I woke up very early the next morning to the chirping of my phone's alarm. I rolled over to turn it off then buried my face in my pillow. I entertained the idea of going back to sleep, at least until the sun rose, but I knew I had to get started on my peace offering to Charlie.

I rolled out of bed with a small groan then quickly did my morning routine. After I finished in the bathroom, I quietly trekked downstairs to the kitchen. I checked the refrigerator and pantry for all of the ingredients I needed.

I was lucky that Charlie was a man of simple pleasures. He didn't ask for things often, and when he did, it wasn't for much. Most of the time, he just wanted a special home cooked lunch or dinner. I was also fortunate that Charlie and Vicky had to keep their kitchen well-stocked, since it was a pain to have to go to the grocery store more than once a month.

I planned on making some of his favorite dishes for dinner, including pulled pork sandwiches, sweet cola beef ribs, garlic mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. I also wanted to make fresh strawberry pie for dessert. The dishes weren't that difficult to make, but the meat required a lot of prep time, which was why I was up so early.

I gathered all of the ingredients I needed and placed them on the island. Pausing my preparation for a moment, I played music from my phone quietly in the background so that I could sing and dance a little as I flitted around the kitchen.

Before I knew it, the sky lightened as the sun prepared to breach the horizon. I paused, checking if there was anything left to do. Both the ribs and pork shoulder had been seasoned and dry rubbed according to their respective recipes and were marinating in the fridge. I had already made the two different sauces, the barbecue sauce for the ribs and the vinegar-based sauce for the pork shoulder.

Seeing that there was nothing else I could do until much later, I put away the ingredients I used and then started on breakfast. I brewed a pot of coffee first, since I was in desperate need of caffeine. Then I scrambled eggs and made hash browns. Soon after I started the bacon, I heard Charlie and Vicky descend the stairs in silence.

I immediately tensed, suddenly fearing the worst.

What If they decided that it would be best for me to go back to Arizona? What if they didn't forgive me for how I acted? What if they didn't even give me a chance to explain? I wondered frantically.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, moved the finished bacon to a serving plate, and added more bacon to the pan. When I heard Charlie and Vicky step into the kitchen, I turned around.

Charlie was staring at the ground while Vicky stood to his side, holding Embry in her arms. It was quiet for a few moments, the sound of the oil popping in the frying pan filling the empty air between us. Charlie finally looked up at me, and the guilt and sorrow in his eyes mirrored my own.

"I'm sorry," I blurted. "I should have let you talk to me before we went to the Cullen's place, and I shouldn't have overreacted when I found out about Embry. I should have stayed and talked to you and I definitely shouldn't have said any of those horrible things and-"

Charlie interrupted the next part of my apology by striding up to me and wrapping me in a tight hug. "Bumblebee, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have told you about your brother a lot sooner. You were right; there's no excuse for you to have found out the way that you did." I had to fight the sob that threatened to wrack my chest when he called me by my childhood nickname. He hadn't called me that since before the divorce.

He pulled away and looked at me squarely in the eyes. "Now, I definitely didn't appreciate you talking to me the way that you did and slamming your door in my face, but what hurt the most was you thinking that I didn't want you to be a part of my life. Where the hell did that come from, Bella?"

I paused and really thought about it. If I looked back far enough, I thought I could trace it back to the fact that Charlie left. Renee had broken his heart, so I didn't blame him for leaving her. But for a long time, I blamed Charlie for leaving me. As much as I loved Renee when she wasn't making questionable decisions in her love life, living with her had forced me to grow up really quickly. There were many times when I wished that Charlie had at least tried to fight for me.

That's why I started calling him Charlie, to punish him for leaving. Then by the time I was finished being angry, I had gotten so used to calling him Charlie that I still had trouble remembering to call him dad. I didn't want to admit that to him though. I'd already hurt him enough, and he had more than made up for not being physically present in my life by being there for me emotionally.

Instead, I shook my head. "I don't know," I replied quietly as I turned back to the stove before the bacon burned. "I was pissed and not thinking clearly. I couldn't think of any other reason why you'd keep this from me."

