Bella's not sure, so she doesn't risk asking, just gets up and hobbles in his direction and flings her arms around his neck.

"Thanks," he murmurs aloud, leaning into her arms and closing his eyes. He doesn't need to say that he loves her. She's reading him; she knows.

Bella winds up hugging him for pretty much the entire recess, then limps back to her seat when it ends. The jury has already reached a verdict, apparently. [What do you want to bet they spent one minute going around the room announcing that yep, dude's guilty, and spent the rest of their deliberation exchanging phone numbers with any fellow jurors they find cute and talking about the weather?]

[No bet,] he says cheerfully. [Alternately: bet you a hex.]

The judge terminates all of Mr. Hammond's remaining parental rights, and gives him fifteen years in prison. Also, he awards three million dollars in damages to Alice.

[Well, that's nice,] he says to Bella, idly wondering if she would like him to pay her way through college.

[That would be very kind of you, and under the circumstances not particularly suspicious,] Bella replies happily.

[Awesome. Done deal.]

[Well, unless I get full-ride scholarships, but barring that.]

[Congratulations,] Bella says, encountering a tangle in Alice's hair and picking at it absently. [What's next for you, d'you think?]

[Might move back into the house,] he theorizes idly. [Some of the time, anyway.] His lair is spotless and beautiful and he intends to keep it that way, and he also loves spending time there; but, on the other hand, now he can hang out with Hilary doing domestic things whenever he wants. Awesome.

[So you expect your mom's going to keep Hilary on, then?]

[Yeah, they get along pretty well. Dunno about Theo. Nobody really likes Theo.]

[I would be pretty surprised if Theo kept his job, at least presuming your mom knows how to drive.]

[Hell, Hilary can drive. And Mom can learn. Maybe I will, too.]

[Hilary had better get a raise,] Bella remarks. [If she's going to take Theo's job.]

[Well, if it doesn't happen, complain to Mom, not me. Unless you want me to start paying her, since I am now three millionaires.]

Bella snickers. [Millionairehood doesn't stack that way. You are one millionaire who could spend two million dollars without ceasing to be one. You're gonna need to set up a bank account and get a - well, maybe not a credit card, unless you want to commit to living somewhere where you'll reliably receive mail for the foreseeable future. A debit card.]

Alice immediately starts internally debating whether he would rather pentagon himself normal adult financial skills or dump the whole mess, three million dollars included, on Bella. It's a close race.