Welcome back!
I own lots of things, but unfortunately, not the canon characters in this story. They belong to SM, however, this story is mine. Please respect the ownership of this story and report any incidences of plagiarism of this or any other story out there. It is, at the very least, disrespectful to the writers.
Thanks, as always, to my terrific trio, and to Grendel – the goddess who is saving me from myself and my errors.
Ok, without too much preamble, here is the chapter many of you have been waiting for, but I do feel the need to warn you before you read.
Some of your suspicions have been right on, and for some of you, it might make you feel just a little uncomfortable. Now, I am asking that you stick with me here. There is a resolution to one critical issue in the very beginning of the next chapter. You've got the heads up, so on with the reading.
Ch 10 – Thanksgiving
"What time's your flight again, love?"
"Nine," Dan replied, swallowing a mouthful of cereal before he answered.
"So, you'll just go straight to the airport from work, then? I don't mind meeting you and driving you down so you don't have to put your car into long term parking for the weekend," Bella offered, sipping her coffee at the table.
"I've been thinking about that. I think I'll leave my car at work and get a bus from the city to the airport. Won't have to pay parking fees, and the busses run often enough, especially for this weekend."
Bella sat nodding her head while listening to Dan.
"And besides, it will give me a couple of extra hours at work to get some things done before heading off. You know, leave a good impression."
The week after leaving Cassie on the steps of The Plaza in New York, Dan had scored an interview for an internship with a PR firm in Manchester. It was a small company that handled business relations and company functions in and around Manchester. He'd gladly accepted the job because it was the first step in his chosen career. It allowed him to commute from home each day, which saved him the added expense of having to set up a place of his own just yet.
He was the office run-around man, the "go-fer" for the company, learning the ropes from the bottom up. The owners were a husband and wife team who ran a tight ship. There were only nine employees, and because it was a smaller sized firm, he got to experience things that he may not have had access to in a larger company with more personnel; it was one of the things that had attracted him to the job in the first place. He got to be hands on with the functions they organised, from the planning to the sequencing and organization of the event. He was on hand at most occasions to help ensure that things ran smoothly, and if they didn't, he worked to resolve them quickly.
When he went for the interview, Dan was worried that the trip he had booked to California for Thanksgiving would have been a stumbling block, preventing him from securing the position. While driving home from New York on Labor Day, Dan had called and booked a flight from Manchester to LA, praying that all the tickets for this busy holiday weekend hadn't already been taken. He'd lucked out and managed to get one of the few remaining seats on a late night flight on Wednesday evening, but not without having to pay a hefty price. He was way too late to secure any discounted fares, but he hadn't cared. He had been working two jobs at that point, and as far as he was concerned, he would save every penny he earned if it meant he could fly out to see Cassie for Thanksgiving.
Thankfully, during the interview, the owners had asked him if there was anything he should tell them that would help them to determine if Dan was best suited for the position. Dan had taken that opportunity to explain that he was already committed to a trip to California for the Thanksgiving weekend, which would necessitate him having the Friday after Thanksgiving off. He'd told them that should they offer him the position, he would be willing to work additional hours leading up to that weekend, including working late that Wednesday evening before his flight departed. Bella had counselled him to be upfront and direct during the interview process, believing that it was best practice to be honest with his prospective employers from the get go. It was sage advice, because it had worked. His employers, when calling to tell him that they had selected him for the position, had commented that it was his honesty about his intended time off and determination to honour his commitments that had made him stand out from the other interviewees.
"What time are you going over to Jess and Mike's tomorrow, Mom?" Dan asked as he finished off his cereal and put his bowl in the sink.
"Jess said eleven o'clock, which should give me enough time to do my bit towards the meal in the morning and take it over warm."
"Is Steve meeting you here or there?"
"Here," Bella answered. "He's actually coming over tonight after work."
"Oohh, sleep over," Dan teased, getting some bread to put in the toaster.
"Mmm," Bella replied vaguely.
Bella had continued to date Steve casually over the last three months. Steve's parents lived in Texas, and he was planning to go home for the week between Christmas and New Year, instead of Thanksgiving. He was spending the day with Bella at Jess and Mike's place and now it appeared that he was intending to spend a little more than just the day with Bella this Thanksgiving.
"So, how would you have taken me to the airport, if Steve was coming over tonight?" Dan questioned, trying to catch his mother out from their earlier conversation.
"I never said that I would be driving you in by myself now, did I?" Bella answered as she got up from the table and made her way over to the sink to wash her coffee cup.
"So, do you have plans for tonight, as well?"
"We thought we would go and catch a movie, and then go to dinner," Bella replied to her son's questioning, deliberately leaving out specifics. Just for good measure, she decided to tease him by adding, "Then again, we might just stay here with a DVD, take out and popcorn – the couch is much more comfortable than the theatre chairs." Bella couldn't keep the smirk off her face as she dried her cup and put it back in the cupboard.
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" Dan chided her. "Teasing your poor, lonely son by throwing your own relationship in his face? What kind of mother are you to do that to your own flesh and blood?"
"One who believes that she's entitled to her own privacy, and who doesn't have to explain her whereabouts to her fully-grown son," Bella reminded Dan, turning to look at him with a smile firmly in place.
"Yes, Mom," Dan replied, putting on the voice of a dutiful son before adding, "but does that work both ways?" and raising his eyebrows.
Bella looked seriously at her son, crossing her hands over her chest and leaning back against the kitchen counter.
"Yes, I suppose it just might," she replied thoughtfully, nodding her head. "My mind is at ease when I know where you are, love," the conversation turning serious. "But I don't need to keep tabs on you. I haven't had to for a long time, but I do sleep better knowing where you are."
Dan nodded his head at the sentiments behind Bella's words before continuing. "Well, just so you know, Mom," he said cheekily, trying to lighten the conversation again, "I'm going to California to see my girl this weekend and make up for lost time."
