I awoke alone, the sun casting an unnatural yellow tint over my room. It was bright and warm and depressing. I sifted through my memory, trying to separate dream from reality. Edward was real, I was sure of that. Darkness would bring him back to me. Tanya... I remembered meeting the queen of the vampires and her family. Had she really sung me to sleep?

I sat up and threw open the window, breathing in the moist, warm air. Kate moved in the shadows under the trees, catching my eye, and I waved to her. She cheerfully returned my wave, then faded back into the forest. It wasn't a dream then. My guardian angels were still watching over me. Smiling, I closed the window again and made my way down the stairs.

The milk had gone sour, so cereal was out of the question. I decided to fry up an egg. As the skillet heated, I realized I should probably invite Tanya's family inside. Charlie would have left two or three hours ago to go fishing; he wouldn't be back until noon at the earliest, so there was no reason for them to be stuck in the forest. On the other hand, what would I do with them inside all day? What do thousand-year-old vampires do for fun? Besides seducing every male they can get their hands on, that is. Hanging out with the Cullens was easier. They were good at pretending to be teenagers.

I dropped the spatula in surprise when Charlie called down the stairs to me. "Smells good, Bella! Do you mind starting one for me?"

"Uh... sure, Dad." What was he doing home still? I checked out the window, and sure enough, his cruiser was still in the driveway. Weird.

He came down a couple of minutes later, almost looking hung over.

"Dad, are you feeling okay?" I'd been here for almost a year and a half, and I'd never once seen him sick.

Yawning, he answered, "Naw, I'm fine. Just had a rough night."

Crap! Did he overhear Tanya and me last night? But then I remembered his steady snoring. A sudden suspicion, too awful for words, crept into my mind.

"A lot of ... really strange dreams," he continued.

They'd seduced my father! While I was in the house! My cheeks burned. "Um..." I tried to look at my father while avoiding his gaze. "Do you want this egg? I don't want it anymore. I'm feeling kind of queasy."

While I was in the house! My first instinct was to murder whichever of those vampires had... ugh! With a shudder, I decided I didn't want to know. The entire universe would be better off pretending this had never happened.

In the deafening silence, I put a couple slices of bread in the toaster.

"So..." Charlie cleared his throat. "What are your plans for the day?"

Killing a vampire or three. While I was in the house! Putting on a brave face, I answered, "I was just trying to decide that myself. I've got some calculus homework still, but I can do that when it's raining again. I'll probably just hang out around the yard and read." Where my guardian angels could keep an eye on me, and I could decide the best way to kill them. "Oh, and I've got to pick up a few groceries. That milk is nasty." The toast popped up and I started buttering it. "What are you up to today?"

"Well, I got a late start, but it'll still be a nice day for fishing." Then his voice turned falsely bright. "Hey, I know. Why don't you bring one of your favorite books along and come fishing with me. Just like old times."

Old times. Back in the days when Jacob ignored me because I had cooties instead of leeches. And I had ignored him back, playing with his sisters instead. Now I really couldn't just hang out here by myself. Edward's absence today just reminded me all the more of how much I missed my best friend. "Sure, Dad. Sounds fun."

"Bells..."

I finally met his gaze, and there was concern in his eyes. He knew me far better than I'd ever imagined. My face softened as I handed him his toast. "I'm not going to go all zombie on you again. I promise."

He accepted the bread. "Thanks." I wasn't sure if he was referring to the toast or me staying sane. Maybe it was both. He began eating, so I put some toast in for me.

"If you don't want to come, Bells, that's okay. I just thought it would be nice to spend some family time together."

Family time? Where was this coming from? The memory of Edward's lips twitching in a smile came back to me. So Charlie's father-daughter fishing trip was what Edward had found so amusing. This was Carlisle's fault — he'd inspired my father's paternal instincts with his cozy little Cullen family camp-out. Good thing Charlie didn't know what the Cullens did during their family time. Of course, he was inviting me to go slaughter a bunch of innocent fish, so fundamentally, it wasn't all that different. The thought was appealing — Edward and me both hunting, even if we were hundreds of miles apart. "I don't mind one bit, Dad. But are you sure you want me tagging along? If I'm wrapped up in Pride and Prejudice, I'm not going to be very good company."

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "I don't mind. Fishermen like bookworms."

"Ha!" I grinned as I buttered my own toast, then I came to sit across the table from Charlie. We finished breakfast in our usual companionable silence.

It was almost ten in the morning before we made it to the nearest fishing hole, but Charlie seemed to be in exceptionally good spirits, whistling the whole way there. I tried to blame his sunny disposition on our family bonding time instead of on those strange dreams last night. Yep, I was going to find a way to kill a vampire. Edward wouldn't want me killing his... whatever Tanya and her sisters were to him, so I only had until nightfall. Then again, after hearing what they'd done, Edward might agree with me. He might even help...

Charlie retrieved his rod and tackle-box from the trunk, while I got out the chaise lounge and my book. The cooler we left in the car. Wordlessly, he waded into the creek and I set up my chair in the sun, drinking in the warmth. I only hoped Edward had an opportunity sometime this weekend to do the same. Jane Austen fell by the wayside as I imagined Edward laying on the grass beside me, scintillating in the sun. I hadn't needed fantasies lately — my imagination paled next to Edward's divine face — but it was pleasant now to bask in my dreams. For a while.

I'd been hearing it for some time before it finally registered that someone was humming "All Through the Night" behind me. I sat up, and it instantly stopped. Tanya was just reassuring me that she was still keeping watch. "Thank you," I whispered, knowing she'd hear me, then drifted back into my daydream.

Charlie only caught one fish that morning, and at one o'clock, he climbed up onto the bank beside me. "Not much biting today," he said amiably as he opened the cooler. "What'll you have?"

"Just a sandwich and an orange," I answered, getting to my feet.

Charlie waved me back down and brought me my lunch. "No need to get up." He eyed my book, which I hadn't touched for more than an hour. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah, I am." Much more than I'd expected to.

He laid back against a log beside me and opened his sandwich. There was just a hint of suspicion in his voice when he said, "I'm glad you're catching up on your sleep."

Ah. So he was worried about my nightmares again. I didn't have to fake being cheerful on this one. "Even with a good eight hours of sleep last night, it still feels nice to take a nap." Especially when I'm taking it with my imaginary Edward. "The sun is too pleasant to stay awake."

He nodded in agreement. "Apparently the fish think so, too." He yawned hugely. "I'm tempted to doze for a bit myself, after that rough night."

I closed my eyes in aggravation. He would have to bring that up again!

"You sure you're not bored?" he asked.

Only if planning cold-blooded murder is boring. "Nope."

Charlie yawned again. "Then I'm going to crash for a bit. Wake me up when you get bored or the fish start jumping, whichever happens first."

If he started snoring, the fish would flee the state. "Sure thing, Dad."