Vicky gently encouraged him, "Tell her what you told me last night, Charlie."

Charlie sighed, "I had so much trouble trying to tell you about Embry because I was scared that you'd feel like I was replacing you, and I didn't want you to feel that way. You're my baby girl, Bumblebee. Nothing will ever change that."

"I wouldn't have felt that way if you had just talked to me about it. I'm honestly really happy that you and Vicky have started a family. The only reason I was upset was because you didn't tell me, and I assumed the worst about why you didn't. But, with a little help, I realized that I was overreacting," I confessed.

"Who do I have to thank for knocking the stupid out of you?" he teased, and I rolled my eyes.

"Edward," I mumbled.

Charlie raised his eyebrows in response, "Huh."

Vicky smirked and then started to set the kitchen island so that we could eat breakfast.

"That's all you have to say?" I asked curiously.

I finished cooking the bacon and placed the last of it on the serving plate. As I placed the plates of food on the island, Charlie shrugged then asked, "Do I have to worry about how and when you two talked last night, when I thought you were holed up in your room?"

"Oh, stop that," Vicky scolded him. "He's a good kid, and Bella is really smart," Vicky added as Charlie pulled a chair out for her to sit in, Embry still in her arms.

He grumbled an incomprehensible response then sat down next to Victoria. "What exactly did he tell you?" Charlie questioned me curiously.

I sat down in a chair across from them and put food on my plate. "He told me I was being stupid and forced me to see that I was. When I asked him why he was helping me, he said that he messed up a lot when he first got here and that you set him straight. Care to elaborate?" I asked before I took a bite of bacon.

Charlie explained, "When Carlisle and Esme first brought Edward home, he was an angry and jaded 12-year old, because he'd been in the system for a long time. He didn't believe that the Cullens really wanted him to find a home with them." He paused to eat for a little bit so Vicky picked up where he left off.

"He lashed out," she said sadly. "He constantly picked fights with them over little things. He stole Esme's wedding and engagement rings and lied when Carlisle asked him about it. Money disappeared from both of their wallets, and laptops, TVs, and other electronics were 'accidentally' broken on a regular basis. He even stole their boat and took it for a joyride a couple of times."

I bit my lip, surprised that the boy who had helped me last night was capable of all of those things.

"I didn't get involved until he broke into our house and vandalized the living room," Charlie said as if it weren't a big deal.

"He did what?" I gasped.

"Yeah, he knocked down all of the pictures from the walls and shelves and spray painted as much as he could," Charlie replied. "I caught him, and he dared me to tell Carlisle and Esme. I told him I could do better and that I could call the cops, but I wanted to talk to him first. After I asked him why he was doing all of these things, he said that it would be easier for everyone if the Cullens sent him back sooner rather than later. I told him he was being an idiot, that Carlisle and Esme already loved him, and that the only way they could give him up would be if he continued to treat them the way he was. He snapped out of it really quickly after that."

Vicky nodded and added, "Esme's rings turned up the next day, he returned all of the money he stole, and he promised that he'd mow lawns, babysit, and do whatever he could to pay them back for all of the things he'd broken. He even apologized for everything he'd done and swore to be better."

"I also made him help me get the living room back to exactly what it was before his temper tantrum," Charlie interjected. "He's been a great kid ever since, except for the revolving door of girls that Esme always tells us about."

I made a face at that and Vicky nodded emphatically, agreeing with me.

"Well, he said that he owed you for that, which is why he 'helped me remove my head from my ass,'" I said, directly quoting him from last night.

Charlie started laughing and Embry jerked at the sound, his eyes locked on our father's face. He smiled a little, making me grin at how cute he was.

"How old is he?" I asked suddenly.

"He's three months," Vicky replied, tickling his tummy and making him giggle.

Charlie studied me intently, looking for any sign that I was upset. While it hit me that Charlie had been hiding this from me for a year and that Vicky had probably been pregnant the last time they'd visited me in Arizona, I decided that it didn't matter. He had already explained himself, and I understood, even if it still stung.