"Ok, then," Bella replied, matching his tone of voice, "and will you be staying at Cassie's parent's place the whole weekend?"
"That's the plan; although, we might try and get away for a day or so on our own. We're hoping to anyway."
"But doesn't Cassie celebrate Thanksgiving with her extended family?" Bella asked, remembering an earlier conversation with Dan about the plans for the weekend.
"Yes, but they all only stay the one night, so family time should be over by the Friday afternoon, which leaves the rest of the weekend just for us."
"You're yet to meet Cassie's Dad, though, remember," Bella warned him. "Fathers can be a little protective of their girls, especially only daughters."
"Understood. That's why first impressions count, and I intend to make a very good first impression."
"I think that he will have a pretty good first impression of you in his mind before you arrive, and if you want your relationship with Cassie to survive, just don't blow it."
"I won't, Mom. Promise."
"OK, then, love. Well, I'm off," Bella said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
"Yeah, I'd better make a move, too," Dan agreed, realizing that the morning had moved on more quickly than he had thought as he crossed to the fridge to put away the spreads he'd used on his toast.
"Have a wonderful weekend, love. Say hello to Cassie and her family from me. And thank Alice again for that magazine subscription for my birthday. That was a lovely surprise."
Dan moved over to give his mother a hug goodbye, but then said, "I will, Mom, but you have already – a couple of times." He quickly held up both his hands in a sign of surrender when Bella glared at him. "I will make sure she knows that you just paw over the thing each month when it arrives, just in case she hasn't gotten that idea yet."
"Alright, smarty pants. Have a great time."
"I'll call you tomorrow morning once I get there."
"How about tonight – from the airport – just to let me know you've gotten there in time?" No matter how old Dan seemed to get, Bella was constantly concerned about his lack of punctuality.
"Right, like that's going to help you to sleep better tonight," Dan answered with a wink, "with Steve being here and all."
Bella just looked at her son, using a well-practised and perfected gaze that came instinctually with being a mother. That one look could say so much without uttering a single sound.
"Fine, Mom. I'll call you from the airport, but if you don't answer in five rings, I'm hanging up – just in case you're otherwise occupied, of course. I wouldn't want to disturb your privacy," he answered, waggling his eyebrows and reminding her of their earlier conversation.
"Off with you...you smart-alec," Bella said, clipping him over the back of the ear for good measure.
"Bye, Mom," Dan said, moving out of the kitchen and towards the stairs to retrieve his bag from his room.
"Bye, love. Be good."
"Always."
And safe, Bella thought, without saying it out loud before collecting her things and heading for the door.
*********
Dan sat back in his seat on the plane, readying himself for take off. He had made two phone calls before boarding. The first call was to Bella, as promised, letting her know that he had arrived at the airport in Manchester with time to spare. The call had been brief, because Bella and Steve had decided to stay in for the night, and Dan had the distinct impression, without anything being said, that Bella was a little distracted. The second call was to Cassie, who told him that she would be waiting at the airport for him in the morning when he arrived. She encouraged him to try and get some sleep on the plane, because they had a busy day the next day with all the family arriving for Thanksgiving. After all these months apart, Cassie was excited that he was just a little over ten hours away. Dan assured her that he felt the same way and the thought of seeing her again so soon was more than just a little exciting. Cassie had just laughed and told him to think of something really boring – like airline food – to calm him down before they disconnected with promises of seeing each other soon.
Once in the air, Dan put in his earphones to his iPod and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. It didn't work. An hour later, he carefully rose from his seat to retrieve his laptop from the overhead locker. Once seated again, he turned it on and opened up some files he had saved.
In the nearly three months since Dan and Bella had spoken about his father and the events surrounding his conception, Dan had begun to researching the Internet with what little information he had. The resort that Bella had gone to in the late 80's had closed ten years later, so that had been a dead end. He'd started to Google the band name, Vamp, and had been surprised to find over eighty-six thousand files cross-referencing the terms "Vamp" and music. It had taken him a long time over the last few months to work through the many pages and links to files associated with that name. Whenever he could manage to catch brief moments of uninterrupted time, Dan had worked on wading through all this information at odd hours of the day and night. It hadn't become an obsession, but it was something that he had found invaded his thoughts regularly. Now that he had started his search, he wasn't likely to stop.
He had kept most of his research hidden from Bella. He had only told her that he was trying to make a connection between the band and its members but hadn't really found anything definitive, yet. Dan had always known this search would be a tough process for his mother. Despite her assurances that he was the prize in her life, he knew that the circumstances of his conception and her subsequent pregnancy still brought up feelings of hurt and pain from that time. Bella's future had changed forever that final evening of her end of school holidays in 1987. Dan didn't want her to have to relive any more of those memories until he was sure that he had found what he was searching for.
He had finally discovered a reference to a college band that had formed in the mid to late 80s and recorded a demo track. Further investigation revealed the names of the song's composers. After almost six weeks of diligent and patient research, this was where he got his first lucky break. Two names were listed with the demo, and one of those names appeared to be significant.
Further Internet research using that one name yielded such a wealth of information that Dan was in awe of the achievements of this one individual. Could this person, the name he had been so thoroughly investigating in recent weeks, actually be his father? In a weird twist of fate, this individual lived and worked on the West Coast somewhere around LA.
Dan hadn't told either Bella or Cassie exactly what he had wanted to do during with his time over Thanksgiving. If given the chance, he was eager to try and follow up on some of the leads he had discovered in recent weeks. This meant that he would have to tell Cassie what he had been doing and what he had learned so far, but that wasn't a discussion he'd wanted to have with her over the telephone or via email. He needed her help and support, but he wanted to talk to her in person about this. Truth be told, Dan was feeling rather anxious now that the paper trail he had followed seemed to point in the one direction. He wanted to discuss the next steps with someone, and he wanted that someone to be Cassie.
