Hey, readers, I wrote this as a sort of sequel to my "A Father's Warm Embrace" one-shot. But do not fret, it can stand alone. It might become a mini-series of one-shots but I'm not sure yet. Please feel free to check out my other stories, I would be honored to know what my loyal readers think. I hope you enjoy this story, and please review (although make sure they are polite and kind, not flames or bullying allowed, just constructive criticism and polite reviews are allowed, rude and flame reviews will be reported or deleted respectively...so think before you speak). Hope to hear what you think, the little button to tell me is at the bottom (PM reviews are acceptable too :]). So thanks for reading and see you soon! Xoxo~Creaturess of the Night~.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related, I just own the plot bunny of this story and the computer that typed and posted it

Bella stepped off the stairs nervously. She didn't want to have this conversation with her dad, they weren't good at these things and she figured she already knew his answer, but she couldn't help the little bubble of hope that went through her. She entered the kitchen to see her dad sitting there with a cup of coffee and the newspaper open in front of him.

He said "Morning Bells." as he looked over the top of the paper at her.

She answered "Morning dad. I gotta talk to you for a minute." She sat down across from him and he said "Shoot."

He put the paper down on the table in front of him and gave her his full attention and she tried not to fidget nervously.

She said "The school is having a father/daughter dance next weekend to fundraise for our Senior trip and I was hoping you would go with me."

Charlie bit his lip and answered "I'm sorry Bells, but I already said I would cover the night shift that weekend."

Bella hid the hurt that coursed through her and she lied "That's fine, I just thought it would be some good bonding time for us. But I should have told you sooner, my bad."

Charlie smiled sadly and answered "We will find something else to do when I get a weekend off. Promise. I'm really sorry Bella."

She gave him a fake happy smile and said "That sounds like a fun weekend already. It's fine dad really."

She stood up and grabbed her bag before heading out the door for school. As she got into the truck she let the tears she was holding back slide down her cheeks as she put her old truck into gear and headed towards the school. While she drove she berated herself for letting her get her hopes up that her father would actually go with her. She wiped the tears away as she pulled into the parking lot and parked in her normal spot.

Edward met her at her door and opened it for her like a gentleman. She grabbed her bag and hopped out of the truck. He asked "Everything okay Bella?"

She nodded and reassured "Fine."

She didn't want to tell him that she was basically being a little girl and crying over nothing. He looked at her but didn't push, knowing that she was too stubborn to reveal any information that way. As the dance got closer and closer, Bella got more upset that she wouldn't be going with her dad. She knew that Jessica and Angela were expecting her there and she would be basically interrogated by the former if she didn't show up.

It was the day before the dance and Bella was absolutely miserable. Angela and Jessica were chatting and babbling about the dance tomorrow and how cool it was going to be, and how it brought back good memories from childhood. Bella didn't say anything and didn't know that Edward had noticed her sadness and was hoping that she would have opened up by now.

Edward whispered in her ear "Do you want to come home with me after school?" Bella nodded; looking for an excuse not to face her dad when she was trying to pretend to be so nonchalant about missing the dance.

Jessica asked "So Bella, what are you wearing to the dance tomorrow?"

Bella shifted uncomfortably and answered "I can't go."

Jessica frowned and asked "How come? I thought you and your dad got along?"

Bella bit her lip and answered "He's working the night shift this weekend…"

Jessica said "That bites."

She turned her attention back to the others and started talking animatedly again about the dance and Bella swallowed her tears. The day passed by slowly for Bella as she tried not to break down in tears the whole time. As Edward drove her back to the Cullen house Bella chewed on her lip and let her thoughts wander. This wasn't the first time that her father had missed events like this and she wondered why it was affecting her so much now.

She shook the thoughts away as they pulled into the long driveway and up to the expansive house. She got out of her truck and Edward got out alongside her. He grabbed her hand and she smiled at him as they entered the house. She was greeted with a warm hug from Esme and she smiled at her.

