Disclaimer: I don't own them. SunflowerFran makes this pretty.

Previously (Matteo's POV):

The Feds are hanging out at the bottom of the stoop since Dad got here.

I feel as though I need to hit something or go running or anything to burn off this nervous energy.

My thoughts drift back to earlier.

The crash

Men running toward the truck

Enzo yelling 'get down!'

Gunshots.

I was watching Enzo as he lifted his weapon …And then he fell forward, never taking a shot.

Mom screamed and I pushed the girls down on the floor. Mom had Marco in one arm, and a gun in her other hand. I looked up just in time to see her take a shot and hear the baby's cry shatter the silence.

I knew Mom was a tough lady, but ... I never expected to see anything like this.

Bella:

I watch the sweat condensation drip down the side of the water bottle.

Waiting.

Thank goodness, Nonna picked up the girls and Marco. I can't even imagine what I would have done if they'd tried to separate me from them.

I'm guessing someone was following the GPS on my phone; I don't know how else she would have known that I'd been brought here. I hope that means that Edward knows where I am and he doesn't flip out.

I didn't see him when I was driven away from our house, but I could feel him. I know he was near.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

The entire afternoon runs through my mind on fast forward.

The screech of tires on the street

The loud crash at the end of the block

Yelling

Gunshots

Enzo's voice, 'get back inside, Isa!'

Matteo and Luca's wide eyes as they watched through the window.

Marco screaming in my ear.

The gunman in the street raising his gun and the pressure of my finger on the trigger.

A car going in reverse, away from us.

Agent Dwyer saying my name.

I want to be sad that I shot that kid … But he was aiming for my family. If I hadn't shot him, I have no doubt he would have jumped into the driver's seat and taken my children.

I feel my throat close at the thought of them in the hands of the Aro family. I know, in my bones, that the Aros are behind this.

That damn boy who is trying to act like a man; trying to avenge his father. I wonder if he even knows what kind of man his father was.

Did Alec treat his family well? Is that why his son is here causing trouble? The man had a mistress and an illegitimate daughter; his family rejects her to this day.

I question whether Alec Aro really died in that warehouse. They may have found his ring, but that doesn't mean he was actually there.

The door opens and two agents in suits walk in; a tall, lanky man with glasses and red hair, and an equally tall blond woman with a severe bob and narrowed eyes.

Great.

"Mrs. Cullen, I'm Agent Michaels and this is Agent Davries," he gestures toward the woman sitting across from me.

"I've requested my attorney," I say in response.

He nods and pulls a pen from his shirt pocket.

A quick knock on the door sounds and Kate walks in.

She is wearing a navy blue pantsuit with a white silk blouse and a bright red swatch in her jacket pocket, how very patriotic.

She sets her briefcase on the table and pulls out a voice recorder.

"I hope you don't mind. I want to make sure our conversation is recorded, just in case."

Agent Michaels chuckles and gestures toward the device as if saying, whatever floats your boat.

The female agent, who seems to have a permanent scowl, asks, "Is that really necessary?"

Kate ignores her question and introduces herself.

"As I'm sure you both know, my name is Kate Garrett, counsel for Mrs. Cullen. Let's get started. I'd like to be done before rush hour."

"Mrs. Cullen, please walk us through today's events."

"My children and I were on our way out to a late lunch. I was setting the security system when I heard screeching tires and a crash down the street. I turned and saw two men running in my direction."

"How far away was the crash, Mrs. Cullen?" The female agent interrupts.

"A block down, just across the four-way stop."

"Were the men running toward you police officers or agents?" Agent Michaels asks.

"No, they were wearing masks and all black clothing."

"What happened next?"

"A car pulled up from the opposite direction and a man jumped out. Our driver was yelling at me to get inside of the house and the man raised a gun toward him."

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. What happened to Enzo?

"What happened next Mrs. Cullen?"

"I remember the man grabbed his neck and then he fell. I had my son in my arms and ... I ran to the car and pulled the door open to get my other children."

"Where did you get the gun, Mrs. Cullen?" the female agent asks.

"Mrs. Cullen has a registered firearm in her home. It's on file. " Kate pulls paperwork out of her briefcase and hands it to the agents. "Please note that Mrs. Cullen did not admit to having a firearm at the time of the incident."

