Edward POV

I was glad Rosalie had left the room otherwise I would have reacted much worse than Alice did regardless of what Emmett would do. It infuriated me that she had made Bella believe she was the guilty party in all of this when not one damn thing was her fault. Even though Carlisle told Bella differently, I could still see the doubt in her eyes. There was nothing that I wanted more than to erase that uncertainty from her mind.

You should get her home Edward. Charlie is wondering where she is. I'll stop over later and we can hunt together There are some things I need to speak with you about. I heard the warning tone in Alice's thoughts. I needed to speak with her as well. As much as I hated to be away from Bella for even the briefest of moments now, I knew I had to get her home. I also knew that I had to speak with Charlie.

Wrapping my arms around Bella from behind, I lowered my head and whispered in her ear. "Bella, love, I need to get you home. Charlie will be worried."

She nodded mutely wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yes, he'll be wondering where I am."

"Catch" Alice said throwing a set of car keys at me. In a fluid motion, I plucked the keys from the air. Noting the Mustang insignia, I looked at Alice for an explanation. "We needed a really fast car. "She said unapologetically. "And our cars are in Alaska." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

I waited for Bella to say her goodbyes to my family and we went on our way. I drove uncharacteristically slow wanting to extend every amount of time I had alone with her. If she noticed, she didn't say anything. She just kept looking at me with those beautiful brown eyes of hers.

"I would love to know what you are thinking right now." I told her caressing her cheek with my finger before I took her hand in mine.

"Just that you look thirsty." She whispered. "If it bothers you, being so close to me, I can move to the back seat." I must look worse than I thought because she went to unhook her seatbelt so she could go to the back. My hand tightened on hers to prevent her. I needed her close to me.

"I've never been in more control of that side of my nature than right now. Don't worry about me. Alice and I are going hunting later."

"You better." She said in a reprimanding tone.

I grinned. "So eager to get rid of me are you?"

She looked dismayed. "No, never. I just worry about you."

"Relax, Bella. I was just teasing. I worry about you too. We all do. I didn't want to mention it now but it might be a good idea if Carlisle checked you out."

"Is that what that silent communication was about with you and Carlisle?" She inquired.

"Noticed that, did you?"

She nodded and let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm fine Edward, really."

I wasn't too sure about that but I was willing to drop it for now. It was bound to be a long conversation and we were coming up onto her block. She started to fidget and I could tell she was nervous about confronting Charlie.

"Will I see you later?" She asked me.

Obviously she didn't realize that I would be speaking with Charlie as well. "I'm coming in with you Bella." I told her.

"What? Are you crazy?" She looked mortified as she stared back at me with her eyes wide.

I shook my head. "No, but I have to make things right. It's all part of the penance love. If your father is ever to forgive me, I need to speak with him."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"Mostly? The truth with the obvious exceptions."

"You do remember that Charlie has a gun, right?"

I smiled at her and rolled my eyes to show her I was not worried. "He's not going o shoot me Bella. He's too honorable."

She snorted. "His trigger finger could slip and then we'd have a lot of explaining to do when you don't fall on the floor bleeding." I couldn't help it, I laughed. She was too cute. "What?" she asked.

"You are so adorable for wanting to protect me form your father."

"You find life preservation adorable?"

I nodded and gave her a quick kiss and pulled back before the chaste kiss turned into anything more. It wouldn't be ideal for Charlie to witness me making out with his daughter before my grand apology

"Seriously, Bella. I know he won't forgive me easily. Truthfully, if I was your father, I don't know what I would do but I do know that if I were in his shoes, I would, at the very least, want an apology and explanation as well."

She seemed to mull this over in her head. "Okay." She said finally. "But let me go in first. To pave the way, so to speak."

I nodded. "Fair enough." I got out of the car and opened the door for Bella. Letting her take the lead, I walked behind her. Before she opened the door, she turned to look at me for what seemed like assurance.

"It's okay" I mouthed to her, not wanting Charlie to hear me if he was by the door.

"Dad, I'm home." She called into the house. She left the door open as she proceeded inside. I waited just to the side of the door, out of sight.

"Bella? Where were you? I thought you were going to be there today." He answered her. She's finally home. I was starting to get worried. Damn Jacob for putting thoughts in my head.

My fists clenched when I heard her father think of Jacob. I knew he was no rival for my Bella's love, but I also knew he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry about that Dad. I kind of ran into some old friends."

Old friends? "Bella, you haven't lived here long enough to have old friends." She couldn't mean? Nah.

"It was Alice." Bella simply replied.

"Alice? As in Alice Cullen?"

Well, I've always liked her. It was that other one. The one that put her through hell and back. Wait a minute, she said friends with an 's' I didn't need to see Charlie to know he was narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "You said 'friends'?"

