I came for the party. Jasper and Emmett are here too."

"I see that." He clapped his shoulder roughly. "I missed you boys."

"We couldn't run away from you fast enough," Justin joked. I think.

The man turned to me. "And who is this?"

Justin's hold on me tightened. "This is my wife, Selena. Selena, this is one of my fraternity brothers Callahan Reed."

"It's nice to meet you." I held out my hand.

"No, no. I'm a hugger." I was ripped form Justin and lifted into the air.

I found out that all of Justin's college friends were huggers. It was strange at first, but I began to expect it as the night went on. I met men with strange first names that proved how rich their families were and their wives who seemed to be of the same class.

As I suspected, Emmett and Jasper were the social butterflies in college, leaving Justin to pave his own way. Callahan told crazy stories about Justin in the fraternity that I was apprehensive to believe. Things like putting fully assembled cars on the roof of the gym and boarding up the Dean's office. Or on one occasion, stealing a cadaver from the health science building during Halloween. Justin didn't deny a thing. He just laughed and recalled memories that he had seemed to forgotten.

This wasn't the normal posh crowd we tended to see at parties. The room was filled with staunch liberal intellectuals who loved to debate about social unrest. The conversations got interesting, fueled by alcohol, but it was all in jest. Many of the guests were from the city, but more were from out of town and not really familiar with whom I was. Justin made sure they knew I was his wife, and he told me that I gave a remarkable show of impressing them, which was hard with this crowd.

My drinks were kept full, and I enjoyed the buzz while meeting everyone; although, I made sure to pace myself.

"Come on, I want you to meet him." Justin pulled me towards an older looking man with the cutest blue and yellow bowtie I had ever seen. He was short and round, with thick black glasses and a baldhead, but full white beard.

"Justin Bieber!" he boomed. "Dolores, he's here," the man said to the older lady next to him, I assumed his wife.

"I couldn't miss out on your one thousandth birthday." Justin actually gave the guy a manly hug and pat on the back.

"It's a wonder I still leave fingerprints. I'm so old."

"I'd like to introduce you to my wife. Selena, this is Professor Conner Dunn, the man who basically made my life a living hell for four years at Dartmouth."

"I pushed you because you're smart and weren't using your potential," he said seriously, then softened. "It's very nice to meet you, Selena."

"You too. Justin's said so many things about you. It's nice to finally meet."

He introduced me to his wife, who was also a professor, and they seemed so much in love. He would kiss her without even realizing it, and she would hold his hand or touch his arm so lightly. We stayed with them for a couple of minutes until someone told us that dinner was being served.

Justin led me to our table that also sat the rest of the family and a few empty chairs. The centerpieces were beautiful roses in small vases and candles. The mood was intimate with the lights dimmed.

"I'm so glad we came to this." Emmett drank from his cup. "I haven't seen these guys in years."

"I know and half of them are still the same as they were in college," Jasper added. "A mess."

A server came by and asked us what kind of wine we wanted. I chose white, while Justin chose red.

After dinner, there was some dancing. A live band played some great music, and Justin nearly yanked me onto the floor. We weren't the type of couple who danced the night away, but on rare occasions, it happened. Usually it was when Justin had enough bourbon to tranquilize a horse, but he was never sloppy. We ended up swirling and swaying for about half an hour, not a care in the world.

"You're fairly light on your feet this evening," Justin said to me.

"All thanks to your good footwork, no doubt."

"Do you care for a break?"

"Yes, actually," I sighed, exhausted of my dips and twirls.

Justin took my hand and led me from the ballroom, onto the patio outside. It was a lot cooler out here, and I breathed a sigh of relief, sitting on one of the benches. He stood against the railing, smoking a cigarette.

"This is by far the most fun I've had in a long time," Justin said.

"I agree. It's nice to get away from the house for a couple of hours."

"I can't argue with that." He sat next to me.

We stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, just enjoying our peace and quiet.

"How's your… hit list going?" I asked. For some reason, the words came out on their own; I didn't even realize until it was too late.

Justin didn't seem shocked at all. He just took a drag and exhaled smoke. "It's going well. Just two left."

"Really? That was fast."

"I work exceedingly quickly when I have a goal in mind."

"Well, can you maybe keep that to yourself while Charlie is here? I want him to have a pleasant visit."

"I wouldn't dare upset the delicate balance between a father and his daughter." Justin kissed the top of my head.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "Should I just move out of the house until he leaves?"

"No, I'm sure he's warmed up enough now that you dubious activities don't bother him as much as they used to."

"You're too kind."

The next day, I was sitting at a table in a street side café in the city, waiting for Justin to meet me on his lunch break. It was the perfect temperature outside and people seemed to be taking advantage of the weather, walking around or eating lunch in the open like we were.

"Would you like anything to drink?" a waitress asked me.

"Just more water." I smiled.

"No problem."

I spotted Justin across the street, waiting for traffic to disperse before crossing. He looked so incredibly handsome today in a more casual look than he usually wore. I hadn't seen him today before he left for work, so this sight was something to behold.

Justin rarely wore jeans, but when he did, he wore then extremely well. They were tight, but not too tight, and hung just the right way. His white t-shirt underneath didn't have a wrinkle in sight and over it, he wore a navy blue military-like jacket that made his chest seem even broader than usual. He had on Aviator sunglasses and his hair was in its usual form of disarray.

"Sorry I'm late." He leaned down to kiss me.

I was slightly stunned and left my mouth handing open for a couple of seconds while he sat across from me.

"What?" he asked, taking off his glasses.

"You look… good."

"Oh, well, thank you." He seemed genuinely surprised that I thought so.

"What's with the casualness?"

