Thank you to teamedwardforever1998 for everything you do for me! Your continuous support and help with this story mean a great deal. Thank you for being so patient!

A/N These last few weeks have been tough, but I'm happy to report that my son is going much better. Thank you to everyone for your support in the matter and for your patience. I know it's been a while since I've updated, and I apologize, but my son will always come first to me. Anyway, I'll let you get to the chapter. I've included the last few paragraphs of the last chapter to refresh your memory. Enjoy the chapter!

Last Chapter:

We say our goodbyes and I grab Bella's hand as I lead her across the dance floor and to the stairs. "Are you ready to go home and help me with this?" I ask her as I press the back of her hand to my crotch. The moment I had started thinking about getting her home, I was instantly hard again.

"Oh, hell yes!" she whispers before practically dragging me down the stairs and out the door. When we get to my car, I spin her around and kiss her deeply. She drops my hand and wraps her arms around my neck, holding me to her. My arms wrap around her back and rest on her ass as I pull her hips into mine. We both groan at the feeling and she quickly wraps her legs around my waist to get even closer to me.

Just as I'm about to back her up against my car so my hands are free, I'm interrupted by a menacing voice. "Well, what the hell do we have here?"

Close to Home

Chapter 21 - Called Out

September 17, 2010

BPOV

Tonight with Edward has been incredible. Never in my life have I felt so much sexual tension building within me. I know it's my body's way of telling me I'm ready for more with him, but my heart still says I'm not ready to go all the way. It's almost like I'm at war with myself.

As Edward sits and chats with Rose about trivial matters, I start thinking about our relationship and how quickly it's progressing. Sure, with Mike, I technically slept with him on our first date, but I was young and naive back then; I was a lovestruck teenager who would've done anything to please the object of her affection. None of it was real, though. That's one thing I'm sure of now. Did I love Mike? The truth, is that I loved a guy who never existed; it was all a facade, everything he did and said while we were together.

I'm drawn from my thoughts when Rose asks how long Edward and I have been together. I glance up at Edward while he answers her, and I can't help but feel his words deep down inside me; they're almost poetic. When he finishes, he looks down at me and smiles, which I return automatically. I can feel my eyes stinging with unshed tears, so to hide it, I stretch so I can kiss Edward's lips. I always knew he was an amazing man, but it's not until that exact moment that I realize it's so much more than that. Edward may have his flaws, but he's the perfect man for me.

When I turn to Rose, I explain how I wasted seven years of my life on a man who constantly cheated on me when I had known the perfect man all along. I don't know how I didn't realize it until now, but once the thoughts started to flow, it was completely obvious. The other thing that becomes obvious, is that my body has now convinced my heart that I'm ready for more. I no longer feel scared about what it would mean to give myself to Edward intimately. I'm still worried about what it will do to our friendship, but right now, I have faith that we can get through anything as long as we do it together.

I'm getting antsy to leave, but I don't want to come right out and say it. When Edward glances at his watch, I become hopeful that he's ready to go, too. Instead of allowing Rose to order another round of drinks, he thanks her for a great night and tells her what an amazing club she has. I can feel the anticipation building in my stomach of what will happen when we're finally alone, and say a quick goodbye to Rose and Emmett before allowing Edward to start leading me out of the club.

Once we're at the stairs, Edward subtly rubs the back of my hand against his rock hard erection, asking me if I'm ready to help him with it. All I can think about is the amazing orgasm he gave me earlier in the booth, and I want to return the favor more than anything. I don't try to hide my excitement as I whisper a quick 'oh, hell yes!' and drag him out of the club. We get to his car, but instead of opening the door for me, he spins me around and kisses me with so much passion I feel like I'm going to explode. I release his hand and wrap my arms around his neck; I need to be closer to him and this seems like the easiest way. I feel his arms wrap around my back and rest on my ass as he pulls me even closer still. As Edward rubs his erection against me, we both groan, and without even thinking about what I'm doing, I jump into his arms and wrap my legs securely around his waist. Feeling his erection against my covered core is almost enough to make me lose it right here.

Just when I feel Edward start to move toward the car, I hear a familiar voice and my heart falters. "Well, what the hell do we have here?"

"Daddy?" I ask as I drop my legs from around Edward's waist and take a small step back. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Young Lady. Would you care to explain to me what's going on?" He looks at me sternly before glancing over at Edward and shaking his head. "Edward," he says in acknowledgement.

"Chief Swan," comes his reply. His voice shakes slightly and I know he's nervous. My dad is the chief of police in Forks, after all, and he's usually packing heat. He can be a very intimidating guy, even for someone who hasn't done anything wrong.

My dad turns back to me and has a frown on his face. "Bella, would you care to explain to me about a very disturbing article I read this morning on the front page of the Forum? It said Forks' favorite couple spilt up. I have to say that I didn't believe it. I thought that you would call me yourself if it had been true, but I guess I was wrong."