"Would you like to hold him?" Vicky asked and I froze.

"I'm not sure…" I tried to refuse but Vicky gave me a firm look.

"Come over here, and I'll show you how," she encouraged, and I knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.

I walked over to her and she placed Embry in my arms carefully. When he was situated in my arms, I looked down at him in awe. I couldn't stop staring at my brother's cute little face. I gently ran my finger against the skin of his arm and hand until he gripped my finger and held on tightly. I smiled, and Embry smiled back.

Charlie cleared his throat and Vicky chuckled. "Are you sure you're not the one who just had a baby?" she teased him. "You've been so weepy lately."

Charlie rolled his eyes at her, not giving into her teasing. I held Embry in my arms for a few more moments then gave him back to Vicky when he started to fuss. I cleaned up after breakfast and the preparation I'd done for dinner by taking all of the plates, bowls, and utensils to the sink and washing them by hand.

Charlie went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. When he saw the meat I had marinating, he turned to me and grinned widely.

"That's part of my apology," I told him. "There's enough for you to invite the Cullens to dinner, to make up for last night."

"I can't wait," Charlie said excitedly.

"You're making his favorite for dinner?" Vicky asked and I nodded.

"You know, I had such a strong craving for your ribs when I was pregnant, but when I tried to make them, they just weren't the same," she said. "Maybe I can watch you and see how you do it?"

"Of course," I replied enthusiastically. "Right now, all we can do is let the meat marinate for a couple more hours. But I can show you what I used to make the dry rubs and the sauces."

The morning and the early afternoon passed by quickly, filled with cooking and preparation, talk about food, school, and work, and Charlie and Vicky sharing stories of her pregnancy and Embry.

Charlie was in the backyard, grilling the ribs. I had just finished making garlic mashed potatoes from scratch while the pork shoulder cooled. Earlier, Charlie showed me how to hook my phone up to the house's sound system so that my music played through all of the speakers in the house and in the backyard.

As I transferred the mashed potatoes to a serving plate, Vicky walked into the kitchen from the backdoor.

"Hey, Bells," she said. "How much longer should Charlie keep the ribs on the grill?"

I quickly checked the time, "About 20 minutes."

"Perfect," she said happily. "The Cullens will be here any minute now, and the table in the backyard is already set."

I finished with the mashed potatoes and then set them on the island, where the other dishes had already been placed. I arranged everything to look nice and presentable. Charlie, Vicky, and I decided that we'd eat outside but keep the food inside to keep it safe from the birds and insects.

As I was working, one of my guilty pleasure songs, What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction, came on and I groaned quietly out of embarrassment.

Vicky laughed at me and asked, "Really, Bells? I thought you were done with the boy band thing after NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys."

"It's catchy," I defended myself.

"Hey, what direction do five gay guys walk in?" she asked to set up her joke.

"One Direction, ha ha ha," I replied flatly but turned to grin at my ridiculous stepmother.

I was surprised when I saw that she was mouthing the lyrics while staring at the pork shoulder.

"Are you singing to the pork?!" I asked incredulously and then burst into laughter.

Vicky just smiled then started singing out loud, picking up the pan of meat and swinging it around as if she were dancing with it. "Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else," she sang loudly and off-key. Then she looked at me, "Come on, I know you know the words. Sing with me!"

I shook my head but reached for the pepper mill to use as a microphone. I sang out loud, just as silly and off-key as my stepmom, "If only you saw what I could see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately."

Vicky joined me and we both started to dance around, singing to the pork, "Right now, I'm looking at you and I can't believe, you don't know oh, oh. You don't know you're beautiful, oh, oh. That's what makes you beautiful!"

The sound of loud, surprised laughter made us freeze then turn to face our unexpected audience. The Cullens stood there with Charlie, faces red with how hard they were laughing at us.

Edward's face caught my eye because of the way his head was thrown back and his eyes were squinting from smiling so widely… So handsome, I thought to myself dazedly. I shook my head and reminded myself why I didn't want to go down that road.

