A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys rock so hard!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

"Couldn't stand it could you, Emme…" The words die on my tongue as I look into my hallway and see the one person I never thought I'd see again.

"Dad?"

.

.

.

"Um…hello, Edward."

"What are you doing here? I mean, what the fuck…" My anguished voice trails off as I try to process what's happening. I have neither seen nor heard from this man in well over a decade.

He at least has the courtesy to appear chagrined as he looks to the floor when he answers, "I was hoping I could talk to you. Is now not a good time?"

"Is now not a good time?" I ask, my voice rising with each syllable. "What the fuck kinda question is that, Dad? Regardless of what you're here for, I'd say it's about fifteen years too late." I mean, really! What the fuck is this?

I feel a hand slide up my back and then Bella's pressed against me, offering her silent support. My father's eyes flicker to her, and he looks back down at the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise you had company."

I can't help the scoff that escapes my mouth. "That's what you're sorry for?"

"Yes, among other things. I came here to talk, and I know you have every right to be angry with me, but I'd appreciate it if you'd at least hear me out."

My entire body is tensed in anger, and I feel as if I could explode into a million pieces. What the fuck was he thinking showing up unannounced on my damn welcome mat as if he were dropping by for Sunday fucking tea? My mind races with all the possible reasons for him to be here: he needs money and thinks his famous son will help him out; he's on his deathbed and trying to make amends, or maybe he's just a bastard and wants to blame Mum's death on me again.

I try not to think that he could be here to truly make amends. For one, it seems like too much to wish for, and for another, I'm not entirely sure what I'd do if that were the case. There was a time I would've given up everything for my father's forgiveness, but I've lived enough now to understand love and responsibilities, and I wonder if he might be too late for my forgiveness.

My anger surges as the possibilities run through my head, and I resist the urge to punch a hole through the wall. Who does he think he is coming into my home and acting like a father—chastising me for being upset because he's pushed his way back into my life with absolutely no warning whatsoever? He wants me to hear him out now?

"Fuck that! Why should I listen to you?" I all but shout. Bella's hand snakes down my arm and she wiggles her fingers into my clenched fist, trying to ease my tension.

My dad glances at Bella again. "Maybe we should talk about this alone."

A strangled laugh escapes me. "I haven't agreed to talk about this at all."

"Edward," Bella murmurs. "Why don't you two take a break, and maybe think about this over the weekend—after your game."

Surprise registers on my father's face, and his smile is one I haven't seen since before my mum died. "You're American, aye? I'm Edward's dad, Edward Cullen, Sr., although most people call me Eddie."

"I'm Edward's girlfriend, Bella."

His smile widens and he hold out his hand to shake hers, "Well, it's very nice to meet you, then."

Instead of offering her hand, Bella quirks her head to the side and studies my father before saying, "I wish I could say the same, but you've clearly upset Edward and interrupted our evening. Perhaps you should've called first."

"I didn't think he'd see me if I called first," my dad replies.

Without missing a beat Bella rebounds, "I don't think I'd blame him."

Bella's support helps ground me enough to collect my thoughts so I squeeze her hand in thanks. "Bella's right. I have a game tomorrow." Sighing, I scratch my head as I try to figure out how to process everything happening right now. "I can't deal with this right now. Leave your number and I'll think about calling."

I'm surprised that my tone sounds even more defeated than I already feel.

Bella's hand rubs small circles on my back as she says, "I'll go get a pen."

Without her by my side, I can't even look into his face and not feel overcome with the urge to hit something. Then and there, I decide to go in early tomorrow for a few rounds with the boxing bag.

Maybe I'll tape a picture of his face to it.

He startles me out of my fantasy when he speaks up again. "I didn't come here to hurt you, Edward. I know you have no reason to believe me when I say that, but I would really appreciate the chance to at least apologise and explain why it's taken me so long. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness—hell, I don't even deserve an hour of your time to explain—but I couldn't let you go the rest of your life thinking I don't care." His voice is quiet, and he sounds sincere, but his words are too much for me to handle.

What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?

"Does Carlisle know you're here?" I ask.