"We're doing some moving around in the office, so everyone got to dress down."

"Moving furniture and stuff?"

"More or less. We're trying to clean up before the Feds show up." Justin shrugged, waving over our waitress. "Have you ordered?"

"Not yet. I was waiting for you."

"Good." The waitress came over with a happy disposition. Justin didn't even let her greet him. "We'll have two chicken Caesar salads, one with no onions and the other with no tomatoes. I'll have a glass of Pinot Grigio with one ice cube. If it's more than one, I'm complaining to the manager. That will be all."

She looked taken aback, and stuttered.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, belittling the waitress further. "Would you like me to repeat it again?"

"Uh, no, sir." She shook her head and left.

I sighed, "Justin, you have got to reign in that attitude of yours. It's not going to get you anywhere in life. I hope to God Roman is more temperate than you are."

"He tried to throw a spoon at me this morning. He's going to be worse than I ever was." Justin seemed happy about that. "How has your day been so far?"

We talked about mundane things for a while, not getting into anything heavy over lunch. The waitress from before steered clear of our table, unless it was absolutely necessary when Justin called her over. She was terrified of us.

"So, you're done for the day?" I asked him, almost overly excited at the thought of having him all to myself for the rest of the day.

"Yes, I am." He grinned. "Did you have anything in mind? Sexually, maybe?"

"Justin, stop it. We had sex last night… twice," I whispered. So…

"I can't help it. Something about this spring air has me horny as a beast."

"Sex will have to wait." I stood up from the table, laying down a couple of bills for the waitress' tip. Justin refused to pay it.

"Can you drive me home?" Justin asked, following me onto the sidewalk.

"Sure."

"I had Jasper drop me off at the office this morning."

I looped my arm through his as we walked to the parking garage down the street. "We first we need to go grocery shopping."

"For?"

"All of Charlie's favorite things." I pulled out a list from my purse. "Rainer beer, and smoked blueberry bacon. Those are a must."

"Blueberry bacon? What the hell is that?" Justin eyed me over the rim of his sunglasses.

"It's bacon that's been cured in blueberry jam. It's the best stuff ever. I haven't had it in years."

"Selena, that sounds disgusting."

"It's really good. I'll make you some. When I first went to live with Charlie, that was all I would eat. He bought so many packages of it we couldn't fit anything in the fridge."

We reached the red BMW I took today, and Justin went to the driver's side door.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"Driving. Give me the keys."

"I don't think so." I fished them out of my purse.

"Selena, you're not driving my car. Hand them over."

"Your car? As I recall, I got it for a birthday gift from you. I don't see why I can't drive."

"Because you're a bad driver."

I glared and pushed him out of my way. I quickly unlocked the door and got in.

"Selena, this isn't funny. Get out of the car." He slammed his fist on the roof.

"Stop being a jackass. I'm leaving with or without you in twenty seconds."

I got an odd sense of satisfaction as I watched Justin stomp to the other side of the car and sink into the seat next to me.

"See, it's not that bad." I backed out of the parking stop.

As I made my way out of the city, Justin didn't speak one word to me. He never liked it when I drive because he said I went too slow; although, at the same time, was too reckless. I don't understand how that was possible, but he swore I was both. He hated the fact that he had to sit in the passenger's seat.

"You know, Selena, I don't like that fact that you bullied me into this," Justin complained.

"You'll be fine."

"No, I won't be. I feel emasculated and I think we need to talk about this. You have to admit that you're a bad driver."

"I am not," I argued. "I happen to be an excellent driver."

"Please. If I didn't have the police in my pocket, you would have more speeding tickets that you'd know what to do with."

"My father is a cop. He taught me well."

"Selena, this has nothing to do with the fact that Charlie supposedly taught you how to drive. I've never seen the proof of it."

"I need examples of it then. Or we can just wait until Charlie gets here and he can tell you what a good driver I am."

Something in the rearview mirror caught my eye.

The sunlight shone off of the bright windshield of a tinted black Mercedes two cars behind. I had seen it when we were having lunch across the street, or when I pulled out of the parking garage. He was following us.

"Secondly, you rev the engine," Justin continued on his tirade. "You can't go from zero to sixty by just slamming your foot down. You'll blow the whole thing."

"Yeah."

"Selena, are you listening to me?"

"What?" I snapped my head towards him. "Of course. What were we talking about?"

"Just pay attention to the road. There's a sharp curve up here and you tend to take them quickly. You'll mess up the alignment of the wheels."

I saw the car try to get closer. He bypassed a truck on the two lane road and made himself even more obvious.

"Okay, Selena, time for some evasive driving," I said to myself.

"What was that?" Justin asked.

"Nothing." I stomped on the gas pedal and took off on the highway. The car jolted me back into the seat, and I kept my hands steady on the wheel so I didn't run off us the road.

"Selena, what the fuck!" Justin held onto the door. "We just talked about this."

"Justin, I think someone's following us."

"Who?" He spun around in the seat.

"That black Mercedes. He's been tailing us from the city. Do you know him?"

"No. What's the license plate? Selena, slow down."

"I'm not slowing down."

"Okay, take this next exit and park in the gas station. See if he follows."

I did as Justin said, slowing down enough to get off of the highway. I immediately made the first right and came across a decaying gas station. It was one of those places that you see on horror movies, but never actually thought existed. The walls were crumbled and the ancient pumps sat outside, just waiting to be used. The attendant inside perked up when I parked out front.

"Duck down." Justin pushed on my head until I was crunched in the seat. I couldn't see over the wheel anymore.

"What are you doing?" I asked, watching him pull out a gun from underneath the seat. It was a rather large semi-automatic weapon that would be able to fire off hundreds of bullets in a matter of seconds.