My heart sinks into my chest at the disappointment evident in his voice. Why the hell hadn't I picked up the phone to call him? It would have been easy to do, but with my life falling to pieces, I guess I just hadn't thought about it. I can feel the tears well up in my eyes, and I'm about to lose it when Edward wraps me in his arms again and squeezes me tightly against him.

"Chief, we were just about to head back to my apartment. Would you care to follow us there so we can talk somewhere more private?"

"Thank you, Edward. I think I'll do that."

Without another word, Edward opens my door for me and helps me into the seat before moving around to the other side. He starts the car and waits until he sees my dad in the rearview mirror. My dad knew where Mike's apartment was and would occasionally show up just to check on us, but his visits were few and far between. The visit tonight has definitely frazzled me, and once Edward starts driving, I lose my fight with the tears and they start streaming down my face.

"What have I done, Edward? How could I not have told him what happened? He's my father!" I sob. His voice keeps playing over and over in my mind, but I don't hear his words. The only thing I can hear is his disappointment in me, and it only serves to make me cry harder.

"Bee, it'll be alright, I promise. Take a deep breath in and out for me, okay? You're dad will understand once we talk to him and explain everything that happened."

I know Edward's right, but it doesn't do much to calm me down. I try to take a deep breath like he suggests, but I can't. All I can manage are short, quick gasps of air and I feel like I'm going to hyperventilate. I've always been a daddy's girl, and the thought of disappointing my father is enough to break me. I just hope I can make him understand what happened and why I didn't call him.

I few minutes later, we get home and park. My dad pulls in right beside us, but before Edward moves to get out of the car, he leans over to me and uses his hand to pull my chin in his direction. When our eyes meet, he smiles reassuringly at me. "I'm here, Bee, and I always will be. We'll make your dad understand together, okay? I love you."

Before I have a chance to say anything in return, Edward presses his lips to mine in a sweet kiss. It doesn't last long, but it's enough to show me that he meant what he said. We have each other, and that's what matters most. "I love you, too, Edward. Thank you...for everything."

Edward climbs out of the car and walks around to my side, opening my door for me and offering me his hand. When I take it, I feel a gentle squeeze of reassurance and it's enough to give me hope that things will all work out. The important thing is that I have Edward and I know he's not going anywhere.

Once my dad joins us after locking up his cruiser, we all head inside. There's an awkward silence in the air and the tension is so think it's hard to breathe, but I'm not upset anymore. Edward and I can get through this together, and we will.

September 17, 2010

EPOV

I have to admit that I nearly had a heart attack tonight when Charlie came up behind us on the street. Bella and I were so lost in our own little world that I wasn't even aware of his presence. When he spoke, the voice was somewhat familiar, but I couldn't place it. All I know is that it sent a chill down my spine.

I didn't want to let Bella go, but she recognized her father's voice right away and dropped her legs from around my waist before she addressed him. Panic surged through me in that instant, because I realized that Bella probably hadn't mentioned her breakup with Mike or that fact that she and I were dating, let alone living together. Still, I did my best to keep my composure and turned to face the Chief.

I knew my suspicions were correct when he mentioned reading about Bella and Mike's breakup in the Forks' Forum. I cringed internally at that because it was an awful way to have to find out about your daughter's life, but I kept quiet. I wasn't sure what Bella was going to say or do, but when I saw that she was about to lose it, I pulled her to me and spoke to Charlie for her, suggesting that he follow us back to the apartment.

On the way home, I told Bella that everything would be okay and tried to get her to calm down. She was sobbing and on the brink of hyperventilating and I wanted to try to stop it if I could. I promised her I wouldn't leave her and that we'd explain everything to Charlie together. She seemed to accept my reassurance and had pulled herself together a bit by the time we got home. With a quick kiss and an 'I love you', I climbed out and walked around to help Bella out of the car.

Now here we sit in my small living room, and I listen as Bella tells her father all about what happened with Mike. Charlie has always been extremely protective of Bella, I think because she's an only child, and I knew he wasn't going to take what she had to say easily. I sit quietly as Bella explains that day in August with perfect recall and watch as Charlie turns a deep scarlet color. Yep, he's definitely pissed off and I'm extremely glad he isn't mad at me...yet, at least.

Bella explains to him how she called me after she walked out on Mike and I let her stay with me. He knows we've been inseparable our whole lives, so I think he understands why I would offer Bella a place to stay. At this point, I step in and explain to him how I found Bella on the floor in front of my apartment, curled up in a fetal position and crying hard. I also explain how, the next day, I went and confronted that asshole.

Part of me really wants to earn his approval, so I admit everything. I tell him exactly what Mike said about how he's cheated on Bella for their entire relationship, that he's been with dozens of women. I still get sick to my stomach even thinking about it, so I can only imagine what Charlie must be feeling.

