Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

A Good Thing

By Momma2Fan

Chapter 18:

Four years earlier…

We had just finished rehearsing and I was walking into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I had just pulled the lid off when there was a knock at my door. I drained the bottle and walked to the door, opening it to reveal a police officer.

“I’m looking for an Emmett Swan. Is he here?”

“You got him. How can I help you?”

“May I come in please?”

I stood aside and allowed the officer in. “What can I do for you?”

“I am afraid I have bad news regarding your parents Mr. Swan. Won’t you please take a seat?”

“I’ll stand thanks. What about my parents?” I wasn’t sure what could possibly have happened to them.

“I’m sorry to inform you, sir, your parents were murdered.”

I felt my knees start to buckle. “ROSE!” I backed away and slowly lowered myself to a chair. Rosalie came running into the room and was instantly at my side. “How…how did this happen?”

“It was an apparent home invasion, sir. Your father apparently tried to defend your mother and managed to kill two of the assailants, but not before he was shot in the head at point blank range. Your mother lived only long enough for the police to arrive and give us a description. Her injuries were just too severe and she passed before the EMT’s got to her. I am sorry, sir.”

“Oh, God! Bella! How am I going to tell Bella?” I moaned as the tears ran unnoticed down my face.

Rose was my rock. “Don’t worry about that, baby. I’ll have Jasper go and get her.”

Rose left my side only long enough to get Jasper and Edward and explain the situation. I heard Edward on the phone and watched Jasper hurry out of the house to get my baby sister. She was going to be devastated.

I noticed that the cop was still there and asked if he needed anything else.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to come with me to the Medical Examiners office. We need a positive ID.”

“You want me to come identify my parents’ bodies when you just told me they were murdered? Why aren’t you out there trying to catch the bastards my dad didn’t get?”

“Sir, we have all available personnel out looking for the suspects. We have been able to locate the trigger man and he is now in custody.”

“Fine. I’ll come with you, but you’ll have to wait. I need to tell my sister.”

I felt as if the night would never end. When Jasper arrived with Bella in tow, it took all I had not to break down. I watched as my sister crumbled when I told her of our parents’ death. I will never forget how pale she became. When she lost consciousness, I thought I was going to lose her too. The phone call that Edward had made had been to his parents, because Carlisle had come in and assessed Bella, saying she was in shock. He and Esme agreed to wait at the house while Jasper and Rose went to the station with me to identify our parents’ bodies. Once that was done and all the papers signed, I collected their personal items and returned home. Bella was asleep when we got back. Carlisle said he had to give her a sedative because she was hysterical. That first night was the worst. Bella woke so many times screaming, I ended up sleeping with her and comforting her in the night.

In the months that followed the murders, the police department managed to find the fourth assailant although he claimed he had only a peripheral part in the slayings. He had apparently been the mastermind behind the break-in, but had not known anyone was home. He had no idea the other three were armed or so he claimed. Aro, Marcus and Caius, were apparently the ones who had a thirst for blood. My parents had not been their first victims. Marcus and Caius were killed by my father, while Aro received the death penalty for pulling the trigger that ultimately killed our parents. Laurent, however, was convicted of a lesser charge and threatened to get his revenge on Bella and me. His best revenge to hurt me was to hurt my sister. She was all the family I had left, besides my friends and Rosie.

I placed a call to the D.A. trying to find out how it was he was released so many years early. I was told he had witnessed a crime in prison and because he agreed to testify, was released for good behavior.

“What a bunch of bullshit!” I screamed into the phone. “He probably perpetrated the whole thing so you would let him out early. He probably paid someone to take the fall for what he did.” I listened as the lawyer told me of the evidence. “That can be fabricated and you know it you moron. You had better hope he doesn’t come after me and my sister you putz or I am blaming you and suing the state of Washington for negligence.” I hung up and sat with my head in my hands.

“What did he say, Emmy?” Bella asked softly.

I looked up into the face of my baby sister, “There’s nothing we can do, Bells. He’s a free man.”

I got up from the table and moved to her. “You are not to leave this house alone Bella. Edward or Alice and Rosalie are to be with you always, understand?”

“Okay. I promise.”

I hugged her to me and met Edward’s eyes. I saw the determination there and knew that he would keep my sister safe.

EPOV

I watched as Bella sat on the back deck, her hands wrapped around her coffee. I knew she was thinking of her parents, especially after the events of yesterday. I had called my parents explaining the situation and they were deeply concerned. At least now we know who the father of Tanya’s baby is. I opened the sliding doors and stepped outside. I sat beside Bella and put my arm around her shoulders. She curled into my side, resting her head on my chest.