I looked to make sure there weren't any civilians around.

"Selena, I said stay down!"

"Sorry." I crouched lower. "Is he still there?"

"No, I haven't seen him. I think we're good." Justin sighed and put the gun down.

"Who was that?" I sat up.

"I'm not sure, but let me drive from now on."

"I can..."

"Don't argue with me right now. Just let me drive," he snapped, his nerves on edge. I knew better than to test him at this point. "I want you to get in the back and lay on the seat."

I climbed over the center console and stretched my body out in the back, staring up at the car roof. Justin quickly took over behind the wheel.

He eased out of the gas station slowly at first, looked, and then went back onto the highway. His pace was slow, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. The gun sat across his lap, just waiting to be used.

I didn't say a word, not wanting to break his concentration. I bit my lip, wanting so desperately to peek over and see what was going on, but I knew Justin would kill me if I did.

"It's okay, Selena. No one's following us," he informed me. "We're almost home."

"Who was that?"

"I got the license plate. I'll find out, don't worry."

Charlie arrived early the next week, on a Saturday morning, with Anna in tow. It was just the two of them since the kids were still in school. They were staying with a family friend for the next five days.

"Selena." Charlie actually lifted me up when he got out of the car, squeezing me tightly on the front steps.

"Hey, Dad," I gasped. "Too tight."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He set me back down. "It's just so good to see you."

"You too. How was the flight?"

"Very fancy." Charlie's face twisted in a grimace. "Your private jet is far too much for me, Selena."

I rolled my eyes. "We were just trying to make you comfortable."

"He went right to sleep. They were the most luxurious seats I have ever sat in." Anna came up to me with a fairly softer hug.

"I'm glad you guys could come."

"Where's Justin?" Anna asked.

"He's at work. He'll be here soon." It was kind of a half-lie. Justin was upstairs in his office, which was locked and sealed. He asked not to be disturbed because he was dealing with a lot of shit right now. The embezzlement scandal was still going on, and he found out who our mystery stalker was, though, he evading my questions when I asked.

"Where would you like the bags, Mrs. Selena?" William asked me, carrying the few things that they brought.

"The guest room on the second floor," I said.

"I can do that," Charlie protested.

William shifted, escaping him, and went into the house.

"Now look here, Selena," Charlie huffed. "I won't have people waiting on me at all hours of the day. I can do things for myself."

"Dad, you're on vacation. Let someone else do something for a change."

"I don't need it."

"We know, Charlie. You're young and fit." Anna patted his back.

"You're damned right I am," he agreed, puffing out his chest.

I was about to respond when I heard the loud paws of Bosco on the floor of the foyer. I spun around. "Stop!"

He halted in front of the door and sat on his ass.

I breathed a sigh of relief, "That's the new dog."

"Oh, the one you sent us pictures of?" Anna went up to pat his head. "He doesn't seem overly enthusiastic to me."

"That's after weeks of training. It's like having another baby." I shut the door when they came inside.

"Speaking of, where are my grandkids?" Charlie asked.

"Upstairs, supposedly taking a nap, but they I think they're excited to see you."

We went inside where Gioni was waiting and took their coats. Once again, Charlie didn't approve.

"Selena, you have servants," he pointed out.

"Their family, Dad."

"Yeah, right." He rolled his eyes.

"We're going to be having lunch outside so you guys can relax." I led them through the house.

"This place is beautiful." Anna admired the paintings on the wall and soft carpet under her feet. "Even bigger than the last house."

"Justin is something of a connoisseur in the real estate market," I said, pushing open the doors to the back patio. A nice table was already set up.

"Because they all keep getting blown up," Charlie replied.

"Dad, if you're going to do this the whole time you're here, you might as well have stayed in Forks."

"No, I'm just kidding." He sat down. "What are we eating?"

"I figured I'd make some of your favorites. Hamburgers and fries."

"I never get to eat like this at home." He clapped his hands together.

"Because the doctor said you need to be healthier." Anna sat as well. "I won't have you dying in five years."

It was funny to me how wives worry about their husbands. I said the same thing to Justin. Anna and I couldn't be more different from each other, yet we both loved our husbands in a way that made us seem maybe a little too overbearing.

Carmela brought out a frosted glass and poured a Rainer beer. Charlie's eyes grew as it filled, and he took it from her with his mouth open. She curtsied, and then left.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"The beer angel. We keep her on staff just for you," I laughed.

"Seriously, Selena. Where did you find Rainer in Chicago?"

"I have my ways. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable here."

"I haven't had one of these in six months, at least." He took a big gulp.

Anna muttered, but didn't say anything. She instead took a small bite of her burger.

Francis nudged my leg under the table. I picked him up and sat him on my lap, but kept his mouth away from the table.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Charlie asked me.

"I already did. It's just easier to eat when I'm feeding the babies. They're on my schedule now."

"I can't wait until they wake up from their nap," Anna cooed. "I just love them so much. Will we be seeing much of Esme and Carlisle while we're here? Us grandparents need to talk shop."

"They'll be around. Everyone's really busy right now, but they all carved out lots of time over the next few days."

Charlie was clearly uncomfortable with spending time with the Biebers. He knew what they did, and I was sure he hated to think that I was one of them. On the few occasions that he's visited, Charlie seemed to be okay with Carlisle, though. It was hard to see that man as anything other than suave and charming. It was only when he turned into the mighty patriarch did you need to worry. Much like his son.

"We should have come at a different time. I knew we should wait," Anna said ruefully.

"No, it's fine," I assured her.

"We're more than happy to have you here." Justin swooped into the conversation with ease and superiority, unbuttoning his jacket as he took a seat next to me.