"No. I wanted to get the chance to at least see you, and I figured if I saw him first, he'd warn you away. He was always so protective of you—I'm glad you had him."

Anger courses through me again, and my eyes flash to his. His face falls as he reads the emotions written all over mine—Carlisle shouldn't have needed to be my protector, especially not from my own father. Before I can come up with a response, Bella is at my side, handing a pen and notepad to my dad.

He scribbles his name and number down and gives it back to Bella. "Please just think about it," he pleads before nodding at Bella and finally turning to walk away.

I close the door and before it even clicks shut, Bella's arms are wrapped around me, offering comfort and love. After a few minutes, she pulls back and suggests, "I'll let Jasper and Alice know we'll see them tomorrow if you just want to sneak off to your room."

"I'm okay. I'll go with you. Besides, I need to make sure it's okay with Coach if I go in early. I'm not supposed to change shit up on game day, and I want to hit the bags."

My arms fall from her waist, and I start toward the living room. I've taken a couple steps when I realise Bella's not with me, so I stop and turn back to her, holding out my hand. I ask, "You coming?"

She looks at me, eyes a little watery, offers a weak smile, and says nothing as she reaches for my hand.

Worry settles in the pit of my stomach, and I hope this turn of events is not too much for our very new relationship to handle. Given my past with women, I don't have much experience with relationships extending past a couple of weeks, and even those women would've bolted at the first sign of drama. I know Bella cares a lot for me, but we haven't even been together a week—maybe it's still too soon for her to deal with my shitty past.

When her hand joins with mine though, her smile becomes a little stronger, and the tightness in my stomach eases just a bit. Suddenly, I feel like an idiot for not giving Bella more credit—I know she's different from all of the other women I've dated, but having my father pop back into my life has my thoughts and my emotions running rampant.

Jasper and Alice, having heard the entire confrontation, stand as we re-enter the living room, ready to say their goodbyes. Thankfully, Jasper gives me leave to switch up my routine tomorrow as long as I don't wear myself out before the game.

Alice hugs Bella before turning to me and giving me one as well. She squeezes a little tighter and a beat longer than normal, and I'm reminded how lucky I am to have such good friends in my life.

Bella hesitates at the door to my bedroom and stops before walking inside. "Why don't you take a bath or something and relax while I clean up what's left over from dinner? Alice and Jasper took care of some of it, but I don't want to leave the dishes 'til morning."

My stomach twists again. It's like every insecure thought that ran through my head when Dad abandoned me came rushing back the moment I opened my front door. Even though I just convinced myself that Bella's in this for the long haul, I can't stop myself from clarifying her intentions for the night. "Are you still staying here tonight?"

Bella's eyes widen as she looks up at me. "Of course, I am-unless you don't want me to."

"No, I definitely want you here. I just didn't know if you wanted to deal with all this right now. It's not going to be pretty no matter what I decide."

A sad smile forms on her face. "I think you're forgetting I know a thing or two about people walking out of your life for no good reason. Besides, you don't abandon people you… chocolate…just because things get tough," Bella says as her smile turns playful. "At least, that's not the way I roll. I'll be back in a few minutes." She reaches up to plant a light kiss on my lips before returning to the kitchen.

I've never been one to take baths for no reason but decide it can't hurt. I'm pleasantly surprised to discover that years of warm baths after rugby matches have programmed my body to relax as soon as it hits the water.

oOoOoOo

As much as I'd wanted Bella to stay with me, I'm grateful for the time to myself as I sort through everything my dad said. Still, when I hear her moving around in my bedroom, I push myself out of the tub and dry myself quickly before pulling on my boxers and heading into my bedroom to join her. She looks comfortable, snuggled under the covers in my bed while playing on her phone.

She puts her phone away when she sees me and pulls the covers back for me to join her. I lay my head on her stomach as I settle in and close my eyes as she runs her fingers through my hair.

"I'm sorry you had to be here for that."

"You don't have any reason to be sorry. I just wish there were more I could do to help."

I peek up at her and catch her staring off to the side, her pretty face marred with frown lines. "I guess you figured out I haven't seen my dad since a little bit after Mum died."

"I gathered it was something like that. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, you know."