"Uh, yeah Dad. Alice and well all of the Cullens."

"All of them? Even...him?" He said my name with the sound of a sneer. I didn't hear Bella answer so I supposed she just nodded. "NO! NO! NO!" Charlie screamed. "You can't just let him walk into your life again after his leaving destroyed you." Catatonic, depression, nightmares, hell

Suddenly I almost fell to my knees from the onslaught of Charlie's memory. Bella being carried in a catatonic state in the rain…the day I left her. Bella, not eating, Bella crying with her arms wrapped around herself, Charlie waking Bella up from screaming nightmares. Don't go, Edward Don't leave me. I gripped my head with my hands from the throbbing of it. What had I done? Did I even deserve her forgiveness or Charlie's for that matter? No, I had to make it right. There was no way I would ever leave Bella again.

"Dad, please stop. He's here."

"He's here?" He's lucky I don't kill him now. Does he think he can just waltz right back into Bella's life and everything is hunkey dorey again? Not in this lifetime buster.

"Right outside and he wants to talk to you."

Sonofabitch "Well maybe I don't want to talk to him."

"Dad, please." Bella pleaded.

Wait; is there a spark back in her eyes again? I was hoping Jake would be the one to put it there. Shit!

I didn't wait for Charlie to answer her plea. Instead I walked right in.

"Hello Chief Swan." I said cordially.

"Edward." He said coldly eying me up and down. He doesn't look like he did any better. Good. Serves him right for throwing Bella away like yesterdays trash. I had to hold back from wincing. "How are your folks?"

"Better now." I said. "Charlie, I just wanted to say that I am sorry. So sorry that I left Bella. You need to know that I love her with all that I am and I would never hurt her again."

He crossed his arms over his chest. Words mean nothing "I understand your father leaving for his career but what about you? If you love Bella so much, why no calls, no letters, no emails?" Gotcha! Try coming up with an answer for that.

I knew Carlisle would back me on this so I forged ahead. "Carlisle thought it would be best to break off contact completely. A clean break so to speak. He knows how hard long distance relationships could be and he wanted to spare me that… spare us that. But he was wrong, we all came to realize. I was miserable but I didn't want to contact Bella in case she had moved on."

She could have, she would have Charlie thought.

I continued as if I didn't hear his mind. "But I found out she didn't, that she was doing just as bad as I was, from Alice. So we're back"

"Just like that?" He asked. "Dr. Cullen packed up his family and left his cushy job in L.A. because you were miserable." Charlie scoffed disbelievingly.

"Yes, just like that. You see, Mr. Swan, not only do I love Bella but my family does as well" I took Bella's hand in mine " and for our own reasons, we all wanted to come back."

He does look like hell so maybe he is not lying exactly but "You hurt my daughter, Cullen, a lot. As her father, I don't know if I can forgive or forget that easily."

"Dad." Bella said.

"It's alright, Bella" I told her caressing the hand that I held with my thumb trying to sooth her. "I don't expect you to forgive, sir. I am only asking for a chance to earn your forgiveness and maybe someday your trust just as I must earn Bella's." She opened her mouth to protest but I tugged on her hand to silence her. Whether she knew it or not, she didn't trust me, didn't trust me not to walk away, didn't trust the depth of my love. But that was okay, I would earn it back even if it took me decades or more to do it. "I know I have a lot to make up for but Bella is worth it."

Is this kid really 17? He does look miserable. Good. Hmm, Bella looks frightened that I'll kick him the hell out. I should. But look at her. She looks alive again. She looks happy. If I kicked him out or forbid her to see him, I would lose her too. Damn this is hard. "One chance" Charlie said. "But if you ever hurt her again, I will kill you."

I nearly smiled then and Bella let out a sigh of relief. "I would expect nothing less" I told Charlie solemnly.

He eyed me skeptically. "Humph, just as long as understand each other." He turned to Bella then. "What about Jacob?" He asked her. I felt myself tense interested in her answer as well.

"What about him?" She asked.

"He's been a good friend to you. I would hate to see you shut him out now that Edward's back." Damn, I really had hopes that he and Bella…maybe there still is.

"Dad, he is a good friend but that's all he'll ever be. I've told him that."

I've seen the way he looks at her. She may have told him but that doesn't mean shit. "Yeah, but does he believe it?"

I noticed her worry her bottom lip with her teeth and could tell she wasn't sure. For my own sanity, I knew I would have to keep an eye on this Jacob. Maybe Alice would have more information.

XXXXXX

Next up: Angry Alice gives Edward the scoop on Laurent, Victoria and Jacob. Here's a hint: he's not too happy about any of it.

Near future (chapter undecided): Jacob gets physical and not in a good way