I looked at Vicky, and she met my eyes then smiled. I nodded and we went back to singing and dancing with the pork until the song ended, while our audience laughed until they cried at our spectacular performance.

When the song ended and transitioned into a soft ballad, I threw my arm around my stepmom. "Thank you, thank you!" I said then we bowed. "We are the Swans, and we'll be here all summer!"

I grinned widely and took the pork shoulder from Vicky, who then busied herself with taking the barbecue sauce for the ribs out of the refrigerator.

"Do we even want to know what that was?" Jasper questioned once everyone was calm enough to talk.

"Oh, you know, the secret to good pulled pork is to make it feel beautiful and appreciated," I said nonchalantly, smirking.

Vicky nodded emphatically in response to my statement. "If the pork is happy, it'll make us happy," she said, rubbing her stomach for good measure.

"Oh, dear," Esme said with a chuckle. "It seems I've been cooking pork wrong my whole life."

"Well, I'm glad to share my secret ingredient with you," I joked back, finally chuckling as I started to shred the pork.

A large hand slipped over my shoulder and stole a couple of pieces of pork before I could slap it away. "Hey!" I scolded then turned to face a sheepish Emmett.

"Sorry, Bells," he said, only sounding half-sincere. "It looks too good not to get a small taste first."

"Out of the kitchen please," I shooed him and everyone else to the backdoor. "It'll be done soon."

Once they all left, I focused on finishing dinner. I hummed and shredded pork for a couple of minutes before I was interrupted again.

"That was some performance," Edward complimented and I jumped a little.

I whipped around, "Jesus, Edward. Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," he shrugged unapologetically. I rolled my eyes at him and then turned back to the pork.

"I assume today went well with Charlie, since I didn't hear any more yelling," he said and leaned on his elbows on the counter next to me.

"It did," I confirmed then stopped shredding the pork when I was satisfied with how big the pieces were.

He placed his hand on his chest as if he were wounded. "That's all I get? I don't deserve any details, even after all of my help last night?"

I shook my head at him then retrieved the sauce for the pulled pork. I added some of the sauce to the pulled pork then mixed it in. "It wasn't a long conversation," I responded. "I apologized, so did Charlie. He basically told me the same thing you did, that he was scared I'd feel like he was replacing me. I told him you helped me realize that I overreacted, and he told me about how he helped you."

Edward's face darkened, and I immediately felt guilty for being the cause. "So you know how awful I was?" he asked quietly.

"I know what you did," I corrected. "But it must have been hard, adjusting to parents like Carlisle and Esme after being in the system for so long. And what matters is that you realized you were wrong and you made up for it."

He studied me for a few moments. "Okay," was all he said.

"Okay," I repeated.

We didn't say much after that. Mostly, he just watched me while I worked, hummed, and wiggled my hips a little when I was particularly enjoying a song.

That was until I saw his hand creeping towards the pan of pork in front of me. I slapped his hand hard and he yanked it towards his chest.

"Ouch!" he hissed, pouting at me.

"That's what you get," I said, shaking my head at him.

"But Emmett got some," he complained.

"That's because he was too fast," I explained. "I would have slapped his hand too, if I could have."

"But he still got to taste it," Edward said, moving closer to me and placing his hands on the counter on either side of me to trap me. He leaned into me, invading my private space and making my heart very confused. "Please," he said softly.

I narrowed my eyes at him then firmly pushed his chest so he'd step away from me. "No," I said firmly. He returned to his spot beside me, pouting the entire time.

I finished seasoning the pulled pork a few minutes later, just as my dad walked into the kitchen with the ribs. Vicky and the rest of the Cullens followed him into the house. I put the pulled pork next to the ribs then made a flourishing gesture with my hands. "Please, go ahead and dig in," I said with a smile.

Once everyone had their food and I had warmed up a bottle for Embry, we went to the backyard. Like the house Edward and I had gone to last night, Charlie's backyard was huge. There was a large pool to the right of the backyard and the left side was mostly grassy, open space. The whole backyard was softly lit with fairy lights and cloth lanterns.