"There you are." I leaned over, taking off his glasses and kissed him.

Pleasantries were exchanged and Charlie was on his best behavior. He tightly smiled without his normal jabs or under the breath moans.

"I'm glad you guys could come for the babies' christening," Justin said, taking a small bite of his lunch. He looked tired, but kept his energy up. He wasn't sleeping anymore and only ate when I asked him to.

I took his hand, under the table, squeezing it lovingly. He squeezed back, telling me not to worry. I hated seeing him this way.

"It should be interesting. I've never been to a baptism before," Charlie said, sipping his beer. "Renee and I didn't think it was all that important with Selena."

"Yet she's adamant on Roman and Sophia being dunked into a pool of supposed, 'holy water'." Justin rolled his eyes.

"Now you're just making fun of me." I hit his leg. "You know this is important to the family."

"I agree with you, Selena," Anna said.

"Well, that's the boring part of your vacation. If you're up for it, we can go see a little baseball today, Charlie." Justin leaned back in his chair.

"That sounds fantastic," my father replied, sparkly-eyed and excited.

"Maybe you should have a nap," Anna suggested.

"I'm fine." He waved her off.

"I've already called my brothers and we're all going. It is opening day, after all. We can't pass that up, can we?"

"Absolutely not. I could never get Selena to watch baseball with me," Charlie complained.

"I watched; I just didn't participate in the usual conversation that went along with it. "

"She never understood it."

"I tried." I shrugged. "It never interested me. I'd rather read."

Justin and Charlie both shook their heads at me.

Two hours later, the entire Bieber family was over to our house. They fawned over Charlie and Anna, welcoming them into their arms. It had been a while since my father and I were on good enough terms for him to visit me in Chicago. This was a nice change.

"Selena, the babies look so cute today." Alice bounced Sophia on her knee, dressed in her Chicago White Sox onesie. I didn't know where Justin got it from, but both the babies were dressed for a win. I was on the floor, quickly changing Roman's diaper. He was giggling and waving his arms around, happy about the many voices in the room.

I kissed his stomach before putting his clothes back on.

"They're getting so heavy." I lifted him up.

"How have his lungs been?" Anna asked, patting Roman's back.

"Okay, not great. He has to have his inhaler every day, and he has his coughing fits, but the doctor said it will get better as he grows older."

"I hope so. Poor baby." She took him from me.

Justin came into the living room in a nice fitting pair of jeans and a jersey of his own. Somehow he was over and underdressed at the same time. His hair was freshly wet from his recent shower, and his face clean shaven. He looked healthy for the first time in days.

"Hey." He pulled me towards him when I stood up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just working really hard. It'll all be over soon."

"Ominous, as usual."

"You don't want to know what I have up my sleeves."

We had to take three cars to Cellular Field, and since it was opening day, as Justin had said, the place was packed. Of course, the Biebers got special treatment; exclusive parking spaces, bypassing of security, uncrowded driving lanes. Charlie was very impressed.

"That was the fastest I've ever been through a baseball parking lot," he said as we started to unload the cars.

"Only the best for the family," Carlisle said, seemingly proud that he could dazzle the ex-head of police from Forks, Washington.

We were seated in a box that had been under Carlisle's name since the early nineties. I remembered coming here when Justin and I first started dating. That seemed so long ago, and I was so in awe of everything, much like Charlie was now.

"Your father seems to be having fun." Justin whispered to me as we sat on a comfortable couch. He pointed towards my father, who had his face pressed against the glass window, gazing onto the field.

"You're just hoping he forgets how you stole me away, and then married me." I picked Roman up. Sophia was sleeping, so I left her alone in her carrier.

"I will neither confirm nor deny that."

I was about to say something, but Amun was suddenly bending his head forward, whispering in Justin's ear. I couldn't hear, but Justin's face hardened slightly.

"Bring him in," he said with a strict voice and stood up.

"Justin, what is it?"

"Nothing, just stay seated," he instructed.

No one, but Carlisle seemed to be one edge. They didn't seem to notice or hadn't been informed of oncoming danger. I held Roman closer to me, just in case.

James Denali hobbled into the box, leaning heavily on a cane. He looked upbeat and entered with a smile, but I wasn't convinced. He disgusted me just as much as he did the first time I met him, which was ironically, in this very stadium.

The tension in the room was felt by everyone now, including Charlie, who was glaring James up like a suspect. He had that keen sense of character judgment that could sniff out the rats in any room.

James and Justin talked quietly for a couple of minutes. Everyone continued to converse amongst themselves, but it was just a facade, so that we weren't caught snooping.

Alec came and sat next to me, taking Roman and pushing a gun into my newly freed hands.

"Am I going to need this?" I asked.

"Justin told me to give it to you just in case. He doesn't like you unprotected with James so close."

"I'm always protected."

"Just in case," he stressed. "I don't even know why he's here."

"He looks kind of happy. I've never seen that before."

"Don't believe it."

I nodded, already pondering what kind of nonsense James might be plotting in his head.

Once he and Justin were done talking, he came over to me. "Selena, it's very nice to see you again."

"You as well." I nodded, not making a move to shake his hand. "How's your sister?"

"Tanya? She's always fine."

I could see Justin pacing close, trying to keep his distance. I'm sure he wanted to take me from the room, but kept Charlie occupied.

"That's good."

"And I see the babies are growing up well. We were all so happy to know that you were pregnant."

I didn't know what to say, so just awkwardly smiled. It was really weird, only made more so by the fact that I didn't know how to react to him.

"Well, it was nice see you again." James moved on to the next shake Jasper's hand.

