Hi readers. Sorry I took a while to update… I've just started university so life has gotten CRAZY! So updates won't be as regular… probably every 4 or 5 days instead of every 2 or 3… and I still don't think that's too bad :) Oh and again this is my longest chapter so far! Be very proud of me :P

Chapter 11

Bella

1 year later (Present day)

I lay flat on the bed staring up at the ceiling which was merely a foot away from my face. I analyzed the familiar dirty green tiles that I'd grown so used to over the past year and knew that they were one thing I definitely wouldn't miss about this place.

I felt strangely emotionless which was the exact opposite outcome I was expecting. After a year of tally charts and counting down the days I felt like I should be more excited. I was finally going to be free but I couldn't stop my fear of the unknown from plaguing my mind.

"Have you packed all your stuff Bella?" Rosalie's voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned over on the squeaky bunk-bed and looked down at Rosalie who was standing on the floor next to the bed. We were in our cell… our prison cell… where we had been for the last year.

"Yes just about."

"Great me too." She was beaming with excitement and I wished I could conjure up that same kind of enthusiasm. Because today was the day we'd both been waiting for: the day we'd be free and be able to leave this prison for good. And I definitely did not intend on coming back here. Ever.

Then there was a knock at the door and I heard a deep voice, "Ladies." Rosalie stiffened immediately and quickly ran over to the mirror to check her hair and make-up.

"Come in," she chimed sweetly.

Our door was unlocked and Emmett, the prison officer, trudged in wearing his heavy black boots and prison uniform. He flashed Rosalie a charming smile causing her to blush profusely… and Rosalie never blushed! Only for Emmett.

"You ladies have just under two hours before you'll be setting out into the big wide world," he said smiling, "so make sure you're ready. I'll be back to get you at about twelve."

We both nodded and Rosalie smiled sweetly at Emmett. Rosalie was not the kind of girl to do anything sweetly but Emmett brought out that nature in her. Since we'd both arrived here just under a year ago, Rosalie had fallen head over heels for Emmett. It was both sweet and sickening to watch but I was happy for them as he seemed to truly like her back.

"Are we still on for tonight baby?" Emmett said quietly to Rosalie as he walked up to her. He knew not to worry about me over-hearing as I could be trusted.

"Yes, of course," she replied, "eight o clock at your place. I'll see you then." I noticed their hands softly brush against each others.

Rosalie and Emmett hadn't developed a real relationship since being in here as it was strictly forbidden for officers and inmates to be together like that. But they both knew they shared the same feelings so had secretly agreed to meet up once she was out of prison and they weren't breaking any rules.

"He left you another flower today," Emmett suddenly said to me as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

Really? Another one?

"Oh," I said not knowing what else to say as I took the flower from him.

"I think he really wants to see you," he continued, assessing my reaction.

I simply nodded as I thought about what all this could mean. He hadn't sent anything for a couple of weeks so I'd worried that he'd gotten scared and changed his mind. But maybe I was wrong. Would he be waiting for me when I got out? I hoped he would be… I just needed Edward to be waiting for me.

I looked down adoringly at the white orchid in my hand and thought back to my first day in here and how my feelings had changed so much…

…

11 months ago

The judge's harsh, shrill voice pierced through my thoughts as I stood still as a statue. Waiting. Anticipating.

"Isabella Swan you are found guilty of assaulting a police officer and perverting the cause of justice. You will be sentenced to fourteen months in a state penitentiary. This sentence may be reduced on good behavior. Do you understand?"

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "Yes," I replied.

She nodded firmly and announced "case adjourned," as she stood up and packed away her belongings, along with the rest of the court room.

I sat down, feeling incredulous, on my hard wooden chair. Fourteen months? I was expecting twenty times that what with the crimes I'd truly committed. How did I get so lucky? But I knew the answer even before asking that question: Edward.

His name sent a chill through my spine. He'd pretended to love and care for me only to be secretly undercover and have me sent to prison. He disgusted me. I knew why he'd truly got rid of the evidence because of the look on his face as I was taken away that night in London. His expression was flooded with guilt.

So I assumed the only reason he helped me out was that he felt bad and couldn't live with himself. It wasn't that he cared or loved me… he just couldn't handle the damn guilt.