Near the back edge of the yard, a long, wooden table was set with a white table cloth and candles. Everyone chose a seat, and Rosalie and Alice saved me a spot in between them. I saw that Vicky couldn't eat because she was trying to feed Embry.

"Here, Vicky," I said as I went to her. "I'll feed Embry while you eat."

"But you should-" she said and I waved her off.

"I'm fine," I said and reached out so she could place him in my arms. "I can wait."

She reluctantly agreed then carefully handed him to me. I sat down next to Alice and Rosalie and they cooed at Embry while he drank from his bottle and they ate their dinner.

"Damn, Bella," Emmett groaned loudly after taking a large bite out of a rib. "If everything you cook tastes as good as this, I'm marrying you as soon as possible."

I shot a wide-eyed look at Rosalie, but she laughed. "He's just being an idiot," she said with a roll of her eyes, so I relaxed.

"The pulled pork is really delicious," Carlisle complimented, sauce smudged on his shirt.

Alice laughed at him then leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "He means it. When Dad really enjoys his food, it ends up all over his clothes."

I laughed and used my chin to gesture at Charlie, who had somehow managed to get barbecue sauce on his forehead. "My dad is the same, only it ends up all over his face."

Rosalie, Alice, and I laughed at our fathers.

"Goodness, Carlisle. Really?" Esme asked, exasperated when she saw him spill even more food on his shirt. This made us laugh even harder.

"Jesus," Jasper moaned. "How are these mashed potatoes so good?"

I laughed and smiled, "They're made from scratch with cream cheese, oven-roasted garlic, and lots of butter."

Edward was quiet. He wasn't even paying attention to anything else happening at the table. He was too busy stuffing his face with food, and I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Edward, please," Esme admonished him. "You're going to choke."

He sheepishly smiled then started eating at a less dangerous pace. Satisfied, Esme turned to me and smiled.

"You have to give me your recipes," Esme said excitedly. Unable to resist one last jab at Vicky's and my ridiculous karaoke session earlier, she continued, "Other than making it feel beautiful, I have no idea what else you did to the pork to make it so delicious. And the ribs… what makes the sauce so sweet, without being too much?"

I answered, "I can write down the recipes for you after dinner, if you'd like."

"We'd love that!" Emmett replied for her, his mouth full. This earned him a stern look from his mother and father, to whom he grinned apologetically.

There was never a break in conversation. As soon as I finished telling someone something, someone else caught my attention. It was almost overwhelming, but it was the most fun I'd had in such a large group of people in a long time.

When Vicky finished eating, she took Embry from me and I ate quickly because I was so hungry. Dinner finished sooner than I thought it would, even though everyone went back for seconds and Emmett went back for thirds.

Conversation started to lull after everyone ate a piece of the pie for dessert, and I laughed at how sleepy everyone looked. The slow, quiet music that was playing through the speakers wasn't helping the matter either.

"Ugh, major food coma," Edward moaned as he leaned back and rubbed his stomach.

"Ed, Jazz," Emmett said with his eyes closed. "You might have to roll me back to the house. I don't think I can move."

This caused laughter to ripple through everyone at the table.

"You know, when the stomach is fully extended, it can reach your pelvis," I said matter-of-factly and Emmett's eyes popped open. He stared at his abdomen in horror.

Rosalie, Alice, and I lost it, bursting into laughter at Emmett's face. Alice laughed so hard that the only sound coming out of her mouth was an occasional wheeze or squeak. This only made Rosalie and I laugh even harder.

"Ugh, Bells," Emmett complained. "That image makes me so uncomfortable."

I shrugged, wiping laughter-induced tears from my eyes, "Sorry, I learned it in AP Bio and I thought it was relevant."

"Oh, so you're a nerd," Rosalie teased, and I stuck my tongue out at her.

"What if I am?" I asked, raising my chin to dare her to say something I didn't like.

"She's too pretty to be a nerd," Edward blurted then tried to hide the blush that turned the tips of his ears red.

