Sorry for the wait. Real life slapped me in the face, giving me limited time to write this chapter. This one is kind of a fluff chapter. It's not essential to the story…well maybe a little, but I liked writing it. Enjoy!

Chapter 14: Trust

Charlie stood in the doorway of my room, mouth gaped open. Had he seen Jasper and the others leave? Oh, God, he saw them! When he finally closed his mouth, he gave me a small smile. Okay, maybe he didn't know. Smiling is good.

"I didn't know you liked Anne Rice!" He said, surprised. I glanced down at the small, paperback book lying beside on my crumpled, violet comforter: Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat. I giggled to myself. Emmett. Ha-ha, very funny. "And what's up with the clove of garlic and the cross?"

"What the-," I mumbled, "Oh, um, school project." I am so going to kill them.

"Hmmph. Well, uh, I just wanted to come up here and check on ya and say goodnight an' all. Didn't see you come in, but I figured you were up here," he said, looking down at the rugged carpet. "So, uh, goodnight."

"Goodnight, dad," I whispered. I can't just sit here and say nothing! I've got to confront him and tell him about the dream. Yeah, it'll just be small talk.

"Wait, dad!" I blurted out a little louder than expected.

He turned back around faster than my eyes could process. It was a cop thing. He had fast reflexes. "What? Is something wrong, sweetheart?"

"Not really, I just wanted to talk. I'm just a little lonely. I had something funny I thought I'd share."

"Oh…okay," he answered awkwardly.

"Well, I had this dream the other night and you were in it."

"Was I as cool as I am in real life? He smiled playfully.

I stifled a giggle, "Uh, well…not exactly. We were in a field or something. I was with…Jasper."

"Dr. Cullen's kid?" He asked, intrigued.

"Yes, and you were there…on a horse."

"You weren't lying about me being cooler in real life, were you? Why on God's green earth would I be on a horse? A cop on a horse; that's so lame! Is this how you really think I am? Am I really that nerdy to you? C'mon."

"Dad, don't interrupt," I said sternly.

"Right. Your dream. Sorry."

Should I tell him? What could it hurt? He'll just see it as a weird dream. "And then, you, funny enough, shot me."

Charlie gave a loud guffaw, "Why would I shoot you in your dream?" he said, still chuckling. "I think you've been staring at my gun too long, Bella."

"Yeah, it's weird, right?" I muttered, under my breath; know that this could be much more than just a meaningless dream.

He shot me a sincere stare, "Bella, I promise you, I will never shoot you." He finished with a smile that played at the corner of his mouth. As he left the room, all I could hope for was that he was right.

There was the faint rustle of a tree branch and Jasper's voice came from behind, "Really? I'm just a little lonely. I had something funny I thought I'd share," He mocked. "Wow. You really need to work on your social skills, ma'am," he laughed, slipping through my window to sit down beside me. We both gave one look at the small book, the garlic, and the cross and heard two distinct laughing fits from outside the window.