It was quite strange to fake nice with that man.

He left half an hour later, after making everything horribly awkward. Justin came to sit back down, a little less agitated and wound up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, handing him Sophia. He calmed down, cradling her small sleeping body.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

I bit my lip, trying to choose my words carefully. "You don't seem like that was planned."

"It wasn't. Jackass decided to just show up."

"You're going to do something, aren't you?"

The slight glint in his eye told me that Justin was up to no good. He didn't answer me.

"Please, don't do anything with Charlie around," I begged. "I don't want you to scare him."

"I promise, everything will be alright." He pulled me towards me and kissed the top of my head.

The game started after a rousing rendition of the National Anthem by a local celebrity. Charlie was happy to be so close to the action. I don't think he ever took the time of to actually go see a baseball game, at least not while I was living with him. He was content to watch on his big screen at home.

Justin wasn't happy. James and a couple of other people I didn't know where in the glassed booth next to us. We could see them, but no one turned their heads. It would just make things stranger. There was an air of tension in our room that wasn't going anywhere, no matter what we did. Emmett kept the jokes going, and Justin made sure we were all fed great food, but something was wrong.

"We need to talk about the party?" Alice plopped down on the sofa next to me during a small break between innings.

"What party?"

"The party after the babies' christening. It'll be at the house and all the family is invited, of course."

"Right, and I want to cook."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you insist on having you hand in everything. You have help for a reason."

"I want to cook. I couldn't for the Christmas party, but this time, I have a few good recipes I want to try."

"Oh, my God!" Alice screeched.

"What? I don't think it's that outrageous that I can cook. I have been doing it all my life, you know."

"No, not that. Look over there." She pointed to where James and his friends were situated in their booth. There was some kind of disruption going on and even though we couldn't head anything, it was obvious that they were freaking out.

James was on the floor, gripping his throat, and his face was beet red. He was writhing around in pain and white foam began to pour from his mouth.

"What the hell is going on?" Carlisle went to the window to get a better look.

"I think he's in pain, "Esme gasped. "Should we do something?"

"Maybe he's dying," Rose said.

"Call a fucking ambulance." Jasper fumbled through his pockets for his phone.

"Leave him be," Justin commanded, his voice low with power.

The room fell silent and everyone slunk back into their seats, not daring to look at what might be happening next to us. Charlie didn't seem at all shocked. He just shook his head and turned back to the game. Anna seemed confused, but Esme took the brunt of her questions as best as she could.

Justin didn't say anything to me for the rest of the game. Maybe he was ashamed, maybe he was mad, but he probably didn't care. He couldn't be bothered to care what anyone thought of his devious actions, let alone me.

I knew all about his hit list. One by one, murderous men around the city were secretly disappearing. I was sure if anyone had the balls to ask him, Justin would tell you outright that he was behind it.

James was another one down, and while Justin was cool on the outside, I was sure there was a small sense of satisfaction behind his stoic face.

JUSTINS POV

"Freedom to love is the greatest triumph in this world."

Everything Twilight related belongs to Stephanie Meyer

I sat behind the wheel of my silver Aston Martin, smoking out of the window, tapping my foot on the floor. Dare I say it… I was nervous. Just a little.

I was parked across the street of a kind of shitty part of town, but that didn't matter to me. I just wanted to make sure it was isolated. There were an abandoned grocery store and a couple empty shops around, none of which would be missed very much.

I sat and waited.

My phone rang a couple of times and Selena's name flashed on the screen, but I didn't bother picking up. I didn't want to speak to her right now because I wasn't in a pleasant state. She was mad at me for pulling that stunt at the baseball game, but her anger had subsided over the past few days.

I smoked four cigarettes before a black car pulled into the grocery store parking lot across the street. I perked up a little when I saw Jacob Black get out and look around. He seemed calm and collected, not the least bit worried about what his future held. He trusted me too much. It would be his downfall.

I got out of the car and slammed the door shut before walking across the pavement.

"You better have a good reason for calling me out here at nine in the morning on a Saturday. I was sleeping." Black crossed his arms.

I shrugged.

"You look like shit," he demanded with an aggressive tone that I wasn't all too pleased about.

"So do you," I said, even though he really didn't. While I was wasting away, he was getting even more muscular and menacing.

"Is there a reason why I'm here? I haven't heard anything about you in a couple of months. They're lying low, leaving you alone."

"I'm not here to talk about business." I leaned against his car. "This is more of a personal conversation."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"We never got to discuss what happened a couple of years ago and I felt like now would be as good a time as any."

"What are you talking about?"

"How you treated Selena and my family. I never got a chance to give you a fucking punch for it."

"That was just protocol, Justin. You know that. We had information and I was required to bring Selena in."

"No, you didn't. You wanted me and couldn't find anything so you decided to shit on the most important thing in my life. Admit it." I stood up a little straighter.

"We're not teenagers. I had a job to do. I can't help it if your feelings were hurt."

"You took her from me and then proceeded to drag her through the mud in front of everyone. Selena didn't deserve that."

"Then you should have given yourself up. This is just your fault as much as it is mine. Okay, yes, maybe I had some personal thing against you, but don't make me out to be the bad guy. You were a coward and you should have come out of hiding."

"I couldn't do that!" I slammed my fist against his car, and it made a loud bang.

"Then you really should be mad with yourself," he said smugly. "If you want to bring up all this old shit, then you need to come to the realization that I was just doing my job. You brought her into this life and now she can't leave."

"I love her and by some miracle, she loves me. She shouldn't have been thrown into some jail because of my mistakes. You took out your anger on her and just piled everything on at once."

"I'm not doing this today, Justin." He opened the car door to get in, but I closed it forcefully.

