It has been 5 days since they got together when Bella decided to introduce Edward to her father after school.
Edward drove up to her house and died to engine down.
"Edward?"
"Yeah, darling?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm nervous."
Edward frowned. "Are you changing your mind?"
"Err…no. I'm just having butterflies in my tummy."
He kissed her forehead. "Look, if you don't wanna do this, if you wanna do it some other day, just say so. I don't mind."
She stared straight into his eyes. He was so kind that sometimes Bella felt guilty for being a human.
"No! Of course, I'll do it." She began to grin. "That's if you wanna do it some other time."
He laughed and kissed her. "I'll do anything for you, darling. Now, c'mon, let's get over it."
They got out of the car and slowly made their way to the door. Bella took a breath and held in for 3 seconds and let it out again. She opened the door.
"Dad?"
From the kitchen came back a reply. "Hey, Bells! How's school?"
"Great, dad!"
Then Chief Swan appeared. He glanced at Edward and back at his daughter.
"Why is he here?"
"Err…dad, this is Edward Cullen."
"Yeah, I know. Dr Cullen's son. But why is he here? That's what I'm asking."
"Err…dad, I know you love me very much. And I know whatever you did in the past is just to protect me and…and…" Shit! She lost it!
"What Bella's trying to say is that, I'm very honored if you, Chief would give me permission to date your daughter."
There was an awkward silence for 5 seconds which felt almost like 5 years to Bella. She felt so grateful for Edward to save her. He was just amazing and if it wasn't for her father standing there, she'd have lead him to the sofa and give him a good, long kiss. Chief Swan studied Edward for a long time. It was brave of him to get straight to his point. He looked like a respectable, sensible and disciplined boy. He knew that the boy was excellent in his academic. Not to mention, his father was a well-liked doctor for all the good reasons. He was, in fact, every father's dream boyfriend for their daughters.
"Bells's only allowed to go out on Fridays and Saturdays. Curfew's at 11.30 pm."
Bella immediately jumped for joy and leapt to her father's embrace.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best father in the entire planet." She screamed at his ears.
"Say that the next time I ground you." Chief Swan smiled at his daughter.
"Oh, there wouldn't be a reason to."
"I'm still crossing my fingers."
Edward came forward and stuck his hand out. He took it and gave it a firm shake.
"Thank you, Chief. I will treat Bella with great respect and take good care of her."
"I'm sure you will."
"Oh, dad, can we just go out for a little while, please?" Bella begged. She was a split image of him and Renee. She was growing up beautifully too.
"Back in an hour, okay?"
"Thank you!" She kissed him on his cheeks and when out of the door with Edward.
Charlie glanced outside through the window and saw them getting into the car. The boy certainly had good taste, he thought. Soon, the car sped off and Charlie went back to the kitchen.
In the car, Bella was elated.
"Oh, I can't believe you did that!"
"I knew you would jumble things up." Edward smiled.
"No, I did not!"
"Oh, yes you did." And he pinched her right cheek. She looked at him and laughed.
"I love you."
"Me too."
"You know, I'm really glad your dad approves of us."
"Of course, he would, Edward. He knows what a good man your dad is. Like father, like son."
"I'm a good man?" he grinned.
"Well…I do prefer bad boys sometimes…"
"Do you now…?"
"Hmm…can you be a bad boy sometimes?"
"You're pushing, Bella…"
She laughed and planted a peck on his cheek.
"I'm so glad I have you." She said quietly.
"What would you do if he doesn't approve?"
"That's simple. I'll just have to defy him."
Edward smiled. "You wouldn't do that. You love him a lot."
"No." Bella stopped smiling. "I love you more."
Edward braked in the middle of the road. If there were car coming, they will just have to wait.
"What's wrong?! Why did you-
Edward caught her in the middle of a sentence by placing his lips on hers. His kiss was fierce but gentle, strong but soft. He deepen the kiss and Bella moaned softly. When he let go, she was blushing and out of breath.
"You like that?" he grinned.
"You're an animal!" and she slapped his arm. "And I like it." She said shyly.