If he'd loved me he would have known at the time and it wouldn't have taken him three days to figure it out. No. He'd just been stewing in guilt and couldn't handle it. A part of me wished I did have a longer sentence… just to make him suffer. But that was a very, very small part of me. The rest of me was ecstatic with my shortened sentence but still hated Edward Cullen's guts.

So now I had one more barrier to face before freedom: prison. And I was absolutely terrified.

Sure, I knew how to take care of myself, but I'd seen prison dramas and it looked horrific. And I used to be a policewoman! I'd have no chance… imagine I met some of the girls I'd put away? I'd be dead within an hour.

"Up," I heard a male voice say. I noticed that two of the security men had come towards me. It was time for me to be transported to prison.

Great.

I did as they said and they handcuffed me and holding one arm each they led me out of the back of the courtroom. They took me down a long dark hallway which seemed never-ending. I felt a sense of impending doom as I went further and further into the unknown. We reached another door at the end which opened up to the outside where I spotted a very familiar looking van with the words written on the side 'prisoner transportation'.

"This will take you to the prison, understood?" I nodded as he opened the backdoor; I stepped up into the van with my handcuffs still on and heard it slam shut behind me. As I sat down I noticed one another person already there… and they had a shiny beacon of blonde hair.

"Rosalie!" I exclaimed.

She looked up with shocked eyes, "oh my, Bella," she said incredulously, "are you going to prison too?"

"Yes. This is such a coincidence. I'm guessing you are too."

"Uh-huh," she nodded, "I got a year. How about you?" Her expression changed to concerned as it seemed she remembered Jacob's little confrontation with me. She knew I'd done something pretty bad but I'd never told her what.

"Fourteen months." I replied smiling.

She looked pleasantly surprised, "Oh Bella that's great! I thought you'd get longer; well it seemed that way from when we were in jail together. So why so short?"

"It's a long story," I replied not wanting to divulge into all of it just now, "I'll tell you some other time."

She simply nodded, "so how are you feeling?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Terrified, you?"

"Nah I'm okay, I'm sure it will be fine. We've only got a year; we can just keep to ourselves. We've done nothing for anyone to have any problem with us. It's those ex prison guards and cops who need to worry." She chuckled lightly.

Oh dear God! I needed to worry. That was not comforting.

I laughed along falsely, deciding that I could just hide the fact that I used to be a cop. Hopefully no one would ever have to know…

Suddenly I heard the growl of the engine as the car began to move. Here we go… the highway to hell.

The drive was bumpy and uncomfortable and we stopped off at a few places on the way to pick up more prisoners. The van got a lot more cramped which reminded me of what I had to look forward to.

Suddenly the van jolted to a stop and I realized that we were here. Fear crept through me as I became a bag of nerves. I felt like I was the new kid at school, except worse, much, much worse!

The door opened and the driver ordered us to get out and follow him. We all did as instructed with none of us speaking. We were taken into the prison where we were given a thorough inspection to ensure we weren't smuggling anything in, then our belongings and clothes were taken away from us and we were given an orange jumpsuit. Lovely.

One of the female prison guards asked if I would rather live in a safer section of the prison because of my previous job but I refused and she assured me that if I didn't tell anyone, or no one recognized me, it was unlikely any of the other prisoners would find out, which I was relieved about.

After we were fully inspected and inducted we were taken through a long hallway. It had cream walls where the paint was starting to peel off and hard green, shiny floors. The clump clump of our boots echoed down the hallway and I could sense the nerves of the other prisoners no matter how scary some of them looked. The woman in front of me was completely bald and looked like something you'd see at a circus. Even Rosalie didn't seem to be emitting the utter confidence that she always possessed everywhere she went. As we drew closer to the end I could hear voices and a loud murmur, sort of like what you'd hear from a crowded room.

Once we arrived at the end of the hallway there was a big iron gate and through that it looked as if there was some kind of cafeteria. The female guard at the front unlocked it and gestured for us to follow her through. We did as we were ordered and as I walked through the murmur of the crowd was joined by the odd screams and cheers. I looked to the side of me and saw that the room was in fact a cafeteria. And it was lunchtime.