Jasper, Emmett, Alice, and Rose just looked at him in surprise.

Jasper whistled lowly then grinned, "Wow, Bella. I don't think I've ever seen him so off his game like this."

Edward flipped his brother off with a roll of his eyes, and Esme admonished him with a look.

"Well, I'm not flattered," I said, cocking an eyebrow at Edward because I was kind of offended. "Why can't smart girls be pretty? Sounds shallow, if you ask me."

Edward snapped, "I didn't mean it as an insult."

"So?" I challenged and he glared at me.

I matched his glare and we maintained eye contact for a long time, neither one of us wavering. After a few tense minutes, Edward caved and looked away.

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded," Edward said, looking down at the table instead of at me. Then he mumbled, "Sorry."

"It's okay," I said and leaned back in my seat.

Our next exchange was weird, and though I wanted to mean it, I had a feeling that neither of us did.

"You know, you're kind of a bitch," Edward said, smirking at me.

"You're not exactly a ray of sunshine either," I retorted with a roll of my eyes but felt my traitorous lips pull into a smirk that matched his.

Alice looked back and forth between Edward and me with a weird look on her face. Before I could ask her what she was thinking, Carlisle stood from the table.

"Okay, before we all pass out at this table, I think we should get going," Carlisle said and pulled Esme's chair out for her. "Thank you so much for dinner, Bella."

"Yes," Esme added. "We might have to ask you to cook for us again sometime this summer, if you're up for it."

"I'd be happy to," I responded then waved goodbye to them.

Alice stood up and threw her arms around me. "You should hang out with us tomorrow! We were thinking of going to Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden for a bit."

"I'll check if it's okay with Charlie and Vicky then I'll let you know," I promised and hugged her back.

I turned around and Rosalie hugged me while she said, "To be honest, I might have to marry you myself for those ribs."

We both laughed, and she continued, "You should really come with us tomorrow. We can chill and show you around Santa Barbara. It'll be fun."

"Okay!" I said and smiled.

I waved goodbye to Jasper, Edward, and Emmett who were groaning as they walked back to their house because they were so full. Once the Cullens left the backyard, Charlie and I started cleaning up after dinner while Vicky went upstairs to put Embry down for the night.

"Hey, Dad," I called when we were almost done. "Can I hang out with the Cullen kids tomorrow?"

"Sure," Charlie nodded. "What are you going to do?"

"Rosalie said they'd show me around Santa Barbara a little and Alice said we'd visit a park," I told him and he nodded.

"Okay, have fun and be safe," he said and I nodded.

We finished cleaning up then went upstairs. Just as I was about to go into my room, Charlie called my name to stop me.

"Yeah?" I answered and turned to face him.

"Thanks for dinner, and…" he said then paused. "I'm happy that you're not leaving. You are still staying for the summer, right?"

I smiled gently and nodded, "Yeah, if you and Vicky will have me."

"Of course we will, kid," he said gruffly. "Goodnight."

"Night, Dad," I replied then walked into my room.

I knew it had to be weird for him. We hadn't spent a whole summer together since before the divorce. In fact, we hadn't spent more than three weeks together a year since I was 8, so it was a little weird for me too. When I thought about it like that, it made me sad, so I decided to look at it from a different angle. It seemed like spending the summer in California would be good for me, between getting some space from Renee, bonding with Charlie, Vicky, and Embry, and befriending the Cullens.

Excited about the rest of my summer, I quickly got ready for bed and then snuggled into my comforter. It had been a long day, so it didn't take long for me to fall into a dreamless sleep.

I hope you enjoyed chapter 4!

Bella and Charlie have made up, we got to know Vicky a little, and Bella and Edward are in a weird place but Bella and the rest of the Cullens are getting along really well.

And if you're interested in the food in this chapter, review or send me a PM and I'll send you the recipes :)

Next up we have more bonding between Bella and the Cullen kids. I'm going to try to post another chapter by Saturday morning because I'm going on vacation for a week, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to write during that time.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think!