Once I finish explaining about what happened on the practice field and how we all ended up getting arrested, I look at Bella. She's watching me carefully and shows me so much love in just that one look. I squeeze her hand that I'm still holding to let her know that she should take over, and she immediately starts in about the viral video taken by the security guard. I thought she'd break down crying again at this part, but she doesn't. In fact, the more she talks about it, the angrier at that little prick she gets. I'll tell you one thing, I'm glad I've never done anything like that to Bella, because I can guarantee you if she ever sees him again, she's not just going to walk away; he'll probably leave with his balls in his throat.

Anyway, after she's done telling him about the video, she looks over at me. I know she's unsure of how to explain our relationship and how it came to be, so I smile at her and lean in to give her a soft kiss before squaring my shoulders and facing her father.

"Chief Swan, over the last two weeks, I have fallen completely in love with your daughter. When I think about it now, I realize I was always in love with her, but I wanted her to be happy. That day she came to me crying, it broke me; it still breaks me every time she cries because I hate to see her sad."

I take a deep breath before continuing. "After two weeks of holding her close at night, I couldn't take it anymore. I knew I was in love with her and I had to know if she felt the same way about me, so I decided to ask her out on a date for her birthday. The night didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but the results couldn't have been better. The following day, we both admitted our feelings and decided to attempt a relationship."

I look at Bella and smile as I squeeze her hand. Taking one more deep breath, I finish saying what I need to say. "Sir, I love Bella with my entire heart and soul. I can't tell where she ends and I begin most of the time. I know it sounds cheesy, but she's my soulmate; I have no doubt about that.

"I know I should have come to you right away when I realized my feelings, and I'm sorry I didn't, but I'm asking you now. Will you please allow me to make Bella happy? To be there for her, to take care of her and protect her? To love her unconditionally? Because I do, Sir. I love her more than I've ever loved anything before, and amazingly, she loves me, too."

His eyes shift from me to Bella and freeze there. "Bella?"

"It's true, Daddy. I know I just got out of a relationship, but being with Edward makes me feel like I'm home. He holds my entire heart and always will." I could feel her small hand squeeze mine as she spoke and couldn't help but feel elated at her words.

Charlie was quiet for several minutes, just watching the two of us carefully. I know it was probably the cop in him, but it's like he wouldn't allow himself to miss a single detail. He must have felt bad about not seeing the truth about Mike earlier, before he allowed his daughter to get so involved with him, so he definitely wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He didn't have to worry though, I'll never hurt Bella the way that bastard did.

"I really wish you would have called me Bella," he finally said, breaking the intense silence. "I could have saved myself a trip up here had I known that Edward was taking such good care of you." I relax a great deal at his words. He must have found what he was looking for, because now he's smiling at the two of us.

"Thank you, Sir. It really means a lot to me that you can see that," I tell him.

He chuckles before responding. "Edward, I've known you since you were a toddler. There's no need to call me Sir... Chief works just fine."

"Um, oh, um okay? Thank you, uh Chief," I start rambling, which only causes his laughter to grow and Bella to join in.

"Relax, will ya? You can call me Charlie; I was just giving you a hard time. I can see how happy Bella is and that makes me happy. She has a spark in her that I haven't seen in quite some time and I never want to see it go out again."

I'm more sure of myself this time when I respond. "Thank you, Charlie. I promise I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't. Bella is an amazing woman and I'm very luck to have received her love and devotion. I don't know what I did to earn it, but I promise you I'll never take it for granted."

Charlie reaches his hand out to shake mine and I immediately return the gesture. When our hands lock together, he grips mine firmly, almost to the point of being painful. "You be sure you don't, Edward. Otherwise I'll have to hunt you down and deal with you myself. Speaking of... Bella, does Mike still have his apartment in that one building? I'd like to drop by and have a word or two with him." Not knowing what to say, she simply nods her head and Charlie smiles. "Good. I guess I'm going to head out then. Oh, and Edward, it's about damn time you realized you had feelings for my daughter."

I'm dumbfounded. What the hell is he talking about? Curiosity wins out and I have to ask him. "Excuse me? What do you mean by that, Charlie?"

He laughs a deep, belly laugh. "Easy, Son. You've known each other for twenty years. From the time you first met until now, I could see how much you cared for each other. If that damn Newton kid hadn't have gotten in the way, you would have been together much sooner. Better late than never, I guess." Without another word, Charlie rises from his seat, kisses Bella on the top of her head, and walks toward the door. He pauses for a second when he gets there and turns back around. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Next time, make sure you pick up the phone and call your old man when a life altering event happens, okay? I'd hate to think of the two of you running off to Vegas and eloping or something and robbing me of the chance to walk my little girl down the aisle." Bella and I both gasp at his words, making him chuckle loudly as he walks out the door.

A/N Well, what did you think? I know the majority of you guessed that the voice belonged to Mike. I hope you're not too disappointed! Please take a moment to review and share your thoughts, and thanks for reading!

I'm honestly not sure who'll be up next, but I'm leaning toward MPOV. Let me know if you want to read about Charlie's visit to him!