J'aime reviews! They make me smile. Even the mean ones. So please, be critical! I want to improve! As always, S. Meyer owns theses wondrous creatures. Sadly, I can only borrow them. Was the last post a cliffhanger? I'm sorry if it was. But don't worry, the torture continues.

Bella and me had a fight, so I'm switching back to everyone's favorite vampire!

EPOV:

I tried to be comforting from Bella as Charlie, Esme, and Carlisle entered the living room, smiling as well as I could. Charlie's thoughts roared at me once the door had opened, however. Naturally, his murderous thoughts made it rather hard to concentrate on remaining calm. But I had dealt with thoughts like this from Black before, so I tuned out most of it. I focused instead on Carlisle.

I hope you realized exactly how much trouble you've caused Edward. His thoughts were not angry, but rather disappointed. I dropped my gaze. He always knew exactly how to make me feel like a little kid. Times like this proved why we always thought of his as a father, even though he was more of a mentor.

Esme shook her head and sighed. Bella is in hot water with her father when she gets home. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, you've made quite a mess of all this. I shutter to know what Bella's mother will say when she arrives for graduation. That made me grimace. Renee would be coming in just two days. That was just not enough time for Chief Swan to cool down.

Wow, is Charlie steamed! Jasper winked at me over Alice's head. I'll do you a favor and make him relax. You own me one. There was no doubt about that. With his help, Charlie visually calmed down and his thoughts strayed to protecting Bella instead of just killing me. Poor man; it couldn't be easy to have a daughter who attracted mythical creatures so easily.

"Bella," Charlie gruffly addressed her. She jumped, no doubt confused why his voice was not as pissed off, and stared at the floor again. "Come on, we're going home. Needless to say, you are in a lot of trouble." She nodded and I let go of her hand, allowing her to leave. But she paused at the door, her fearful eyes watching me. Charlie noticed too. "It's very late. We don't want to bother Dr. Cullen's family anymore; we probably woke them up." Bella smiled slightly but nodded. Chief Swan gently led Bella out the door and to the Cruiser. No one said anything until the sound of the car slowly disappeared.

I headed to the door as well, determined to hear the new terms of Bella's punishment, but Carlisle called me back. "Edward." Not yet; we still need to talk, young man. I stood at the door, waiting. "What you did was not only very dangerous, but incredibly stupid." Bella, unfortunately, will bare the blunt of this. "How could you let Charlie find you there?" You must have been very distracted for that to happen. "And your actions affected everyone, including our family." We've learned to control ourselves around Bella, but you brought basically a stranger into our house so late at night. If Jasper hadn't just hunted-

"I know! Okay, I know." If we don't wrap this up, I won't beat them home. "I realize my… actions were hazardous to everyone. It wasn't my idea to bring him here." I shot an acidic look at Alice. "All the same, no one knows the dangers I could have put Bella in better then myself." Especially after this afternoon.

The thoughts of my family flooded into my mind.

I still can't believe they didn't do anything. Emmett was still in shock.

I can only imagine what new ways to separate Charlie has come up with. Poor Bella. Of course Esme was concerned about Bella. She was already a daughter to her in Esme's eyes.

We wouldn't have this problem if he would just change her! He must have known that Carlisle worried Jasper might give in to his cravings. Changing Bella would stop the temptation one and for all for him.

Edward, there's not much he can do since Bella can move out anytime over this summer. You can deal with one more week, right? Rosalie was being strangely kind and supportive. I figured her guilt was still reining about almost getting us killed in Volterra. But the sincerity behind her words surprised me.

She wouldn't have been in any danger, Edward. Alice was positive of her visions, as always.

Carlisle alone remained still in thought. Hmm… Well, Edward, I do believe you wouldn't have put her in this mess on purpose. What happens now deepens solely on Charlie, and what Bella can say to soften the blow. He smiled. "Best to see what's going on over there. Bella has some serious damage control to do."

Don't I know it. But I don't think Bella will be able to find a way to blow this over. My thoughts were dismal as I raced out the door for the Swan residence.