All the orange-dressed females were clustered around lots of circle tables, eating their lunch out of the kind of trays you would expect to get at school when you were five. All of their eyes were transfixed on our arrival as they were obviously excited by the new prisoners; I guessed there hadn't been many for a while. Most of their eyes were alight with excitement, some with irritation, probably at the fact that the prison would get even more crowded… and others with pure malice. I felt a shudder ripple through me.

The noise from them grew louder and overbearing as we walked through the room and some of them began to howl and shout. They reminded me of what you would see in the monkey cage at the zoo… except this time I was trapped in the cage as well.

"Ooo fresh meat," one of them yelled.

"New kids," another said in a deep voice.

"This should be interesting!"

"Look at the one at the back, she looks terrified!" They all cackled with laughter.

I didn't look back to see who this person was, I just scanned the faces of the terrifying looking prisoners, hoping that I didn't recognize any of them. Luckily I did not. I tried to look as confidant as possible and decided that was the only way to get through this experience. Then I gave myself a little pep talk:

Confidence is the key; you're strong enough to look out for yourself. You were a cop for Christ's sake.

"Ladies," I heard the prison guard who was leading us say, "you will be taken to your cells first and will eat there as lunchtime is just about finished."

I felt the unanimous sense of relief from the new prisoners. The guard started walking and we all followed her eagerly out of the cafeteria. We were then taken to our new cells… some people already had cell mates and others would be sharing with new prisoners.

I was more than relieved to find out that I was going to be sharing with Rosalie who looked cool as a cucumber given the situation. We were shown into our cell which didn't have bars, just a heavy door, and was like a square box. It was tiny and I could almost feel the walls closing in on me. There was a small barred window, the walls were painting a weak green and there was only a bunk bed, a chest of draws and a toilet in the corner. It wasn't The Ritz, let's put it that way.

The guard left us to it and slammed the door loudly behind us as I heard it lock.

"Well this is going to be interesting!" Rosalie exclaimed looking unimpressed with the cell.

Yes… very interesting.

…

One month later

I yanked the crappy brush through my knotty hair, getting absolutely nowhere.

God, they can't even provide decent hair brushes in this damn prison!

It was ten thirty in the morning and just over half way through our hour of free time. I was in my cell getting ready and about to go out to join the other inmates.

As I looked in the mirror at my saddening reflection, I noticed Rosalie coming towards our cell.

"Hey Bella. I just spoke to him. Again!"

"Who?" I asked but then realized I already knew the answer.

"Ur who do you think, genius? Emmett! He really is amazing."

I turned to face her. "I'm sure he is Rose… but he is a guard and you're a prisoner. You're hardly very compatible."

"Ur does it mean that I can't enjoy the nice scenery? Because he does look very nice!" Her expression turned all dreamy.

"I guess not. Just don't go falling for him or anything because nothing can really happen with you two."

"Yes, yes whatever." She brushed me off. I didn't push the subject any further as I knew that she'd most likely bite my head off if she thought I was telling her what to do.

Rosalie and I had got on surprisingly well throughout this first month in prison. We unexpectedly had a lot in common and I'd grown really close to her. I'd still not felt comfortable discussing with her my previous job, the crimes I'd really committed or a certain slime bag whose name I tried to forget… but she still made my time here more bearable.

No one really dared to mess with Rosalie as she emitted such confidence and I think she scared a few of the other prisoners. I tried to do the same and channeled my anger at Edward onto my facial expression. And believe me… I had a lot of anger. Of course there were some scary woman that even Rosalie kept her distance from… for example Jessica, Angela, Lauren and their followers. They called themselves a family and messing with one of them was like messing with all of them. So unless you wanted to have your throat slit, you didn't rub any of them up the wrong way. It was similar for some of the other ladies in the prison like a woman who called herself Rock. She'd beat you up if you so much as looked her in the eyes. But like Rosalie had said… keeping to ourselves hadn't caused us much trouble so far.

I then noticed a very small person hovering nervously in the doorway of our cell… it was Jane, again. She followed Rosalie around like a lost puppy and was just downright irritating. I had nothing against her personally but just wanted to do my time in peace without her tagging along every time I was with Rosalie.