"You should have known that when you hurt her, you weren't going to get away with it."

"I'm not afraid of you, Justin. I never have been. It's a wonder that we've been able to work together these past few months, but if you push my buttons, I'll have you in court faster than you can blink."

"I look forward to it." I stepped even closer to him.

"Back away, Justin." He opened up his jacket, revealing a shiny new gun to try and intimidate me.

"You broke up my family and you're not going to get away with it."

"Get over it. That was years ago. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to suffer like I did," I admitted, my voice cold.

"Was it all that bad, anyway?" He threw his hands up in the air. "Look at you now. You have a gorgeous wife, your family back, kids. You have a happy ending, while the rest of us have to cover up your shit. I work my ass off to keep the Feds away from you."

"As it should be," I exclaimed. "I've dealt with the worst kinds of people in my life, but you are by far the most horrid human being on the face of the earth."

"You're so dramatic." He rolled his eyes.

"There's nothing worse than a corrupt cop who steps on people to get his way. You put my wife in danger and caused me too much strife over the past few years. It seems like any issues I have, the root always starts at your office."

"Fuck you, Justin."

"I've punished everyone I've seen as a threat except for you, but your time is up, Jacob Black."

"You're pathetic. Am I all you have to live for? Your revenge is starting to kill you and we can't change the past so just let it go."

I clenched my fists together and had to push down the aggressive thoughts that were seeping into my head. There were so many things I could do to torture this man. But I let go of the door and he stood there with beady black eyes.

"Your time is up," I repeated and turned to walk away. My shoes clicked on the street and by the time I reached my car, he still hadn't gotten in his.

I was back behind the wheel, smoking a cigarette, just watching him. Black finally sank into his car, and I heard the ignition start through the open window.

There was a gigantic explosion through the vehicle into the air, and a plume of orange fire shot into the clear sky. Almost immediately, smoke began to rise and seemed to go up forever. The car burned quickly and rested on its side, flaming violently.

I turned the key of the Aston Martin and made a calm turn onto the street to go home.

"There you are." Katy Nana had her hands on her hips as I came in through the garage door. "We've been waiting for over an hour. Everyone's almost ready to head to the church."

"I know. I had some business."

"It's always business," she muttered, pushing me out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

I made my way through the house, trying to be quiet so that no one would stop to talk. Unfortunately, I didn't have such luck.

Charlie popped his head out of the guestroom as I passed. "Oh, I thought you were Selena." He was tying a dark blue tie around his neck.

"No, I think she's getting dressed in our room."

"Right." He nodded and went to close the door, but then stopped and sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

"No," I shrugged, sticking my hands into my pocket. This man was probably the only person on the face of the planet who could make me feel like a wrongdoing teen. Not even Carlisle had that power.

"It's like something's burning…." His mustache twitched.

"Cigarettes," I answered. "I had a few earlier."

I began to walk away before he could ask more questions.

"You know, I'm not stupid, Justin," he said. "I've been around many fires in my day and I know the difference between smoke from a cigarette and that of something a little stronger say… an explosion of some kind."

I stopped, but didn't dare turn around.

"Don't treat me like an idiot," he slammed the door shut.

I began striping out of my clothes down the hallway and was naked by the time I got to my room. Selena was stumbling into a pair of heels, her body draped in a beautiful dark blue dress.

"You're here," she cried. "Thank God. I thought you were going to be late."

"I told you I'd get here in time."

"We're supposed to be at the church in an hour, which means we need to leave soon."

"Let me just get a shower." I walked past her to the bathroom, but she caught my hand, pulling me back.

"I didn't get to see you this morning before you left."

"I didn't want to wake you." I placed my head on her shoulder, bending down quite a ways. I kissed her neck.

"You sound exhausted."

"I know, but I'm so relieved."

"Relieved?"

"You have no idea," I sighed. It was over. Well, the hard part was over. There was a lot more troubles to come, probably sooner than I hoped, but I would have to handle them later.

Selena lifted my head up. "What have you been doing, Mr. Bieber?"

I kissed her full lips tenderly. She tasted like some kind of fruit and made a soft noise when my mouth hit hers. Every time I came home, Selena reminded me why I loved her and how my life would be different if she wasn't here. Everything I did was for her and my family. They might hate me sometimes, but I was doing everything in my power to protect them.

"Selena, I want you know that I love you," I whispered. "I'm sorry for any pain you've had because of me, but I love you. I really do."

She seemed confused and smiled. "I know, Justin. You're an absolutely insane man, but I know you love me."

I nodded. As long as she knew that, I could face what was sure to be a rough future.

Half an hour later, our caravan of cars were making their way into the city. I was driving with Selena sitting next to me, Roman and Sophia in the back. They looked rather pious in their traditional christening stark white outfits, complete with puffy caps. Always the fashionista, Sophia was more than happy to wiggle against the silky fabric. She had a smile on her face that even made my icy heart warm. Roman was less than pleased, pouted and pulling at his clothes to be set free.

Selena took another picture, the flash illuminating the whole car.

"You're going to blind them," I warned her.

"They'll be fine." She reached behind her to fix Roman's hat, which had come askew for the hundredth time. Dark brown hair fell out of the sides and his green eyes were pleading with me to get him into something more comfortable.

"Sorry, buddy," I said regretfully. "You're stuck in that thing for at least another couple of hours."

The christening would be a small gathering at the church, but the reception afterwards was supposed to be an immense party. Not only was the entire family coming, but some business associates of mine, political figures, and many less than savory characters were as well. I was assured everyone would be on their best behavior.