Edward laughed and drove again.
It's been 5 days since they got together when Leah decided she must really do something. She was not progressing much since her last encounter with Edward and that was because he spent way too much time with Bella. Sometimes she had to agree they looked so romantic together, at other times, she was totally grossed out by them. Are they really in love? Is the council wrong? Because if they were, there will be a big scandal and great embarrassment to them. The council was never wrong before. As much as she finds them annoying, the council has always been right and never made mistake, not even a teeny, weenie one. But they looked so in love. However, she never experience love before so she wasn't quite sure. On the outside, Alex Dunham looked in love with Anne but on the inside, he was a lousy creature to be breathing on earth. So what about Edward and Bella? Will the council's prediction be true? Will Forks High Most Famous Couples, as how Eric put it, suffer at the end of the day?
Leah sighed at her food. No one was sitting at her table. Not because they hate her but she refused them to sit with her. Nicely, of course. Even her mashed potato didn't looked so appetizing as it always had. Why was this task so hard? Her previous one was easy that she finished it in a short time of 6 days. If preventing the race of werewolves from forming an alliance with the world most darkest wizard, Lord Voldemort was a piece of cake, what made this so difficult?
Leah glanced around her and caught the sight of Bella and Edward holding hands on a bench. They shouldn't suffer. They were such nice people. So what's she going to do right now? Her mind was so confused, which hardly ever happened. Was it because her contact with them that made her lose her focus? Maybe her mentor was right, appearing in this form was not a very bright idea.
She sigh again. She shouldn't have been so friendly with the humans. Not only towards Bella and Edward, but all of them. She was beginning to feel…nice towards them. She was doing fine the first few days in Forks, she was able to keep her distance from them. But after the Alex incident, people were opened to her. She didn't like that at first. They kept bugging her when she wanted to be alone and the reason they were opened to her was not a good one either. They still think that she was a freak but the fact she made a very good scene with Anne made her more 'popular', a word she learned here. And it shouldn't be that way. But she couldn't help feeling good, feeling like she was a part of something. She was never a part of the council even though she holds a higher rank than most of them; it was right below the head. Up where she came from, her rank was known as 'The Neck'. A part of the body that connects the head with the rest of the body. One of the most prestigious rank ever.
At the end of recess, Leah decided that she must keep her distance from people. They were making her sway from the ground. She must be and stay objective. She put away her tray and when back to class.
The old lady praised God when a week ago, a long haired girl gave her a 100 dollars note. She blessed the very day the girl moved into Forks. She think of her everyday and in her prayers. She had better food these days even though she also accepted the fact that in a few days, the money will run out and she will have to live on charity again. Just yesterday she had fresh bread and not stale ones, she drank bottled water and not puddle water. But she cringed whenever the sees her money lessen by few dollars every day.
It was after 7 evening when the old lady when back to her home. It was a small shed she made herself using unwanted boxes, planks and zinc boards. It was a palace to her since it provide her shed and protect her from the weather of Forks. As she approached her home, she heard voices coming from it. She hovered there faster and flipped up the rag that was used as her door. Inside there was two men and a woman. One of the men has long, blonde hair, tied neatly into a pony-tail while the other one was black. The woman was youthful and beautiful. They were sitting on her mat and laughing over her personal treasures: newspaper cuttings from the Second World War, which her parents perished in, a locket belonging to her long lost sister and a pistol given by her brother before he was captured and brought to death camps.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" she shouted. "GET OUT!"
"Now, now, ma'am. No need to shout." Said the woman.
How dare they pry into her home and rummage through her past. Such attitude from the youngsters these days, no respect whatsoever for the senior generation.
"I SAY GET OUT NOW!"
"Ma'am, you such sad past." The blonde one said.
The old lady looked at the newspaper clippings and tears rolled down.
"Leave me please…" she begged them.
"Oh, we'll do more than that." The black man smiled. "Let us end your sufferings."
Before she could scream, they pulled the old lady into her shelter. There was a sharp scream and then total silence.