0- o O o -0

I arrived in record time and watched Charlie follow Bella into her room. I climbed to the top the tree in the yard for a better view. Bella sat on her bed, arms crossed and Charlie was pacing. He was angry again, that much was obvious. Lucky for Bella, most of it was directed at himself. I can't believe this! Their relationship has gotten much farther then I thought… Holy crap! Did she say marriage?

I froze too. We hadn't discussed my proposal since that night many months ago. I figured she just wasn't ready for it, but if she brought it up to her father she must be serious. Charlie walked over to the window to gather his thoughts. My daughter… married. But-but she said no! Oh wait; she wanted to talk to Renee and me first. Bella actually plans to say yes after she talks with Renee this week… To my delight he opened the window for some cool air. I leaned in closer; if Bella really did plan to accept, I wanted to hear it from her mouth.

"Dad, please just listen." Bella's angelic voice floated through the open window. "I really do love him. And I always have. Do you really think I would rush into a marriage if I didn't?" My dead heart soared at her words. Poor Charlie's plummeted. She's right of course. Bella has never been on to rush into anything. But marriage? Does she want to give her mother a heart attack? "Bella honey, I… trust you. But how can you expect me to trust him?" Not after all the crap he put you through.

Images skated through my mind as Charlie remembered how much she had suffered when we left. Her being carried back to Charlie that very night whispering 'he's gone' over and over. Bella screaming at her father that she was not going to move in with Renee, that she wanted to stay here. Bella cooking dinner without a smile, and then refusing to eat anything herself. Revisiting those memories hurt Charlie, but not as much as they hurt me. I was the cause of her unhappiness. Why she had looked so unhealthy when I finally saw her again. But Bella's answer brought me back to the present.

"You should have enough faith in me to know I would never even consider being together with anyone who wasn't worth it. And after… they went away." She paused, but then charged on. "Well, how did you take it when Mom left?" I could tell Bella already knew the answer. Charlie didn't respond but wallowed in self-pity, reliving the pain and depression. "I do take after you, remember?" Bella tried to lift him out of his sudden gloom unsuccessfully. "Would I really have reacted so harshly if I wasn't 100 percent positive of my feelings?"

He finally turned to face her. "But… how could you forgive him?" His angst rang in every syllable. I don't know if I ever will. "Simple Dad: I love him. Nothing will ever change that. You know what they say. That which doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. Our love proved that." Bella let that sink in before softly finishing her thought. "Did you ever truly blame Mom for leaving?"

"Never." His mind echoed his answer. How could I blame her, when I was the one who wasn't good enough for her? Maybe she was right to have left. "I only wanted her to be happy. Granted, I regretted not going after her, but she's happy now. That's… all that mattered. That matters right now, as well."

Bella nodded, wringing her fingers. "Did you ever think that's how I felt too? That maybe my depression was more about being angry with myself… for not being enough?" I knew her tone well enough. It upset me to no ends when I heard her belittle herself. How could she not realize who special, how beautiful, how wonderful she truly was?

Charlie's thoughts were in sync with mine. Not enough? That's bull! "Bella! How could you ever think that? You are completely amazing, and Edward is lucky to have you!" But she only laughed in return. "Oddly enough, Edward said the same thing." Her voice was fused with love. "He's always made me feel special, at least. And I still disagree; I'm the lucky one." She smiled and waved her hand at Charlie before he could interrupt. "But this is all beside the point. We love each other, so nothing you can do will keep me from him." And vise versa, I thought to myself, grinning. Now that I know she is devoted to me, I plan to keep her by my side forever. Forever. And there was only one way for that to happen.

Slowly, Charlie was being won over. I'd never had real reason to hate him before he left. He really was a good kid. And I suppose it wasn't his fault Dr. Cullen got sent to the hospital in L.A. I cringed at that. Our leaving really was my fault, after all. "And… you're sure about him, Bells?"

Her smile was pure and blissful. "More sure then I've ever been in my whole life, Dad."

And Charlie smiled too. "Then… I approve. You both have my blessing. Just… promise you'll take care of yourself?" She nodded and hugged her father. I will just have to get over this. Bella may be stubborn, but she must really believe this will work out. I only hope she is right.