Esme said "Hello Bella dear. It's always good to see you."

Bella smiled and answered "Hey Esme. It's always great to be here."

Esme smiled and went out to the garden to start working on it. She saw all the other Cullens sitting in the living room doing their own individual thing, but she noticed that Carlisle was missing and guessed that he was probably at work. Edward led her over to the couch where she sat with her head leaning against his shoulder. She noticed Jasper look at her with an eyebrow raised and she stared back at him intensely trying to convey that she didn't want Edward to know. He nodded almost imperceptibly before turning back to the video game with Emmett.

Alice looked at Bella and asked "Are you spending the night?"

Bella answered "If it's okay with you guys."

All the Cullens rolled their eyes fondly at her for even questioning that and she said "Okay, then I will call Charlie later."

She didn't want to admit that she was grateful to have an extended time period away from him for right now. She watched Jasper and Emmett play their game and Edward played with her hair, she decided to get some alone time and sort through her emotions. She knew that she needed to figure out what she was feeling and face it.

She sat up and said "I'm going to take a walk."

Edward looked at her oddly before answering "Okay Bella. Just call me if you need anything."

She nodded before slipping out the back door and walking away from the house. Once she got a good distance away from the house she sat down in the grass and watched the running water in the creek out back. She heard someone sit down next to her and she saw it was Jasper, she figured that he was going to be the one to follow her.

He asked "What's got you so down Bella?"

She looked at the water beneath her and mumbled "It's so stupid."

Jasper answered "If it has you this upset, it is most definitely not dumb or stupid, no matter what it is."

Bella sighed and said "I wanted to go to the father/daughter dance with Charlie tomorrow night but he can't because he has to work the late shift. He misses events like this all the time and I'm crying over it like a little girl, I should be used to it."

Jasper said "Bella, just because it happens a lot does not mean that it won't hurt. And it's okay to cry and be upset over it. It hurts your feelings and you need a way to express that."

She sighed "I just...I don't know Jasper. I really wanted to go and have a great time to bond with my dad you know?"

Jasper nodded and answered "I understand Bella."

She looked behind her when Jasper turned his attention to something behind them. She blushed when she saw Carlisle walking towards them and she wondered how much he had heard. Jasper smiled reassuringly at her and said "I will leave you two to talk. But I'm here if you need anything."

She smiled at him as he kissed her cheek and went back to the house. Carlisle sat down next to her and said "Hey Bella. Edward said you were out here with Jasper."

She answered "Hey dad. Yeah, I needed some time to myself and Jasper came to check on me."

Carlisle asked "Did you want me to leave you to yourself then?" She looked into his topaz colored eyes and shook her head. His presence relaxed and calmed her and she wanted him to stay so she didn't have to deal with the turmoil of emotions running through her.

She asked "How much of my conversation with Jasper did you hear?" He answered "I didn't hear any of it."

She looked at him and saw that he was indeed telling her the truth and she bit her lip.

He asked "What's going on Bella? Everything okay?" She looked up at him and chewed her lip again. He asked "Is Lauren bullying you again?"

She shook her head and answered "No, Jessica is being nice now, but I don't trust her. It has nothing to do with students."

She felt tears start to fill her eyes and she said "It's the dance tomorrow."

He asked "The father/daughter dance?"

Bella nodded and answered "Yeah. Charlie is too busy to go and it hurts that he never makes it to anything like this."

Carlisle pulled her into a hug and she cried onto his shoulder. He said "I'm sorry Bella. That is not very good at all." She smiled slightly at his old fashioned speech and he rubbed comforting circles on her back. He hugged her as she wiped away her last tear and she pulled back.

She asked "Thanks for always being there when I need you...dad."

He smiled and kissed her forehead and said "Since you are like a daughter to me, would you go to the father/daughter dance with me?"

She blinked at him in shock and asked "What about Alice and Rosalie?"