"No, I do. Of course I want to tell you. It's not like I was keeping it a secret from you. I just didn't expect him to show up on my doorstep six days into our relationship. Seriously, who does that?"

"I don't know. I guess someone who wants to make amends," she comments thoughtfully, her fingers now rubbing the tight bands in my back.

"Too little, too late, don'tcha think?" I chuff.

Bella sighs and contemplates her words before speaking. "I don't really know what happened, so I can't figure out what to think. What I do know is that you're one of the most patient and understanding people I've ever met, so whatever happened must've been pretty bad. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really…but I want you to know. I've never told this to anyone other than my therapist, so bear with me." I pull myself up and lean against the headboard, pulling her with me so she's leaning against my chest.

Bella waits patiently, her thumb trailing small circles on my arm, while I gather my thoughts. "Before my mum died, I always thought she and my dad were pretty sweet parents. I was a teenage boy, so I lashed out at them from time to time and said things I didn't mean, but I knew I was lucky to have parents that cared about me and each other. I had several friends whose parents had split up, but it wasn't something I could fathom ever happening to mine. They were so in love with each other…it was kinda gross actually."

I chuckle at a memory of my dad snaking his arm around Mum when she was trying to get ready to go out and burying his head in her neck. She'd chastised him and told him to stop, but the smile never left her face as she squirmed around in his arms. "He was so affectionate toward her, and I never heard him utter a single bad word against her. The first fourteen years of my life, he taught me how to love and respect a woman."

Deep breath.

"When Mum died after the crash, he took it really hard. I mean really hard. Carlisle and Esme were already married, but they had to move in with us for a couple of weeks while Dad grieved. I'd already been close to my brother, but those two weeks brought us even closer. He mourned Mum with me and took care of me while Dad did…whatever he did until he started to pull himself together."

"That's awful," Bella murmurs. "I'm so glad you had Carlisle and Esme…no wonder you guys are so close."

"Yeah, but that's just the start. Once Dad was able to go back to work and start taking care of me again, things were okay for a little bit…a few weeks maybe. We didn't talk much about what had happened…not at all really. I'd catch him staring at me, but I never knew what he was thinking."

I tighten my grip on Bella and steel myself for the next part of the story.

"Anyway, Carlisle and even Esme were so supportive and really helped me come to terms with Mum's death. They even had me believing it wasn't my fault she'd died."

Bella gasps and looks up at me with pain-filled eyes. "Oh, Edward, you know it wasn't your fault, right? That's like saying my mom left because I was a bad child."

"I know now, but as a fourteen-year-old kid who'd just lost his mum because he'd begged her to drive him somewhere, I had a hard time believing that. Carlisle talked me through it every day, and I eventually came around. Of course, when Dad started coming back to life that helped, too, but then one day he was staring at me like he sometimes did, except I could almost feel the hatred rolling off of him. As soon as he noticed me looking back, he left the room without uttering a word, but it happened more and more often after that, and eventually he started pulling away from me again. I had no clue what was going on with him because he still refused to talk to me.

"One day, I was having a particularly bad day. I'd gotten in trouble at school for picking a fight because someone had made a stupid joke about another guy's mum. I just lost it. I couldn't stand the thought of them so carelessly throwing around insults like that when I didn't have mine anymore."

I shake my head at the memory while Bella rubs soothing circles against my chest. "My dad was so angry when he got the call from the school. He was yelling and cursing at me, and as much as I hated how mad he was at me without even listening to my side of the story, part of me revelled in it. I couldn't remember the last time my dad had paid me this much attention or even shown this much emotion in general.

"So, I argued with him and defended myself, even though I knew I was wrong—the kid didn't deserve for me to attack him; everyone was just goofing around—but the second I tried to explain that I was defending Mum, Dad lost it. He told me it was my fault she was dead in the first place, and if I'd never been born, he'd still have his wife. He said he couldn't stand the sight of me anymore because I just reminded him of what he'd never have again." My voice cracks and Bella tightens her hold on me, pressing a light kiss to my chest.