Alec, as the proud godfather, was nervous about his future duties and requested that he give some sort of speech. I didn't think that was tradition at a baptism reception, but he demanded it. He had been working on putting something together for two weeks now. He refused to let me hear any of it.

We chose Rosalie as godmother to the children. No matter how much of a raging bitch that woman was, I couldn't think of anyone better to care for my babies than her if something should happen. Of course, Emmett had to agree to that as well, which he did.

Renee couldn't make it on account of Phil having minor emergency shoulder surgery. She wanted to stay home with him, but Charlie and Anna were still here, so Selena didn't mind. She seemed happy as ever just to have her family around. Before we left the house, Cici called, informing us that she wouldn't be able to make it due to her travel plans changing.

Esme thought that Cici might not want to be around us anymore after Nicola's death. It hurt her too much. Selena kept telling me that she knew the two were secretively in love. I would never have believed her, but the evidence was starting to stack up.

Selena kept the babies entertained on the drive, swinging colorful toys in front of their faces that they tried to catch with their small hands.

"It's amazing how much they've grown," I said.

"I know. They're so cute. The cutest things in the world."

I nodded in agreement.

Selena turned on the music system and some horrid children's song filled my ears. I immediately switched on something classical.

"I will not allow that nonsense in this car." I shook my head.

"Justin, they like your music too, but sometimes they just want their children's stuff." She put her hand on my arm to sooth me.

"I don't care."

"You're kind of grumpy today. Is everything all right?"

I sighed heavily, "It will be."

Selena nodded, but she wasn't convinced.

Our cars pulled up to the church, where Father O'Brien was waiting on the steps.

"They couldn't give us an Italian priest?" I said gruffly as I got out of the car and retrieved Roman from the backseat.

"I requested him," Selena replied, getting Sophia.

"Why? You know I hate that man."

"He's always been good to us. He seemed like the best fit. Be nice," she warned.

The entire Bieber clan, plus Charlie and Anna, walked towards the church. I kept Roman close to my chest, wrapped in his tiny white blanket. He was ready to fall asleep, but the excitement of the day was forcing him to stay awake.

"There they are. The babies of the hour," Father O'Brien stated proudly, his light Irish accent seeping through his speech. He was dressed in a long white robe and dark green sash with gold accents around the edges.

He held his hands out for Roman, but I backed up a little.

"Now, Justin, we must put the past behind us. I'm baptizing your children, for goodness sakes."

Selena intervened, "And we're so thankful that you were available."

"Of course. Anything for you." He hugged her.

"See, Justin, this isn't so bad." Emmett clapped me on the shoulder. "Baptisms are supposed to give babies strength and luck in the future."

"It's a silly ritual." I said under my breath, trying to unnecessarily shield Roman as much as possible from the church.

"We were all christened and we turned out fine," Jasper pointed out.

"Justin, your tie is a mess." Esme snatched my son from my hands and gave him to Carlisle. She pulled me down to her level by my collar and began fixing it. "You should know better than this."

"I was in a rush," I admitted shamefully.

"This is a very important day. You need to be on your best behavior."

"Why is everyone telling me that? I'm a grown man. I know how to act in public."

"Is Selena keeping you in line?" She grinned. "Bless that girl for putting up with you."

Everyone began filing into the church, and I took Roman back from Carlisle. It was fairly empty inside except for a small group of choir boys that stood behind the pulpit with smiles on their faces. I'm sure they could care less about being in church on a Saturday afternoon, and I didn't blame them.

Soft candles were lit around the sanctuary, and there was a sweet aroma of vanilla in the air. A holy water font stood at the pulpit, and I literally shuddered at the sight of it.

"Maybe I am the devil," I joked to myself.

"You all can sit in the front pews," Father O'Brien instructed us. "Do we have everyone here?"

"Yes," I said, making a show of checking my watch.

Selena grabbed my hand and whispered to me, "Please stop being so agitated. I don't know why this bothers you, but it's important to me. So please..."

She looked at me with that face. It wasn't angry or mean or scolding. It was pleading, almost hurtful. I was literally about to crumble.

"All right." I nodded.

Charlie chuckled softly from his seat behind us.

The service began as Father O'Brien said a few words about innocence and how this was a sacred day that should be taken seriously. As much as I wanted to huff and roll my eyes, I refrained. As Selena said, this was important to her, so it in turn became semi-important to me. She told me that she never had a religion to guide her growing up. Our children were bound to have difficult lives ahead of them, so Selena thought that anything we could provide in protection was valuable, including religion.

After Father's words, the boys' choir sang a couple of Latin hymns. Jasper hummed along, being a choir boy himself back in the day.

"I now call the parents to bring the babies forward to be presented for baptism. The Godparents are also invited to join."

Selena and I carried Roman and Sophia up to the front steps of the pulpit. They were both wide awake and had been fairly good throughout the service, although, I wasn't sure how much longer that was going to last. Sophia was already getting a little testy. Rose and Alec followed us.

"All right, so ladies first," Father O'Brien whispered and smiled at Selena, who was holding Sophia.

He cleared his throat, "Justin and IsaSelena Bieber are today presenting their daughter for Christian baptism. Christian baptism signifies for this young child God's gracious acceptance on the basis of prevenient grace. It is an acknowledgement of God's grace at work in the life of this child within the care of her mother and father and extended family, and under the nurture of this community of Faith."

He then spoke to us directly, "Justin and IsaSelena, do you desire for your daughter Sophia to be baptized."

"We do," we responded. Selena seemed relieved that I actually replied. I felt like I was getting married again.

Father O'Brien continued. "To this end it is your duty to teach Sophia, as soon as she is able to learn, the nature of this holy sacrament; to watch over her education, that she may not be led astray; to direct her feet to the sanctuary; to restrain her from evil associates and habits, and as much as in you lies, to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

"We will," we replied, yet again.