"What happened to the gun after you shot?"

I frown. Shit. I must have dropped it. Oh God, what if someone picked it up?

"Again, Agents, Mrs. Cullen has not admitted to having a firearm at the time of the incident."

"Cut the crap, Counselor. She had residue on her hands," Agent Michaels says bluntly. "What happened to the gun?"

"I don't know," I answer quietly.

"Did you notice anything else going on? Any other cars, people walking by, yelling?"

"No, I was so focused on my children. I didn't know what was going on and I was worried that if that man were able to shoot our driver, he would take my children. I couldn't allow that to happen. My kids are my entire life."

"Mrs. Cullen, why would someone want to take your children?" The female agent asks.

I sit up straight and give her a steely look.

Does she think I'm an idiot?

"Why else would they have been there?" I ask. If she thinks I'm going to give up information about our family, she's insane.

"Mrs. Cullen," Agent Michaels speaks up. "Let's not play games here. You are married to Edward Cullen, a high-ranking member of the Cullen, crime family. You killed a man in broad daylight on the street. You disposed of the weapon you used before authorities arrived at the scene."

His eyes are boring into mine and I'm getting pissed.

"There is a laundry list of items we can charge you with unless you cooperate with us."

I huff and smile.

Of course.

I look over at Kate. "I'm done."

"Agents, you have no evidence that Mrs. Cullen shot anyone; there was no body in the street when you arrived and no weapon. She may have had residue on her hands, but that doesn't mean she shot anyone. The agents that were assigned to watch Mrs. Cullen's home were not close enough to the scene to witness what happened. And let's not forget that they were hit by another vehicle while they ate cold cuts and jacked off in their FBI issued sedan," Kate looked at her watch and then back up at the agents.

"If you are going to take Mrs. Cullen into custody, please recite the charges. Otherwise, we are walking out of here. Any inquiries should come directly through my office or I will file a formal harassment complaint."

Kate placed her pen and notepad into her briefcase and nodded at me, before standing.

"Are we done here?"

Agent Michaels sighed and nodded. Davries, the female, looked like the blood vessels in her eyes were going to burst.

I'd need to watch out for her.

Kate picked up her digital recorder and we quickly made our way to the elevators.

Edward was sitting in the lobby. He was the image of a man casually waiting for to be called in for an appointment.

Agents were standing all around the lobby and all eyes were on Edward.

Kate's heels clacked on the tiled floor and Edward stood. He straightend his suit jacket and smoothed his hair, then took his time walking toward us.

He reached for me and kissed my cheek.

"All good?"

"For now. Let's talk in the car," Kate said, making her way out of the building.

When we stepped into the crisp, night air, the tension in my body left me and I stumbled.

"Just a few more steps, Baby," Edward whispered.

Alessandro opened the car door and Edward helped me inside. When all of the doors were closed and I felt the car move and merge into traffic, my body gave out and I slumped against Edward.

Edward:

"Al, take us to the apartment."

My wife collapsed against me when the car door closed.

I felt like I was crawling out of my skin while I waited. Those fucking suits standing around watching me. What the fuck am I going to do in a federal building? Call someone on the phone and making a fucking arms deal?

I know the kids will be disappointed when we don't show up at the house, but I need a few minutes with Bella. I need to feel her and breathe her in … My life is meaningless without her. She's given me everything; my heart would shrivel away if she weren't with me.

Those fucking Feds, what do they know? Not a goddamned thing. They thought they'd be able to scare her and get her to talk. They obviously don't know her; I wonder what they did as they were 'watching' her. Whatever it was, they have no idea of the fire that lives in my wife.

Just liked she showed today, she would take down anyone that fucks with her family. Regardless of who's there to witness it.

"You want me to park in the garage, Boss?"

"Who's here?"

"Donato and Franco. Angelo's still working on that thing."

"Call and tell them we're on our way up. Do me a favor and bring the kids back here. Isabella will want to be near them and I don't want to go back to the house tonight."

"Sure thing," he said, climbing out and opening my door.

"Edward, call me in the morning. I'm sure the agent we spoke to today will have more questions."

"Thanks, Kate."