"I just kinda sank to the ground and let him unload on me. I remember thinking maybe if he got it all off his chest we could move on, but then he said something about Carlisle treating me like a glass sculpture—I don't even remember what he said exactly—I just knew that he had no right to say anything against my brother who'd done everything he could to take care of me and keep our family whole since Mum died. He could say whatever he wanted about me. It's not like it was anything I hadn't already thought myself, but I lost it when he put down Carlisle.

"I was on my feet and in his face in an instant, yelling right back at him. Some small part of me still hoped this was the turning point in us getting over this." I shake my head at my naivety. "Like this was some fucking romance comedy movie or some shit."

"That sounds like more of a tragedy to me, baby," Bella comments, her fingers running over the sparse hair on my chest.

"No shit," I huff. "Anyway, I lost it and told him to go fuck himself. I'd never spoken like that to him before, but I was a fucking fourteen-year-old kid who couldn't figure out why his dad was trying to make him feel like shit. He was supposed to be helping me, you know?

"Anyway, I never even saw it coming. He pulled back and punched me—bam!—right in the eye. I was so shocked, I hit the ground right away. I just lay there, wondering what had happened to my life, still thinking maybe he'd apologise and tell me how he just got carried away, and it would never happen again. Instead, he kicked me out of his way and told me if I was going to live in his house, I better pay him the respect he was due. Then he walked out of the room, and I never saw him again until tonight."

"Shit, baby," Bella breathes out. "I don't even know what to say. 'I'm sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it."

"There's nothing to say really. I'm just glad my crazy life isn't too much for you to deal with right now."

Bella lifts her face and stares right in my eyes. "That's not even possible. I hope I haven't made you think I'm not completely in this relationship. Those first few weeks were exactly what I needed to prove what and who I want, and that's you. Please don't doubt us right now. You have enough to worry about."

"Fuck, I needed to hear that." I whisper. "Thank you."

"So back to your story…what happened after that?"

"Well, I lay there for a while, sobbing my eyes out and trying to figure out what to do. I actually contemplated staying there and apologising to him until Carlisle called. I didn't answer the phone. I knew he'd come over if I told him what happened, and once I realised I had somewhere to go, all I wanted was to get out. So I packed up my shit and headed to his place—they'd just gotten married, so they were still living in a flat in the city. I had to walk about three kilometres to the bus stop and wait almost an hour for the right bus, so I'd had a lot of time to think by the time I got there.

"Carlisle opened the door before I even knocked and pulled me inside—no questions asked. He eventually told me Dad had called him and told him we'd gotten in a fight. Needless to say, when I told Carlisle the full story, he was irate."

"I guess he was," Bella comments, "although it's hard for me to imagine Carlisle being upset."

I chuckle at her observation. "I'm telling you, I'd never seen him like that before, nor have I since."

Bella peers up at me. "So, you're seriously telling me that after all that, your dad never contacted you or checked on you, but he just showed up here tonight—no warning whatsoever—and asked to talk?"

I throw my head back against the headboard. "Yeah. What the fuck is that? You know? What am I supposed to do with that? Did he just expect me to welcome him into my home with open arms?"

"I don't have a clue what he was thinking tonight…or back then. You know you didn't deserve that, right? Parents aren't supposed to act like that. It almost sounds as if he were mentally ill—like he had a nervous breakdown. That's still not an excuse, but at least it would be an explanation."

"It's the only thing I can come up with, too. I went through years of therapy to deal with this, Bella. I was a hellion for Carlisle and Esme for a while. I was so angry and confused and hurt. I knew I didn't want to hurt them, but they were the only people I had left to hurt, and it was so unfair to them. They weren't even twenty-five yet and had to take in some cocky-arsed fourteen-year-old who was so mad at the world, he couldn't even think straight. They tried to let me work it out on my own, but it was obvious after a couple of months that I needed help."

Bella quickly swipes at her eyes with her hand, and I continue, eager to finish. "My therapist immediately suggested getting me into extra-curricular activities, and since Esme had just started working for the Blues, she encouraged me to start playing rugby. I was a natural and my pent-up aggression made me that much more effective on the field. I poured everything I had into every practice and jumped at the chance to join Esme at Eden Park every time she offered.