Cassie and Dan had spent the last three months communicating via phone and email, just as they had promised each other. It hadn't been easy. Their first squabble prior to Cassie's visit over Labor Day weekend had been repeated several times since then. Dan's work issues weren't the problem. It was the little misunderstandings resulting from confusion and carelessly written words that were so often misconstrued in texts or emails. Since their only form of intimate communication was the telephone, this was when they tended to squabble most. Frustrations over poorly worded communiqués, which weren't helped by the three-hour time difference, inevitably bubbled their way to the surface. Dan had stayed up late waiting to call Cassie until after her dinner time, and by which time, he would be tired and cranky after a long day at work.
What they both knew and understood was that this breakdown in communication was something they would have to get sorted if their relationship was going to work long term. While it still remained a challenge, they both sought to work on solving the problems rather than letting them fester. As committed as they were to each other and their relationship, the loss of physical contact was something that was going to undermine what they both wanted. While they weren't any closer to finding a permanent solution to the distance issue, it made effective communication all the more important.
Dan spent the next hour on the plane rereading some of the saved files he had found about the man whom he believed to be his father. He also reread many of the emails that Cassie had sent him in the previous two and a half months, smiling at some while cringing at others. It was after reading some of these that Dan finally began to relax and feel sleep wanting to overtake him. Turning off his laptop and storing it back in its bag at his feet, he stretched out as much as the limited space would allow and finally drifted off to sleep, thinking of his girl and the welcome that would be waiting for him when he arrived.
**********
It was just after three in the morning, local time, when Dan was awakened by the flight attendant asking him to prepare for landing. It was nearly four by the time the plane landed and Dan had made his way through the airport to collect his baggage before making his way to the pick-up zone outside the airport. Dan had texted Cassie upon landing, and she had assured him that she was waiting for him as arranged. He walked out the doors into the arrivals collection area before realizing that he didn't know what type of car Cassie was driving. He chided himself for not having asked her beforehand. He realized quickly, however, that it wasn't going to be a problem. He had waited only a few minutes before he saw Cassie running down the sidewalk towards him. He started to move quickly towards her, wanting to close the gap between them, and abruptly dropped his bags as she neared. She launched herself into his arms, almost winding him. Without a second thought, Dan hugged her close to him and breathed in her familiar scent. It felt like he was finally whole again, and when she pulled back briefly, he rushed in to kiss her firmly on the lips.
The young couple pulled apart when they became aware of a persistent honking noise nearby. Cassie quickly giggled, and then apologised.
"That's Dad," she said simply. "He wasn't happy about me driving down in the dark on my own, so he insisted on coming with me."
"Your Dad's here?" Dan asked, realising that his chance to make a good first impression was probably long gone considering he had all but mauled the man's daughter outside the airport.
"Yes, but don't worry," Cassie continued, "I warned him not to look if he didn't think he was going to like what he would see. Mom basically told him to wear a blindfold, which he didn't think was a good idea since he insisted on driving, but he got the general picture."
"Great. Just great. And Mom told me to make a good first impression," Dan remembered, while shaking his head and laughing nervously. "Good one, Dan. Slick."
"Oh, you'll be fine; don't be such a worry wart. Come on, I'll introduce you," she added as she took Dan by the hand and led him towards the car. "Stop dragging your feet; it will be fine. Dad's been told to be on his best behaviour. Promise."
Cassie's Dad had stepped out of the car as they approached and moved in to greet his daughter's boyfriend.
"So," he started. "I sure hope to god you're Dan."
"Yes, sir." Dan responded, nodding. "Dan Swan," he said formally, extending his hand.
"Jasper Whitlock, Dan," said Jasper, friendly enough. "I see you know my daughter?" he added cheekily.
"Yes, sir," replied Dan, looking at Cassie, who was beaming back at him.
"Now, son. I'll have none of this 'Sir' business - Jasper's fine. Seeing that you've just had what looked like your tongue halfway down my daughter's throat this early in the morning, I'd say we should at least be on a first name basis."
"God, Jasper. Yes, right. Sorry about that," Dan stuttered, feeling very awkward indeed.
"That's alright son; no need to feel embarrassed. It made the trip down here at this time in the morning worthwhile. Geez, if you'd just given her a peck, I would have wondered why the hell I'd gotten out of bed in the wee small hours at all."
Dan just stood there shaking his head from side to side, feeling embarrassed, but he realised that Cassie was just taking the whole thing in stride.
"Come on, then; get in the car. If we hurry, we might even be able to get home before your Mother wakes up," Jasper said to Cassie. "Shake a leg, girl," he added for good measure.
Dan went around to the trunk of the car to put his bag in, and then made his way to the rear passenger's door to climb in next to Cassie.
"Dan, ride up front with me. I've got an hour and a bit drive ahead of me. I don't want to play chauffeur or spend the whole time looking in the rear view mirror instead of watching the road in front of me."
"Oh, Dad," Cassie sighed.
"Cassandra. My house; my car; my rules. Deal with it. Your young man here respects a father's right to protect his daughter, and after the visual you two gave me, I think the safest place for all concerned is for your man to sit up front with me until I get to know him a little better."
Cassie gave Dan an apologetic smile as Dan stepped away from the backseat and shut the door before climbing into the front with Jasper for the ride home. Ground rules were laid; of that, Dan was certain.
The car ride along the coast back to Cassie's house in Santa Barbara was pleasant. Jasper kept Dan talking most of the way, while Dan sat with his back almost fully against the side door of the car so he could at least maintain eye contact with Cassie during the drive. They made good time and arrived at the house just before six.