"Yes," I said curtly and she quickly diverted her eyes away from me. She was scared of me, like some of the other younger girls, which I found both strange and flattering. It made me miss being a cop as I used to assert some kind of authority and power. But now I was just a criminal so life wasn't like that for me anymore.

"Hi," she said quietly, focusing her attention on Rosalie, obviously worried I'd bite her head off if she spoke to me… which I probably would. "I just wanted to come see what you guys were up to."

Of course she did. I ignored her and went back to brushing my hair with an irritated expression on my face.

"Oh nothing really Jane. We were just chatting really." Rosalie didn't seem as irritated by Jane as I did. To be honest I think she found it flattering that Jane worshipped her every move.

"Oh right," Jane said, "some of us are playing cards if you want to join."

"Maybe later," Rosalie said playing with a strand of her hair, "I actually just need to talk to Bella for a moment. In private."

"Oh right sure," Jane said in a high voice, "I'll just be out here then."

Rosalie smiled at her and Jane tiptoed away.

"Urgh seriously Rose how do you put up with her?" I asked.

"She's sweet! And you Bella are just plain moody… which is actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay. Whatever."

"Look," she began, "even though you've been pretty secretive about your past… it's pretty obvious that the reason you're so," she thought about the right word to say, "distressed, is because of a guy. I mean it's so obvious and makes sense with what that cop said when he came to visit you in jail. This Edward, yeah?"

Edward? I didn't remember telling her his name.

"You've talked about him in your sleep," she clarified.

"Oh," I said, "well yes what about him?" I wasn't in the mood to have a girly chat and discuss my feelings.

"Well I've been speaking to Emmett a lot recently and guess what?"

"What?" I said, not impressed.

"I think he is Edward's brother."

I froze.

What? Edward's brother?

Then I thought back to my time with Edward and distinctly remembered that his brother was a prison guard. I couldn't quite remember the name but Emmett did sound very familiar.

"How do you know?" I demanded angrily. Had she been talking about me to Emmett? I felt the familiar sense of betrayal that Edward had made me feel. Since him deceiving me I'd been all the more cautious as to who I trusted. I'd thought Rosalie was trustworthy… maybe I was wrong.

She didn't seem to notice my sudden annoyance. "We've been talking quite a bit recently and we put the pieces together. Well actually Emmett asked me about it, as apparently Edward had talked to him about you so he wondered if you were the same Bella he was speaking about. Turns out you are."

"What? You've been talking about me to Emmett?" I felt anger bubble up inside of me.

"No, of course not. Only just now when he asked and I said you were the person he was talking about."

I raised my voice slightly. "Well what do you mean talking about? What was he saying about me?" I was getting really annoyed now. What right did Emmett have to spread my personal business to other prisoners… and Rosalie for talking about me to him?

"Bella, calm down," she said noticing my rage, "not much really. I promise. You just came up in the conversation when I mentioned that I was in jail with you and then he asked me the length of your sentence and what you were convicted for. All I told him was about the sentence length, I promise, and he put the rest of the pieces together himself."

I took a deep breath to calm down and realized that I believed Rosalie. I couldn't let what Edward did make me misjudge people and jump to conclusions. I'd always thought Rosalie was trust-worthy and I was going to stick to that. I knew she wouldn't go spreading my secrets across the prison… not that she knew most of them anyway. I got mad at myself for doubting Rosalie and then mad at Edward for making me do it.

So Emmett was Edward's brother. I felt annoyed that I had to find that out as for the rest of my time here Emmett would just be a permanent reminder of Edward's betrayal.

"Fine," I said, "so what about him being his brother?"

"I think Emmett wanted to talk to you," she said carefully, obviously worried about how I would react.

He wanted to speak to me? What would he have to say? Something on Edward's behalf I imagined… but then what would Edward want to say to me?

I'd spent the last month trying desperately to forget him and push him out of my mind but it wasn't as easy as that. He'd really hurt and broken me with the way he'd betrayed me. It was like he'd taken a part of me with him when I was sent to jail and I was trying to get that back and be whole again. So I put all my energy towards hating him but I knew that part of it would always be reserved for something else: me loving him. Even through his betrayal and what he'd done to me, I still couldn't get him out of my mind. I kept remembering good times we'd spent together in Thailand and about how much I truly cared for him. Sometimes I'd even let myself think… or maybe hope… that the reason he'd destroyed the evidence was that he loved me back. I knew deep down that this wasn't the case but I couldn't help creating little fantasies in my head where we lived happily ever after.

