Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Parkward
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Prompt: However

Taking Edward's hand I led him up to where my father was waiting for us. I could tell he was appraising the man beside me, how he was dressed, what he was driving, most likely all those fatherly thoughts of 'who are you and what are your intentions with my daughter' flitting through his head.

"Dad," I said as I reached him, the hand not holding Edward's working around his waist to give him a one-armed hug. "I want you to meet Edward."

As reserved as Charlie is he never was shy about staking his claim as the most important man in my life with any of the boys I'd brought home. He wrapped me in a hug and I could almost feel his glower over my shoulder. "It's good to have you home, Bell," he whispered into my hair before releasing me and extending his hand out. "Edward," he said in his most intimidating cop-voice.

"Mr. Swan, or should I call you Chief Swan?" Edward replied, letting go of my hand and giving Charlie a run in the firm handshake category.

"Charlie'll do. Why don't you come in?" my father asked as he kept an arm around my waist and pulled me away. It was all I could do to reach back and recapture Edward's hand as I was propelled inside.

My dad went to sit on the sofa, dragging me with him, but I just laughed. "Since when do you sit on the sofa, except to take a nap, old man?" I teased him. He just shot me a look and went to his recliner, leaving me space to sit next to Edward.

"So, Edward, tell me about yourself," he said as he settled himself in his chair, putting up his feet in a fluid motion born from years of practice.

"What would you like to know, sir?"

"How old are you? What do you do for a living? Tell me about your family, the usual stuff," Charlie answered in what I imagined to be his 'good-cop' mode. I'd seen bad-cop mode when I was a teenager enough to know the difference.

"Well, I'm thirty-one, I'm a general practitioner, my parents are still married and I have a brother and a sister, both of which are married," he replied and I could see him thinking of what to add. "I finished med-school when I was twenty-five, then worked in ER for the next few years before deciding to get my own practice with a friend of mine. We opened our shop just about six months ago," he finished as he looked at me sheepishly.

"Six months?" I asked, incredulous. "You've been there for six months and only just introduced yourself yesterday?"

"Well, I didn't know anything about you and didn't want to meet you if you seemed like the kind of person I didn't like," he told me as he stared down at his fingers that were threading in and out of each other. Then he looked up at me through his lashes, causing my breathing to catch. "But you were so nice to everyone, and Tanya told me that if I didn't go out and introduce myself then she would go out and do it for me," he finished with a shrug.

"Wait," Charlie said, putting down his feet and sitting up in his chair, "you just met yesterday and are already coming to meet me?"

"It only seemed right since Bella met my family last night," he told him quietly.

Charlie just shook his head, "I'm not sure if you work fast or slow, son."

A beautiful grin split Edward's face, "A little bit of both, sir. I take my time to see if I want to pursue something. However, once that decision is made then I figure why waste any more time?"

"Pursue?" Charlie said, raising his eyebrow with a look that, to me, meant he was just about to go into bad-cop mode.

"Poor choice of words, perhaps," Edward said with another shrug. But then he fixed a look at my father. "I'm not getting any younger, sir, and I want to settle down. You know, wife, kids, all that, but I want someone who has the same goals, hopes and dreams as I do. Preferable someone who is as smart as she is beautiful," he added, looking over at me to take my hand.

"I thought you said you just met yesterday," Charlie interjected gruffly. "You sound pretty sure of your plans with my daughter for knowing her such a short time."

"I know what I want in life, and I hope to find out if Bella is the kind of girl I want to marry. I'm going to be honest with her and I hope she is with me," he said, the sincerity in his voice more convincing than any words he could have said. Of course, my stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly. "I think I need to feed you," he said to me with a chuckle.

"Let's go to the Lodge," Charlie said as he hefted himself out of his chair, causing me to roll my eyes. Charlie loved the Lodge. "We can talk more there."

I know, it's short. Blame the stomach virus.