Carlisle smiled and answered "They are going out with Emmett and Jasper tomorrow. They didn't want to go to the dance really."

Bella noticed that Carlisle looked completely fine with this and she kind of smiled. She enjoyed the close relationship that the Cullens had and she was glad that they included her in it.

She answered "I would love to go to the father/daughter dance with you." He smiled and helped her to her feet.

He smiled "I think we should go back or Edward might get frantic." Bella laughed and walked to the house with Carlisle's arm wrapped around her shoulders. She felt much better than she had in two weeks and she couldn't wait to see Jessica and Lauren's faces when she showed up with Carlisle. She knew it would prove to them that Edward wasn't giving her up soon, plus she knew that those two would be ogling at him anyway and she smiled slightly at the mental picture.

They entered the house and Alice practically pounced on Bella. Carlisle chuckled before squeezing her shoulder and heading upstairs to his study to get some work done.

Alice chattered "I have such great ideas for tomorrow night. Rose, you, and I can get ready and Esme can help us with you."

Bella slightly winced but she smiled, she knew that Alice was going to make her beautiful for the dance tomorrow. She called Charlie to let him know that she was spending the night and hung out with the Cullens until she got tired and decided she should probably get to bed.

She stood up and Edward followed. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett hugged her goodnight while Rose just gave her a nod. As she got to the top of the stairs she saw Carlisle and Esme talking. They looked up at the couple and stopped talking instantly. Bella smiled because she knew that they were stopping to say goodnight, not because they were talking about her.

Esme hugged her and said "Goodnight sweetheart. see you tomorrow. I love you."

Bella returned the hug "Goodnight. I love you too Esme." Esme pulled away from the hug and stepped into Carlisle's study to wait for him to finish their conversation.

He hugged her and whispered "Goodnight Bella. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I love you sweetie."

Bella hugged him tightly and answered "Goodnight. Thank you again for everything. I love you too dad."

He smiled and kissed her forehead before stepping into his study as Bella went to Edward's room to sleep on the bed that he bought for her. She fell asleep almost instantly with her head on his chest and a small smile on her face at her vampire family.

When Bella woke she realized that it was almost noon and she was shocked that she slept that long. Edward said "Hey sleeping beauty."

She blushed and answered "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sleep that long."

Edward answered "It's okay, when you're emotionally exhausted you sleep a long time."

She nodded and said "Still…"

He silenced her with a kiss and she rolled her eyes at his actions. She stretched before getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. When she exited the bathroom she went down stairs the smell of food making her stomach growl. She entered the kitchen and saw Esme putting breakfast on a plate for her and Edward sitting there waiting for her. She sat down and ate her breakfast wondering when Alice would kidnap her for their beauty session. She spent a lot of the day reading until it was 4 hours before the dance when Alice came dancing into the living room. Bella held back a groan. Alice took her hand and practically dragged her up the stairs to her room with she shared with Jasper where there were things strewn all over the bed.

Alice made her sit in the chair and commanded "Stay put. Rose and I are going to get ready for our dates so we can have the rest of the time to do our magic on you."

She left the room and Bella sat there fidgeting boredly while waiting impatiently for Alice to come back. She didn't wait long before Alice, Rosalie, and Esme came into the room. The three women set to work and kept Bella talking as they worked so that she didn't get bored. Once they were finished with her dress and making it the perfect size and length, they sat her back into the chair and started on her hair and make-up. They finished with 30 minutes to spare and stepped back to admire their handiwork. They all smiled brightly at each other, happy with what they had accomplished. Bella stood up and looked into the mirror.

"Wow," she breathed as she looked at her reflection. She was wearing silver eye shadow, black eyeliner that curved at the edges of her eyes, and pale pink lipstick. It matched her strapless silver dress that went just to her knees with matching silver flats covering her feet. They had straightened her hair and let her bangs hang but put a silver flower on the right side that pinned the other hair from her face. She smiled, she looked as beautiful as a runway model and she turned around and gently hugged Alice and Esme trying not to damage their work. She even hugged Rosalie, much to the vampire's surprise.