"Right, then – you two," Jasper said as he turned off the engine after he had pulled up in the drive. "I'm going back upstairs to hopefully say good morning to my wife before she gets up for the day. Dan, make yourself at home, except for Cassie's room. That's out of bounds," he warned.
Ground rules well and truly set thought Dan. Territory's been marked.
"Aside from that, enjoy some quiet time before the family start to arrive. I'd say you've got about, oh, two, maybe three hours tops," he said, looking at his watch. "Right, then – I'm off."
"Thanks for the ride, Jasper. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome, son. Cass, get this boy a coffee. He looks like he could do with one."
Jasper headed off into the house, and Cassie and Dan followed along behind slowly after retrieving Dan's bags from the trunk of the car. They had no problems at all filling in the time before Cassie's relatives started to arrive. They were so busy entertaining themselves, they were startled when Alice bounded into the living room after she'd finally gotten up from Jasper's wake-up booty call. This unexpected interruption did, however, give Dan time to squeeze in a quick shower and change of clothes. He was ready when Sammy, Rosalie and Sammy's Dad, Emmett arrived promptly at nine; punctuality, apparently, was one of Rosalie's trademarks. It was obviously a family trait, because Cassie's grandparents arrived shortly after.
"Grandma, Grandpa, I'd like you to meet, Dan. Dan, these two wonderful people are my grandparents, Esmé and Carlisle Cullen."
Dan froze momentarily before recovering and extended his hand to Cassie's grandfather. "Sir," he said formally. "It's nice to finally meet you. Cassie talks about you both, often."
"I'd hazard a guess that we have heard your name more than you've heard ours young man," replied Carlisle as he locked eyes with Dan. "We're glad to meet you, too. It is always good to be able to put a face to a name."
"Yes, Sir, and a name to a face," he replied in a quiet tone. "Cassie has shown me pictures of the two of you, so I already knew who you were when you came through the door. I didn't know your family name though; she always refers to you as Grandma and Grandpa."
"None of that 'Sir' business, Dan. Esmé and Carlisle are just fine," responded Esmé as she joined in the conversation for the first time before leaning over to give Dan a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Esmé," Dan responded. "How was your drive?"
"Relatively problem free, actually."
"That's great," Dan replied, a little distractedly. "Ah, Cassie said that you are staying overnight. Where are your bags? I can get them for you, if you like."
"Oh, really, there's no need. We can get them later."
"Honestly, it's no problem. Give me your keys. Cassie can show me which car it is."
"Thank you, Dan. That's very kind of you," Carlisle added. "Look after this one, Cass. He's a keeper."
"Oh, my god, Grandpa, embarrass me much? Let's go, Dan," Cassie groaned as she took the keys her grandfather proffered and led the way outside with Dan in tow.
"Carlisle, really!" Esmé admonished as the young couple made it to the front door. "Don't embarrass her like that. He's come all the way over here to meet the family. Leave her be. This weekend is a big enough event for the two of them without you weighing in on them, too."
The rest of what was said was lost to the young couple as they moved out onto the front lawn in search of the car.
Cassie sensed that Dan was a little distracted, and she reached for his hand as they walked towards the car.
"Are you, OK?" she asked, trying to sense what had made him so quiet all of a sudden.
Roused from his thoughts, Dan smiled at her, giving her that special look that made her insides turn to butterflies. "I'm fine, gorgeous. You're grandparents seem very welcoming."
"They are truly one of a kind. They have always been in our lives. I just love them to bits."
"I can tell. You're very lucky," he said as they stopped by the trunk of the car.
"Do you miss your Mom's parents much?" she asked with genuine concern, looking into his eyes, searching for what seemed to take him so far away in thought a few moments ago.
"Yeah, they were the cornerstones of our lives for so long. They gave so much of themselves to my Mom and me over the years. They were my only family. I miss them heaps," he said, his voice breaking a little as he uttered those last words.
"How do you think your Mom's doing?"
"I spoke to her this morning, briefly, after I landed, and she seemed excited enough about the day. She and Steve are going to a friend's place for lunch."
"Do you want to check in on her?"
Dan looked at this wonderful, young woman standing in front of him. His heart swelled as his eyes looked into hers, so full of warmth and understanding. "Yeah, I would."
"Where's your cell? Have you got it on you?"
Dan reached up to gently rub his hand over the back of her hair and around to the front of her neck, bringing his fingers to rest on the ridge of her collarbone. His eyes expressed everything he was feeling for her and her willingness to understand him and the depth of his ties to his mother. He leaned in and gave her a chaste but meaningful kiss on the lips.
He swallowed as he backed away and reached into the back pocket of his pants.
"Yeah, I've got it here," he said, finally answering her.
"Give it to me."
"What?"
"You heard me; hand it over."
He looked at her quizzically as he handed over the phone.
Without hesitation, Cassie unlocked it and looked at the list of recently dialled numbers. Selecting Bella's cell, she called it and put the phone up to her ear while holding out a finger warning him to hold on.
The call was answered after only a couple of rings.
"Hi, Dan, what are you doing calling me again so soon?"
"Hi, Bella. It's Cassie. Dan's right here with me, and we just wanted to call you together to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving."
"Cassie, love. It's great to hear from you. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, sweetie. How's the morning going over there for you?"
"Oh, Bella, it's chaos. Wonderful chaos, but chaos just the same."
"Is everyone there? Any late arrivals?"
"Well, Dan has just met Sammy's Dad and my grandparents, and I have an uncle still to arrive, but he is perpetually late. For a single guy, he's hopeless. Other than that, everyone is here; hence, the chaos," Cassie replied as she reached forward and took Dan's hand in hers to give it a soft squeeze, which he returned in kind. He pulled her in to hug her gently as she continued her conversation with his mother.
"It sounds very quiet for such a degree of chaos," Bella said as she looked around her own quiet house and over to Steve, who was leaning against the kitchen counter sipping on a coffee.