"Take care of her," Kate says quietly, giving my girl a soft glance.

I pick Bella up and step out of the car.

Al waits until we are in the elevator before pulling out of the garage. The elevator moves quickly and the doors open before I can settle on a thought.

We remodeled the apartment when the kids were little. Our place now takes up the whole floor; a bedroom for each kid and every comfort we might need when away from home.

Bella loves this place because it's where we lived when Matteo came into our lives. She kept the layout of the original apartment the same, the renovations were made around it. And the kitchen was remodeled, of course. The kitchen and bathrooms were the rooms Bella said she could part with.

"Baby, why are we here?"

I shut the door and flip the locks before walking Bella into our bedroom.

"I almost lost you today. I need to be close to you for a minute," my voice is gruff and I can feel my throat tighten. "I love you so much."

Her hands cup my cheeks and tears fill her eyes.

"I love you," she whispers.

I pull at her blouse, removing it along with her bra.

My mouth is everywhere. I can't … I need to feel everything.

I stand and take off my jacket, unbuttoning my shirt just enough to pull it over my head.

Her fingers are undoing my belt and pants and the tips of her fingers make me shiver.

We're frantic, sloppy, and rough and I can't get close enough to her.

I push her down onto the bed and I'm inside her without finesse.

Her arms and legs are tight around me, her nails pressing into my back.

There isn't a sliver of space between us and our eyes are connected. Tears leak from her eyes, but it's the love in them that keeps me grounded. Always the love. Isabella may seem cold and disconnected to most people, but in our home, she's all love. Our children have never known anything else. I have never felt anything like it. It's the best feeling in the world to know that she loves me unconditionally.

I've slowed down and Bella's loosened her grip a bit.

I kiss her.

Lips, tongue, teeth … When I pull away, she buries her face in my neck.

I can feel the coil unraveling and I press into her, tighter, rubbing her the way she likes.

Her legs quiver and she tightens around me.

She gasps and I keep moving, in the same way, to make sure she gets hers. When she relaxes, I speed up to catch mine.

When I come, Bella pulls me into her. She tightens her muscles around me and I fucking love when she does that.

"I love you, Baby," I whisper.

"So much," she answers.

We lie together for a few minutes, but the kids are on their way.

"Let's shower before the kids get here."

**nsu**

"MOM!" The girls yell when they walk inside.

Bella and I are sitting on the couch, but she jumps up when the door opens. Marco is crying and Bella sits on the floor cradling him.

Luca and Matteo look as though they want to join everyone on the floor, but are too old to act on it. It makes me sad that they are at that stage, teenagers but not quite men.

It takes a few minutes for everyone to calm down, but the girls come over and hug me tightly. Bella stands, Marco only letting her go long enough to get up.

When she's standing, she looks over at Luca and Matteo and the tears flow again. She's almost sobbing and the boys are quick to catch her before she falls.

She keeps apologizing and saying I never wanted you to see me, but she can't finish her thought.

I wipe at my eyes and turn to the girls.

"Let's take your things into your room and then we can start dinner," I smile and wrap my arms around them. Bella needs a few minutes with the boys.

I can't imagine our children would ever see her in a bad light, but this is a big deal. The boys saw her shoot someone; they saw her in a way that she'd kept hidden from them their entire lives.

They watched her protect her family, and now they know how far she'd truly go to prevent anything from happening to us.

We'll have to talk about it later. I know that. They are going to have questions that can't be discussed in front of Marco and the girls.

When we walk into the kitchen, Bella is pulling ingredients out of the cabinet.

"Chicken Parmigiana?" She asks. "It's all we have for a full meal."

"Sounds good," I lean into her, wrapping my arms around her waist. "You okay?"

Her eyes tear up, but she nods. She kisses my chin and I let go of her so she can continue.

"Want us to help?" Luca asks.

Bella's shoulders loosen and she smiles.

"Can you get the flour and bread crumbs from the top shelf for me?"

Luca chuckles, "too short to reach the top shelf, Ma?"

She smacks the back of his head and he ducks away from her, laughing. He turns to hand her the flour and his smile falters a bit. The flour is tossed on the counter while our son wraps his mother in a hug.

I watch for a moment as they sway andwhisper.

My eyes water and I walk out of the room.

