A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own a chess set where all the pieces are shot glasses.

Thank you all SO much for voting. String Theory was selected as a Lemonade Stand Fic of the Week!

In other news, yesterday when I wasn't updating, I got bored and made a banner: http:/ bit . ly/s9GTVy

High Energy Physics: The branch of physics that studies the nature of the fundamental particles that make up atoms, including protons and neutrons (which can be further broken down into quarks) and electrons, neutrinos, tau particles, muons, (maybe) Higgs bosons, etc, etc.

Generally referred to as high energy physics at least in part because in order to see what these particles do, physicists rev them up to ridiculously high speeds (and therefore high energies), then smash them into each other and look at the results. Kinda like figuring out what's in a shepherd's pie by throwing it at the wall and watching what streaks down.

Which I do not recommend.

21

"You're sure I can't help you with anything?"

Bella's standing at the counter, chopping vegetables for a chicken stir-fry. I'm practically salivating. This'll make four whole days of real meals in a row; between her and my mother, I'm getting spoiled.

Her hair's tied back away from her face, and all I want to do is touch that, long, bare, graceful line of her neck.

"Nah," she says, shaking her head. "I can do some things by myself."

It's an innocent enough comment, on its surface, but I can hear the layers underneath.

"There's nothing wrong with asking for some help."

"Sure." She smirks. "Says the guy who's 'pretty much got it' on his problem set."

"Hey. That's different."

"If you say so."

Okay, so maybe we're both a little annoyingly independent.

Since she won't let me do anything, I poke around the kitchen, eventually heading over to the fridge. I kind of want to ask Charlie if I can have one of his beers, but something tells me that wouldn't go over so well. I make a mental note to ask Bella later just exactly how bad they are for him, and maybe to sneak him a six-pack the next time I come over.

As I'm thinking about him, I glance over into the living room. He's still sitting there in his chair, glaring at the floor. Bella's asked him about fifteen times if he's okay or if he needs anything. His answers have gotten surlier every time.

I glance back at Bella to find her humming along, knife making quick work of…some green thing I don't recognize. Figuring I don't really have anything better to do, I wander into the living room. Charlie doesn't react.

My first instinct is to start conversation the way Bella's been doing, by asking if he's all right. I'm pretty sure that would have him reaching for his rifle again, though. I could offer to turn on the TV or something, but I doubt we're into the same shows. Dr. Who and anime aren't exactly high on most people's lists.

Eventually, my gaze lands on a stack of games on one of their shelves. I'm this close to asking if he likes to play cards, but I stop myself just in time. With his bad hand, could he even hold them? His pride's already wounded enough. I don't even want to ask.

Then I see it. "Do you play chess?"

He doesn't respond for a second, so I turn around to look at him. His gaze is dull as he looks up at me. "Huh?"

"You have a chess set. Do you like to play?"

Giving me a one-shouldered shrug, he grunts. "It's okay."

Okaaaaaay. "Well, if you're bored. Bella pretty much kicked me out of the kitchen."

Bella's voice drifts in from the next room. "I did no such thing."

At that, Charlie chuckles. It's a relief to hear. "Girl's pretty headstrong."

"Tell me about it." I can't help the smile on my face. I turn back to look for other games that could be played with one hand, but to my surprise, Charlie speaks up again.

"Doubt I could keep up with you anyway."

"Hmm?"

"Chess. I don't play fancy or anything. You'd probably mop the floor with me."

He's got a point. Considering my dad's obsession, I've been playing since I was five. It'd be hard not to play to win.

"My dad and I used to play a lot," I concede.

Then he surprises me with an offer of his own. "Checkers is more my speed."

I look over at him to gauge his expression. It's entirely open, and a hell of a lot less despondent than it was before.

"I can play checkers."

With a nod, he rolls over toward the table where I first saw him cleaning his gun. Tonight, it's set for dinner for three. And for checkers, apparently.

I grab the game off the shelf and go to join him, thinking first to ask, "Hey, Bella, we have time for a game or two?"

It feels like I'm ten and playing with Alice, asking my mom if it's okay.

"Yeah, so long as it's a quick one."

"It's checkers," Charlie says with a huff. "It's always quick."

Charlie steers himself in to the open side of the table. I take the chair across from him and start setting up the board. To the sounds of Bella cooking, we begin to play.

"So," he says after a few moves. "What do you do at that school of yours? The same kind of stuff Bells does?"

Ah. The 'so what do you do' talk. "Yes and no. I take a lot of the same classes and all, but I work for a different professor. My group's more high energy physics."

"Which means?"

"Subatomic particles. Most of my stuff is simulations, but if things work out, I might get to do some work at the Large Hadron Collider. The one they just set up in Switzerland?"

If I pass my qualifier.

"Sounds…interesting." He's humoring me, but that's okay. Considering he lives with Bella, he must know how passionate a person can be about this kind of thing.

"It is to me."

"Any idea what you want to do with it? What's Bella always going on about? Industry or academia or…"

"I'd like a professor job, I think. It's always what I've seen myself doing."

He hums and goes to pick up one of his pieces. "Sounds like Bells."

"She'd make a great professor." She really would. In addition to being brilliant, she cares about people.

Charlie goes quiet for a second, and when I look up, it's to find him staring right at me, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. Yeah, she would." Then he looks back down at the board and smiles. Grabbing his piece decisively, he triple-jumps me and sits back with a look of triumph on his face. "King me."

Whatever weird moment we'd been having breaks. I shake my head and chuckle as I reach for an extra of his pieces. Stacking them, I say, simply, "Yes, sir."

#

Dinner goes surprisingly well. As predicted, Bella's cooking is amazing, and being there with the two of them is just plain fun. It makes me miss my family less.

Bella teases her dad and her dad teases her. They both tease me, but neither of them do it meanly. I think Charlie might even like me. And I'm pretty damn sure at this point that Bella does.

Afterward, I help Bella clean up everything. Miraculously, she even lets me. When we're almost done, Charlie says his goodbyes and rolls off toward his room. I frown because it's early, but Bella's blushing. It's then that I realize he's trying to give us some privacy.

I could kiss him for it.

But instead, I kiss her.

With her hands wet with dishwater, I wrap my arms around her and urge her lips up to mine. We kiss gently, softly. Against her lips, I tell her, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For having me over tonight."

"I'm pretty sure I should be thanking you."

If we both think that, we must be doing something right.

I let my mouth linger against hers for a little longer, then pull back, touching my forehead to hers. "I should probably go."

God, but I don't want to.

She sighs, then nods. "Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Definitely. Meet you for coffee?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

She pauses for a second, then flashes a soft, secret smile. "You still want me to pick you up at your office?"

"Of course." I frown. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. Your officemates seemed to give you a hard enough time as it is."

Chuckling, I pull her in even closer. "Then I say we give them something to really talk about."

"Yeah?" Her lips curl higher, her smile brighter. She wants to be seen with me.

"Absolutely."

I give her one last peck, then pull away, grinning.

In a way I haven't been in ages, I'm excited about getting to go to school tomorrow.