"We've just stepped outside for a moment to get my grandparents' luggage from the car. If we were inside the house, I'd have to yell so you could hear me."
"Well, that explains it."
"Dan's right here Bella; I'll put him on. What time are you leaving for your friend's place?"
"You've only just caught us. We're running a tad late. I'm just putting the finishing touches on the sweet potato dish I've made."
"Marshmallows?"
"Of course."
"Sweet!"
"Hopefully."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Bella, and thank you for letting me share it with Dan this year."
"You're welcome, Cassie. Give my boy a kiss for me."
Cassie smiled into the phone and Dan raised an eyebrow in question. "I will, Bella. Here's Dan," she said as she passed the phone to him and leaned in to give him a hug while he raised the phone to his ear to speak to his mother.
"Hi, Mom," he said as he placed one arm around Cassie and began rubbing circles over her lower back.
"Hi, love. Are you having a good morning so far?"
"Yes, I am," he said, looking down at Cassie snuggled up to him. "It's a great morning, but I was wondering about yours. How are you doing?"
"Me? Great. We're just about to head over to Mike and Jess'. They are expecting a huge crowd for lunch, so a quiet afternoon is definitely not on the cards."
"That sounds great, Mom. Say hello to Steve, and Mike and Jess for me."
"I will. Now, you go off and enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving, and stop worrying about me. I'm doing just fine. I'm a big girl, you know."
"I know that, Mom. I love you. Have a great day."
"You, too, love."
"Bye."
Dan pocketed his phone and put his arms around Cassie, who was looking up at him and smiling.
"Thank you," he said simply, hugging her even tighter to him.
She hugged him back, snuggling into his embrace. "You're welcome," she said as she released him slightly and lifted her face towards his before kissing him on the lips.
He returned her kiss, and they were both lost in the moment as the kiss deepened. He pulled her even closer to him again.
They broke apart suddenly when they heard someone clearing their throat loudly from over near the house.
"Is there a problem with opening the trunk?" asked Jasper, none too subtly.
"Ah, no, Dad. All's good!" Cassie called back as she pulled away from Dan, who fumbled with the keys to pop the trunk.
"Great. Just checking. Your mother would like a hand in the kitchen when you're done," Jasper added as he turned to walk back inside.
"Oops," Dan said.
"Oh, don't worry about him," Cassie said. "I'm a big girl. He knows it. He just likes his job, that's all."
"His job?"
"Playing Dad. Reckons it's the best job he's ever had. He loves being able to play payback. Apparently, my grandparents had quite a time chaperoning my parents before they officially became a happily married couple." Cassie blushed at her words, hoping that Dan didn't read too much into them.
"I can imagine your parents being a little hot and bothered."
"Oh, god, Dan, they're my parents."
"Yes, Cassie, but I can tell your Dad can hardly keep his hands off your mother, and I've only known him a few hours. Imagine what they were like when they were our age."
"I think that's what my Dad keeps remembering."
"So, we're really not going to get too much alone time this weekend are we?"
"Don't bet on it, Buster. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve and, if I'm lucky, an accomplice."
"An accomplice? Just what are you up to?" Dan asked with a grin as he leant into the trunk to retrieve the bags.
"You don't think that Dad was the only one to remember what it was like to be young and in love do you?" she said, but as the words left her mouth, Cassie instantly cringed and screwed up her face. "Oh, god. Word vomit," she said, hiding her eyes behind her hand.
Dan put down Carlisle and Esmé's overnight bags next to his feet, closed the trunk and turned to take Cassie's face in his two hands. He held her tenderly, waiting for her to remove her hand, and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Is that what you feel Cass? Truly?"
She was lost for words. Tears had formed and threatened to spill over, so she just looked back into his eyes hoping to convey the depth of her feelings and nodded her head gently.
Dan smiled warmly at her, pulled her into his arms one more time and hugged her strongly. He placed his chin on the top of her head, only to lift it again and kiss her there. "Me, too, babe," he whispered, caught up in his own emotions at that moment.
"Cassie! Kitchen!" came yet another interruption from the doorway.
Breaking apart again, Cassie yelled, "Coming Dad!" before she turned to scuttle back into the house. Cassie looked back at Dan when she reached the front steps and smiled at him shyly, before moving inside and passing her father who was leaning against the door frame.
Dan picked up the overnight bags again, and walked back across the front lawn and up the stairs towards Jasper.
"I know that look, son," Jasper said as Dan drew nearer to him.
Dan stopped and looked Jasper in the eye. They were the same height, and the two men regarded each other with respect as the silence between them lengthened.
"It's a heady thing when you fall for the first time," he continued, putting his hand on Dan's shoulder. "You're an honourable guy, Dan. I can tell, but that's my little girl in there."
"I know, sir," Dan responded, showing Jasper that he respected his role here.
"Treat each other carefully, son. Fine crystal doesn't just break when it's damaged – it shatters."
"With cotton gloves, Jasper. Delicately and reverently. I get it."
"I suspect you do, Dan. I'm glad we understand each other."
"We do," he said, nodding to reinforce that he understood. Dan began to move inside, but he stopped just inside the door. Turning, he asked, "Where do you want me to put these bags, Jasper?" The moment between the two men had passed.
"Up the stairs, second door on the right, son. Thanks."
"OK, shall do." With that, Dan moved on up the stairs.
"What was that little exchange all about, Jaz?" asked Emmett when Jasper moved back towards him.
"Just a 'father of the girl' moment, Em, that's all," Jasper replied, glancing over his shoulder to watch Dan as he made his way up the stairs. He looked back at Emmett with a small grin. He liked Dan but couldn't help his instinctive 'Papa Bear' routine. After all, he'd been young once, too. He knew what had been on his own mind back then.