Matteo is holding Marco by the windows. My little boy has been on edge and refuses to be left alone.

I walk over and tap Matteo, gesturing for Marco.

He hands him over; I lay him on the loveseat, surrounding him with pillows and blankets, hoping the tightness and warmth will keep him happy, and he will fall asleep.

Matteo has his arms crossed over his head and his breathing is a little rough.

I walk over and pull him into a hug.

He doesn't move for a moment, but I keep him tight in my arms.

It has been such a fucking emotional day; I'm not surprised that it's hitting him now that it's quiet.

His arms finally come down and he wraps them around me.

After a minute, he pulls away and wipes his face.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"They came to our house. We were in the car, Enzo was yelling and then Mom ..." he takes a deep breath. "It was like slow motion. The guy behind the car was yelling at Uncle Enzo, laughing at him, and then the guy grabs his neck, blood seeping through his fingers. His eyes were wide, surprised and he looked at Mom.

Marco was screaming and Ana and Juju were crying.

I didn't know if he was going to try to take a shot at her and I was frozen. Mom was still holding the gun, aiming at him … Then the guy fell.

Mom flipped out and started pulling at the car door and I was just sitting there. I couldn't move. I couldn't move."

We are quiet for a few minutes, absorbing what was said.

"What was Luca doing?" I ask, with a raised eyebrow. Matteo frowns, no doubt confused at the abrupt change.

"He was probably doing the same thing you were; sitting there in surprise and scared of the fact that his mother and uncle were in the street with a man pointing a gun at them. The situation came out of nowhere and we've kept you boys so sheltered. Your mother and I … We hoped you'd never," my voice breaks and I change direction again. "You were needed in that car to watch over your sisters. What if, God forbid, the guy was quick and had taken out Enzo, jumped into the car and driven off? You and Luca would have needed to be smart. Your sisters, your mother, I, would have been relying on you and your brother to keep each other safe and find a way back home." I cup his neck and look him in the eye, "I know that if push came to shove, you would have done what was needed to get your sisters and brother out of there safely."

A tear slips over his cheek, but he keeps eye contact with me and nods.

I kiss his forehead and take a breath to steady myself. "Go get washed up for dinner. Your mother is going to be weepy; she's worried you will look at her differently after today."

He frowns but doesn't say anything as he walks away.

"Fuck," I whisper.

We've been lucky for the past fifteen years. Nothing has happened that has directly put Bella and the kids in danger. I look at the clock; I am supposed to meet Dwyer in an hour.

I watch Bella and the kids. Every so often, Bella will wrap her arms around them or kiss the top of their heads.

Matteo walks in the kitchen and I'm struck by the likeness between him and Demetri. He's tall with dark hair and eyes, like Demetri's, but he has Gianna's, olive skin tone.

He walks straight to his mother and wraps his arms around her.

She's crying again, shaking with the force of her sobs. He squeezes her tight and leans his head down so that he can speak to her.

The girls are watching them, tears in their eyes.

I pull out my phone.

"Jas, I was supposed to meet someone at Elizabeth and Lake at ten but I'm not going to make it."

"Okay.

"Can you send someone; ask them to have him meet me tomorrow at Wilson Station?"

"Yeah," he covers his phone and talks to someone. "How's Bella? How are the kids?"

"Man," I shake my head not sure I can answer without getting emotional. "What happened to Grace?"

She had completely slipped my mind in the chaos.

"She's here. Giselle has taken a liking to her. She'll be okay here for a while. It's fucking crazy how similar she is to her."

"I know. Thanks, Jasper."

"Give Bella my love."

We disconnect and I pick up Marco and join my family in the kitchen.

A/N: Hello! (I'm waving, shyly.) It's been a long time. I hope you are all doing fabulous. I've been working on this chapter for ... well, since I posted the last chapter. My work schedule has me tied up in knots. I keep hoping that things will slow down, but every time I see the light in the distance, a huge effing manila folder lands in front of me. I hate manila folders. I wish I could just push them off my desk.

Thanks so much to all of you for your reviews. I have been terrible at responding and getting on facebook, but I truly appreciate that you take the time to say hello.

I'll try not to be gone so long. Let me know what you think. :)

Rock