Afterglow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight characters. Those would be Stephenie Meyer's

Chapter 1 Charlie:

Bella POV

Life seemed perfect. Everything seemed great. I was going to marry Edward something I had always dreamed of. I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. Not to mention the fact that I would become a vampire, something I had wanted to become since I first realized I loved him. But...it just didn't seem right anymore. Knowing what it had done to Jake, made me feel even worse. I just wanted it all to end.

But I couldn't go back now. Like Edward said, once you walk down this path there's no going back. Are you sure you're ready? Was I ready? I didn't know. I knew I couldn't live without him. That was for sure. After what happened last year made me sure of that. When he left, he had left me broken. Jacob had pulled me back together, and now I was going to hurt Jacob again by throwing his friendship away again. I was disgusted with myself.

Me and Edward were on our way to Charlie's house to tell him about the engagement. I knew Charlie would probably hate me for the rest of my life and would maybe try to shoot Edward. That would just be the beginning of his rampage. God knows what else Charlie will do. "Don't worry, I'll protect you if he pulls out his gun," Edward promised as we headed towards the door. "He doesn't just have a gun," I said, as pictures of pepper spray, broken bones and many more unpleasant pictures flashed through my mind. "I'd never let anything happen to you. You know that." As we were approaching the door, i suggested that maybe I should stay inside. "Don't be silly," he said. "He can't be worse than one of us," as he flashed one of his famous smiles that showed his glimmering, white teeth. "You don't know Charlie," I muttered under my breath as he burst out his musical laugh.

Luckily, Charlie's cruiser wasn't in the driveway, so we still had time to think of how to break it to him. "I got it!" I said. When he hangs up his belt, you quickly go grab it, then we chain him to a chair, tell him, and then run off! Isn't it perfect?" I really wished he would actually do that. But I knew he wouldn't. "Don't be silly," he said. "We'll just go in there and tell him about the engagement, then if he doesn't like it, oh well."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"You are soooo annoying!" I yelled. At that, he laughed again.

Now we were in the kitchen. And Charlie's cruiser had pulled into the driveway.

"Crap," I said.

"Hey kids!" called Charlie. "How's it going?"

"Uh, Charlie, we have something to tell you," I said.

"Oh my god! Are you pregnant?!" Charlie practically screamed. "No! It's something else," I said said. Charlie seemed to calm down once he heard that. "Uhh, I don't really know how to tell you this...but...me and Edward are going to get married.

"WWHHHHHAAATTTTTTT???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're joking!"

"Actually we're not," said Edward and he showed Charlie the ring. "But you can't...it's not...NO!" screamed Charlie. "Over my dead body will you get married this young. For Pete's sake you're only 19!"

"Dad, whether you like it or not Edward and I are going to get married in August."

"No! I will personally chain you to a chair and keep you there if you get married!"

"Oh no you won't!" interjected Edward. Charlie glared at him.

"I' m calling Renee. She won't like it," I silently prayed that she wouldn't be home. Renee was even more strict then Charlie.

Edward was sitting quietly, probably reading Charlie's mind. I could hear a little bit of the conversation that Charlie was having in the front room. "Yup...mhmmm...they're getting married!...WHAT??!!...how can you not be against it?...ok...here's Bella. Bells! Come and talk to your mother!" Charlie called from the other room. I had been watching Edwards face very carefully and a look of surprise quickly flitted across his face, but disappeared as quickly as it came. "Go on," he said. "You'll be fine. I think it's something good."

I took the phone silently. "Hi mom," I said into the receiver.

"Honey? I just want you to know that I'm okay with you and Edward. He seems like a really nice boy. I'm really glad you've found someone that will care for you. I'm not going to tell you that you can't marry him, because that would make me a hypocrite. I just want you to be sure that you're making the right choice. I don't want you to end up like Charlie and me. So just be sure of yourself."

"Wow. Thanks mom. Ok...bye...I love you too."

"Dad, mom says she's okay with it so I don't care what you think, I'm still going to marry him." I held my breath while I waited for him to say something. When he finally opened his mouth, he said something I hadn't expected to hear him say.

"Okay. Go ahead and marry him. I guess I was acting a little bit like a hypocrite. I guess I just don't want you to leave me yet. I love you Bells," he said affectionately. Then he got up and gave me a hug worthy of Jacob. "I love you too dad," I said.

Then he went over to Edward and shook his hand then grabbed him and gave him bone-crunching hug.

"Welcome to the family son," he said.

Then he started inquiring about the wedding arrangements. "Alice will be doing the wedding. Bella only has power over the guest list," Edward said. "We really must be going right now. I have to give Alice the guest list Bella made up and I assume that Alice will want to take Bella shopping again. Bye, Charlie!"

"See you later!" said Charlie.

Edward POV

That went much better than I expected. I didn't even have to shield her.

Bella was walking silently beside me, probably thinking. Just out of habit I tried to read her mind. Still nothing.

God that drives me insane. I wish I could read it. But then again, that's one of the reasons that I like her.

"So are we really going to go back to the house?" she asked.

"why is there something else you'd like to do?"

"I kind of wanted to..." I could tell she was hesitating.

"What? I'm open for suggestions."

"Can I go see Jacob?" she asked. At the mention of the dog's name my face went solid. I couldn't even begin to count how many times he had hurt her. "Anything other than that." I responded.

"Please?" she asked, looking at me with those big brown eyes that I loved.

"Fine. You can go but only if I can go with you. I want to see Jacob too." In truth I really wanted to see him get hurt. I would be so happy if he just went away and never came back to haunt Bella.

"Okay that would be fine I guess. Just as long as you don't fight." I could tell she was glad that I was letting her go. Come on," I said. "Let's run there instead of taking a car."

"Okay," she said. She had long gotten past her fear of my running.

Bella POV

I loved it when Edward ran now. The sense of joy radiating from him was enough to get me past my fear.

When we got there, I knocked on the front door. When nobody answered, Edward decided to check the garage. When we got there, we found Billy in his wheelchair crying and looking depressed.

"Where's Jacob?" I asked, already knowing the answer before Billy said it. "Jacob ran away. The pack tried to find him, but his scent was long gone. They can't reach him in his mind. It seems as though Jacob had blocked them. He's gone."

So what did you think? It's my first fanfic so go easy please. R&R please

(sorry about the little footnote. It's something to do with a person I know)