Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all. I just play around with the characters.


Chapter twelve

Edward's pov

When we arrived at the new house all of us were thrilled with the way it looked. Mom explained how much work had already been done and what still needed to be finished. Jasper and Emmett were in fact so excited they begged mom to move in immediately. I wasn't as eager. I wanted more time with Bella close by and I really wanted to see if Bella had been right about our parents.

"Why do we need to rush this? Charlie and Bella are happy to have us around." I offered softly.

"Come on, Edward," Jasper said, rolling his eyes. "You just want to be close to Bella."

Emmett snorted, but didn't offer anything else. Mom wasn't meeting my eyes and I knew then that she felt the same as I did.

"Mom, you've been with them the longest, would you really just pack your things and leave while they're out for the day?"

"No, of course not."

"Well then, why don't you speak up?"

"Because I already feel guilty enough for taking up so much space while neither of them expect me to do anything in return. Bella moved here after not having seen her father in ages. I think they would appreciate to have the house to themselves, to bond."

"See?" Jasper said in that snotty voice I absolutely loathed.

"Stop being such a wise ass, Jasper. I'm not saying we shouldn't move out soon, just not today."

"Why the hell not? Did you like sleeping in Emmett's stench?"

"Damn it, Jasper, you're being pigheaded on purpose."

Jasper opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when mom's phone rang.

Esme's pov

I nearly groaned out loud when I saw it was Carlisle who was calling, but decided to tamper my urge to be childish.

"Hello, Carlisle."

"Ah, Esme, my darling. It's so good to hear your voice."

"What do you want?" I snapped, already impatient with him.

"I just wanted to know if you have our bedroom ready yet."

"Excuse me? There is no our bedroom in this house."

"Really? Hmm… I wonder if you'll keep that attitude once I'm there."

"Once you're here? You're coming to Forks?"

"Yes. The hospital made me an even better offer and I decided it was foolish of me not to accept it."

"What does Irina think of that?"

"She's not of importance Esme. Irina is not the woman I am married to and in a small community like Forks I need to show the people that live there that I am an upstanding man. Running around with my mistress while my wife and sons live alone, won't work, now will it?"

"Carlisle, I am no longer your wife. At least I won't be."

"I didn't sign anything yet."

I counted to ten in my head in order to calm down. "Carlisle, no matter what you think you can do, I will not let you move into this house with us. I don't care if you come to Forks, you and I are through."

"We'll see. I'm arriving at SeaTac at two p.m.. I'll be driving up to Forks, so I will see you and the boys around six."

Before I could object he had hung up. I screamed my frustration. I had to clench my fists hard to keep from hurling my phone at a wall. That man was infuriating! How had I managed to live with him for this long?

"Mom?" Jasper asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"No! No, I am not. Your father will be here tomorrow at six and he expects to share a bedroom with me. Like I would want to be in one house with him after all that has happened, let alone a bedroom!"

Edward put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed gently. "Calm down, mom. We can do something to help, I'm sure."

"Why won't you try at least, mom? For us?" Jasper asked softly.

I looked at him and registered he really hoped I would, but then I saw Emmett and Edward and knew I couldn't. It didn't matter what I decided I would end up hurting one of my children, but there was only one option that would hurt me and that was trying again with Carlisle.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I can't. I'll agree to moving in here as soon as possible, but I will no attempt to mend the relationship with your father. It would only result in a mess."

"You don't know that."

"And you haven't heard the way he's been speaking to me on the phone, Jasper. Believe me, it would be a disaster."

"Fine. I don't care what any of you do, I am going to move my shit here today. I am not going back to the Swan's for another night," he grumbled.

"I'm all for it, Jazz, but shouldn't we at least speak to them and thank them for letting us stay at their house?" Emmett asked.

"You go. I don't care if I ever see either of them again."

"Jasper!" I scolded. "That's enough. Charlie had been nothing but polite and friendly to me ever since I arrived and Bella is a sweetheart. They do not deserve this treatment from you."

"I don't care, Esme," he spat. "I want my family back the way it was. I hate dad running around with Irina and I hate you being here without him."

"Jasper stop acting like a child. I believe we went over this before, I will not get into this again. I will agree to move out things out here today, but only because I do not wish to put Bella and Charlie through your sour mood. You can stay here and think about the way that you're acting."

I returned to the Swan residence with Edward and Emmett and quickly packed our things into the car. I wanted to speak to Charlie and Bella in person about what had happened for us to leave today, but I wasn't sure when they'd be back, so I decided to leave them a short note. I didn't get the time to write a proper one before my phone started ringing.

"Esme speaking."

"Mom, it's Jasper. Dad's already here and Irina is with him."

"We're almost done. We'll be right back."

I called Edward and Emmett to let them know we needed to hurry and get back home. We got back to the most ridiculous scene I had yet witnessed. The furniture had been delivered in our absence and apparently Carlisle had signed for it.

He was directing the last of the people on where to put the items, of course none of it was where I had wanted it. Irina was sprawled over one of the couches in the living room, reading a magazine and popping gum relentlessly and Jasper was fuming in a corner of the room.

"Carlisle what do you think you're doing?" I hissed.

The men holding the cabinet set it down and looked warily from me to Carlisle. "Ma'am?"

"He is not the one who bought all this furniture, so I would appreciate it if you left this cabinet right where it is. I'll make sure everything get's to it's proper place. Thank you so much for your help."