“We need to warn her, Edward. She shouldn’t be around him. I don’t like Tanya, but she needs to know who she got mixed up with.”

I ran my hand up and down her arm, trying to provide some comfort. “I’ll call Kate. It would be better if it came from someone who wasn’t pissed off at her. She won’t think her sister would have any ulterior motives. Kate and Garrett are lawyers, she can just tell her they did some digging. It’ll all work out, babe. You’ll see.”

“Thanks.” I watched her take a sip of her coffee before she spoke again. “What time is the meeting today?”

“At noon. It’s a lunch meeting. I’ve already finished putting together the sheet music and the demo that we worked on, so I should be all set.” I was meeting with Lady Antebellum’s staff today and Jason Aldean’s tomorrow.

“I’m coming with you.” I smiled. I had wanted her with me, but I wasn’t sure if given the circumstances, she would be up for it.

“Okay. Let’s go get cleaned up. Want to help me conserve some water?” My Bella giggled and shot up the stairs with me hot on her heels.

BPOV

The lunch meeting had gone well. Lady Antebellum was going to purchase two of our songs with a promise we would call them first with anything new as a duet. Once all the contracts had been signed, Edward and I headed to the bank to deposit the check. Edward insisted on giving me half, even pulling out the pout. We went home, had a celebratory dinner with the gang, and then decided that we needed to rehearse, trying to come up with new material before Saturday night. Friday we were playing at a wedding and Sunday we had accepted a gig at a bar mitzvah. Anything to pay the bills, although we weren’t lacking in funds.

I walked out to the garage and flipped on the lights, smelling the familiar static and sweat. I watched as my family took their places at their respective instruments.

“I heard this song the other day and I want to try it. The sheet music is in front of you. Look at it and tell me what you think, okay?” I loved this song and it completely covered how I felt about the Tanya situation with Edward and my parents and anything else bad going on.

Rose spoke up first. “I like it. Am I doing back up on this?”

“Yep. Let’s do this.”

The music started and I started singing in a lower range to start, and then I would build up.

Made a wrong turn, once or twice

Dug my way out, blood and fire

Bad decisions, that’s alright

Welcome to my silly life

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood

Miss “no way, it’s all good,” it didn’t slow me down

Mistaken, always second guessing

Underestimated, look, I’m still around

Pretty, pretty, please

Don’t you ever, ever feel

Like your less than fuckin’ perfect.

Pretty, pretty, please

If you ever, ever feel

Like you’re nothing

You’re fuckin’ perfect to me.

You’re so mean,

When you talk, about yourself, you are wrong.

Change the voices, in your head

Make them like you instead.

So complicated,

Look happy, you’ll make it!

Filled with so much hatred

Such a tired game.

It’s enough, I’ve done all I can think of

Chased down all my demons, I’ve seen you do the same.

Oh, Pretty, pretty, please

Don’t you ever, ever feel

Like your less than fuckin’ perfect.

Pretty, pretty, please

If you ever, ever feel

Like you’re nothing

You’re fuckin’ perfect to me.

The whole world stares so I swallow the fear,

The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer.

So cool in line and we try, try, try,

But we try too hard, it’s a waste of my time.

Done looking for the critics, cause they’re everywhere

They don’t like my jeans, they don’t get my hair

We change ourselves and we do it all the time

Why do we do that? Why do I do that?

(Why do I do that?)

[Yeah~, Ohh~ pretty pretty please, Ohh~]

Pretty, pretty, please

Don’t you ever, ever feel

Like your less than fuckin’ perfect.

Pretty, pretty, please

If you ever, ever feel

Like you’re nothing

You’re fuckin’ perfect to me.

You’re perfect, You’re perfect.

Pretty, pretty, please

If you ever, ever feel

Like you’re nothing

You’re fuckin’ perfect to me.

When the music stopped we all took a deep breath. “Wow, that was intense.” Emmett stated.

“Who sings that song, Bella?” Jasper asked.

“Pink. I think it’s awesome and you sang it really well, Bella. You guys definitely need to add that to your set.” Alice bounced and clapped.

“Thanks, Tink.” I smiled at my best friend.

We practiced for a few more hours and fine tuned a lot of our songs and rearranged the order of play and then decided to call it a night. We went inside and ordered pizza and then vegged out on the floor and couches watching movies the rest of the night. I don’t remember when I fell asleep, but I stirred as Edward carried me up to bed.

“Mmm, I love you.” I snuggled closer.

“I love you, baby. More than you know.”