He then turned to Alec and Rosalie. "Godparents fill as special role in the life of a child. Do you, as the godparents of this child, promise to share responsibility with Justin and IsaSelena for this precious child, to pray for her, and to help her take her place within this world?"

Alec and Rosalie responded with a, "We will," of their own.

Father O'Brien spoke to me, "Justin, what name have you given your child?"

"Sophia Verena Bieber," I answered.

My baby girl...

He took Sophia from Selena. "Sophia Verena Bieber, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Father took a small challis and dipped in the pool of water in front of us, pouring drops of water on Sophia's forehead. She squirmed in his hands, and I wanted to snatch her away from him, but kept myself under control.

We repeated the same thing with our son, giving him the name Roman Telemachus Bieber. He was far more aggressive than his sister and didn't sit still for anything. He didn't like Father's strange hands and cried softly as he was being baptized. He quieted down as soon as Selena took him.

We did a final prayer and then it was over.

"That wasn't that bad, was it?" Selena kissed my cheek. "You made it without bursting into flames or disintegrating into a pile of ash."

"Imagine that," I chuckled.

Charlie, being on the warmer side than usual, shook my hand and gave me a few words of congratulations. Alec wouldn't relinquish hold of Roman and was smiling so big that I thought his face would burst. Jane was trying to take the baby from him, but he wouldn't allow it. Sophia was being passed around from my mother, to Anna, to Alice.

As I looked around, I wondered just how much longer this peaceful picture could last.

As I was packing up the babies' diaper bags for the trip home, I heard the wailing sirens of police cars in the distance. No one else seemed to hear them. The sounds quieted and I hoped that maybe the cars had passed by, but I knew better.

"Are you ready to go?" Selena threaded her fingers through mine, shocking me back to reality.

"Yes." I nodded.

The family began walking towards the large church doors. I took my steps slowly and deliberately. I was thinking about what I should say to Selena. I didn't have enough time to actually make some kind of speech, but I had to say something.

"I love you." I pulled her closer to my body, whispering into her hair. I kissed the top of her head. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She rested her hand on my chest as we walked.

Carlisle was the first to the door. I think he knew, but he cracked it open before shutting it quickly. His hand rested against the wood and bowed his head.

"Carlisle, hurry, we need to get back to the house for the reception," Esme said, holding Sophia close to her.

"I don't think we're going to have time for a reception today," he replied.

"Like hell we don't!" Alice protested. "I've been planning this thing for two months."

Carlisle turned to us and kept his back to the door. "I think everyone should find another exit."

Everyone seemed to have various forms of anger towards him for not letting them through. Except Selena. Her breath hitched and she clutched at the fabric of my shirt, pulling me closer.

"I love you," I repeated.

"Don't leave," she whispered.

"I have to."

"We can go back to Brazil... We can run away."

"I can't run anymore. My time is up."

"Justin, no." She pushed me against the far wall, into a dark corner. "You're not going out there. I won't let you."

I kissed the tears away from her cheeks. "Selena, you're strong. We're strong. We will get through whatever happens. I promise you."

"I can't..." She shook her head, hugging me close.

"It's going to be okay."

"When will I be able to see you again?"

"Jenks is going to do everything in his power to get me out. I pay him enough." I laughed quietly.

"I won't let them take you away," she vowed.

I actually said a silent prayer that she wouldn't be too angry with me because of all this shit. I had put her through so much, but she was always there. Would this be the last straw? I hoped not.

"Carlisle what is going on?" Emmett demanded.

"Everything's going to be fine." I stepped out of the shadows, pulling Selena with me.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked her.

I tried to pry my hands from Selena's, but she wouldn't let me go. I had to literally pick up one finger at a time and fight all of her strength.

I kissed Roman and Sophia on their heads. They were both sleeping now. I whispered how much they meant to me and didn't realize that this was going to be so hard. It was the closest I had ever come to crying in my life.

I think it was obvious to everyone now what was going on. Or what might happen within the next couple of minutes.

I turned away from them all and went towards the doors. Carlisle sadly smiled and hugged me. I didn't react at first, but placed my arms around him after a long second.

I didn't look at my family as I opened the door. Maybe it was shame or just embarrassment, but I didn't want them to see my face.

The entire street outside of the church was lined with police cars on both sides. There must have been fifty of them, their red and blue lights flashing aggressively. Officers stood on the sidewalks and pointed guns from the roofs across the street.

It was very overdramatic and unnecessary, if you ask me.

Embry fucking Call spoke deeply into a loudspeaker. "Justin Bieber, drop your weapons."

"I don't have any," I called back, stepping out from the church further. I raised my hands up and flashed my hands to show him.

"Take off your jacket slowly," he instructed.

I did as he said and placed my jacket on the ground.

A group of officers stormed up the stairs and placed me roughly against the stoned wall of church. I grunted in pain as they slammed my face into the brick and patted me down.

"Justin Bieber, you are under arrest for the murder of Jacob Black..."

I couldn't really hear what was happening, but I knew people were yelling. Probably Selena. Possibly Carlisle. Maybe Esme. I didn't want to know.

The officers led me down the stairs and towards the police cars. I was roughly shoved in. The diamond-shaped grid on the window prevented me from seeing clearly.

I frantically tried to find Selena in the mass of police officers and cars and commotion. Maybe it was best that I didn't see her. I would surely have broken down.

Embry sat up front as the car began to drive away. "I'm sorry we have to do this. But you have fucked us over one too many times."

I didn't respond.

"Well, Justin… I guess this is the end for you."

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