She said, "Thank you so much guys." A knock sounded on the door and she looked up to see Carlisle entering.

He smiled as he said "You look very beautiful Bella."

She smiled and noticed a box in his hand. She wondered what was in it and hoped that he hadn't spent any money on a spontaneous gift for her. He walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

He handed her the box and said "I was going to wait, but I decided I didn't want to anymore."

She opened the box and gasped when she saw what was inside. She swallowed her tears back as she looked at the silver chain that held a pendant with the Cullen crest on it. She asked "Carlisle?"

He answered "All of us consider you a part of the family, and it was time to make it official."

She hugged him tightly and whispered "Thank you so much. I can't express my feelings in words about this."

He kissed her head and answered "I can't express how grateful I am to have you as a daughter in my life, just as beautiful and perfect as Rose and Alice."

He put the pendant on her and she grabbed his arm as he led her from his study and towards the garage. All the Cullens watched with smiles, they were glad to have Bella in their lives, their family felt more complete somehow.

Carlisle helped Bella into his Mercedes before getting in himself and driving to the high school. He squeezed Bella's hand and said "You know Bella, Esme isn't going to care if you start calling her mom."

Bella looked at him in shock and he chuckled "I've gotten good at reading your eyes."

She smiled and answered "I didn't want to offend her or anything."

Carlisle reassured her "You are every bit of a daughter to her as you are to me. She wouldn't mind a bit." Bella smiled as Carlisle gave her hand another squeeze.

They pulled into the parking lot and Bella blinked at all the cars there. She didn't know that the Senior class had that many girls in it. She fidgeted with her pendant a little as Carlisle parked the car. He got out of the car and took her arm in his as he escorted her into the entrance by the gym. They walked down the hallway towards the gym and paid their entrance.

Carlisle asked "You ready?"

She took a breath and nodded before he pulled open the door for her and they entered the gym. Bella saw Lauren and her group freeze as she entered with Carlisle and she had to hold back a smirk at their mouths hanging open in shock. Angela smiled and waved at her from the corner and Carlisle smiled at her before the pair headed over to the girl and her father.

Angela hugged her and said "I am so glad you could make it Bella. You look gorgeous."

Bella smiled "Thanks. You look beautiful yourself." And she did in her emerald green dress, and matching make-up/shoes.

Angela said "It's nice to see you Dr. Cullen."

He smiled at her and answered "It's nice to see you too Angela."

Carlisle introduced himself to her father as Angela and Bella chatted for a couple of minutes. When a slow song started, Angela dragged her dad onto the dance floor and Bella looked a little hesitant.

Carlisle grabbed her hand with a smile and led her onto the floor. He led her into a dance and she apologized and blushed when she accidentally stepped on his foot. He smiled fondly at her before placing her onto his feet like Edward had done at prom. He danced with her and she smiled, she was glad that Carlisle had asked her to go with him; she was actually having fun.

Time seemed to fly as Bella danced with Carlisle and Angela and her dad. Finally they were starting to play the last slow song of the night and Carlisle led Bella into a dance and she had started to get the hang of it without stepping on his feet.

She said "Thank you for taking me Carlisle."

He smiled and answered "Not a problem Bella, it was an honor."

She hugged him and leaned her head against his shoulder, she said "You and Esme feel like my real parents and I am grateful for that. I like being taken care of and not the other way around for once."

Carlisle kissed her forehead answered "I will always take care of you and my other kids. That's what parents are for Bells."

She smiled and whispered "I love you dad."

He swayed her side to side as he kissed her forehead and answered "I love you too la mia bellissima figlia."

She smiled as she danced with her father figure, her Cullen Crest Pendant laying against her heart meaningfully.