"Once I had rugby as an outlet, combined with therapy and Carlisle and Esme's constant support, I eventually accepted my mum's death wasn't my fault. It took me a while longer to believe I didn't deserve my dad's anger. I haven't been to therapy in about nine years. We'd talked about how I would handle it if my dad ever tried to contact me, but I gave up that thought a couple years after I made it big. I figured if I'd become a famous sports star and he still hadn't sought me out, it just wasn't going to happen."

Bella's tone relays her bewilderment. "I can't even imagine." She crawls on top of me, her stomach pressed against mine, and props herself up on my chest while her fingers play with the hair by my ears. "Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

"No." I let my fingers roam on the sliver of exposed skin above her shorts. "What do you think?"

"It's hard to really know what to do. I kinda want to just rip your father's eyeballs out, but I think I'd eventually want answers if I were you. If you don't hear him out, you'll probably always wonder and regret it."

Sighing, I wrap my arms completely around her tiny frame, pulling her closer to me. "You're right. Can I just pretend for the rest of the night that I'm going to ignore him and have the satisfaction of making him wonder what I'm thinking and feeling for the next fifteen years?"

Bella laughs into my neck. "Sure, whatever you want—I think you've earned that much. Do you think you'll be okay tomorrow? You said no one else knows about this? Not even Emmett?"

"I've never told Emmett the full story, but he knows my dad hit me and that's why I moved in with Carlisle. Most of my teammates know I lived with Esme, but no one really knows why, and I want to keep it that way. I'll probably pull Emmett aside at some point and let him know my dad's in town. He'll figure out something's up eventually, anyway."

"He is quite perceptive, isn't he?"

Bella's entire body bounces when I bark out a laugh. "More like nosy—he's worse than a damn woman! No offense."

"None taken." She's quiet for a moment before she adds, "This is nice. I'm so comfortable, I think I could sleep like this all night."

"Don't let me stop you." I gently run my fingers through her hair as she settles further into my body. "Thank you for staying tonight. I don't know what I would've done if he'd shown up last week and I had to go through this by myself. I would've been crazy with anxiety and anger, and here you have me laughing."

She squeezes me again and says, "That's what girlfriends are for, you know?"

"I like it when you call yourself that."

Her head pops up and the smile on her face is brilliant. "Me, too! I kinda wanted to kick your dad in the shins—tonight was the first time I was able to introduce myself that way, and I hated it was to him!"

Laughter escapes me when I say, "Please, feel free to kick him in the shins whenever we talk to him."

Bella cocks her head. "You want me to go with you?"

Shit. I hadn't even realised I'd said that, but when I picture this conversation, I can't imagine her not being there for at least part of it.

"If you don't mind, I'd really appreciate it if you were there. It sounded like maybe he wants to apologise, but I don't know if I trust that just yet. If he has ulterior motives, I'm not sure how I'll handle that."

Bella's head finds its way back to my chest before saying, "Then I'm there. Just let me know when."

Yawning, I reach over to turn off the bedside lamp. "You have any plans this weekend? Might as well get it over with as soon as possible."

"Nothing I can't reschedule. Rose and I had talked about having a girls' night, but we can do that anytime."

I feel the haze of sleep starting to take over my brain. It's been a long week, and tonight has been so emotionally draining, but I need to make sure Bella's good. "You don't have to do that. I can plan around your girl time."

I feel a light tap on my side as Bella tries to chastise me. "Don't be silly. I'd cancel on you if one of them were going through something like this. Besides, I wouldn't mind spending another weekend with you. Maybe we can actually go out with everyone instead of staying holed up and only surfacing to eat."

Chuckling, I squeeze her tighter and roll us over into a position we actually can sleep in all night. "Last weekend was pretty damn perfect if you ask me."

Lips press lightly against the bottom of my chin and Bella agrees as she tucks her head back into my chest, and entwined together we drift into sleep.

A/N: Thank you Born, Chaya, Whiti, and Yummy. I love each of you and your support.

Rec: I've loved every word cosmogirl7481 has ever written, but I think Footprints in the Snow is my favourite full-length fic of hers. So, so good… I was captivated from beginning to end, and if you're looking for something quick and hot…Edward in the Afternoon is so nommy! Seriously… can't go wrong with anything she's written though!

Reviews are love!