"Yeah, those can be delicate. How did it go?" Emmett raised an eyebrow at Jasper.
"He's a great kid that one. His mother's done a hell of a job raising a son who has such a great respect for women," Jasper said, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels a little.
"She must be one hell of a woman herself, then," Emmett replied.
"That, she must be."
The morning was filled with a flurry of activity. The girls all worked away in the kitchen preparing mountains of food for the lunch they were to share. Dan tried to contribute but was really just getting in the way.
"Dan, buddy, come outside before they make you wear an apron," Emmett suggested as he passed the kitchen at one point. "Seriously, you don't want to be in the kitchen with five Cullen women. It's enough to make your manly bits switch camp, and I'm sure Cassie wouldn't be too happy about that turn of events."
"Emmett," warned Rosalie. "What did I say to you about playing nicely with others today?"
"You said I just had to play nice, not play fair," grumbled Emmett, before turning to Dan and saying under his breath, "See? This is what happens when a Cullen woman gets her fangs into you; you're a goner. You may as well just admit that now, and try to leave with your privates intact and still functioning, if you get my drift."
"So help me god, Emmett," Rosalie said, shaking her head and trying not to laugh.
"Going, love. This is me walking out the door taking this poor, unsuspecting bastard with me. I'll play nice now, I promise," he said, slapping Dan on the shoulders as they left the kitchen.
An hour or so later, with most of the preparations complete, the family was in the living room sharing a drink before lunch when they heard a car pull up in the drive.
"Oh, praise the Lord, he's finally here!" cried Alice.
"How late is he?" Carlisle asked.
"Only 55 minutes this time. He said he'd be here round about ten. That's an improvement," Alice replied, checking her watch.
"Dammit."
"OK, Em. Pay up!" Rosalie demanded.
"Did you two have a bet on?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah, I said he'd be over an hour late, but Rose bet he'd make it here before that."
"How much did she take you for?" Jasper enquired.
"A hundred bucks."
"Oohh, that's gotta hurt," Jasper winced in sympathy.
"Hey! He was the one who wanted to bet for dollars. I wanted dinner and a movie of my choice." said Rosalie, defending herself.
"I would have gone the cash option too, man. Definitely the cash," Jasper whispered under his breath to his brother-in-law.
"I heard that," Alice said as made her way to the front door.
"Wanna go double or nothing that he forgets the candy?" Emmett asked hopefully.
"You really don't want to do that, Em," said Esmé, as she peeked through the curtains.
"Mom," cried Rosalie in disgust. "He's the just son-in-law; I'm your daughter. Whose side are you meant to be on?"
"All men's egos need a little stroking every once in a while, dear. Just doing my part."
"That's not all they want str-," Rosalie began with a cheeky gleam in her eyes.
"Rose! The kids are around!" Esmé admonished, stopping her daughter midsentence.
"Have you looked at the size of those kids these days, Mom? I think the need for protecting their delicate ears has well and truly passed."
"Really, Rose."
"You started it with the 'stroking' comment, Mom."
The family made their way out onto the front porch to welcome their late comer.
"Is your family always like this?" Dan asked, after having enjoyed the scene as it unravelled before him.
"Oh, that's nothing. Wait until they start on the wine over lunch and the afternoon extends into the early evening. You haven't even seen how quickly an innocent game of baseball can turn into something else, yet."
"Can you give me a few pointers, then?"
"For one," Rosalie said as she passed, slapping Dan on the shoulder like Emmett had done earlier. "Don't make a comment like that again."
Dan hung his head, shaking it side to side and laughing to himself. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"
"Ah, huh!" Rosalie continued as she joined the others on the front porch.
Dan hadn't met Cassie's other uncle yet. All he knew was that he was Alice and Rosalie's younger brother, and he lived in LA and was involved somehow in the music business.
"There he is!" Emmett boomed as he walked down the steps to greet his brother-in-law. "You owe me a hundred bucks!"
"How so?" Cassie's uncle replied. "Did you bet against Rose again? When are you going to learn? She's always a step ahead of you. Well, five minutes ahead at least," he said, laughing and giving Rose a wink as he returned Emmett's bear-like hug with a back slap.
"Hey." said Emmett, catching on to the exchange. "Five minutes…ROSE!" Emmett boomed as he turned to look at his wife.
Rosalie held up her mobile in her right hand and waggled it at her husband as everyone erupted in laughter around them. "You phoned him, didn't you? You let him know what time he had to beat."
"Blood's thicker than alcohol, Em, but I really had to fly those last few miles," Cassie's uncle replied, slinging his overnight bag over one shoulder and putting his arm around Emmett's shoulders as they walked back towards the house.
Emmett muttered a few choice words under his breath as he made his way back up the front stairs and into the house, everyone's laughter still ringing in his ears.
"Hey, son," greeted Carlisle as he hugged his only son.
"Hi, Dad. Happy Thanksgiving."
"It will be, now that you're here, dear," cooed Esmé as she wrapped her youngest child in her arms.
"Oh, yeah, that's right, play favourites!" Alice chimed in as she reached for her brother to give him a hug.
"How are you, little one?" he asked her.
"Stop calling me that. I'm bigger than you."
"Only in years, short stuff."
"Excuse me, fully-grown mother here, Mr. I'm-single-no-progeny-to-speak-of.'"
"Yes, well. Getting an early start on that score obviously stunted your growth."
"Smart mouth."
"Squirt."
"Oh, good, things are just like normal. Hey, man," welcomed Jasper, sauntering forward.
"Jaz, great to see you." The two men hugged and pounded each other's backs.
"Yeah, you should really try and get here a bit more often, you know, before we forget to remember what you look like. Hang on. Who are you again? Edmund?"
"Oh, Uncle Jaz, leave him alone. Hi, Uncle Edward," Sammy laughed happily as she gave him a cuddle.