The men hesitated for a second, but then one of the guys elbowed his colleague, nodded towards Jasper and they left together.

"Jasper? Are you okay, honey? You look like you're about to blow."

He shook his head. "No, I was horrible to you and I was so sure I was right and then dad shows up with Irina, for crying out loud! I'm sorry, mom. Really."

"It's okay. Why don't you and your brothers go upstairs and start setting up your own rooms while I talk to Carlisle and Irina."

Jasper went to protest but I silently pointed to the stairs. He got the message, as did Edward and Emmett. I waited until the three of them were out of earshot before I turned back to Carlisle.

"As for you, I want you and Irina to pack up your things and get yourselves out of my sight at once. You are not staying here and Carlisle, you will sign those papers, even if I have to hold you at gunpoint to do it."

Carlisle snorted. "Ah, Esme, darling. We both know you won't go through with this."

"Try me. I have the police chief on speed dial and I am fairly certain he would lend me his gun."

His eyes hardened into an expression I had only ever seen directed at defiant interns in the hospital and I knew I had just created a breech that would never be mended between us.

"Fine, Esme. I'll sign the papers and leave this house, but you and I are not through. Not by a long shot."

He pulled Irina up by her arm and they stalked out of the house. What on earth had he been expecting of me? That I would welcome him and his mistress into our home and let them stay here?

Edward's pov

Mom called us downstairs only minutes after we had heard the door slam shut. We shared a look and went to find Esme. She was standing in the middle of the living room with an odd blank expression on her face.

"We are getting this house in order today. Edward, I know you want to talk to Bella, but I would appreciate it if you gave me the time to sort out what to tell them before you do. I am sure Charlie will call when they come home and find us gone, but please let me handle this. I will go over there tomorrow and explain, okay?"

I frowned. This entire situation didn't sit well with me. I wanted to speak to Bella, be close to Bella, but now I wasn't allowed to. Sulking I went upstairs to find my room.

It wasn't much later when Jasper knocked on my door, looking repentant. I waved him in and sat down on my new bed with a huff. "What a mess," I murmured.

"I know and I wanted to apologize to you too. I just wish we could go back to the way things were."

"Jasper, seriously, you want mom to go back to being taken advantage of by dad? You know just as well as I do that Irina wasn't the first girl he cheated with. Do you think mom needs to put up with that?"

"No, but I don't want them to get a divorce either. I want them to be happy together, like they were when we were younger. Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, Jazz, it's not. But things won't work out between them. Dad should have worked on this marriage sooner. He should have known that when he started having sex with other women that something was up. Hell, he should have known once he realized he wanted other women. I'm not saying mom shouldn't have tried to work on it too, but all in all, I think dad is the one who should have tried hardest."

Jasper nodded solemnly. I never saw him this morose and I felt bad for him. Me and Emmett never were as close to our father as Jasper had been and I knew that would make it hardest on him.

"I guess so. I hope you'll understand that I won't be jumping for joy about it any time soon. And, Edward, please be careful with Bella. You don't know the first thing about her."

I gritted my teeth. It simply wasn't worth it to argue about this. He would see in time what I instinctively knew about Bella. She had a heart of gold and would never intentionally hurt anyone.

Esme's pov

When Charlie called that night I tried to keep my voice light and unconcerned, but I ended up sounding curt. I felt my stomach tighten at the hint of disappointment and hurt in his tone and I could only imagine what he and Bella must have thought of us right in that moment, but I decided to abide my time and explain it all later, when things had had a chance to settle down.

But that night as I turned in, I could not get to sleep for the life of me. The sounds in this new house were grating on my last nerve. I couldn't believe how much I had grown accustomed to hearing Charlie snoring down the hall. I missed him. More than I dares admit to myself and I truly dreaded having to do this on my own from now on.

The following morning I was up before the sun had fully risen above the horizon. Determined to set things right with Charlie, I drove straight up to his house, unable to wait any longer. I parked at the curb, staring up at the house, feeling oddly afraid of what they might think of me.

I got out of the car and quietly closed the door. No need to wake the neighbours. As I approached the door I heard stumbling from inside followed by a female voice squealing. A voice that was definitely not Bella's.

"Charlie, stop it! I give, I give!" the woman on the other side of the door giggled.

"That'll teach you to tease me," I heard Charlie chuckle.

Bile rose in my throat. Apparently Charlie didn't mind the fact that I was gone. In fact he seemed to be enjoying it perfectly.

Without even knocking on the door, I turned on my heel and headed back to the car. My day was shot to hell even before it began.

Angry tears streamed down my face as I stomped on the gas to get back home as fast as I could. I was so angry with myself for letting myself be attracted to him. The first day we met, I knew I shouldn't allow myself to feel these things, because I would only get hurt. Charlie wasn't my type and it was bound to hurt me, but instead of listening to my own sense of self-preservation, I dove in anyway. And now I was the one paying for the consequences.

Alice's pov

I saw Esme's car a minute too late. I was about to tell Charlie and Rosalie, who had been ragging each other over sports, she was there, when I saw her peel away quickly. I realized then that Esme must have heard the last part of Rose and Charlie's thumb war and drawn the wrong conclusions. This was a complication I was not happy about.

I decided to pull Bella aside to talk tactics. We needed to come up with an emergency plan, pronto and we would need the Cullen boys in on the game if we wanted it to succeed.


A/N: Happy new year everyone! I hope your holidays were joyful and I wish you all a great 2010.

Hugs,

Mo