"Okay then," I said letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"He's just outside," she said gesturing to the door. Oh so I'd have to go speak to him then. Fine. I took a deep breath and tried to reign in my anger; I reminded myself that Edward was the person I was infuriated with, not Emmett.

So I walked out of the cell to see him standing on the other side of the large area between all the cells. He was obviously on patrol and I watched him surveying the prisoners carefully.

So I strode over to him confidently and he noticed me coming as I grew closer.

"Officer, Rosalie said you wanted to speak to me," I said getting straight to the point. It made me sick to be calling him Officer but I had to remember that I was the criminal and no longer the law enforcer.

"Oh Isabella, yes," he said and then looked around to check no one was watching our encounter, "I trust Rosalie told you who I am."

"She did."

"Well Edward has told me everything about you..."

Edward had told him everything?

Why did he keep betraying my confidence? That slime ball had gone and told his brother all that I'd done. How fucking dare he? What if Emmett went to the police about what I really did? Or what if he told someone by accident? Did Edward not think about anything before he opened his mouth? That gutless asshole thought he could win me over by protecting my confidence… only to betray it and tell his brother everything. I was fuming.

"Don't worry Bella. I won't say anything, I swear."

I stared daggers at him and raised my voice. "So what do you want then?" I demanded, "Come to tell me Edward's changed his mind and wants to stab me in the back all over again?"

"There is no need to get so angry Swan!" Emmett stood up straighter and took a step back from me. I could see that he was taking on the role of the prison guard more than Edward's brother which reminded me that he was the one in charge and I couldn't be seen shouting at him; not unless I wanted to be on twenty-four hour lockdown.

"Sorry sir," I said showing him that I knew my place, "just make it quick."

He nodded, "Edward said that he knows he has so much to apologize for and wants you to know that when you get out he'll be waiting so he can make this up to you properly."

He'd be waiting? Why? What reason could he have for that? He'd destroyed the evidence, surely that would have been enough to ease his guilt. Unless he had another reason; maybe he wanted to see me because he cared. A spark of hope lit up inside me but I crushed it immediately. No. Edward was my past. I would not let myself get sucked in by the idea of being with him. What we had wasn't real… it was fictional and I needed to remember that.

"Tell him not to bother," I said truthfully to Emmett. It wasn't just me trying to show how angry I was at him… I just couldn't face the further heart ache.

"He thought you'd say that but he said it doesn't change things. He will be there no matter what," Emmett said seriously.

Edward could try and apologize if he wanted but I didn't have to listen to it.

"I won't listen to what he has to say. It's as simple as that I'm afraid."

Suddenly I heard a loud booming voice, "ten minutes until you're back in your cells ladies!"

"He also wanted me to give you something."

Give me something? We both knew that wasn't allowed. Was Edward planning on risking his brother's job just to give something to me? That asshole.

He continued, "I think Rosalie put it in your cell."

I was intrigued as to what it was so I simply nodded at Emmett and walked back to my empty cell. I'm sure Rosalie was making the most of the last ten minutes. I looked around and could see no sign of whatever Emmett had given to Rosalie so I decided to lie on my bunk and wait for Rosalie. I climbed up to my bed and then froze as I noticed something lying on my pillow.

A small white orchid.

Memories flashed through my mind like a colorful dream. I remembered the time in Thailand where Edward had taken me into town for dinner… the night with the chili. I could picture his gorgeous face waiting for me outside my room and I distinctly remembered one thing he gave me before the date.

A small white orchid.

A picked it up off my pillow and turned it round, analyzing it. Then the memories flooded through me like a damn breaking and I was overwhelmed with thoughts of all the wonderful times I'd spent with Edward.

The night at the bar.

The boat trip.

The evenings we spent together.

Suddenly the emotions became too much and I simply burst into tears. Tears ran freely from my eyes and I did nothing to stop them. I just bundled myself up in my bed and held the orchid up close to my heart. Where Edward would always be.

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