For the second time that day, Dan halted on the spot. What did he just hear?
"Hi, Sammy girl, how are you?"
"I'm good, now that you're here. Did you bring us girlies some treats?"
"Yes, baby girl. Just like always," Edward replied, tapping the overnight bag that was still slung over his shoulder.
"Yeah, you!" Sammy squealed. Some traditions were just too important to ignore. Edward had started bringing the girls all sorts of sweets and candies each Thanksgiving and Christmas since they were born. He was the family's resident sweet-tooth provider.
"Glad you didn't go double or nothing, Em?" Jasper yelled into the house.
"Humph," was all they heard in reply.
No one had noticed Dan standing silently next to Cassie, staring intently at the man who had just arrived. No one noticed that his smile had disappeared, only to be replaced by a look of confusion and concern.
"Uncle Edward," Cassie walked across the porch from her position against the railing to give her Uncle a peck on the cheek. Taking his hand, she moved to pull him over towards Dan.
Edward stopped to put his bag down on the porch before he followed Cassie.
"And who do we have here, Cass? Is this the young man your mother has been telling me so much about?"
"Uncle Edward, this is Dan. Dan, this is my uncle, Edward Cullen."
Dan stood frozen to the spot momentarily, before regaining his composure and reaching forward to shake Edward's hand.
"Hello, Edward," Dan said carefully. "It's nice to meet you."
"So, you travelled halfway around the world only to meet my niece, huh?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Well, she isn't exactly in your own backyard but at least from the same country, which must be a step in the right direction."
"Sir," Dan replied with a nod of his head.
Cassie looked at Dan, trying to gauge why he seemed so tense all of a sudden.
"Now that you're FINALLY here, can we get the damn food on the table? A man's likely to starve here before he gets fed," bemoaned Emmett from inside.
"Keep your shirt on," Rosalie shot back at him. "Stop being such a cry baby. I won that bet fair and square," she continued as she headed back in to the house.
Everyone slowly moved off the porch and back inside. Cassie took Dan by the hand and led him inside towards the kitchen. He was quiet, and she couldn't understand what had happened to make him so. She squeezed his hand before she let it go, giving him a large platter of baked vegetables to carry out to the table.
The table was located in the formal dining room that overlooked the back porch, which looked out over the expansive backyard. A pair of large glass doors let in the afternoon sunlight. The table was beautifully decorated with Alice's traditional Thanksgiving tableware that had been a wedding gift from Jasper's grandmother. The table was large enough to sit all of them comfortably and was very quickly filled with a large amount of food, as platter after platter was delivered from the kitchen.
Once everything was in place and everyone seated, Jasper, as head of the house, began the prayer of thanksgiving. He prayed that everyone gathered around their table this year would remember to give thanks for the joy that family brings and treasure the times that they share together.
After the prayer, Jasper ceremoniously carved the turkey. Plates were passed back and forth between young and old. Cutlery clattered and banged against terrines filled with scrumptious food. Conversation flowed easily, for the most part, but Cassie was becoming increasingly aware of Dan's silence. He spoke when spoken to, but on the whole, he seemed uncomfortable and distracted. Seated next to him as she was, Cassie reassuringly rubbed his leg and leant in to speak to him quietly. She was rewarded with only a brief word or two in response. The rest of the family seemed not to notice anything was amiss, but then again, there was so much noise and commotion around the table that Dan's silence easily slipped under the radar.
About halfway through the meal, Dan leaned over to Cassie and told her he needed to go outside for a minute. He excused himself politely from the table and went out into the backyard to get some fresh air.
Cassie watched him go with a worried look on her face. She watched him walk out into the backyard and stretch before moving over to the garden seat and sitting down, putting his head in his hands.
"Is everything OK, Cass?" asked Alice with concern.
"I don't know, Mom. Excuse me, everyone. I'll just go and check on Dan."
Cassie walked outside through the glass doors and over to her boyfriend.
She put her hand gently on his shoulder, which startled him, and he looked up at her. His eyes were full of some kind of emotion she couldn't place.
"Are you OK?" she asked him, genuinely concerned.
"Cass, I don't know. I don't think so."
"What's happened?"
"Oh God, Cass. I don't know how … I don't know what to say."
"Dan, what is it? What's got you so upset?" she asked, moving around him to sit next to him on the garden seat and taking his hand as she sat down.
He pulled his hand out of hers almost immediately and ran both of his hands through his hair, pulling at it savagely.
"Dan, I don't understand. What's wrong?"
He looked at her sadly, and then hung his head, putting his elbows on his knees and dropping his forearms between his legs.
"Dan, talk to me."
"I just can't believe this."
"Believe what?"
Dan said nothing. He just shook his head in silent reply.
"Believe what?"
"It can't be. It just can't be," he muttered to himself. His stomach roiled with stress.
"What can't be, Dan? You're scaring me here. What the hell is going on?"
Dan took a deep breath, willing himself to sit up and look into the eyes of the woman beside him. Concern was etched all over her beautiful face. It made him feel even sicker.
"Cassie, I don't even know where to begin."
"How about you try the beginning, and we'll take it from there," she said, rubbing her hand soothingly over his back in hopes that it would encourage him to keep talking.
He took another deep breath and nodded before continuing.
"Three months ago after coming back from our trip, I asked my Mom some pretty difficult questions."
"About what?"
"My father."
"OK."
"I haven't said anything to you before now. I wanted to talk it all through with you this weekend. Anyway, Mom's always been very honest with me about what had happened and what she knew, but I told her that I wanted to find him. I wanted to know who he is so that I could get some kind of picture about him."
"How did Bella take that?"
"She said that she had expected it to happen one day. I asked her if there was anything else she could tell me that she hadn't already. She remembered the name of the band that he used to play for. That was about it."
"Right," Cass said in a cautious voice, "and …"
"So, I started researching his first name and the name of the band." He took a deep breath and clutched at her hand, wordlessly asking for and receiving her support. She nodded at him to continue.
"And anyway, to cut a long story short, I think I've found him. At least, I think I've found out his name and roughly where he lives."
"Dan that's great. That's a great start."
"No, Cass; it's not."
"It's not? What do you mean?"
Dan started to cry; tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Cass," he choked.
"Dan. What is it?"
He put his face in his hands.
"I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...I didn't know...I just didn't know."
"Know what Dan? Come on. Talk to me, please."
Cassie and Dan's exchanged was being watched carefully from inside the house. Nobody could hear what was being said, but it was obvious to everyone there that whatever was going down wasn't good.
Suddenly, Cassie stood up; her hands over her mouth. Dan stood almost immediately after her. He tried to reach for her, but she backed away quickly. Dan put both his hands in his hair again and pulled it, almost like he wanted to pull it out by the roots.
Cassie gave a sob, her whole body shaking with the force of it, and before anyone knew what was happening, she ran from the backyard and around the side of the house. Dan stood there momentarily, swaying on the spot before collapsing back onto the bench seat with his hands over his head, pulling it down to his knees.
Everyone at the table moved at once.
Jasper was first out the door striding across the garden towards Dan. "What the hell's going on out here?"
Emmett was right on his heels; Rosalie and Alice behind him. The two women took off around the corner after Cassie just as Jasper reached Dan.
Jasper, irate, hauled the younger man by the collar of his shirt up on his feet just as Emmett reached them.
"What the fuck did you say to my daughter?" Jasper asked Dan, while Emmett put a restraining hand on Jasper's arm trying to calm him.
Esmé and Sammy stood at the back door to the house, hugging each other and watching as the events continued to unfold.
Carlisle and Edward reached the three men moments later as Jasper once again yelled at Dan, shaking him as he did so, "Answer me! What the hell did you say to my daughter?"
"Jasper, calm down," Carlisle told him loudly as Emmett tried to pry his brother-in-law off his daughter's boyfriend.
Edward went to help Emmett get Jasper off Dan. The whole time Dan was silent; his face grey as he retreated into himself.
Jasper shrugged off both Edward and Emmett, and he began to pace around Dan who had collapsed to the ground in front of him again. "I'll kill him; I'll fucking kill him," he muttered under his breath as he paced.
"Dan," Carlisle said, using the voice of reason, knelt down next to the young man on the ground and put his hand on his shoulder. "What has just happened out here?"
Dan didn't respond. He stayed crouched on the ground trying to control his breathing.
Carlisle tried again. "Dan, son, tell me what's happened out here."
Slowly, Dan turned his tear-stained face to Carlisle, but quickly launched himself towards the garden and vomited.
The four grown men, watched in horror as Dan heaved and heaved the contents of his stomach into the garden bed. All four of them were at a complete loss. Jasper was still fit to be tied and was breathing deeply trying to regain his composure. Emmett had a hand placed on Jasper's shoulder in an attempt to placate him and restrain him, if necessary. Whatever had happened had taken a huge toll on the young man in front of them.
When Dan finished vomiting into the garden, he knelt back on his haunches. Carlisle moved forward, offering him a handkerchief from his pocket. Dan took it without looking at him, embarrassed at what they had all just witnessed.
Carlisle gave Dan a few more moments to compose himself before he tried again.
"Dan," he said, placing a hand gently on the younger man's shoulder, "son, please tell us. What's happened?"
Dan slowly raised his eyes towards the elder man's face. He was very concerned what he would find there. He was mortified about what had just happened and didn't know how to explain any of it. It was all just so wrong; so very wrong.
Dan looked over his shoulder to Jasper. He looked him in the eye, before quickly dropping his gaze to the ground again and said simply, "I'm sorry."
Jasper didn't respond. He just redoubled his attempts to control his breathing while looking at Dan.
Carlisle held up a warning hand to Jasper, and then refocussed his attention on Dan.
"Whatever it is, Dan, you need to tell us. This involves all of us now. We all saw what happened, and my granddaughter is terribly upset. So are you. But none of us know why. Tell us, Dan. Tell us what happened."
"Is she pregnant? Did you get her pregnant?" Jasper spat the words at him.
"No!" Dan spun his head around to look at Jasper, a mixture of shock, horror and anger on his young face. "God, no."
"Then, what is it, son? Why are you so upset?"
"I didn't know. How could I have known?"
"Known what, son?"
"I had no idea. I met her in Australia for god's sake. I didn't know...I didn't know."
"What, son?"
"My father."
"Your father?"
"Cassie told us you don't know who your father is," stated Jasper, trying to make sense of the situation. This comment made Dan wince, and the other men flicked their eyes warily towards Jasper before focusing again on Dan.
"I didn't. I don't. I don't know." Putting his face in his hands again, he pushed back off his knees and sat on the grass. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his arms on them before staring off into the distance unseeingly.
"What is it about your father, son?"
"I've tried to track my father down, since coming back from Australia. I think I have his name. I think I know who he is."
"Ok, Dan, but I still don't understand. How does that affect you and Cassie? What happened out here today?"
"His name," Dan began, and then stopped, his face twisting with anguish.
"His name?" Carlisle said, not understanding what could have caused so much grief.
"Yeah…"
"You know your father's name? And it means something to Cassie?" Carlisle hedged, trying to put everything Dan was saying together.
Dan just sat there and nodded his head.
"What's the name son? What's your father's name?"
Dan raised his eyes to look into the friendly eyes of the older man he now knew could be his grandfather. His stomach churned at the ramifications if it were true, and of what it would mean for him and Cassie.
"Cullen," he said in a dull voice, "Edward Cullen."
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